|
1 |
|
1 |
|
2 |
|
3 |
|
3 |
|
3 |
|
3 |
A. |
[Reserved.] |
3 |
B. |
Capitalization and Indebtedness |
3 |
C. |
Reasons for the Offer and Use of Proceeds |
3 |
D. |
Risk Factors |
3 |
|
50 |
A. |
History and Development of the Company |
50 |
B. |
Business Overview |
50 |
C. |
Organizational Structure |
68 |
D. |
Property, Plants and Equipment |
69 |
|
69 |
|
69 |
A. |
Operating Results |
77 |
B. |
Liquidity and Capital Resources |
82 |
C. |
Research and Development, Patents and Licenses, Etc. |
85 |
D. |
Trend Information |
85 |
E. |
Critical Accounting Estimates |
85 |
|
89 |
A. |
Directors and Senior Management |
89 |
B. |
Compensation |
94 |
C. |
Board Practices |
103 |
D. |
Employees |
116 |
E. |
Share Ownership |
116 |
F. |
Disclosure of a Registrant’s Action to Recover Erroneously Awarded Compensation
|
116 |
|
116 |
A. |
Major Shareholders |
116 |
B. |
Related Party Transactions |
120 |
C. |
Interests of Experts and Counsel |
122 |
|
122 |
A. |
Consolidated Statements and Other Financial Information |
122 |
B. |
Significant Changes |
123 |
|
123 |
A. |
Offer and Listing Details |
123 |
B. |
Plan of Distribution |
123 |
C. |
Markets |
123 |
D. |
Selling Shareholders |
123 |
E. |
Dilution |
123 |
F. |
Expenses of the Issue |
123 |
|
123 |
A. |
Share Capital |
123 |
B. |
Memorandum and Articles of Association |
123 |
C. |
Material Contracts |
124 |
D. |
Exchange Controls |
124 |
E. |
Taxation |
124 |
F. |
Dividends and Paying Agents |
134 |
G. |
Statement by Experts |
134 |
H. |
Documents on Display |
135 |
I. |
Subsidiary Information |
135 |
J. |
Annual Report to Security Holders |
135 |
|
135 |
|
136 |
|
136 |
|
136 |
|
136 |
|
137 |
|
137 |
|
137 |
|
138 |
|
138 |
|
139 |
|
139 |
|
139 |
|
140 |
|
140 |
|
140 |
|
140 |
|
140 |
|
140 |
|
141 |
|
142 |
|
F-1
|
INTRODUCTION
In this Annual Report on Form 20-F (the “Annual Report”),
references to “we,” “us,” “our,” “our business,” the “Company,” “WalkMe”
and similar references refer to WalkMe Ltd. and, where appropriate, its consolidated subsidiaries.
This Annual Report contains estimates, projections and other
information concerning our industry and our business, as well as data regarding market research, estimates and forecasts prepared by our
management. Information that is based on estimates, forecasts, projections, market research or similar methodologies is inherently subject
to uncertainties, and actual events or circumstances may differ materially from events and circumstances that are assumed in this information.
The industry in which we operate is subject to a high degree of uncertainty and risk due to a variety of factors, including those discussed
under the headings “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” and Item 3.D. “Risk Factors” in this Annual
Report.
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Annual Report contains forward-looking statements within
the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We intend such forward-looking statements to be covered by the
safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements as contained in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section
21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). All statements contained in this Annual Report
other than statements of historical fact, including, without limitation, statements regarding our future operating results and financial
position, including our revenue and operating expenses profitability; our business strategies and plans; our expectations regarding the
development of our industry and the competitive environment in which we operate; our expectations regarding partnerships and collaborations;
our objectives for future operations; our ability to raise additional capital to fund our operations; and the sufficiency of our cash,
cash equivalents and short-term investments, are forward-looking statements. The words “may,” “might,” “will,”
“could,” “would,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “intend,”
“target,” “seek,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,”
“continue,” “contemplate,” “possible,” “forecasts,” “aims” or the negative
of these terms and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, though not all forward-looking statements
use these words or expressions. These forward-looking statements are contained principally in the sections titled Item 3.D. “Key
Information-Risk Factors,” Item 4. “Information on the Company,” and Item 5. “Operating and Financial Review and
Prospects.” These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important
factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance
or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the following:
• |
our future financial performance, including our expectations regarding our revenue, cost of revenue, gross
margin, operating expenses, cash flow and deferred revenue;
|
• |
our ability to manage our growth effectively, sustain our historical growth rate in the future or achieve
or maintain profitability;
|
• |
the growth and expansion of the markets for our offerings and our ability to adapt and respond effectively
to evolving market conditions and demands;
|
• |
our estimates of, and future expectations regarding, our market opportunity;
|
• |
the impact of adverse macro-economic changes on our business, financial condition and results of operations;
|
• |
our ability to attract new customers as well as to retain and expand
our revenue from existing customers; |
• |
our ability to keep pace with technological and competitive developments and develop or otherwise introduce
new products and solutions and enhancements to our existing offerings;
|
• |
our ability to maintain the interoperability of our offerings across devices, operating systems and third-party
applications and to maintain and expand our relationships with third-party technology partners;
|
• |
the effects of increased competition in our target markets and our ability to compete effectively;
|
• |
the success of our sales and marketing operations, including our ability to realize efficiencies and reduce
customer acquisition costs as well as our ability to effectively develop and expand our marketing and sales capabilities;
|
• |
our ability to meet the service-level commitments under our customer agreements and the effects on our
business if we are unable to do so;
|
• |
our relationships with, and dependence on, various third-party service providers;
|
• |
our ability to maintain and enhance awareness of our brand;
|
• |
our ability to offer high quality customer support;
|
• |
our ability to maintain the sales prices of our offerings and the effects of pricing fluctuations;
|
• |
our ability to attract and retain the executive leadership and employee talent that we need to be successful;
|
• |
the sustainability of, and fluctuations in, our gross margin;
|
• |
risks related to our international operations and our ability to expand our international business operations;
|
• |
the effects of currency exchange rate fluctuations on our results of operations;
|
• |
challenges and risks related to our sales to government entities;
|
• |
our ability to consummate acquisitions at our historical rate and at acceptable prices, to enter into other
strategic transactions and relationships, and to manage the risks related to these transactions and arrangements;
|
• |
our ability to protect our proprietary technology, or to obtain, maintain, protect and enforce sufficiently
broad intellectual property rights therein;
|
• |
our ability to maintain the security and availability of our platform, products and solutions;
|
• |
our ability to comply with the privacy laws of the various jurisdictions
in which we operate; |
• |
our ability to comply with current and future legislation and governmental regulations to which we are
subject or may become subject in the future;
|
• |
changes in applicable tax law, the stability of effective tax rates and adverse outcomes resulting from
examination of our income or other tax returns;
|
• |
risks related to political, economic and security conditions in Israel;
|
• |
the effects of unfavorable conditions in our industry or the global economy or reductions in information
technology spending; and
|
• |
factors that may affect the future trading prices of our ordinary shares. |
You should not rely on forward-looking statements as predictions
of future events. We have based the forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report primarily on our current expectations and
projections about future events and trends that we believe may affect our business, financial condition and operating results. The outcome
of the events described in these forward-looking statements is subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors described in the section
titled “Risk factors” and elsewhere in this Annual Report. Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing
environment. New risks and uncertainties emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all risks and uncertainties
that could have an impact on the forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report. The results, events and circumstances reflected
in the forward-looking statements may not be achieved or occur, and actual results, events or circumstances could differ materially from
those described in the forward-looking statements.
The forward-looking statements made in this Annual Report relate
only to events or information as of the date on which the statements are made in this Annual Report. You should not put undue reliance
on any forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as
a result of various factors described in this annual report, including factors beyond our ability to control or predict. Although we believe
that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee that future results, levels of activity,
performance and events and circumstances reflected in the forward-looking statements will be achieved or will occur. Except as required
by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise, after the date on which the statements are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. You
should read this Annual Report and the documents that we reference in this Annual Report and have filed as exhibits hereto completely
and with the understanding that our actual future results or performance may be materially different from what we expect.
PRESENTATION OF FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Our consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with generally
accepted accounting principles in the United States, or U.S. GAAP. We present our consolidated financial statements in U.S. dollars.
Our fiscal year ends on December 31 of each year.
Certain monetary amounts, percentages and other figures included elsewhere in this
Annual Report have been subject to rounding adjustments. Accordingly, figures shown as totals in certain tables or charts may not be the
arithmetic aggregation of the figures that precede them, and figures expressed as percentages in the text may not total 100% or, as applicable,
when aggregated may not be the arithmetic aggregation of the percentages that precede them.
PART I
Item 1. Identity of Directors, Senior Management and Advisers
Not applicable.
Item 2. Offer Statistics and Expected Timetable
Not applicable.
Item 3. Key Information
B. |
Capitalization and Indebtedness |
Not applicable.
C. |
Reasons for the Offer and Use of Proceeds |
Not applicable.
You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described
below and the other information contained in this Annual Report before making an investment decision. Additional risks and uncertainties
not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also impair our business operations. Our business, financial condition,
results of operations, or strategic objectives could be materially and adversely affected by any of these risks and uncertainties. The
trading price and value of our ordinary shares could decline due to any of these risks and uncertainties, and you may lose all or part
of your investment. This Annual Report also contains forward- looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results
could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors, including the risks
and uncertainties faced by us described below and elsewhere in this Annual Report.
Risks Relating to Our Business and Industry
We have incurred operating losses in the past,
expect to incur operating losses in the future and may never achieve or sustain profitability.
We have incurred annual net losses each year since our formation
in October 2011. For the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2022, we had net losses of $80.3 million and $108.3 million, respectively.
We expect to continue to incur additional losses and we may not achieve or maintain profitability in the future. As of December 31, 2022,
we had an accumulated deficit of $432.6 million. While we are increasingly focused on improving our operating efficiency, we intend to
continue to expend substantial financial and other resources on, among other things:
• |
innovating and advancing our platform;
|
• |
acquiring new customers;
|
• |
increasing usage by and spend from our existing customers;
|
• |
international expansion; and
|
• |
expansion of our ecosystem and go-to-market partnerships. |
Our efforts to grow our revenue while increasing our operating
efficiency may prove more difficult than we currently anticipate, and we may not succeed in increasing our revenues sufficiently, or at
all, to offset our expenses. In addition, to the extent we are successful in increasing our customer base, we may also incur increased
losses because the costs associated with acquiring customers are generally incurred up front, while subscription revenue is generally
recognized ratably over the subscription term. Additionally, we expect to continue making significant expenditures on sales and marketing
efforts, and expenditures to grow our platform including to develop new features, integrations, capabilities, and enhancements to our
platform. For example, we have made and expect to continue to make significant investments in our platform to obtain FedRamp certification
in support of our efforts to expand our U.S. federal business. If our revenue does not grow at a greater rate than our operating expenses,
we will not be profitable in future periods. Our revenue growth may slow or our revenue may decline for a number of possible reasons,
many of which are beyond our control, including greater market penetration, increased competition, slowing demand for our platform, a
failure by us to continue capitalizing on growth opportunities, the maturation of our business, global economic downturns, the impact
of rising inflation or interest rates or any of the other factors discussed in this “Risk Factors” section. Any failure to
increase our revenue as we grow our business could prevent us from achieving profitability at all or on a consistent basis, which would
make it more difficult to accomplish our business objectives and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition
and results of operations and cause the market price of our ordinary shares to decline.
Our business and operations have historically
experienced rapid growth. Our past growth may not be indicative of our future growth, and we may not be able to sustain our revenue growth
rate in the future. Our growth also makes it difficult to evaluate our future prospects and may increase the risk that we will not be
successful.
Our total revenues for the years ended December 31, 2021 and
2022 were $193.3 million and $245.0 million, respectively, representing year-over-year growth of 27%. You should not rely on our revenue
growth over any historical period as an indication of our future performance. Even if our revenue continues to increase, we expect our
revenue growth rate to decline in future periods. For example, we expect our revenue growth to moderate somewhat for the fiscal year 2023
compared to the prior year as we and our customers face increased global economic uncertainty. Many factors may contribute to declines
in our growth rate, including macro economic conditions greater market penetration, increased competition, slowing demand for our offerings,
a failure by us to continue capitalizing on growth opportunities and the maturation of our business, among others. If our growth rate
declines, investors’ perceptions of our business and the market price of our ordinary shares could be adversely affected.
In addition, our historical growth rate may make it difficult
to evaluate our current business and future prospects. Our ability to forecast our future results of operations is subject to a number
of uncertainties, including our ability to effectively plan for and model future growth. We have encountered in the past, and may encounter
in the future, risks and uncertainties frequently experienced by growing companies in rapidly changing industries. If we fail to achieve
the necessary level of efficiency in our organization as it grows, or if we are not able to accurately forecast future growth, our business
could be harmed. Moreover, if the assumptions that we rely on to plan our business are incorrect or change in reaction to changes in the
markets in which we operate, or if we are unable to maintain consistent revenue or revenue growth, our share price could be volatile,
and it may be difficult to achieve and maintain profitability.
The markets for our products are
new and evolving and may develop more slowly or differently than we expect.
Our future success depends on the growth and expansion of these markets and our ability to adapt and respond effectively to evolving market
conditions and demands.
The markets for our products are relatively new, rapidly evolving
and unproven. Accordingly, it is difficult to predict customer adoption and renewals, demand for our platform and our products, the entry
of competitive products, the success of existing competitive products, or the future growth rate, expansion, longevity and the size of
our target markets. The expansion of, and our ability to penetrate, these new and evolving markets depends on a number of factors, including
widespread awareness among key organizational decision makers of, and the cost, performance, effectiveness and perceived value associated
with, digital adoption platforms and technologies. If we or other software and software as a service (“SaaS”) providers experience
security incidents, loss of customer data, or disruptions in delivery or service, the market for these applications as a whole, including
our platform and products, may be negatively affected. If digital adoption technologies and software do not continue to achieve market
acceptance, or if there is a reduction in demand caused by decreased customer or user acceptance, technological challenges, weakening
economic conditions (including in connection with factors such as rising inflation or interest rates), privacy, data protection and data
security concerns, governmental regulation, competing technologies and products, decreases in information technology spending or otherwise,
or if software providers begin to implement digital adoption solutions natively within their existing products, the markets for our platform
and products might not continue to develop or might develop more slowly than we expect, which could adversely affect our business, financial
condition and results of operations.
If we are not able to keep pace with technological
and competitive developments or fail to develop or otherwise introduce new products and enhancements to our existing offerings, our products
may become less marketable, less competitive, or obsolete, and our business, financial condition and results of operations may be materially
adversely affected.
The markets in which we compete are characterized by rapid technological
change, frequent introductions of new products, services, features and capabilities, and evolving industry standards and regulatory requirements.
Our business strategy may not effectively respond to these changes, and we may fail to position ourselves to capitalize on market opportunities.
Our ability to grow our customer base and increase revenue from existing customers will depend in significant part on our ability to develop
or otherwise introduce new product offerings and new features, integrations, capabilities and other enhancements to our existing offerings
on a timely basis, as well as on our ability to interoperate across an increasing range of devices, operating systems and third-party
applications. The success of any new products or enhancements to our existing offerings will depend on a number of factors including,
but not limited to, the timeliness and effectiveness of our research and product development activities and go-to-market strategy, our
ability to anticipate customer needs and achieve market acceptance, our ability to manage the risks associated with new product releases,
the effective management of development and other spending in connection with the product development process and anticipated demand,
and the availability of other newly developed products and technologies by our competitors.
In addition, in connection with our product development efforts,
we may introduce significant changes to our existing products, or develop or otherwise introduce new and unproven products or product
features, including technologies with which we have little or no prior development or operating experience. These new products, product
features and other updates may not perform as expected, may fail to engage our customers or other users of our products, or may otherwise
create a lag in adoption of such new or updated products and product features. New products may initially suffer from performance and
quality issues that may negatively impact our ability to market and sell such products to new and existing customers. We have in the past
experienced bugs, errors, or other defects or deficiencies in new products and product updates and delays in releasing new products, deployment
options, and product enhancements and may have similar experiences in the future. As a result, some of our customers may either defer
purchasing our products until the next upgrade is released or switch to a competitor if we are not able to keep up with technological
developments.
To keep pace with technological and competitive developments,
we have in the past invested, and may in the future invest, in the acquisition of complementary businesses, technologies, services, products,
and other assets that expand the products that we can offer our customers. We may make these investments without being certain that they
will result in products or enhancements that will be accepted by existing or prospective customers or that will achieve market acceptance.
The short-term and long-term impact of any major change to our offerings, or the introduction of new products or solutions, is particularly
difficult to predict. If new or enhanced offerings fail to engage our customers or other users of our products, or do not perform as expected,
we may fail to generate sufficient revenue, operating margin, or other value to justify our investments in such products, any of which
may adversely affect our reputation and negatively affect our business in the short-term, long-term, or both. If we are unable to successfully
enhance our existing products to meet evolving customer requirements, increase adoption and use cases of our platform and products, develop
new products and product features and quickly resolve security vulnerabilities, or if our efforts in any of these areas are more expensive
than we expect, then our business, financial condition and results of operations would be adversely affected.
Our business depends in part on our existing
customers expanding the value of their subscriptions over time and renewing their subscriptions at the end of the applicable subscription
period. Any decline in our Dollar-Based Net Retention Rate may harm our future operating results.
Our future success depends in part on our ability to expand the
value of our existing customers’ subscriptions over time, and on our customers renewing their subscriptions when the contract term
expires. The terms of our subscription agreements are typically for a period of one to three years, and our customers are under no obligation
to renew their subscriptions after the expiration of the applicable subscription period. As a result, we cannot guarantee that customers
will renew their subscriptions for a similar contract period or with a similar or greater scope of applications, users, features, capabilities
or other terms that are equally or more beneficial to us, if they renew at all.
We use a metric we call Dollar-Based Net Retention to measure
the expanding value of our customers subscriptions over time and understand our renewal trends. Our definition of Dollar-Based Net Retention
is described in Item 5 of this Annual Report under “Key Business and Financial Metrics.” We may not accurately predict future
renewal trends or our Dollar-Based Net Retention Rate given the diversity of our customer base in terms of size, industry and geography.
Customer renewals, and our Dollar-Based Net Retention Rate, may decline or fluctuate as a result of a number of factors, including customer
satisfaction with our products and our customer support, fluctuation in customer employee headcount, the frequency and severity of product
outages, our product uptime or latency, the pricing and value proposition of our offerings compared to those of our competitors, additional
new features, integrations, capabilities or other enhancements that we may develop or otherwise introduce from time to time, updates to
our products as a result of updates by technology partners, mergers and acquisitions affecting our customer base, and consolidation of
affiliates’ multiple into a single account. Customer renewals have been and may in the future also be impacted by general economic
conditions, strengths and weaknesses in our customers’ underlying businesses, and other factors, many of which are beyond our control,
that reduce customers’ spending levels. In addition, customers may renew for fewer subscriptions, renew for shorter contract lengths
if they were previously on multi-year contracts, or switch to lower cost offerings on our platform. These factors may also be exacerbated
if our customer base continues to grow to encompass larger enterprises, which generally require more sophisticated and costly sales efforts.
If our customers do not expand the value of their subscriptions over time, or if our customers fail to renew their subscriptions or renew
on less economically beneficial terms, our revenue may decline or grow less quickly than anticipated and our business, financial condition
and results of operations may be harmed.
If we are unable to attract new customers,
our business, financial condition and results of operations will be adversely affected.
To increase our revenue, we must continue to attract new customers.
Our success will depend to a substantial extent on the widespread adoption of our platform and products. Many enterprises may view digital
adoption platforms and technologies such as ours as new and unproven, and may be reluctant or unwilling to migrate to our Digital Adoption
Platform. Further, the adoption of SaaS business software may be slower in industries with heightened data security interests or business
practices requiring highly customizable application software. In addition, as our target markets mature, our products evolve, and competitors
introduce lower cost or differentiated products that are perceived to compete with our platform and products, our ability to sell subscriptions
for our products could be impaired. Similarly, our subscription sales could be adversely affected if customers or users within these organizations
perceive that features incorporated into competitive products reduce the need for our products, or if they prefer to purchase other products
that are bundled with solutions offered by other companies that operate in adjacent markets and compete with our products. As a result
of these and other factors, we may be unable to attract new customers, which may have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition
and results of operations.
If we do not maintain the interoperability
of our offerings across devices, operating systems and third-party applications that we do not control, and if we are not able to maintain
and expand our relationships with third-party technology partners to integrate our offerings with their products and solutions, our business,
financial condition and results of operations may be materially adversely affected.
Our success depends in part on our ability to integrate our platform
and products with a variety of devices, operating systems and third-party applications that we do not control, and we need to continuously
modify and enhance our offerings to adapt to changes in hardware, software, networking, browser and database technologies. Third-party
products and services are constantly evolving, and we may not be able to modify our offerings to ensure their compatibility with those
of other third parties following development changes. Third-party providers may change the features of their applications and software,
restrict our access to their applications and software or alter the terms governing use of their applications and access to those applications
and software in an adverse manner. Such changes could functionally limit or eliminate our ability to use these third-party applications
and software in conjunction with our products, which could negatively impact customer demand, our competitive position and adversely affect
our business. Certain companies with which we currently compete or may in the future compete own, develop, operate or distribute operating
systems, cloud hosting services and other software applications, and/or have material business relationships with companies that own,
develop, operate or distribute operating systems, application stores, cloud hosting services and other software that our offerings rely
on to operate. These companies may be able to disrupt the operation or compatibility of our offerings with their products or services,
or exert strong business influence on our ability to, and the terms on which we, operate and distribute our offerings. Moreover, some
of these companies may have inherent advantages developing products and services that more tightly integrate with their software and hardware
platforms or those of their business partners. Should these or any other third-party providers modify their products or standards in a
manner that degrades the functionality of our offerings or gives preferential treatment to competitive products or services, whether to
enhance their competitive position or for any other reason, we may not be able to offer the functionality that our customers need, which
would negatively impact our ability to generate revenue and adversely affect our business. Furthermore, any losses or shifts in the market
position of the providers of these third-party products and services could require us to identify and develop integrations with new third-party
technologies. Such changes could consume substantial resources and may not be effective. Any expansion into new geographies may also require
us to integrate our offerings with new third-party technologies, products and services and invest in developing new relationships with
these providers. If we are unable to respond to changes in a cost-effective manner, our offerings may become less marketable, less competitive,
or obsolete, and our business, financial condition and results of operations may be negatively impacted.
Further, we have created mobile applications and mobile versions
of our offerings to respond to the increasing number of people who access the internet and cloud-based software applications through mobile
devices, including smartphones and handheld tablets or laptop computers. If these mobile applications do not perform well, our business
may suffer. We are also dependent on third-party application stores that we do not control, and that may prevent us from timely updating
our offerings, building new features, integrations, capabilities or other enhancements, or charging for access. Should any of these companies
stop allowing or supporting access to our offerings, allow access for us only at an unsustainable cost, or make changes to the terms of
access in order to make our offerings less desirable or harder to access, whether for competitive reasons or otherwise, it would also
have a negative impact on our business.
The markets in which we compete are nascent
and highly fragmented, and we may not be able to compete successfully against current and future competitors, some of which may have greater
financial, technical, and other resources than we do. If we do not compete successfully our business, financial condition and results
of operations could be harmed.
The market for our platform and products is highly fragmented,
quickly evolving, and subject to rapid changes in technology. We believe that our ability to compete successfully depends upon many factors
both within and beyond our control, including the following:
• |
breadth of applications and technology integrations supported;
|
• |
support for cross-application guidance, automation and analytics;
|
• |
expertise in third-party application implementations;
|
• |
integration of robust analytics and visualization capabilities;
|
• |
cross-platform support for workflows including mobile native applications (iOS and
Android) and desktop (Windows and macOS);
|
• |
ease of implementation and use;
|
• |
performance, security, scalability and reliability;
|
• |
quality of customer support;
|
• |
total cost of ownership; and
|
• |
brand recognition and reputation. |
Our main sources of competition fall into the following categories:
• |
Non-adoption from enterprises maintaining the status quo of offline, internally developed,
or non-dynamic, FAQ-centric application guidance and workflow support;
|
• |
Point solutions embedded natively or as an add-on to software provided by diversified
enterprise software companies such as SAP, Oracle, Microsoft, and Salesforce; and
|
• |
Providers of software for specific in-app guidance or analytics use cases for SaaS
applications. |
Additionally, we compete with home-grown, start-up, and open-source
technologies across the categories described above. With the trend toward distributed and remote workforces, the passage of time, the
introduction of new technologies and the entrance of new market participants, competition has intensified, and we expect it to continue
to intensify in the future. Established companies are also developing their own products that compete with ours, and may continue to do
so in the future. Established companies may also acquire or establish product integration, distribution or other cooperative relationships
with our current competitors. New competitors or alliances among competitors may emerge from time to time and rapidly acquire significant
market share due to various factors such as their greater brand name recognition, larger existing user or customer base, customer preferences
for their offerings, a larger or more effective sales organization and greater financial, technical, marketing and other resources and
experience. Furthermore, with the recent increase in large merger and acquisition transactions in the technology industry, particularly
transactions involving cloud-based technologies, there is a greater likelihood that we will compete with other larger technology companies
in the future. Companies resulting from these potential consolidations may create more compelling product offerings and be able to offer
more attractive pricing options, making it more difficult for us to compete effectively.
Many of our competitors have, and additional potential competitors
may have, greater financial, technical, and other resources, greater brand recognition, larger sales forces and marketing budgets, broader
distribution networks, more diverse product and services offerings, larger and more mature intellectual property portfolios, more established
relationships in the industry and with customers, lower cost structures and greater customer experience resources. These competitors may
be able to respond more quickly and effectively than we can to new or changing opportunities, technologies, standards and customer requirements.
They may also be able to leverage these resources to gain business in a manner that discourages customers from purchasing our offerings.
Potential customers may also prefer to purchase from companies with which they have an existing relationship rather than a new supplier,
regardless of product performance or features. Furthermore, we expect that our industry will continue to attract new companies, including
smaller emerging companies, which could introduce new offerings or alternative solutions to the problems we address. We may also expand
into new markets and encounter additional competitors in such markets. The numerous and evolving competitive pressures in the markets
in which we operate, or our failure to respond effectively to such pressures, may result in price reductions, fewer customers, reduced
revenue, gross profit and gross margins, increased net losses and loss of market share, any of which could significantly and adversely
affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our Digital Adoption Platform is at the core
of our business, and any decline in demand for our Digital Adoption Platform occasioned by malfunction, inferior performance, increased
competition, economic conditions or otherwise, will impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our Digital Adoption Platform is at the core of our business
and all of our customer subscriptions. Customer subscriptions to our Digital Adoption Platform accounted for approximately 91% and 90%
of our total revenue for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2022, respectively, with the remainder of our revenue being derived from
associated professional services. Accordingly, market acceptance of our Digital Adoption Platform is critical to our success. If demand
for our Digital Adoption Platform declines, the demand for the associated professional services will also decline. Demand for our Digital
Adoption Platform is affected by a number of factors, many of which are beyond our control, such as continued market acceptance of digital
adoption platforms and technologies by customers for existing and new use cases, the timing of development and release of new features
and functionality, lower cost alternatives introduced by our competitors, technological changes and developments within the markets we
serve, including the potential introduction of native digital adoption solutions within software providers’ existing products, and
macroeconomic conditions. If our Digital Adoption Platform fails to compete effectively or demand for our Digital Adoption Platform
were to decline, then our business, financial condition and results of operations would be harmed.
Unfavorable conditions in our industry or the
global economy or reductions in information technology spending could limit our ability to grow our business and negatively affect our
results of operations.
Our results of operations may vary based on the impact of changes
in our industry or the global economy on us or our customers. Current or future economic uncertainties or downturns could adversely affect
our business and results of operations. Negative conditions in the general economy both in the United States and abroad, including conditions
resulting from changes in gross domestic product growth, financial, and credit market fluctuations, rising inflation or interest rates,
political turmoil, natural catastrophes, any pandemic, epidemic or outbreak of infectious disease, warfare, protests and riots, and terrorist
attacks on the United States, Europe, the Middle East, the Asia Pacific region, or elsewhere, could cause a decrease in business investments
by our customers and potential customers, including spending on information technology, and negatively affect the growth of our business.
For example, the United States has recently
experienced historically high levels of inflation. The annual inflation rate for the United States was approximately 6.5% for the year
ended December 31, 2022. In the event inflation persists or continues to increase, we may seek to increase the sales prices of our products
and services in order to maintain satisfactory margins. Any attempts to offset cost increases with price increases may result in reduced
sales, increase customer dissatisfaction or otherwise harm our reputation. Moreover, rising inflation and other macro conditions may have
other adverse effects on the economy which are difficult to predict. For example, we maintain commercial banking relationships
with multiple banks, including Silicon Valley Bank, a California corporation (“SVB”). On March 10, 2023, the Federal
Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”) took control of SVB and created the National Bank of Santa Clara to hold the deposits
of SVB after SVB was unable to continue their operations. SVB’s deposits are insured by the FDIC in amount up to $250,000 for any
depositor. On March 12, 2023, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Federal Reserve Bank and FDIC announced that the FDIC will complete
its resolution of SVB in a manner that fully protects all depositors. The failure of any bank with which we maintain a commercial relationship
could cause us to lose our funds if not protected by insurance or similar regulatory actions.
Moreover, persistent economic downturns may require us to undertake optimization and
cost saving initiatives, including streamlining our organization and adjusting the size and structure of our workforce. For example, throughout
2022, we implemented certain cost reduction efforts to reduce material spend and operating expenses. In January 2023, we also restructured
our workforce and eliminated 43 full-time positions, representing 3% of our workforce. Any reduction in force may yield unintended consequences
and costs, such as attrition beyond the intended reduction in force, the distraction of employees and reduced employee morale, which could,
in turn, adversely impact productivity, including through a loss of continuity, loss of accumulated knowledge or inefficiency during transitional
periods. Any of these impacts could also adversely affect our reputation as an employer, make it more difficult for us to hire new employees
in the future and increase the risk that we may not achieve the anticipated benefits from the restructuring.
We recognize subscription revenue over the
term of the relevant subscription period, and as a result, downturns or upturns in sales are not immediately reflected in full in our
results of operations.
We generate revenue primarily through sales of subscriptions
to our Digital Adoption Platform, and we recognize our subscription revenue ratably over the term of the relevant subscription period.
As a result, a significant portion of the revenue we report each fiscal quarter is the recognition of deferred revenue from subscription
contracts entered into during previous fiscal quarters. Consequently, a decline in new or renewed subscriptions in any one fiscal quarter
will not be fully or immediately reflected in revenue in that fiscal quarter and will negatively affect our revenue in future fiscal quarters.
Accordingly, the effect of significant downturns in new or renewed sales of our subscriptions is not reflected in full in our results
of operations until future periods.
Our ability to achieve customer renewals and
increase sales of our products is dependent on the quality of our customer support, and our failure to offer effective customer support
would have an adverse effect on our reputation, business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our customers depend on our customer support professionals, which
we refer to as our customer success team, to resolve issues and realize the full benefits relating to our platform and products. If we
do not succeed in helping our customers quickly resolve implementation and/or post-deployment issues or provide effective ongoing support
and education, our ability to renew subscriptions with existing customers and to expand the value of those subscriptions would be adversely
affected and our reputation with potential customers could also be damaged. In addition, a significant portion of our existing customer
base consists of large enterprises, which generally have more complex IT environments and require higher levels of support than smaller
customers. If we fail to meet the requirements of these customers, it may be more difficult to grow sales or maintain our relationships
with them.
Moreover, persistent economic downturns may require us to undertake optimization and
cost saving initiatives, including streamlining our organization and adjusting the size and structure of our workforce. For example, throughout
2022, we implemented certain cost reduction efforts to reduce material spend and operating expenses. In January 2023, we also restructured
our workforce and eliminated 43 full-time positions, representing 3% of our workforce. Any reduction in force may yield unintended consequences
and costs, such as attrition beyond the intended reduction in force, the distraction of employees and reduced employee morale, which could,
in turn, adversely impact productivity, including through a loss of continuity, loss of accumulated knowledge or inefficiency during transitional
periods. Any of these impacts could also adversely affect our reputation as an employer, make it more difficult for us to hire new employees
in the future and increase the risk that we may not achieve the anticipated benefits from the restructuring.
If we fail to maintain and enhance our brand,
our ability to expand our customer base will be impaired and our business, financial condition and results of operations may suffer.
We believe that maintaining and enhancing the WalkMe brand is
important to support the marketing and sale of our existing and future products to new customers and to expanding sales of our products
to existing customers. We also believe that brand recognition will become increasingly important as competition in our target markets
increases. Successfully maintaining and enhancing our brand will depend largely on the effectiveness of our marketing efforts, our ability
to provide reliable products that continue to meet the needs of our customers at competitive prices, our ability to maintain our customers’
trust, our ability to continue to develop new functionality and use cases, and our ability to successfully differentiate our products
and platform capabilities from those of our competitors. Our brand promotion activities may not generate customer awareness or yield increased
revenue, and even if they do, any increased revenue may not offset the marketing expenses we incur in building our brand. If we fail to
successfully promote and maintain our brand, we may fail to attract new customers and retain existing customers as necessary to realize
a sufficient return on our brand-building efforts, and may fail to achieve the widespread brand awareness that is critical for broad customer
adoption of our offerings.
If we are unable to manage our fixed and variable
costs or expand the scale of our operations and generate a sufficient amount of revenue to offset the associated fixed and variable costs,
our business, financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.
SaaS businesses like ours tend to involve certain fixed costs,
and our ability to achieve desired operating margins depends largely on our success in maintaining a scale of operations and generating
a sufficient amount of revenue to offset these fixed costs and other variable costs. Our fixed costs typically include compensation of
employees, cloud-based computing services, data storage and related expenses and office rental expenses. Our variable costs typically
include sales and marketing expenses. These costs can be difficult to manage, particularly as we continue to grow. If we are unable to
effectively manage these costs or achieve economies of scale, our operating margin may decrease and our business, financial condition,
results of operations and prospects could be materially and adversely affected.
Our results of operations are likely to fluctuate
from quarter to quarter, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our results of operations, including our revenue, cost of revenue,
gross margin, operating expenses and cash flow, have fluctuated from quarter to quarter in the past and may continue to vary significantly
in the future so that period-to-period comparisons of our results of operations may not be meaningful. Accordingly, our financial results
in any one quarter should not be relied upon as indicative of future performance. Our quarterly financial results may fluctuate as a result
of a variety of factors, many of which may be difficult to predict, and may or may not fully reflect the underlying performance of our
business. Factors that may cause fluctuations in our quarterly financial results include:
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our ability to attract and retain new customers and expand sales within our existing
customer base;
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the loss of existing customers;
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subscription renewals and the timing of such renewals;
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fluctuations in customer usage of our products from period to period;
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customer satisfaction with our products and platform capabilities and customer support;
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mergers and acquisitions or other transactions affecting our customer base, including
the consolidation of affiliates’ multiple accounts into a single account;
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mix of our revenue between subscription and professional services;
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our ability to gain new partners and retain existing partners, and any changes in
the economic terms of our agreements with such partners;
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increases or decreases in the number of users or applications in our subscriptions
or pricing changes upon any renewals of customer agreements;
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fluctuations in share-based compensation expense;
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decisions by potential customers to purchase alternative solutions or develop in-house
technologies as alternatives to our products;
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the amount and timing of operating expenses related to the maintenance and expansion
of our business and operations, including investments in research and development, sales and marketing, including the capacity of our
sales team, and general and administrative resources;
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our ability to manage our cloud services infrastructure costs;
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technical disruptions or network outages;
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developments or disputes concerning our intellectual property or proprietary rights,
our platform or products, or third-party intellectual property or proprietary rights;
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negative publicity about our Company, our offerings or our partners, including as
a result of actual or perceived breaches of, or failures relating to, data privacy, data protection or data security;
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the timing of expenses related to the development or acquisition of technologies or
businesses and potential future charges for impairment of goodwill from acquired companies;
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general economic, industry and market conditions;
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the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, or any other pandemic, epidemic, outbreak of
infectious disease or other global health crises on our business, the businesses of our customers and partners and general economic conditions;
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the impact of political uncertainty or unrest, including the war in Ukraine and recent
political uncertainty in Israel, where our headquarters are located;
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changes in our pricing policies or those of our competitors;
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fluctuations in the growth rate of the overall markets that our products address;
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seasonality in the underlying businesses of our customers, including budgeting cycles
and purchasing practices, and any changes in customer spending patterns; |
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the business strengths or weakness of our customers;
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our ability to collect timely on invoices or receivables;
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the cost and potential outcomes of litigation or other disputes;
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future accounting pronouncements or changes in our accounting policies;
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our overall effective tax rate, including impacts caused by any reorganization in
our corporate tax structure and any new legislation or regulatory developments;
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our ability to successfully expand our business in the U.S. and internationally;
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fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates;
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legal and regulatory compliance costs in new and existing markets; and
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the timing and success of new products or product features introduced by us or our
competitors or any other change in the competitive dynamics of our industry, including consolidation among competitors, customers or partners.
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The impact of one or more of the foregoing or other factors may
cause our results of operations to vary significantly. Such fluctuations could cause us to fail to meet the expectations of investors
or securities analysts, which could cause the trading price of our ordinary shares to fall substantially, and we could face costly lawsuits,
including securities class action suits. Additionally, the rapid growth we have experienced in recent years may have masked the full effects
of these seasonal factors on our business to date, and as such, these factors may have a greater effect on our results of operations in
future periods.
A significant re-emergence of
COVID-19, including new or related strains of the virus, could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic
on our business and our financial condition could include but are not limited to the following: (i) adverse effects on the productivity
and availability of key personnel and other employees necessary to conduct our business, and on third-party service providers who perform
critical services for us; (ii) increased data privacy, data protection, data security and fraud risks as a result of our employees working
remotely; (iii) a negative impact on our operations and the execution of our business plans; (iv) related global macroeconomic impacts
and disruptions, including rising inflation and rapidly increasing interest rates, an overall change in consumer behavior; (v) significant
disruption of global financial markets, reducing our ability to access capital, which could in the future negatively affect our liquidity;
(vi) significant reductions or volatility in the demand for one or more of our products; (vii) challenge our ability to enter into customer
contracts in a timely manner and (viii) create operational or other challenges, any of which could harm our business, financial condition
and results of operations. In addition, new pandemics, similar health epidemics and contagious disease outbreaks may emerge in the
future that could have similar negative effects and macroeconomic conditions generally and as a result may adversely affect our business,
results of operations, cash flows or financial condition.
Our corporate culture has contributed to our
success, and if we cannot maintain this culture as we grow or increasingly deploy remote work business models, we could lose the innovation,
creativity, and entrepreneurial spirit we have worked to foster, which could harm our business.
We believe that our culture has been and will continue to be a key contributor to
our success. We expect to continue to hire aggressively to support our strategic priorities, and we will need to maintain our culture
among a larger number of employees, dispersed across various geographic regions. Maintaining a strong corporate culture and a productive
workforce could be increasingly difficult in distributed work environments where employees work in hybrid or remote workplaces. If we
do not continue to maintain our corporate culture, we may be unable to foster the innovation, creativity and entrepreneurial spirit we
believe we need to support our business. Any expansion of our business may also result in changes to our corporate culture, which could
harm our ability to attract, recruit and retain employees, as well as our business and our prospects for future growth.
We typically provide service-level commitments
under our subscription agreements. If we fail to meet these contractual commitments, we could be obligated to provide credits for future
service, extended subscription terms or refunds of prepaid amounts equivalent to the credits, any of which could lead to subscription
termination or a decrease in customer renewals in future periods.
Our subscription agreements typically contain service-level commitments.
If we are unable to meet the stated service-level commitments, including failure to meet the uptime and response time requirements under
our customer subscription agreements, we may be contractually obligated to provide these customers with credits for future service, extended
subscription terms or refunds of prepaid amounts equivalent to the credits, any of which could lead to subscription termination or a decrease
in customer renewal. Accordingly, failure to meet our service-level commitments could significantly affect our revenue in the periods
in which the failure occurs and the credits are applied or the refunds paid out. In addition, subscription terminations and any reduction
in renewals resulting from service-level failures could significantly affect both our current and future revenue. Any service-level failures
could also create negative publicity and damage our reputation, which may discourage prospective customers from adopting our offerings.
In addition, if we modify the terms of our service-level commitments in future customer agreements in a manner that customers perceive
to be unfavorable, demand for our offerings could be reduced. Any of these events could adversely affect our business, financial condition
and results of operations.
We increasingly target enterprise customers,
and sales to these customers involve risks that may not be present or that are present to a lesser extent with sales to smaller entities.
Our sales and marketing organization is increasingly focused
on large enterprise customers. Sales to large customers involve risks that may not be present or that are present to a lesser extent with
sales to smaller entities, such as longer sales cycles, more complex customer requirements, substantial upfront sales costs, and less
predictability in completing some of our sales. For example, enterprise customers may require considerable time to evaluate and test our
solutions and those of our competitors prior to making a purchase decision and placing an order. Moreover, large enterprise customers
often begin to deploy our products on a limited basis, but nevertheless demand configuration, integration services and pricing negotiations,
which increase our upfront investment in the sales effort with no guarantee that these customers will deploy our products widely enough
across their organization to justify our substantial upfront investment.
The failure to effectively develop and expand
our sales and marketing capabilities, including third-party resources, could harm our ability to increase our customer base and achieve
broader market acceptance of our offerings.
Our ability to increase our customer base and achieve broader
market acceptance of our platform and products will depend to a significant extent on our ability to expand our sales and marketing operations.
As part of our strategy, we plan to continue to invest to improve our direct sales force and to align our sales capacity to our strategic
priorities. If we are unable to maintain a sufficient number of qualified sales personnel in the near term, our business and growth prospects
will be adversely impacted. Identifying and recruiting qualified sales representatives and training them is time-consuming and resource-intensive,
and they may not be fully trained and productive for a significant amount of time. We also plan to continue to dedicate significant resources
to our marketing programs. All of these efforts will require us to invest significant financial and other resources. Our business will
be harmed if our efforts do not generate a correspondingly significant increase in revenue. We will not achieve anticipated revenue growth
from expanding our sales force if we are unable to hire, develop, motivate and retain talented sales personnel, if new sales personnel
are unable to achieve desired productivity levels in a reasonable period of time, or if our sales and marketing programs are not effective.
In addition, because we rely primarily on a direct sales model, our customer acquisition costs are higher than those of organizations
that rely primarily on a self-service model, which may limit our ability to cut costs in response to changing economic and competitive
conditions.
In addition to our direct sales force, we also leverage reseller
and other partner relationships to help market and sell our offerings to customers around the world, particularly in jurisdictions in
which we have a limited presence. Though we expect that we will need to maintain and expand our network of partners as we continue to
expand our presence in international markets, these relationships subject us to certain risks. Some of our partners, mainly system integrators,
offer a wide array of software and services in addition to ours. Because most of their revenue is derived from selling professional services,
they may prioritize sales of other more professional- services heavy solutions instead of ours. Moreover, we may face channel conflicts
with producers of software that our customers use in addition to ours. If such producers perceive our solutions as a competitive threat
to their products, our ability to maintain or establish partnerships with third parties may be adversely affected. In addition, recruiting
and retaining qualified partners and training them in our technology and offerings requires significant time and resources. If we decide
to further develop and expand our indirect sales channels, we must continue to scale and improve our processes and procedures to support
these channels, including investing in systems and training. Many partners may not be willing to invest the time and resources required
to train their staff to effectively market and sell our offerings.
The sales prices of our products may change,
which may reduce our revenue and gross profit and adversely affect our financial results.
The sales prices for our products may be subject to change for
a variety of reasons, including competitive pricing pressures, discounts, anticipation of the introduction of new products, general economic
conditions, or changes in our marketing, customer acquisition and technology costs and, as a result, we anticipate that we will need to
change our pricing model from time to time. In the past, including in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic, we have sometimes adjusted
our prices for individual customers in certain situations, and expect to do so from time to time in the future. Moreover, demand for our
offerings is price-sensitive. Competition continues to increase in the market segments in which we participate, and we expect competition
to further increase in the future, thereby leading to increased pricing pressures. Larger competitors with more diverse offerings may
reduce the price of offerings that compete with ours or may bundle them with other offerings and provide them for free. Similarly, certain
competitors may use marketing strategies that enable them to acquire users more rapidly or at a lower cost than us, or both, and we may
be unable to attract new customers or grow and retain our customer base based on our historical pricing. As we develop and introduce new
offerings, as well as features, integrations, capabilities and other enhancements, we may need to, or choose to, revise our pricing. We
may also face challenges setting prices for new and existing offerings in any new geographies into which we expand. There can be no assurance
that we will not be forced to engage in price-cutting initiatives or to increase our marketing and other expenses to attract customers
in response to competitive or other pressures. Any decrease in the sales prices for our products, without a corresponding decrease in
costs, increase in volume or increase in revenue from our other offerings, would adversely affect our revenue and gross profit. We cannot
assure you that we will be able to maintain our prices and gross profits at levels that will allow us to achieve and maintain profitability.
The length of our sales cycle can be unpredictable,
particularly with respect to sales to enterprise customers, and our sales efforts may require considerable time and expense.
Our results of operations may fluctuate, in part, because of
the length and variability of the sales cycle of our subscriptions and the difficulty in making short-term adjustments to our operating
expenses. Our results of operations depend in large part on sales to new enterprise customers and increasing sales to existing customers.
The length of our sales cycle, from initial contact from a prospective customer to contractually committing to one or more of our offerings,
can vary substantially from customer to customer based on a number of factors, including deal complexity, implementation time and the
need for our customers to satisfy their own internal requirements and processes, as well as whether a sale is made directly by us or by
one of our resellers or other partners. It is difficult to predict exactly when, or even if, we will make a sale to a potential customer,
or if and when we can increase sales to our existing customers. As a result, large individual sales have, in some cases, occurred in quarters
subsequent to those we anticipated, or have not occurred at all. Because a substantial proportion of our expenses are relatively fixed
in the short term, our results of operations will suffer if our revenue falls below our expectations in a particular quarter, which could
cause the price of our ordinary shares to decline.
Expansion into markets outside the United States
is important to the growth of our business, and if we do not manage the business and economic risks of international expansion effectively,
it could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our future success depends, in part, on our ability to sustain
and expand our penetration of the international markets in which we currently operate and to expand into additional international markets.
Our ability to expand internationally will depend upon our ability to deliver functionality and other features that reflect the needs
and preferences of the international customers that we target and to successfully navigate the risks inherent in operating a business
internationally. The continued expansion of our international operations will subject us to new risks and may increase risks that we currently
face, including risks associated with:
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recruiting and retaining talented and capable employees outside of Israel and the
United States, and maintaining our Company culture across all of our offices;
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providing our platform and operating our business across a significant distance, in
different languages and among different cultures, including the potential need to modify our platform and features to reflect local languages
and to ensure that they are culturally appropriate and relevant in different countries;
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slower than anticipated availability and adoption of cloud and technology infrastructures
by international businesses;
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the applicability of evolving and potentially inconsistent international laws and
regulations, including laws and regulations with respect to tariffs, privacy, data protection, data security, consumer protection and
unsolicited email, and the risk of penalties to our customers, users and individual members of our executive leadership team or other
employees if our practices are deemed to be out of compliance;
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operating in jurisdictions that do not protect intellectual property rights to the
same extent as does the United States;
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our need to rely on local partners including in connection with joint venture or other
arrangements like our Japanese subsidiary, WalkMe K.K., to penetrate certain geographic regions, which may make us dependent on such local
partners to implement our growth strategy. See Item 5. “Operating and Financial Review and Prospects-Commitments and Contractual
Obligations-WalkMe K.K.”;
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compliance by us and our business partners with anti-corruption laws, import and export
control laws, tariffs, trade barriers, economic sanctions and other regulatory limitations on our ability to provide our platform in certain
international markets;
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global political, social and economic instability including instability arising from
the war in Ukraine;
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fluctuations in currency exchange rates;
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double taxation of our international earnings and potentially adverse tax consequences
due to changes in the income and other tax laws of Israel, the United States or the international jurisdictions in which we operate, including
the complexities of foreign value added tax (or other tax) systems, and restrictions on the repatriation of earnings;
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higher costs of doing business internationally, including increased accounting, travel,
infrastructure and legal compliance costs;
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different labor regulations, especially in the European Union, where labor laws are
generally more advantageous to employees as compared to the United States, including deemed hourly wage and overtime regulations in these
locations;
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the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, or any other pandemic, epidemic or outbreak
of infectious disease, including uncertainty regarding what measures the United States or foreign governments will take in response;
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the implementation of exchange controls, including restrictions promulgated by the
United States Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”), and other similar trade protection
regulations and measures in the United States, Israel or in other jurisdictions;
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reduced ability to timely collect amounts owed to us by our customers in countries
where our recourse may be more limited;
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limitations on our ability to reinvest earnings from operations derived from one country
to fund the capital needs of our operations in other countries;
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potential changes in laws, regulations, and costs affecting our United Kingdom (“UK”)
operations and personnel due to Brexit;
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as an Israeli company, we are subject to Israeli laws concerning governmental access
to data and the risk, or perception of risk, of such access may making our platform less attractive to organizations outside Israel, and
compliance with such Israeli laws may conflict with legal obligations that we, or other organizations on our platform, may be subject
to in other countries; and
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exposure to liabilities under anti-corruption and anti-money laundering laws, including
the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and similar applicable laws and regulations in other jurisdictions.
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While we have invested, and expect to continue to invest, significant
resources in our international operations and expansion, it is possible that returns on such investments will not be achieved in the near
future or at all in these less familiar competitive and regulatory environments. Compliance with laws and regulations applicable to our
global operations could substantially increase our cost of doing business in international jurisdictions, and any violations could result
in enforcement actions, fines, civil and criminal penalties, damages, injunctions, or reputational harm. If we are unable to comply with
these laws and regulations or manage the difficulties and challenges described above and any other problems we encounter in connection
with our international operations and expansion, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely
affected.
We expect our revenue mix to vary over time,
which could harm our gross margin and results of operations.
Our gross margins and results of operations could be harmed by
changes in our revenue mix between subscription and professional services and associated costs resulting from any number of factors, including
an increase in the number of partner-assisted sales; entry into new markets or growth in lower margin markets; entry into markets with
different pricing and cost structures; pricing discounts; and increased price competition. Any one of these factors or the cumulative
effects of certain of these factors may result in significant fluctuations in our gross margin and results of operations. This variability
and unpredictability could result in our failure to meet internal expectations or those of securities analysts or investors for a particular
period. If we fail to meet or exceed such expectations for these or any other reasons, the market price of our ordinary shares could decline.
Catastrophic events, or man-made problems such
as war or terrorism, including the war in Ukraine, may disrupt our business.
A significant natural disaster, such as an earthquake, fire, flood, or significant
power outage could have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Climate change may impact
the frequency and/or intensity of such events as well as cause chronic changes, such as changes in temperature or precipitation patterns
or sea-level rise, that may also have an adverse impact on our operations. For example, in certain areas, there has been an increase in
power shutoffs associated with wildfire prevention. A number of our management team and other employees, as well as our customers and
partners, are located in the San Francisco Bay Area, a region known for seismic activity and increasingly, wildfires. In the event our
or our customers’ or partners’ operations are hindered by any of the events discussed above, sales could be delayed, resulting
in missed financial targets for a particular reporting period. In addition, acts of terrorism, war, such as the ongoing and rapidly escalating
conflict in Ukraine, pandemics, such as the COVID-19 pandemic or any other pandemic, epidemic, outbreak of infectious disease or other
public health crisis, protests, riots and other geo-political unrest could cause disruptions in our business or the businesses of our
customers, partners, or the economy as a whole. For example, we have a small software development team based in Kyiv, Ukraine that has
been disrupted by the recent outbreak of war in that country. While we have not experienced a material impact on our product roadmap due
to this disruption, the human cost to our employees as well as the potential for broader, adverse impacts of this war, including heightened
operating risks in Ukraine and Europe, additional sanctions or counter-sanctions, heightened inflation, cyber-attacks, higher energy costs
and higher supply chain costs, as well as broader impact on global and regional economies, is difficult to measure, and the ultimate impact
of such events on our business is difficult to predict. Any disruption in the businesses of our customers or partners could have a significant
adverse impact on our results. All of the aforementioned risks may be further increased if our disaster recovery plans or those of our
customers or partners prove to be inadequate.
We are exposed to fluctuations in currency
exchange rates, which could negatively affect our financial condition and results of operations.
Our functional currency is the U.S. dollar and our revenue and
expenses are primarily denominated in U.S. dollars, with the exception of WalkMe K.K our Japanese subsidiary, for which the Japanese Yen
is the functional currency. However, a significant portion of our headcount related expenses, consisting principally of salaries and related
personnel expenses as well as leases and certain other operating expenses, are denominated in New Israeli Shekels (“NIS”).
This foreign currency exposure gives rise to market risk associated with exchange rate movements of the U.S. dollar against the NIS. Furthermore,
we anticipate that a material portion of our expenses will continue to be denominated in NIS.
In addition, increased international sales have resulted and,
in the future, may result in greater foreign currency denominated sales, increasing our foreign currency risk. Moreover, operating expenses
incurred outside the United States and denominated in foreign currencies are increasing and are subject to fluctuations due to changes
in foreign currency exchange rates. If we are not able to successfully hedge against the risks associated with currency fluctuations,
our financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected. While we may decide to continue to enter into hedging transactions
in the future, the availability and effectiveness of these hedging transactions may be limited and we may not be able to successfully
hedge our exposure, which could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.
We may need to raise additional funds to finance
our future capital needs, which may dilute the value of our outstanding ordinary shares or, if we are unable to raise sufficient additional
funds, may prevent us from growing our business.
Historically, we have funded our operations and capital expenditures
primarily through our operating cash flows and the net proceeds we have received from sales of equity securities. Although we believe
that our existing cash and cash equivalents, short-term bank deposits and marketable securities, together with cash flow from operations,
will be sufficient to support our liquidity and capital requirements for at least the next 12 months, we may need to raise additional
funds to finance our existing and future capital needs, including developing new services and technologies, and to fund ongoing operating
expenses. If we raise additional funds through the sale of equity securities, these transactions may dilute the value of our outstanding
ordinary shares. We may also decide to issue securities, including protected securities, that have rights, preferences and privileges
senior to our ordinary shares. We may also incur debt. Any debt financing would increase our level of indebtedness and could negatively
affect our liquidity and restrict our operations. We also can provide no assurances that the funds we raise will be sufficient to finance
any future capital requirements. In addition, the impact of inflation and rising interest rates could significantly impact the cost of
capital available to us. As a result, we may be unable to raise additional funds on terms favorable to us or at all. If we are unable
to raise additional capital or generate sufficient cash flows, we may be unable to fund our future expenses. This may prevent us from
increasing our market share, capitalizing on new business opportunities or remaining competitive in our industry, which could materially
and adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations.
We depend on our executive leadership team and other key employees,
and the loss of one or more of these employees or an inability to attract and retain highly skilled employees could harm our business.
Our future success depends, in part, on our ability to continue to attract and retain
highly skilled personnel. The loss of the services of any of our key personnel, the inability to attract or retain qualified personnel,
or delays in hiring required personnel, particularly in engineering, research and development, sales or customer support, may seriously
harm our business, financial condition and results of operations. Although we have entered into employment agreements with our key personnel,
some of which include notice periods with which the employee is required to comply prior to terminating their employment with us, their
employment is for no specific duration. We are also substantially dependent on the continued service of our existing engineering personnel
because of the complexity of our products.
Our future performance also depends on the continued services and continuing contributions
of our executive leadership team, including our co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Dan Adika to execute on our business plan and to
identify and pursue new opportunities and product innovations. The loss of services of our executive leadership team, particularly Mr.
Adika, could significantly delay or prevent the achievement of our development and strategic objectives, which could adversely affect
our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our executive leadership team has limited experience
managing a public company, and the requirements of being a public company may strain our resources, divert the attention of our executive
leadership team, and affect our ability to attract and retain qualified board members.
As a public company listed in the United States, we will incur
significant additional legal, accounting, and other expenses. In addition, changing laws, regulations, and standards relating to corporate
governance and public disclosure, including regulations implemented by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”)
and the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”), has and may further to increase legal and financial compliance costs, and
make some activities more time consuming. These laws, regulations and standards are subject to varying interpretations, and as a result,
their application in practice may evolve over time as new guidance is provided by regulatory and governing bodies.
Most members of our executive leadership team have limited experience
managing a publicly traded company, interacting with public company investors and complying with the increasingly complex laws pertaining
to public companies in the United States. Our executive leadership team may not successfully or efficiently manage the Company as a new
public company subject to significant regulatory oversight and reporting obligations under the U.S. federal securities laws and the continuous
scrutiny of securities analysts and investors. We also intend to continue to invest resources to comply with evolving laws, regulations,
and standards, and these new obligations and constituents will continue to require significant attention from our executive leadership
team and could divert their attention away from the day-to-day management of our business.
Sales to government entities and highly regulated
organizations are subject to a number of challenges and risks.
We sell to U.S. federal, state, and local, as well as foreign,
governmental agency customers, as well as to customers in highly regulated industries such as financial services, telecommunications and
healthcare. Sales to such entities are subject to a number of challenges and risks. Selling to such entities can be highly competitive,
expensive, and time-consuming, often requiring significant upfront time and expense without any assurance that these efforts will generate
a sale. Government contracting requirements may change and in doing so restrict our ability to sell into the government sector until we
have attained the revised certification. Government demand and payment for our products are affected by public sector budgetary cycles
and funding authorizations, with funding reductions or delays adversely affecting public sector demand for our products. Additionally,
any actual or perceived privacy, data protection, or data security incident, or even any perceived defect with regard to our practices
or measures in these areas, may negatively impact public sector demand for our products.
We also often provide technical support services to certain of
our government entity customers to resolve any issues relating to our products. If we do not effectively assist our government entity
customers in deploying our products, succeed in helping our government entity customers quickly resolve post-deployment issues, or provide
effective ongoing support, our ability to sell additional products to new and existing government entity customers would be adversely
affected and our reputation could be damaged.
Further, governmental and highly regulated entities may demand
contract terms that differ from our standard arrangements and are less favorable than terms agreed with private sector customers. Such
entities may have statutory, contractual, or other legal rights to terminate contracts with us for convenience or due to a default, and
any such termination may adversely affect our future results of operations. Governments routinely investigate and audit government contractors’
administrative processes, and any unfavorable audit could result in the government refusing to continue buying our subscriptions, a reduction
of revenue, or fines or civil or criminal liability if the audit uncovers improper or illegal activities, which could adversely affect
our results of operations in a material way.
We are exposed to credit
risk and fluctuations in the market value of our investment portfolio and our investment portfolio may be adversely affected by market
conditions and interest rates.
We
manage our available cash through various bank institutions and invest large portions of our cash reserves in bank deposits. A bankruptcy
of one of the banks in which or through which we hold or invest our cash reserves, might prevent us from accessing all or a portion
of that cash for an uncertain period of time if at all.
The
majority of our cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities is held in a diversified portfolio of bank deposits, U.S. Treasuries
and high-grade money market funds. The performance of the capital markets affects the values of funds that are held in marketable
securities. These assets are subject to market fluctuations and various developments, including, without limitation, rating agency downgrades
that may impair their value. Our ability to access deposits at individual banking institutions or the credit ratings and pricings
of our investments can also be negatively affected by liquidity, credit deterioration, financial results, economic risk, political risk,
sovereign risk, exchange control or other factors such as the conditions that led to the closure of SVB. If we do not effectively
diversify our bank deposits and investment portfolio, the value and liquidity of our investments may fluctuate substantially which could
affect our access to capital and results of operations in a material way.
Risks Related to Information Technology, Intellectual Property
and Data Security and Privacy
If we or our third-party service providers
experience a security breach or unauthorized parties otherwise obtain access to our customers’ data, our data or our platform, our
solution may be perceived as not being secure, our reputation may be harmed, demand for our platform and products may be reduced, and
we may incur significant liabilities.
Our platform and products involve the collection, storage, processing,
transmission and other use of data, including certain confidential, sensitive, and personal information. More generally, in the ordinary
course of our business, we collect, store, transmit and otherwise process large amounts of sensitive corporate, personal and other information,
including intellectual property, proprietary business information, and other confidential information. Any security breach, data loss,
or other compromise, including those resulting from a cybersecurity attack, phishing attack, or any unauthorized access, unauthorized
usage, virus or similar breach or disruption could result in the loss or destruction of or unauthorized access to, or use, alteration,
disclosure, or acquisition of, data, damage to our reputation, loss of intellectual property protection, claims and litigation, fines,
regulatory investigations, or other liabilities. We have experienced and expect to continue to experience attempted cyber-attacks of our
IT networks, such as through phishing scams and ransomware. Although none of these attempted cyber-attacks has had a material adverse
impact on our operations or financial condition, we cannot guarantee that such incidents will not have such an impact in the future. For
example, we may become the target of cyber-attacks by third parties seeking unauthorized access to our or our customers’ data or
to disrupt our ability to provide our services. These attacks may come from individual hackers, criminal groups, and state-sponsored organizations.
Ransomware attacks, including those from organized criminal threat actors, nation-states, and nation-state supported actors, are becoming
increasingly prevalent and severe, and can lead to significant interruptions in our operations, loss of data and income, reputational
loss, diversion of funds, and may result in fines, litigation and unwanted media attention. Extortion payments may alleviate the negative
impact of a ransomware attack, but we may be unwilling or unable to make such payments due to, for example, applicable laws or regulations
prohibiting payments. Additionally, companies have, in general, experienced an increase in phishing, social engineering and other attacks
from third parties in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic, and the increase in remote working further increases these and other security
threats. While we experience cyber-attacks and other security incidents of varying degrees from time to time, none have individually or
in the aggregate led to costs or consequences which have materially impacted our operations or business. If our security measures are
breached as a result of third-party action, employee error or negligence, a defect or bug in our offerings or those of our third-party
service providers, malfeasance or otherwise and, as a result, someone obtains unauthorized access to any data, including our confidential,
sensitive, or personal information or the confidential, sensitive, or personal information of our customers, or other persons, or any
of these types of information is lost, destroyed, or used, altered, disclosed, or acquired without authorization, or if any of the foregoing
is perceived to have occurred, our reputation may be damaged, our business may suffer, and we could incur significant liability, including
under applicable data privacy and security laws and regulations. Even the perception of inadequate security may damage our reputation
and market position, negatively impacting our ability to win new customers and retain and receive timely payments from existing customers.
Further, we could be required to expend significant capital and other resources to protect against and address any data security incident
or breach, which may not be covered or fully covered by our insurance and which may involve payments for investigations, forensic analyses,
regulatory compliance, breach notification, legal advice, public relations advice, system repair or replacement, or other services. We
and our third-party vendors and service providers also may face difficulties or delays in identifying or responding to, and remediating
and otherwise responding to, cyberattacks and other security breaches and incidents. We have incurred substantial costs in efforts to
protect against and address potential impacts of security breaches and incidents, and anticipate doing so in the future.
In addition, we do not directly control content that our customers
transmit to or with, or store in, our products. If our customers use our products for the transmission or storage of personally identifiable
information or other sensitive information and our security measures are or are believed to have been breached as a result of third party
action, employee error, malfeasance or otherwise, our reputation could be damaged, our business may suffer, and we could incur significant
liability.
We engage third-party vendors and service providers to store
and otherwise process some of our and our customers’ data, including personal, confidential, sensitive, and other information about
individuals. Our vendors and service providers may also be the targets of cyberattacks, malicious software, phishing schemes, and fraud.
Our ability to monitor our vendors and service providers’ data security is limited, and, in any event, third parties may be able
to circumvent those security measures, resulting in the unauthorized access to, misuse, acquisition, disclosure, loss, alteration, or
destruction of our and our customers’ data, including confidential, sensitive, and other information about individuals.
Where a security incident involves a breach of security leading
to the accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alternation, unauthorized disclosure of, or access to, personal data, this could result
in fines of up to EUR 20 million or 4% of annual global turnover under the General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679 (the “GDPR”)
or £17.5 million and 4% of total annual revenue in the case of the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the UK Data Protection
Act 2018 (together, the “UK GDPR”). We may also be required to notify such breaches to regulators and/or individuals and operate
to mitigate damages, which may result in us incurring additional costs. Techniques used to sabotage or obtain unauthorized access to systems
or networks are constantly evolving and, in some instances, are not identified until after they have been launched against a target. We
and our service providers may be unable to anticipate these techniques, react in a timely manner, or implement adequate preventative and
mitigating measures. If we are unable to efficiently and effectively maintain and upgrade our system safeguards, we may incur unexpected
costs and certain of our systems may become more vulnerable to unauthorized access or disruption. Any of the foregoing could have a material
adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, market position, and reputation.
A real or perceived defect, security vulnerability,
error, or performance failure in our products could cause us to lose revenue, damage our reputation, and expose us to liability.
Our products are inherently complex and, despite extensive testing
and quality control, have in the past and may in the future contain defects or errors, especially when first introduced, or not perform
as contemplated. These defects, security vulnerabilities, errors, or performance failures could cause damage to our reputation, loss of
customers or revenue, subscription cancellations, service terminations, or lack of market acceptance of our products. As the use of our
products among new and existing customers expands, particularly to more sensitive, secure, or mission critical uses, we may be subject
to increased scrutiny, potential reputational risk, or potential liability should our products fail to perform as contemplated in such
deployments. We have in the past and may in the future need to issue corrective releases of our products to fix these defects, errors
or performance failures, which could require us to allocate significant research and development and customer support resources to address
these problems. Despite our efforts, such corrections may take longer to develop and release than we or our customers anticipate and expect.
Any limitation of liability provisions that may be contained
in our customer, user, third-party vendor, service provider, partner and other agreements may not be enforceable or adequate or effective
as a result of existing or future applicable law or unfavorable judicial decisions, and they may not function to limit our liability arising
from regulatory enforcement. In addition, some of our customer, user, third-party vendor, service provider, partner and other agreements
are not capped or limited, either generally or, in some cases, with respect to certain liabilities. The sale and support of our products
entail the risk of liability claims, which could be substantial in light of the use of our products in enterprise-wide environments. In
addition, our insurance against any such liability may not be adequate to cover a potential claim, and may be subject to exclusions, or
subject us to the risk that the insurer will deny coverage as to any future claim or exclude from our coverage such claims in policy renewals,
increase our fees or deductibles or impose co-insurance requirements. Any such bugs, defects, security vulnerabilities, errors, or other
performance failures in our platform or products, including as a result of denial of claims by our insurer or the successful assertion
of claims by others against us that exceed available insurance coverage, or the occurrence of changes in our insurance policies, including
increases or the imposition of large deductible or co-insurance requirements, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial
condition, results of operations and reputation.
Incorrect use of, or our customers’ failure
to update, our products could result in customer dissatisfaction and negatively affect our business, operations, financial results, and
growth prospects.
Our products are often operated in large scale, complex IT environments.
Our customers require training and experience in the proper use of, and the benefits that can be derived from, our products to maximize
their potential. If users of our products do not implement, use, or update them correctly or as intended, then actual or perceived performance
inadequacies and/or security vulnerabilities may result. Because our customers rely on our products to manage a wide range of operations,
the incorrect implementation or use of, or our customers’ failure to update, our products, or our failure to train customers on
how to use our products, may result in customer dissatisfaction and negative publicity, which may adversely affect our reputation and
brand. Our customers’ failure to be effectively trained or implement our products could result in lost opportunities for follow-on
sales to these customers and decrease subscriptions by new customers, which would adversely affect our business, financial condition,
results of operations and growth prospects.
Insufficient investment in, or interruptions
or performance problems associated with, our technology and infrastructure, and our reliance on technologies from third parties, including
third-party cloud providers, may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The success of our business depends in part on the ability of
our existing and potential customers to access our platform at any time, within an acceptable timeframe and without interruption or degradation
of performance. We have experienced, and may in the future experience, disruptions, outages, and other performance problems, which may
be caused by a variety of factors, including infrastructure changes, introductions of new functionality, human or software errors, denial
of service attacks, or other security related incidents. If our products and platform capabilities are unavailable or if our customers
or other users are unable to access our products and platform capabilities within a reasonable amount of time or at all, we may experience
a loss of customers, lost or delayed market acceptance of our platform and products, delays in payment to us by customers, injury to our
reputation and brand, legal claims against us, and the diversion of our resources. In addition, to the extent that we do not effectively
upgrade our systems as needed and continually develop our technology and network architecture to accommodate actual and anticipated changes
in technology, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected.
In addition, the operation of our platform depends on third-party
cloud providers, hosting services and other third-party service providers. Our cloud providers run their own platforms that we access,
and we are therefore vulnerable to their service interruptions and any changes in their product offerings. Any limitation on the capacity
of our third-party hosting services could impede our ability to onboard new customers or expand the usage of our existing customers, which
could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, any incident affecting our third-party
cloud providers’ infrastructure, including cyber-attacks, computer viruses, malware, systems failures or other technical malfunctions,
natural disasters, fire, flood, severe storm, earthquake, power loss, telecommunications failures, terrorist or other attacks, protests
or riots, and other similar events beyond our control, could negatively affect our offerings. It is also possible that our customers and
regulators would seek to hold us accountable for any breach of security affecting a third-party cloud provider’s infrastructure
and we may incur significant liability in investigating such an incident and responding to any claims, investigations, or proceedings
made or initiated by those customers, regulators, and other third parties. We may not be able to recover a material portion of such liabilities
from any of our third-party cloud providers. In addition, it may become increasingly difficult to maintain and improve our performance,
especially during peak usage times, as our products becomes more complex and the usage of our products increases. Moreover, our insurance
may not be adequate to cover such liability and may be subject to exclusions. Any of the above circumstances or events may adversely affect
our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Furthermore, our website and internal technology infrastructure
may experience performance issues due to a variety of factors, including infrastructure changes, human or software errors, website or
third-party hosting disruptions, capacity constraints, technical failures or natural disasters, or fraud, denial-of-service or other security
attacks. Our use and distribution of open source software may increase this risk, as open source licensors generally do not provide warranties
or other contractual protections regarding infringement claims or the quality of the code, including with respect to security vulnerabilities
or bugs. If our website is unavailable or our customers are unable to order subscriptions or services or download our offerings within
a reasonable period of time or at all, our business could be adversely affected. We expect to continue to make significant investments
to maintain and improve website performance and to enable rapid releases of new features, integrations, capabilities and other enhancements
for our offerings. To the extent that we do not effectively upgrade our systems as needed and continually develop our technology to accommodate
actual and anticipated changes in technology, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected.
In the event that our service agreements with our third-party
hosting services are terminated, or there is a lapse of service, elimination of services or features that we utilize, interruption of
internet service provider connectivity or damage to our providers’ facilities, we could experience interruptions in access to our
platform as well as significant delays and additional expense in arranging or creating new facilities and services and/or re-architecting
our offerings for deployment on a different cloud infrastructure service provider, which could adversely affect our business, financial
condition and results of operations. Upon the termination or expiration of such service agreements, we cannot guarantee that adequate
third-party hosting services will be available to us from the same or different hosting services providers on commercially acceptable
terms or within adequate timelines or at all.
We also rely on cloud technologies from third parties in order
to operate critical functions of our business, including financial management services, relationship management services, and lead generation
management services. If these services become unavailable due to extended outages or interruptions or because they are no longer available
on commercially reasonable terms or prices, our expenses could increase, our ability to manage our finances could be interrupted, our
processes for managing sales of our products and supporting our customers could be impaired, and our ability to generate and manage sales
leads could be weakened until equivalent services are identified, obtained, and implemented. Even if such services are available, we may
not be able to identify, obtain and implement such services in time to avoid disruption to our business, and such services may only be
available on a more costly basis or otherwise less favorable terms. Any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on our business,
including our financial condition, results of operations and reputation.
Failure to protect or enforce our rights in
our proprietary technology, brand and intellectual property could substantially harm our business and results of operations.
Our success depends to a significant degree on our ability to
protect our rights in our proprietary technology, methodologies, know-how, and brand. We rely on a combination of trademark, copyright,
patent, trade secret and other intellectual property laws as well as contractual restrictions and confidentiality procedures to establish
and protect our proprietary rights. However, we currently make certain components of our products available under open source licenses
and release internal software projects under open source licenses, and anticipate doing so in the future in order to, among other things,
encourage and develop a marketplace where third parties can create complementary products that will be able to connect to our Digital
Adoption Platform. Because the source code of the components that we distribute under open source licenses is publicly available, our
ability to monetize and protect our intellectual property rights with respect to such source code may be limited or, in some cases, lost
entirely. Our competitors could access such source code and use it to create software and service offerings that compete with ours.
Further, the steps we take to protect and enforce our intellectual
property rights may be inadequate. We may not be able to register our intellectual property rights in all jurisdictions where we conduct
or anticipate conducting business, and may experience conflicts with third parties who contest our applications to register our intellectual
property. Even if registered or issued, we cannot guarantee that our trademarks, patents, copyrights or other intellectual property or
proprietary rights will be of sufficient scope or strength to provide us with any meaningful protection or commercial advantage. Not all
of our key intellectual property is eligible for patent protection or can otherwise be registered. We will not be able to protect our
intellectual property rights if we are unable to enforce our rights or if we do not detect unauthorized use of our intellectual property
rights. Despite our precautions, it may be possible for unauthorized third parties to copy our products and use information that we regard
as proprietary to create offerings that compete with ours. If we fail to defend and protect our intellectual property rights adequately,
our competitors and other third parties may gain access to our proprietary technology, information and know-how, reverse-engineer our
products, and infringe upon or dilute the value of our brand, and our business may be harmed. In addition, obtaining, maintaining, defending,
and enforcing our intellectual property rights might entail significant expense. Any patents, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual
property rights that we have or may obtain may be challenged by others or invalidated through administrative process or litigation. Even
if we continue to seek patent protection in the future, we may be unable to obtain further patent protection for our technology. In addition,
any patents issued in the future may not provide us with competitive advantages, may be designed around by our competitors, or may be
successfully challenged by third parties. Furthermore, legal standards relating to the validity, enforceability, and scope of protection
of intellectual property rights are uncertain.
We may be unable to prevent third parties from acquiring domain
names or trademarks that are similar to, infringe upon, dilute or diminish the value of our trademarks and other proprietary rights. Additionally,
our trademarks may be opposed, otherwise challenged or declared invalid, unenforceable or generic, or determined to be infringing on or
dilutive of other marks. We may not be able to protect our rights in these trademarks, which we need in order to build name recognition
with customers. If third parties succeed in registering or developing common law rights in such trademarks and we are not successful in
challenging such third-party rights, or if our trademark rights are successfully challenged, we may not be able to use our trademarks
to commercialize our products in certain relevant jurisdictions.
Effective patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secret protection
may not be available to us in every country in which our products are available. The laws of some countries may not be as protective of
intellectual property rights as those in the United States, and mechanisms for enforcement of intellectual property rights may be inadequate.
As we continue to expand our international activities, our exposure to unauthorized copying and use of our products and proprietary information
will likely increase. Accordingly, despite our efforts, we may be unable to prevent third parties from infringing upon, diluting, misappropriating
or otherwise violating our intellectual property rights.
We enter into confidential, non-compete, proprietary, and inventions
assignment agreements with our employees and consultants and enter into confidentiality agreements with other parties. No assurance can
be given that these agreements will grant all necessary rights to any inventions that may have been developed by the employees or consultants
party thereto or be effective in controlling access to and distribution of our proprietary information, especially in certain states and
countries, including Israel, that are less willing to enforce such agreements in certain cases. Further, these agreements may not prevent
our competitors from independently developing technologies that are substantially equivalent or superior to our products.
Policing and defending against unauthorized use of our know-how, technology and intellectual
property is difficult, costly, time-consuming and may not be effective. Third parties may knowingly or unknowingly infringe our intellectual
property rights. We may be required to spend significant resources to monitor and protect our intellectual property rights. Litigation
may be necessary in the future to enforce our intellectual property rights and to protect our trade secrets. For example, we recently
filed a lawsuit against a competitor in U.S. federal district court for the district of Delaware alleging that they infringe certain US
issued patents held by WalkMe related to our ActionBot technology. Litigation brought to protect and enforce our intellectual property
rights or litigation asserted against us could be costly, time-consuming, and distracting to our executive leadership team and other employees,
could result in substantial royalties, license fees or other damages, or in the impairment or loss of portions of our intellectual property.
Our efforts to enforce our intellectual property rights may be met with defenses, counterclaims, and countersuits attacking the validity
and enforceability of our intellectual property rights. Our inability to protect our proprietary technology against unauthorized copying
or use, as well as any costly litigation or diversion of the attention and resources of our executive leadership team or other employees,
could delay further sales or the implementation of our products, require us to reengineer or impair the functionality of our products,
delay introductions of new products, result in our substituting inferior or more costly technologies into our products, or injure our
reputation. Any of the foregoing could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth
prospects.
We could incur substantial costs and other
harm to our business and results of operations as a result of any claim of infringement, misappropriation or other violation of another
party’s intellectual property rights.
In recent years, there has been significant litigation involving
patents and other intellectual property rights in our industry. Compared to many larger, more established companies in our industry, we
do not currently have a broad patent portfolio, which could prevent us from deterring patent infringement claims through our own patent
portfolio, and our competitors and others may now and in the future have significantly broader and more mature patent portfolios than
we have. There is a risk that our operations, platform or individual solutions may infringe or otherwise violate, or be alleged to infringe
or otherwise violate, the intellectual property rights of third parties. We could incur substantial costs in defending any intellectual
property litigation. If we are sued by a third party that claims that our products infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate their
intellectual property rights, the litigation could be expensive and could divert our attention and resources of our executive leadership
team or other employees. In addition, there could be public announcements of the results of hearings, motions or other interim proceedings
or developments, and if securities analysts or investors perceive these results to be negative, it could have a material adverse effect
on the price of our ordinary shares.
Any intellectual property litigation to which we might become
a party, or for which we are required to provide indemnification, regardless of the merit of the claim or our defense, may require us
to do one or more of the following:
• |
cease selling or using products or technology that incorporate or cover the intellectual
property rights that we allegedly infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate;
|
• |
make substantial payments for royalty or license fees, legal fees, settlement payments
or other costs or damages;
|
• |
obtain a license, which may not be available on reasonable terms or at all, to sell
or use the relevant technology or intellectual property; or
|
• |
redesign the allegedly infringing products or technology to avoid infringement, misappropriation
or other violation, which could be costly, time-consuming or impossible. |
Moreover, any such litigation could also affect the use of our
platform by our customers, partners, affiliates and other third parties, which may result and substantial damages to them and to us (including
indemnification obligations). If we are required to make substantial payments or undertake or suffer any of the other actions and consequences
noted above as a result of any intellectual property infringement, misappropriation or violation claims against us or any obligation to
indemnify our customers for such claims, such payments, actions and consequences could materially and adversely affect our business, financial
condition, results of operations and growth prospects.
Indemnity provisions in various agreements
potentially expose us to substantial liability for intellectual property infringement, misappropriation, violation, and other losses.
Our agreements with customers and other third parties may include
indemnification provisions under which we agree to indemnify them for losses suffered or incurred as a result of claims of intellectual
property infringement, misappropriation or other violation, damages caused by us to property or persons, or other liabilities relating
to or arising from our products, services or other contractual obligations. Large indemnity payments could harm our business, financial
condition and results of operations. Although we normally seek to contractually limit our liability with respect to such indemnity obligations,
we do not and may not in the future have a cap on our liability in certain agreements, which could result in substantial liability, and
we may still incur significant liability under agreements that do have such a cap. Moreover, even if contractually capped or limited,
such limitations and caps may not always be enforceable. Any dispute with a customer or other third party with respect to such obligations
could have adverse effects on our relationship with that customer, other existing customers and new customers, and other parties, and
could harm our reputation, business, financial condition and results of operations.
We are subject to stringent and changing laws,
regulations, standards, and contractual obligations related to data privacy, data protection, and data security. Our actual or perceived
failure to comply with such obligations could result in significant liability or reputational harm to our business.
We are subject to numerous laws, directives and regulations,
in multiple jurisdictions and territories, regarding data privacy, data protection, and data security and the collection, storing, sharing,
use, processing, transfer, disclosure, and protection of personal information and other data, the scope and extent of which are complex,
changing, subject to differing interpretations, and may be inconsistent among jurisdictions or conflict with other legal and regulatory
requirements. We are also subject to certain contractual obligations to third parties related to data privacy, data protection and data
security, and may comply with, or face asserted or actual obligations to comply with, self-regulatory frameworks and other standards.
While we strive to comply with our applicable policies and applicable laws, regulations, contractual obligations, and other actual and
alleged legal obligations relating to privacy, data protection, and data security, we may not be successful in complying with the rapidly
evolving data privacy, data protection, and data security requirements to which we are subject. Further, any significant change to applicable
laws, regulations or industry practices regarding the collection, use, retention, security or disclosure of data, or their interpretation,
or any changes regarding the manner in which the consent of users or other data subjects for the collection, use, retention or disclosure
of such data must be obtained, could increase our costs and require us to modify our services and features, possibly in a material manner,
which we may be unable to complete, and may limit our ability to store and process user data or develop new services and features.
If we were found in violation of any applicable laws or regulations
relating to data privacy, data protection, or security, or faced claims or accusations of such violations, our business may be materially
and adversely affected and we would likely have to change our business practices and potentially the services and features available through
our platform. In addition, these laws and regulations could impose significant costs on us and could constrain our ability to use and
process data in manners that may be commercially desirable. In addition, if a breach of data security or security incident were to occur
or to be alleged to have occurred, if any violation of laws and regulations relating to data privacy, data protection or data security
were to be alleged, or if we had any actual or alleged defect in our safeguards or practices relating to data privacy, data protection,
or data security, our solutions may be perceived as less desirable and our business, financial condition, market position, reputation,
results of operations and growth prospects could be materially and adversely affected.
We expect that there will continue to be new laws, regulations,
and industry standards concerning data privacy, data protection, and data security proposed and enacted in various jurisdictions, and
to which we may become subject. For example, the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”), which came into force in 2020,
provides new data privacy rights for California consumers and new operational requirements for covered companies. Specifically, the CCPA
mandates that covered companies provide new disclosures to California consumers and afford such consumers new data privacy rights that
include, among other things, the right to request a copy from a covered company of the personal information collected about them, the
right to request deletion of such personal information, and the right to request to opt-out of certain sales of such personal information.
The California Attorney General can enforce the CCPA, including seeking an injunction and civil penalties for violations. The CCPA also
provides a private right of action for certain data breaches that is expected to increase data breach litigation. Additionally, a new
data privacy law, the California Privacy Rights Act (“CPRA”), was approved by California voters in late 2020. The CPRA took
effect on January 1, 2023 and significantly modifies the CCPA, including by expanding consumers’ rights with respect to certain
personal information and creating a new state agency to oversee implementation and enforcement efforts. Some observers have noted the
CCPA and CPRA could mark the beginning of a trend toward more stringent data privacy legislation in the United States, which could also
increase our potential liability and adversely affect our business. In addition, the CCPA has encouraged “copycat” or other
similar data privacy laws to be considered and proposed in other states across the country. For example, in March 2021, the Governor of
Virginia signed into law the Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act (the “VCDPA”), which took effect on January 1, 2023. The
VCDPA creates consumer rights, similar to the CCPA, and imposes corresponding obligations on covered companies, relating to the access
to, deletion of, and disclosures of personal data collected by covered businesses about Virginia residents. The VCDPA provides for civil
penalties for violations that are enforceable by the Virginia Attorney General. Further, Colorado, Utah, and Connecticut have enacted
the Colorado Privacy Act (“COPA”), the Utah Consumer Privacy Act (the “UCPA”), and the Connecticut Data Privacy
Act (the "CTDPA"), respectively, which will each go into effect in 2023 and will impose obligations similar to or more stringent than
those we may face under other data protection laws. Broad federal data privacy legislation also has been proposed. Recent and new state
and federal legislation relating to data privacy may add additional complexity, variation in requirements, restrictions and potential
legal risk, require additional to compliance programs, could impact strategies and availability of previously useful data and could result
in increased compliance costs and/or changes in business practices and policies.
We are also subject to data privacy and security laws in jurisdictions
outside of the United States. We are subject to, among other laws and regulations, the GDPR, and the UK GDPR, which each impose a strict
data protection compliance regime in relation to our collection, control, processing, sharing, disclosure and other use of data relating
to an identifiable living individual (personal data). The GDPR and UK GDPR also regulate cross-border transfers of personal data out of
the European Economic Area (“EEA”) and the UK, respectively.
Recent legal developments in the EU have created complexity and
uncertainty regarding such transfers. On July 16, 2020, the Court of Justice of the European Union (the “CJEU”) invalidated
the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework (the “Privacy Shield”) under which personal data could be transferred from the EEA to
relevant self-certified U.S. entities. The CJEU further noted that reliance on the standard contractual clauses (a standard form of contract
approved by the European Commission as an adequate personal data transfer mechanism and potential alternative to the Privacy Shield) alone
may not necessarily be sufficient in all circumstances and that transfers must be assessed on a case-by-case basis. We currently rely
on the standard contractual clauses to transfer personal information outside the EEA and the UK, including to the United States. European
court and regulatory decisions subsequent to the CJEU decision of July 16, 2020 have taken a restrictive approach to international data
transfers, including certain decisions that the use of Google Analytics by European website operators involves the unlawful transfer of
personal data to the United States. As the enforcement landscape further develops, and supervisory authorities issue further guidance
on international data transfers, we could: suffer additional costs, complaints and/or regulatory investigations or fines; we may
have to stop using certain tools and vendors and make other operational changes; we have had to and may continue to have to implement
revised standard contractual clauses for existing intragroup, customer and vendor arrangements within required time frames; and/or it
could otherwise affect the manner in which we provide our services and could adversely affect our business, operations and financial condition.
Failure to comply with the GDPR and/ or the UK GDPR could result
in penalties for noncompliance (including possible fines of up to the greater of €20 million/ £17.5 million or 4% of our global
annual turnover for the preceding financial year for the most serious violations). In addition to the foregoing, a breach of the GDPR
or UK GDPR could result in regulatory investigations, reputational damage, orders to cease/change our processing of our data, enforcement
notices and/or assessment notices (for a compulsory audit), and/or civil claims (including class actions) for compensation or damages.
We are also subject to evolving EU and UK data privacy laws on
cookies, tracking technologies and e-marketing. Recent European court and regulatory decisions are driving increased attention to cookies
and tracking technologies. If the trend of increasing enforcement by regulators of the strict approach to opt-in consent for all but essential
use cases in recent guidance and decisions continues, this could lead to substantial costs, require significant systems changes, limit
the effectiveness of our marketing activities, divert the attention of our technology personnel, adversely affect our margins, increase
costs and subject us to additional liabilities. In light of the complex and evolving nature of EEA, EEA Member State and UK data privacy
laws on cookies and tracking technologies, there can be no assurances that we will be successful in our efforts to comply with such laws;
violations of such laws could result in regulatory investigations, fines, orders to cease/change our use of such technologies, as well
as civil claims including class action type litigation, and reputational damage.
In addition, we are subject to the Israeli Privacy Protection
Law 5741-1981 (the “PPL”), and its regulations, including the Israeli Privacy Protection Regulations (Data Security) 2017
(“Data Security Regulations”), which impose obligations with respect to the manner personal data is processed, maintained,
transferred, disclosed, accessed and secured, as well as the guidelines of the Israeli Privacy Protection Authority and Amendment No.
40 to the Communications Law (Telecommunications and Broadcasting), 5742-1982. The Data Security Regulations may require us to adjust
our data protection and data security practices, information security measures, certain organizational procedures, applicable positions
(such as an information security manager) and other technical and organizational security measures. Failure to comply with the PPL, its
regulations and guidelines issued by the Israeli Privacy Protection Authority may expose us to administrative fines, civil claims (including
class actions) and in certain cases criminal liability. Current pending legislation may result in a change of the current enforcement
measures and sanctions. The Israeli Privacy Protection Authority may initiate administrative inspection proceedings, from time to time,
without any suspicion of any particular breach of the PPL, as it has done in the past with respect to dozens of Israeli companies in various
business sectors. In addition, to the extent that any administrative supervision procedure is initiated by the Israeli Privacy Protection
Authority and reveals certain irregularities with respect to our compliance with the PPL, in addition to our exposure to administrative
fines, civil claims (including class actions) and in certain cases criminal liability, we may also need to take certain remedial actions
to rectify such irregularities, which may increase our costs.
Any failure or perceived failure by us to comply with our posted
privacy policies, our privacy-related obligations to users or other third parties, or any other legal obligations or regulatory requirements
relating to privacy, data protection, or data security, may result in governmental investigations or enforcement actions, litigation,
claims, or public statements against us by consumer advocacy groups or others and could result in significant liability, cause our users
to lose trust in us, and otherwise materially and adversely affect our reputation and business. Furthermore, the costs of compliance with,
and other burdens imposed by, the laws, regulations, other obligations, and policies that are applicable to the businesses of our customers
and other users may limit the adoption and use of, and reduce the overall demand for, our platform. Additionally, if third parties we
work with violate applicable laws, regulations or contractual obligations, such violations may put our users’ data at risk, could
result in governmental investigations or enforcement actions, fines, litigation, claims, or public statements against us by consumer advocacy
groups or others and could result in significant liability, cause our users to lose trust in us, and otherwise materially and adversely
affect our reputation and business. Further, public scrutiny of, or complaints about, technology companies or their data handling or data
protection practices, even if unrelated to our business, industry or operations, may lead to increased scrutiny of technology companies,
including us, and may cause government agencies to enact additional regulatory requirements, or to modify their enforcement or investigation
activities, which may increase our costs and risks. Any of the foregoing could materially and adversely affect our business, financial
condition and results of operations.
Our use of open source software could negatively
affect our ability to sell our products and subject us to possible litigation.
We use “open source” software in connection with
the development and deployment of our products, including in our products, and we expect to continue to use open source software in the
future. Few of the licenses applicable to certain open source software that we use have been interpreted by courts, and there is a risk
that these licenses could be construed in a manner that could impose unanticipated conditions or restrictions on our ability to commercialize
our products. For example, some open source licenses may subject us to requirements that we make available, in certain cases and if the
component subject of the open source license is used in a particular manner, the source code for modifications or derivative works we
create based upon, incorporating, linking to or using the open source software (which could include valuable proprietary code), and that
we license such modifications or derivative works under the terms of applicable open source licenses. If an author or other third party
that distributes such open source software were to allege that we had not complied with the conditions of one or more of these licenses,
we could be required to incur significant legal expenses defending against such allegations and could be subject to significant damages,
enjoined from the sale of our products that contain the open source software and required to comply with onerous conditions or restrictions
on these products, which could disrupt the distribution and sale of these products. In addition, there have been claims challenging the
ownership rights in open source software against companies that incorporate open source software into their products, and the licensors
of such open source software provide no warranties or indemnities with respect to such claims. In any of these events, we and our customers
could be required to seek licenses from third parties in order to continue offering our products, and to re-engineer our products or discontinue
the sale of our products in the event re-engineering cannot be accomplished on a timely basis or at all. We and our customers may also
be subject to suits by parties claiming infringement, misappropriation or other violation of third-party intellectual property rights
due to the reliance by our solutions on certain open source software, and such litigation could be costly for us to defend and subject
us to an injunction, payments for damages and other liabilities and obligations.
Further, in addition to risks related to license requirements,
use of certain open source software carries greater technical and legal risks than does the use of third-party commercial software. For
example, open source software is generally provided without any support or warranties or other contractual protections regarding infringement
or the quality of the code, including the existence of security vulnerabilities. Some open source projects provided on an “as is”
basis have known or unknown vulnerabilities and architectural instabilities which, if not properly addressed, could negatively affect
the performance of any product incorporating the relevant software. To the extent that our platform depends upon the successful operation
of open source software, any undetected errors or defects in open source software that we use could prevent the deployment or impair the
functionality of our systems and injure our reputation. In addition, the public availability of such software may make it easier for others
to compromise our platform. Any of the foregoing could result in lost revenue, require us to devote additional research and development
resources to re-engineer our solutions, cause us to incur additional costs and expenses, and result in customer dissatisfaction, any of
which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We rely on software and services licensed from
other parties. The loss of software or services from third parties could increase our costs and limit the features available in our platform
and products.
Components of our offerings include various types of software
and services licensed from unaffiliated parties. If any of the software or services we license from others or functional equivalents thereof
were either no longer available to us or no longer offered on commercially reasonable terms, we would be required to either redesign the
offerings that include such software or services to function with software or services available from other parties or develop these components
ourselves, which we may not be able to do without incurring increased costs, experiencing delays in our product launches and the release
of new offerings. Furthermore, we might be forced to temporarily limit the features available in our current or future products. If we
fail to maintain or renegotiate any of these software or service licenses, we could face delays and diversion of resources in attempting
to license and integrate functional equivalents.
Risks Related to Other Legal, Regulatory and Tax Matters
Our business is subject to a variety of laws
and regulations, both in the United States and internationally, many of which are evolving.
We are subject to a wide variety of laws and regulations. Laws,
regulations and standards governing issues such as worker classification, employment, payments, worker confidentiality obligations, intellectual
property, consumer protection, taxation, data privacy, data protection and data security are often complex and subject to varying interpretations,
in many cases due to their lack of specificity and, as a result, their application in practice may change or develop over time through
judicial decisions or as new guidance or interpretations are provided by regulatory and governing bodies, such as federal and state administrative
agencies. Many of these laws were adopted prior to the advent of the internet and mobile and related technologies and, as a result, do
not contemplate or address the unique issues of the internet and related technologies. Other laws and regulations may be adopted in response
to internet, mobile and related technologies. New and existing laws and regulations (or changes in interpretation of existing laws and
regulations) may also be adopted, implemented, or interpreted to apply to us and other technology companies. As the geographic scope of
our business expands, regulatory agencies or courts may claim that we, or our customers or users, are subject to additional requirements,
or that we are prohibited from conducting our business in or with certain jurisdictions.
In addition, recent financial, political and other events may
increase the level of regulatory scrutiny on technology companies generally. Regulatory agencies may enact new laws or promulgate new
regulations that are adverse to our business, or they may view matters or interpret laws and regulations differently than they have in
the past or in a manner adverse to our business. Such regulatory scrutiny or action may create or further exacerbate different or conflicting
obligations on us from one jurisdiction to another.
As a result of the foregoing, we may incur increased costs, be
exposed to increased risk of liability and face additional challenges expanding our business operations, any of which would adversely
affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects.
We are subject to various governmental export
control, trade sanctions, and import laws and regulations that could impair our ability to compete in international markets or subject
us to liability if we violate these controls.
In some cases, our products are subject to export control laws
and regulations, including the Export Administration Regulations administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the Israeli Control
of Products and Services Decree (Engagement in Encryption), 5735-1974, and our activities may be subject to trade and economic sanctions,
including those administered or governed by OFAC, the Israeli Trade with the Enemy Ordinance, 1939 and sanction laws of the European Union
and other applicable jurisdictions (collectively, “Trade Controls”). As such, a license may be required to export or re-export
our products, or provide related services, to certain countries, customers and other users, as well as for certain end uses. Further,
our products that incorporate encryption functionality may be subject to special controls applying to encryption items and/or certain
reporting requirements.
Despite the policies and processes that we have in place, we
cannot guarantee that we have not made accessible, or will not make accessible, inadvertently our services to persons in violation of
Trade Controls, or that our customers have not permitted or will not in the future permit our services to be used by parties in countries
or territories subject to Trade Controls. For example, we implemented geo-location blocking in 2021 through a third party to prevent content
created by our customers using our tools from being accessed by users of our customers from IP addresses potentially linked to countries
subject to Trade Controls, but we cannot be certain that this technique will work in all circumstances. Further, the outbreak of war in
Ukraine has prompted the U.S. and other governments to impose new Trade Controls on Russia, among other countries, and related parties.
Additional Trade Controls by the U.S. and other governments enacted due to geopolitics or otherwise, and any counter-sanctions enacted
in response, could restrict our ability to operate, generate or collect revenue in certain other countries, which could adversely affect
our business. The failure to comply with Trade Controls could subject us to both civil and criminal penalties, including substantial fines,
possible incarceration of responsible individuals for willful violations, possible loss of our export or import privileges, and reputational
harm. Further, the process for obtaining necessary licenses may be time-consuming or unsuccessful, potentially causing delays in sales
or losses of sales opportunities. Trade Controls are complex and dynamic regimes, and monitoring and ensuring compliance can be challenging,
particularly given that our products are widely distributed throughout the world and are available for download without registration.
Any failure by us or our partners to comply with applicable laws and regulations would have negative consequences for us, including reputational
harm, government investigations, and penalties.
In addition, various countries regulate the import of certain
encryption technology, including through import permit and license requirements, and have enacted laws that could limit our ability to
distribute our offerings or the ability of our customers or their employees or end customers to implement our offerings in those countries.
Changes in our offerings or changes in export and import regulations in such countries may create delays in the introduction of our offerings
into international markets, prevent our end-customers with international operations from deploying our offerings globally or, in some
cases, prevent or delay the export or import of our offerings to certain countries, governments, or persons altogether. Any change in
export or import laws or regulations, economic sanctions or related legislation, shift in the enforcement or scope of existing export,
import or sanctions laws or regulations, or change in the countries, governments, persons, or technologies targeted by such export, import
or sanctions laws or regulations, could result in decreased use of our offerings by, or in our decreased ability to export or sell our
offerings to, existing or potential customers with international operations. Any decreased use of our offerings or limitation on our ability
to export to or sell our offerings in international markets could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations,
and our ability to execute our growth strategy.
Changes in laws and regulations related to
the internet, changes in the internet infrastructure itself, or increases in the cost of internet connectivity and network access may
diminish the demand for our offerings and could harm our business.
The future success of our business depends upon the continued
use of the internet as a primary medium for commerce, communication, and business applications. Federal, state, or foreign governmental
bodies or agencies have in the past adopted, and may in the future adopt, laws or regulations affecting the use of the internet as a commercial
medium. The adoption of any laws or regulations that could reduce the growth, popularity, or use of the internet, including laws or practices
limiting internet neutrality, could decrease the demand for our offerings, increase our cost of doing business, and adversely affect our
results of operations. Changes in these laws or regulations could require us to modify our offerings, or certain aspects of our offerings,
in order to comply with these changes. In addition, government agencies or private organizations have imposed and may impose additional
taxes, fees, or other charges for accessing the internet or commerce conducted via the internet. These laws or charges could limit the
growth of internet-related commerce or communications generally or result in reductions in the demand for internet-based products such
as ours. In addition, the use of the internet as a business tool could be harmed due to delays in the development or adoption of new standards
and protocols to handle increased demands of internet activity, security, reliability, cost, ease-of-use, accessibility, and quality of
service. Further, our platform depends on the quality of our customers’ and other users’ access to the internet.
On June 11, 2018, the repeal of the Federal Communications Commission’s
(the “FCC”), “net neutrality” rules took effect and returned to a “light-touch” regulatory framework.
The prior rules were designed to ensure that all online content is treated the same by internet service providers and other companies
that provide broadband services. Additionally, on September 30, 2018, California enacted the California internet Consumer Protection and
Net Neutrality Act of 2018, making California the fourth state to enact a state-level net neutrality law since the FCC repealed its nationwide
regulations, mandating that all broadband services in California must be provided in accordance with state net neutrality requirements.
The U.S. Department of Justice has sued to block the law going into effect, and California has agreed to delay enforcement until the resolution
of the FCC’s repeal of the federal rules. A number of other states are considering legislation or executive actions that would regulate
the conduct of broadband providers. We cannot predict whether the FCC order or state initiatives will be modified, overturned, or vacated
by legal action of the court, federal legislation or the FCC. With the repeal of net neutrality rules in effect, we could incur greater
operating expenses, which could harm our results of operations.
As the internet continues to experience growth in the number
of users, frequency of use, and amount of data transmitted, the internet infrastructure that we and our customers and other users rely
on may be unable to support the demands placed upon it. The failure of the internet infrastructure that we or our customers and other
users rely on, even for a short period of time, could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. In
addition, the performance of the internet and its acceptance as a business tool has been harmed by “viruses,” “worms”
and similar malicious programs and the internet has experienced a variety of outages and other delays as a result of damage to portions
of its infrastructure. If the use of the internet is adversely affected by these issues, demand for our offerings could decline.
Internet access is frequently provided by companies that have
significant market power and the ability to take actions that degrade, disrupt, or increase the cost of customers’ access to our
offerings. As demand for online media increases, there can be no assurance that internet and network service providers will continue to
price their network access services on reasonable terms. We could incur greater operating expenses and our customer acquisition and retention
could be negatively impacted if network operators:
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implement usage-based pricing;
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discount pricing for competitive products;
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otherwise materially change their pricing rates or schemes;
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charge us to deliver our traffic at certain levels or at all;
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throttle traffic based on its source or type;
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implement bandwidth caps or other usage restrictions; or
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otherwise try to monetize or control access to their networks. |
We have limited or no control over the extent to which any of
these circumstances may occur, and if network access or distribution prices rise, our business, financial condition and results of operations
would likely be adversely affected.
Failure to comply with anti-bribery, anti-corruption,
anti-money laundering laws, and similar laws, could subject us to penalties and other adverse consequences.
We are subject to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977,
as amended (the “FCPA”), the U.S. domestic bribery statute contained in 18 U.S.C. § 201, the U.S. Travel Act, the USA
PATRIOT Act, the United Kingdom Bribery Act 2010, the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, Chapter 9 (sub-chapter 5) of the Israeli Penal Law,
5737-1977, the Israeli Prohibition on Money Laundering Law, 5760-2000 and additional anti-bribery or anti-corruption laws, regulations,
or rules of the countries in which we operate. These laws generally prohibit companies and their employees and third-party partners, representatives,
and agents from engaging in corruption and bribery, including by offering, promising, giving, or authorizing the provision of anything
of value, either directly or indirectly, to a government official or commercial party to influence official action, direct business to
any person, gain any improper advantage, or obtain or retain business. Anti-corruption and anti-bribery laws have been enforced aggressively
in recent years and are interpreted broadly.
We sometimes leverage third parties to sell our products and
conduct certain aspects of our business abroad. We and our third-party partners may have direct or indirect interactions with officials
and employees of government agencies or state-owned or affiliated entities and may be held liable for inaccurate or incomplete accounting
records, internal accounting controls deemed inadequate by applicable regulatory authorities, and corrupt or other illegal activities
of our employees, affiliates, third-party partners, representatives, and agents, even if we do not explicitly authorize such activities.
We cannot assure you that our employees and other agents, or those of our partners, will not take actions in violation of applicable law,
for which we may be ultimately held responsible. As we increase our international sales and business operations, our risks under these
laws are likely to increase.
Any actual or alleged violation of the FCPA or other applicable
anti-bribery, anti-corruption or anti-money laundering laws could result in whistleblower complaints, sanctions, settlements, prosecution,
enforcement actions, fines, damages, adverse media coverage, investigations, loss of export privileges, severe criminal or civil sanctions,
or suspension or debarment from U.S. government contracts, all of which may have an adverse effect on our reputation, business, financial
condition, results of operations, and prospects. Responding to any investigation or action will likely result in a materially significant
diversion of the attention and resources of our executive leadership team and other employees and cause us to incur significant defense
costs and other professional fees. In addition, the U.S. government may seek to hold us liable for FCPA violations committed by companies
that we invest in or acquire.
Our business activities subject us to litigation
risk that could materially and adversely affect us by subjecting us to significant money damages and other remedies, causing unfavorable
publicity or increasing our litigation expense.
We are, from time to time, the subject of complaints or litigation,
including user claims, contract claims, employee allegations of improper termination and discrimination and claims related to violations
of applicable government laws regarding religious freedom, advertising and intellectual property. The number and significance of these
potential claims and disputes may increase as our business expands. Any such claim could be expensive to defend and, regardless of its
merit, may divert time, money, management’s attention and other valuable resources away from our operations, harm our reputation,
and, thereby, adversely affect our business. Further, our insurance may not cover all potential claims made against us or be sufficient
to indemnify us for all liability that may be imposed. Additionally, a substantial judgment against us could materially and adversely
affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
For example, we have been, and may
continue to be, subject to class and individual claims regarding our classification of certain employees. These include a putative
class action in the Superior Court for the City and County of San Francisco on October 21, 2022 by a former employee based on claims that
she was misclassified as an exempt employee and that the Company failed to properly reimburse for business expenses, failed to pay the
proper rate of pay for paid sick leave, and other claims related to the payment of commissions and derivative of the misclassification
claim. On December 16, 2022, the plaintiff filed a First Amended Complaint, adding a cause of action for civil penalties under California’s
Private Attorneys General Act (California Labor Code Section 2698, et. seq.) seeking to recover civil penalties on behalf of herself,
other WalkMe employees, and the State of California, for alleged violations of California’s Labor Code violations. The suit
seeks monetary and non-monetary damages, including punitive damages, as well as disgorgement of profits, penalties, interest, and attorneys’
fees on behalf of plaintiff and others similarly situated. The Company filed its Answer on January 19, 2023. This proceeding
is at preliminary stages and the Company intends to vigorously contest these claims. Nevertheless, the outcome of any complex legal proceeding
is inherently unpredictable and subject to significant uncertainties and there can be no guarantee that it will not have a material adverse
effect on the Company’s financial condition, cash flows, or results of operations.
Unanticipated changes in effective tax rates
or adverse outcomes resulting from examination of our income or other tax returns could expose us to greater than anticipated tax liabilities.
The tax laws applicable to our business, including the laws of
Israel, the United States, and other jurisdictions, are subject to interpretation and certain jurisdictions may aggressively interpret
their laws in an effort to raise additional tax revenue. The taxing authorities of the jurisdictions in which we operate may challenge
our methodologies for valuing developed technology or intercompany arrangements or our revenue recognition policies, which could increase
our worldwide effective tax rate and harm our financial position and results of operations. It is possible that tax authorities may disagree
with certain positions we have taken and any adverse outcome of such a review or audit could have a negative effect on our financial position
and results of operations. Further, the determination of our worldwide provision for income taxes and other tax liabilities requires significant
judgment by management, and there are transactions where the ultimate tax determination is uncertain. Although we believe that our estimates
are reasonable, the ultimate tax outcome may differ from the amounts recorded in our consolidated financial statements and may materially
affect our financial results in the period or periods for which such determination is made.
Our corporate structure and intercompany arrangements
are subject to the tax laws of various jurisdictions, and we could be obligated to pay additional taxes, which would harm our results
of operations.
Based on our current corporate structure, we are subject to taxation
in several jurisdictions around the world with increasingly complex tax laws, the application of which can be uncertain. The amount of
taxes we pay in these jurisdictions could increase substantially as a result of changes in the applicable tax principles, including increased
tax rates, new tax laws or revised interpretations of existing tax laws and precedents. For example, the recent Inflation Reduction Act
enacted in the United States introduced, among other changes, a 1% excise tax on certain stock redemptions by United States corporations
which the U.S. Treasury indicated may also apply to certain stock redemptions by a foreign corporation funded (or deemed funded) by certain
United States affiliates. The authorities in these jurisdictions could review our tax returns or require us to file tax returns
in jurisdictions in which we are not currently filing, and could impose additional tax, interest, and penalties. These authorities could
also claim that various withholding requirements apply to us or our subsidiaries, assert that benefits of tax treaties are not available
to us or our subsidiaries, or challenge our methodologies for valuing developed technology or intercompany arrangements, including our
transfer pricing. The relevant taxing authorities may determine that the manner in which we operate our business does not achieve the
intended tax consequences. If such a disagreement was to occur, and our position was not sustained, we could be required to pay additional
taxes, interest, and penalties. Such authorities could claim that various withholding requirements apply to us or our subsidiaries or
assert that benefits of tax treaties are not available to us or our subsidiaries. Any increase in the amount of taxes we pay or that are
imposed on us could increase our worldwide effective tax rate and harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Changes in tax law relating to multinational
corporations could adversely affect our tax position.
The member countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation
and Development (“OECD”), with the support of the G20, initiated the base erosion and profit shifting (“BEPS”)
project in 2013 in response to concerns that changes were needed to international tax laws. In November 2015, the G20 finance ministers
adopted final BEPS reports designed to prevent, among other things, the artificial shifting of income to low-tax jurisdictions, and legislation
to adopt and implement the standards set forth in such reports has been enacted or is currently under consideration in a number of jurisdictions.
In May 2019, the OECD published a “Programme of Work,” which was divided into two pillars. Pillar One focused on the allocation
of group profits among taxing jurisdictions based on a market-based concept rather than the historical “permanent establishment”
concept. Pillar Two, among other things, introduced a global minimum tax. On October 10, 2021, 137 member jurisdictions of the G20/OECD
Inclusive Framework on BEPS (including Israel) joined the “Statement on a Two-Pillar Solution to Address the Tax Challenges Arising
from the Digitalisation of the Economy” which sets forth the key terms of such two-pillar solution, including a reallocation of
taxing rights among market jurisdictions under Pillar One and a global minimum tax rate of 15% under Pillar Two. The agreement reached
by 137 of the 140 members of the OECD’s Inclusive Framework on BEPS calls for law enactment by OECD and G20 members in 2022 to take
effect in 2023 and 2024. On December 20, 2021, the OECD published model rules to implement the Pillar Two rules and released commentary
to the Pillar Two model rules in March 2022. The model rules and commentary allow the OECD’s Inclusive Framework members to begin
implementing the Pillar Two rules in accordance with the agreement reached in October 2021. As the Two Pillar solution is subject to implementation
by each member country, the timing and ultimate impact of any such changes on our tax obligations is uncertain. These changes, when enacted,
by various countries in which we do business may increase our taxes in these countries. The foregoing tax changes and other possible future
tax changes may have an adverse impact on us.
We could be required to collect additional
sales, use, value added, digital services or other similar taxes or be subject to other liabilities that may increase the costs our clients
would have to pay for our products and adversely affect our results of operations.
We collect sales, value added and other similar taxes in a number
of jurisdictions. One or more U.S. states or countries may seek to impose incremental or new sales, use, value added, digital services,
or other tax collection obligations on us. Further, an increasing number of U.S. states have considered or adopted laws that attempt to
impose tax collection obligations on out-of-state companies. Additionally, the Supreme Court of the United States has ruled that online
sellers can be required to collect sales and use tax despite not having a physical presence in the state of the customer, thus permitting
a wider enforcement of such sales and use tax collection requirements against non-U.S. companies that have historically not been responsible
for state or local tax collection unless they had physical presence in the U.S. customer’s state. As a result, U.S. states and local
governments may adopt, or begin to enforce, laws requiring us to calculate, collect, and remit taxes on sales in their jurisdictions,
even if we have no physical presence in that jurisdiction. A successful assertion by one or more U.S. states requiring us to collect taxes
where we presently do not do so, or to collect more taxes in a jurisdiction in which we currently do collect some taxes, could result
in substantial liabilities, including taxes on past sales, as well as interest and penalties. Furthermore, certain jurisdictions, such
as the United Kingdom and France, have recently introduced a digital services tax, which is generally a tax on gross revenue generated
from users or customers located in those jurisdictions, and other jurisdictions have enacted or are considering enacting similar laws.
A successful assertion by a U.S. state or local government, or other country or jurisdiction that we should have been or should be collecting
additional sales, use, value added, digital services or other similar taxes could, among other things, result in substantial tax payments,
create significant administrative burdens for us, discourage potential customers from subscribing to our platform due to the incremental
cost of any such sales or other related taxes, or otherwise harm our business.
Our
ability to use our net operating loss carryforwards to offset future taxable income may be subject to certain limitations.
As of December 31, 2022, we had net operating loss carryforwards
of $320.9 million in Israel and federal net operating loss carryforwards of $14.5 million in the United States, which may be utilized
against future income taxes. Limitations imposed by the applicable jurisdictions on our ability to utilize net operating loss carryforwards,
including with respect to the net operating loss carryforwards of companies that we have acquired or may acquire in the future, could
cause income taxes to be paid earlier than would be paid if such limitations were not in effect and could cause such net operating loss
carryforwards to expire unused, in each case reducing or eliminating the benefit of such net operating loss carryforwards. Furthermore,
we may not be able to generate sufficient taxable income to utilize our net operating loss carryforwards before they expire. If any of
these events occur, we may not derive some or all of the expected benefits from our net operating loss carryforwards. Also, any available
net operating loss carryforwards would have value only to the extent there is income in the future against which such net operating loss
carryforwards may be offset. For these reasons, we may not be able to realize a tax benefit from the use of our net operating loss carryforwards,
whether or not we attain profitability. We have recorded a full valuation allowance related to our carryforwards due to the uncertainty
of the ultimate realization of the future benefits of those assets.
Our reported financial results may be adversely
affected by changes in accounting principles generally accepted in the United States.
The accounting rules and regulations that we must comply with
are complex and subject to interpretation by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”), the SEC and various bodies
formed to promulgate and interpret appropriate accounting principles. Recent actions and public comments from the FASB and the SEC have
focused on the integrity of financial reporting and internal controls. In addition, many companies’ accounting policies are being
subject to heightened scrutiny by regulators and the public. Further, the accounting rules and regulations are continually changing in
ways that could materially impact our financial statements.
Though we cannot predict the impact of future changes to accounting
principles or our accounting policies on our financial statements going forward, any such change in these principles or how they are interpreted
could have a significant effect on our reported results of operations and could affect the reporting of transactions already completed
before the announcement of a change.
We are not, and do not intend to become, regulated
as an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (“Investment Company Act”), and
if we were deemed an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act, applicable restrictions could make it impractical
for us to continue our business as contemplated and could have a material adverse effect on our business.
An entity generally will be deemed to be an “investment
company” for purposes of the Investment Company Act if:
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it is an “orthodox” investment company because it is or holds itself out
as being engaged primarily, or proposes to engage primarily, in the business of investing, reinvesting or trading in securities; or
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it is an inadvertent investment company because, absent an applicable exemption, (i)
it owns or proposes to acquire investment securities having a value exceeding 40% of the value of its total assets (exclusive of U.S.
government securities and cash items) on an unconsolidated basis, or (ii) it owns or proposes to acquire investment securities having
a value exceeding 45% of the value of its total assets (exclusive of U.S. government securities and cash items) and/or more than 45% of
its income is derived from investment securities on a consolidated basis with its wholly owned subsidiaries. |
We are engaged primarily in the business of providing clients
with our cloud-based Digital Adoption Platform, which enables organizations to better realize the value of their software investments.
We hold ourselves out as a cloud-based technology company and do not propose to engage primarily in the business of investing, reinvesting
or trading in securities. Accordingly, we do not believe that we are an “orthodox” investment company as defined in Section
3(a)(1)(A) of the Investment Company Act and described in the first bullet point above. Furthermore, we believe that on a consolidated
basis less than 45% of our total assets (exclusive of U.S. government securities and cash items) are composed of, and less than 45% of
our income is derived from, assets that could be considered investment securities. Accordingly, we do not believe that we are an inadvertent
investment company by virtue of the 45% tests in Rule 3a-1 of the Investment Company Act as described in the second bullet point above.
In addition, we believe that we are not an investment company under Section 3(b)(1) of the Investment Company Act because we are primarily
engaged in a noninvestment company business.
The Investment Company Act and the rules thereunder contain detailed
parameters for the organization and operation of investment companies. Among other things, the Investment Company Act and the rules thereunder
limit or prohibit transactions with affiliates, impose limitations on the issuance of debt and equity securities, generally prohibit the
issuance of options and impose certain governance requirements. We intend to conduct our operations so that we will not be deemed to be
an investment company under the Investment Company Act or otherwise conduct our business in a manner that does not subject us to the registration
and other requirements of the Investment Company Act. In order to ensure that we are not deemed to be an investment company, we may be
limited in the assets that we may continue to own and, further, may need to dispose of or acquire certain assets at such times or on such
terms as may be less favorable to us than in the absence of such requirement. In particular, as is common in Israel, much of our marketable
securities and some of our cash is held in the form of time-based depositary accounts, which may be considered securities under the Investment
Company Act, and we could be required to invest our cash into accounts that yield a lower return in order to avoid becoming an investment
company. If anything were to happen which would cause us to be deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act, the
requirements imposed by the Investment Company Act could make it impractical for us to continue our business as currently conducted, which
would materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, if we were to become inadvertently
subject to the Investment Company Act, any violation of the Investment Company Act could subject us to material adverse consequences,
including potentially significant regulatory penalties.
Risks Relating to Our Ordinary Shares and Reporting Obligations
Our share price has been and may continue to
be volatile, and you may lose all or part of your investment.
The market price of our ordinary shares has experienced significant
price and volume volatility and may continue to fluctuate in the future, substantially as a result of many factors, including:
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actual or anticipated changes or fluctuations in our results of operations;
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the guidance we may provide to the public, and any changes in, or our failure to perform
in line with, such guidance;
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announcements by us or our competitors of significant business developments, new offerings
or new or terminated significant contracts, commercial relationships or capital commitments;
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industry or financial analyst or investor reaction to our press releases, other public
announcements, and filings with the SEC;
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rumors and market speculation involving us or other companies in our industry;
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future sales or expected future sales of our ordinary shares;
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investor perceptions of us and the industries and markets in which we operate;
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price and volume fluctuations in the overall stock market from time to time;
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changes in operating performance and stock market valuations of other technology companies
generally, or those in our industry in particular;
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failure of industry or financial analysts to maintain coverage of us, changes in financial
estimates by any analysts who follow our Company, or our failure to meet these estimates or the expectations of investors;
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actual or anticipated developments in our business or our competitors’ businesses
or the competitive landscape generally;
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litigation involving us, our industry or both, or investigations by regulators into
our operations or those of our competitors;
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developments or disputes concerning our intellectual property rights or our solutions,
or third-party proprietary rights;
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announced or completed acquisitions of businesses or technologies by us or our competitors;
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actual or perceived breaches of, or failures relating to, privacy, data protection
or data security;
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new laws or regulations or new interpretations of existing laws or regulations applicable
to our business;
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actual or anticipated changes in our executive leadership team or our board of directors;
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general economic conditions such as inflation, higher interest rates and slow or negative
growth of our target markets; and
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other events or factors, including those resulting from pandemics, war, incidents
of terrorism or responses to these events. |
In addition, the stock markets have recently experienced extreme
price and volume fluctuations. Broad market and industry factors may materially harm the market price of our ordinary shares, regardless
of our operating performance, which may limit or prevent investors from readily selling their shares and may otherwise negatively affect
the liquidity of our ordinary shares. In the past, following periods of volatility in the market price of a company’s securities,
securities class action litigation has often been instituted against that company. If we were involved in any similar litigation we could
incur substantial costs and our attention and resources of our executive leadership team and other employees could be diverted.
An active trading market for our ordinary shares
may not be sustained to provide adequate liquidity.
An active trading market may not be sustained for our ordinary
shares. The lack of an active market may impair your ability to sell your shares at the time you wish to sell them or at a price that
you consider reasonable. An inactive market may also impair our ability to raise capital by selling ordinary shares and may impair our
ability to acquire other companies by using our shares as consideration.
If we do not meet the expectations of equity
research analysts, if they do not publish research or reports about our business or if they issue unfavorable commentary or downgrade
our ordinary shares, the price of our ordinary shares could decline.
The trading market for our ordinary shares relies in part on
the research and reports that securities analysts publish about us and our business. The analysts’ estimates are based upon their
own opinions and are often different from our estimates or expectations. If our revenues, our results of operations, or our financial
condition are below the estimates or expectations of public market analysts and investors, the
price of our ordinary shares could decline. Moreover, the price of our ordinary shares could decline if one or more securities analysts
issue unfavorable commentary or cease publishing reports about us or our business.
We are an “emerging growth company,”
as defined in the JOBS Act, and we cannot be certain if the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies will
make our ordinary shares less attractive to investors.
We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in
the JOBS Act, and we are eligible to take advantage of specified reduced disclosure and other requirements that are applicable to public
companies that are not emerging growth companies. These provisions include, among others, not being required to comply with the auditor
attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (“Section 404”) and not being required to comply
with any requirement that may be adopted by the PCAOB regarding mandatory audit firm rotation or a supplement to the auditor’s report
providing additional information about the audit and the financial statements. In addition, while we remain an emerging growth company
we can take advantage of an extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards. This allows us to delay
the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We have elected to take
advantage of this extended transition period and, as a result, our operating results and financial statements may not be comparable to
the operating results and financial statements of companies who have adopted the new or revised accounting standards.
We may remain an emerging growth company until the earliest to
occur of: (i) the last day of the first fiscal year in which our annual gross revenue equals or exceeds $1.235 billion; (ii) the date
that we become a “large accelerated filer,” as defined in Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act, which will occur if the market
value of our common equity securities held by non-affiliates is at least $700 million as of the last business day of our most recently
completed second fiscal quarter; (iii) the date on which we have issued, during the preceding three-year period, more than $1.0 billion
in non-convertible debt securities; and (iv) December 31, 2026, which is the last day of the fiscal year ending after the fifth anniversary
of our initial public offering (“IPO”).
Investors may find our ordinary shares less attractive to the
extent we rely on the exemptions and relief granted by the JOBS Act. If some investors find our ordinary shares less attractive as a result,
there may be a less active trading market for our ordinary shares and the price of our ordinary shares may decline or become more volatile.
We are a foreign private issuer and, as a result,
we are not subject to U.S. proxy rules and will be subject to Exchange Act reporting obligations that, to some extent, are more lenient
and less frequent than those of a U.S. domestic public company.
We report under the Exchange Act as a non-U.S. company with foreign
private issuer status. Because we qualify as a foreign private issuer, we take advantage of certain provisions under the Nasdaq corporate
governance rules that allow us to follow Israeli law for certain corporate governance matters. As long as we qualify as a foreign private
issuer under the Exchange Act, we are exempt from certain provisions of the Exchange Act that are applicable to U.S. domestic public companies,
including among others:
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the sections of the Exchange Act regulating the solicitation of proxies, consents
or authorizations in respect of a security registered under the Exchange Act;
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the sections of the Exchange Act requiring insiders to file public reports of their
share ownership and trading activities and liability for insiders who profit from trades made in a short period of time;
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the rules under the Exchange Act requiring the filing with the SEC of quarterly reports
on Form 10-Q containing unaudited financial and other specified information, or current reports on Form 8-K, upon the occurrence of specified
significant events; and
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Regulation Fair Disclosure (“Regulation FD”), which regulates selective
disclosures of material information by issuers. |
In addition, foreign private issuers are not required to file
their annual report on Form 20-F until four months after the end of each fiscal year, while U.S. domestic issuers that are accelerated
filers are required to file their annual report on Form 10-K within 75 days after the end of each fiscal year and U.S. domestic issuers
that are large accelerated filers are required to file their annual report on Form 10-K within 60 days after the end of each fiscal year.
Foreign private issuers, like emerging growth companies, also are exempt from certain more stringent executive compensation disclosure
rules. As a result of all of the above, you may not have the same protections afforded to shareholders of a company that is not a foreign
private issuer.
We may lose our foreign private issuer status
in the future, which could result in significant additional costs and expenses.
As discussed above, we are a foreign private issuer, and therefore,
we are not required to comply with all of the periodic disclosure and current reporting requirements of the Exchange Act that are applicable
to U.S. domestic public companies. The determination of foreign private issuer status is made annually on the last business day of an
issuer’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter, and, accordingly, the next determination will be made with respect to us
on June 30, 2023. In the future, we would lose our foreign private issuer status if more than 50% of our outstanding voting securities
are owned by U.S. residents and any of the following three circumstances applies: (1) the majority of our directors or executive officers
are U.S. citizens or residents, (2) more than 50% of our assets are located in the United States, or (3) our business is administered
principally in the United States. If we lose our foreign private issuer status, we will be required to file with the SEC periodic reports
and registration statements on U.S. domestic issuer forms, which are more detailed and extensive than the forms available to a foreign
private issuer. We will also have to mandatorily comply with U.S. federal proxy requirements, and our officers, directors and principal
shareholders will become subject to the short-swing profit disclosure and recovery provisions of Section 16 of the Exchange Act. In addition,
we will lose our ability to rely upon exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements under the Nasdaq listing rules. As a U.S.
listed public company that is not a foreign private issuer, we will incur significant additional legal, accounting and other expenses
that we will not incur as a foreign private issuer.
As we are a foreign private issuer and intend
to follow certain home country corporate governance practices, our shareholders may not have the same protections afforded to shareholders
of companies that are subject to all corporate governance requirements.
As a foreign private issuer, we have the option to follow certain
home country corporate governance practices rather than the Nasdaq corporate governance rules, provided that we disclose and describe
the requirements we are not following and the Israeli practices we are following. We intend to rely on this “foreign private issuer
exemption” with respect to the quorum requirement for shareholder meetings, and may in the future elect to follow home country practices
with regard to other matters. As a result, our shareholders may not have the same protections afforded to shareholders of companies that
are subject to all Nasdaq corporate governance requirements.
The market price of our ordinary shares could
be negatively affected by future issuances and sales of our ordinary shares.
Sales by us or our shareholders of a substantial number of ordinary
shares in the public market, or the perception that these sales might occur, could cause the market price of our ordinary shares to decline
or could impair our ability to raise capital through a future sale of, or pay for acquisitions using, our equity securities.
As of December 31, 2022, we are authorized to issue up to 900,000,000
ordinary shares. Subject to compliance with applicable rules and regulations, we may issue ordinary shares or securities convertible into
ordinary shares from time to time in connection with a financing, acquisition, investment, our share incentive plans or otherwise. Any
such issuance could result in substantial dilution to our existing shareholders and cause the market price of our ordinary shares to decline.
We may be classified as a passive foreign investment
company, which could result in adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences to U.S. Holders of our ordinary shares.
We would be classified as a passive foreign investment company
(“PFIC”) for any taxable year if, after the application of certain look-through rules, either: (i) 75% or more of our gross
income for such year is “passive income” (as defined in the relevant provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended),
or (ii) 50% or more of the value of our gross assets (determined on the basis of a quarterly average) during such year is attributable
to assets that produce or are held for the production of passive income (the “asset test”). For these purposes, cash and other
assets readily convertible into cash are categorized as passive assets, and the company’s goodwill and other unbooked intangibles
are generally taken into account. Passive income generally includes, among other things, rents, dividends, interest, royalties, gains
from the disposition of passive assets and gains from commodities and securities transactions. For purposes of this test, we will be treated
as owning a proportionate share of the assets and earning a proportionate share of the income of any other corporation of which we own,
directly or indirectly, more than 25% (by value) of the stock. Based on the composition of our income, assets and operations, we do not
believe that we were a PFIC for the taxable year ended December 31, 2022. However, our status as a PFIC requires a factual determination
that depends on, among other things, our income, assets and operations in each year. Fluctuations in the market price of our ordinary
shares may cause our classification as a PFIC for the current or future taxable years to change because the value of our assets for purposes
of the asset test, including the value of our goodwill and unbooked intangibles, may be determined by reference to the market price of
our shares from time to time (which may be volatile). Among other matters, if our market capitalization subsequently declines, it may
make our classification as a PFIC more likely for the current or future taxable years. The composition of our income and assets may also
be affected by how, and how quickly, we use our liquid assets. Therefore, there can be no assurance that we will not be treated as a PFIC
for our current taxable year or any future taxable year.
Certain adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences could apply
to a U.S. Holder (as defined in Item 10.E. “Tax Considerations - U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations”) if we are treated
as a PFIC for any taxable year during which such U.S. Holder holds our ordinary shares. U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors
regarding the application of PFIC rules to an investment in our ordinary shares. For further discussion, see Item 10.E. “Tax Considerations
- Material United States Tax Considerations.”
If a United States person is treated as owning
at least 10% of our ordinary shares, such holder may be subject to adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences.
If a United States person is treated as owning (directly, indirectly,
or constructively) at least 10% of the value or voting power of our ordinary shares, such person may be treated as a “United States
shareholder” with respect to each “controlled foreign corporation” (“CFC”) in our group (if any). Because
our group includes a U.S. subsidiary, certain of our non-U.S. subsidiaries will be treated as CFCs (regardless of whether or not we are
treated as a CFC). A United States shareholder of a CFC may be required to report annually and include in its U.S. taxable income its
pro rata share of “Subpart F income,” “global intangible low-taxed income,” and investments in U.S. property by
CFC, regardless of whether we make any distributions. An individual that is a United States shareholder with respect to a CFC generally
would not be allowed certain tax deductions or foreign tax credits that would be allowed to a United States shareholder that is a U.S.
corporation. Failure to comply with these reporting obligations may subject a United States shareholder to significant monetary penalties
and may prevent the statute of limitations with respect to such shareholder’s U.S. federal income tax return for the year for which
reporting was due from starting. We cannot provide any assurances that we will assist investors in determining whether we are or any of
our non-U.S. subsidiaries is treated as a CFC or whether any investor is treated as a United States shareholder with respect to any such
CFC or furnish to any United States shareholders information that may be necessary to comply with the aforementioned reporting and tax
paying obligations. The United States Internal Revenue Service has provided limited guidance on situations in which investors may rely
on publicly available information to comply with their reporting and taxpaying obligations with respect to foreign-controlled CFCs. A
United States investor should consult its advisors regarding the potential application of these rules to an investment in our ordinary
shares.
Provisions of Israeli law and our Articles
of Association may delay, prevent or make undesirable an acquisition of all or a significant portion of our shares or assets.
Provisions of Israeli law, including the Israeli Companies Law,
5759-1999 (the “Companies Law”), and our amended and restated Articles of Association could
have the effect of delaying or preventing a change in control and may make it more difficult for a third-party to acquire us or our shareholders
to elect different individuals to our board of directors, even if doing so would be considered to be beneficial by some of our shareholders,
and may limit the price that investors may be willing to pay in the future for our ordinary shares. Among other things:
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the Companies Law regulates mergers and requires that a tender offer be effected when
more than a specified percentage of shares in a company are purchased;
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the Companies Law requires special approvals for certain transactions involving directors,
officers or certain significant shareholders and regulates other matters that may be relevant to these types of transactions;
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the Companies Law does not provide for shareholder action by written consent for public
companies, thereby requiring all shareholder actions to be taken at a general meeting of shareholders;
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our amended and restates Articles of Association divide
our directors into three classes, each of which is elected once every three years, and accordingly, each of our directors serves until
the third annual general meeting following his or her election or re-election or until he or she is removed;
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an amendment to our amended and restates Articles of Association will
generally require, in addition to the approval of our board of directors, a vote of the holders of a majority of our outstanding ordinary
shares entitled to vote and present and voting on the matter at a general meeting of shareholders (referred to as simple majority), and
the amendment of a limited number of provisions, such as the provision dividing our directors into three classes, requires a vote of the
holders of at least 65% of the total voting power of our shareholders;
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our amended and restates Articles of Association do
not permit a director to be removed except by a vote of the holders of at least 65% of the total voting power of our shareholders and
any amendment to such provision shall require the approval of at least 65% of the total voting power of our shareholders; and
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our amended and restates Articles of Association provide
that director vacancies may be filled by our board of directors. |
Israeli tax considerations may also make potential transactions
undesirable to us or to some of our shareholders whose country of residence does not have a tax treaty with Israel granting tax relief
to such shareholders from Israeli tax. With respect to mergers, Israeli tax law allows for tax deferral in certain circumstances but makes
the deferral contingent on the fulfillment of numerous conditions, including a holding period of up to two years from the date of the
transaction during which certain sales and dispositions of shares of the participating companies are restricted. Moreover, with respect
to certain share swap transactions, the tax deferral is limited in time, and when such time expires, the tax becomes payable even if no
disposition of the shares has occurred.
Furthermore, under the Encouragement of Research, Development
and Technological Innovation in the Industry Law, 5744-1984, and the regulations, guidelines, rules, procedures, and benefit tracks thereunder
(collectively, the “Innovation Law”), to which we are subject due to our receipt of grants from the Israeli National Authority
for Technological Innovation, or the Israeli Innovation Authority (the “IIA”), a recipient of IIA grants such as our Company
must report to the IIA regarding any change in the holding of means of control of our Company which transforms any non-Israeli citizen
or resident into an “interested party,” as defined in the Israeli Securities Law, 5728-1968 (the “Israeli Securities
Law”), and such non-Israeli citizen or resident shall execute an undertaking in favor of IIA, in a form prescribed by IIA.
We do not intend to pay dividends in the foreseeable
future.
We have never declared or
paid any cash dividends on our ordinary shares. We currently intend to retain all available funds and any future earnings to finance the
operation and expansion of our business and do not anticipate paying any dividends on our ordinary shares in the foreseeable future. Consequently,
investors who purchase ordinary shares may be unable to realize a gain on their investment except by selling such shares after price appreciation,
which may never occur.
Our board of directors has sole discretion regarding whether
to pay dividends. If our board of directors decides to pay dividends, the form, frequency and amount will depend upon our future operations
and earnings, capital requirements and surplus, general financial condition, contractual restrictions and other factors that our directors
may deem relevant. The Companies Law imposes restrictions on our ability to declare and pay dividends.
We will continue to incur increased costs as
a result of operating as a public company, and our executive leadership team and other employees are required to devote substantial time
to new compliance initiatives and corporate governance practices.
As a public company we have, and particularly after we are no
longer an emerging growth company, we will continue to incur significant legal, accounting and other expenses that we did not incur as
a private company. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, the listing requirements of
the Nasdaq and other applicable rules and regulations impose various requirements on public companies, including the establishment and
maintenance of effective disclosure and financial controls and corporate governance practices. Our executive leadership team and other
personnel continue to devote a substantial amount of time to these compliance initiatives. Moreover, these rules and regulations will
continue to increase our legal and financial compliance costs and will make some activities more time-consuming and costly. For example,
we expect that these rules and regulations may make it more difficult and more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability
insurance, and could also make it more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified members of our board.
We continue to evaluate these rules and regulations and cannot
predict or estimate the amount of additional costs we may incur or the timing of such costs. These rules and regulations are often subject
to varying interpretations, in many cases due to their lack of specificity, and, as a result, their application in practice may evolve
over time as new guidance is provided by regulatory and governing bodies. This could result in continuing uncertainty regarding compliance
matters and higher costs necessitated by ongoing revisions to disclosure and governance practices.
If we fail to maintain an effective system
of disclosure controls and internal control over financial reporting, our ability to produce timely and accurate financial statements
or comply with applicable regulations could be impaired.
The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires, among other things, that we
maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting. We are continuing to develop and
refine our disclosure controls and other procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in the
reports that we will file with the SEC is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified in SEC rules
and forms and that information required to be disclosed in reports under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to our principal
executive and financial officers. We believe that any disclosure controls and procedures, no matter how well conceived and operated, can
provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. These inherent limitations include
the realities that judgments in decision-making can be faulty, and that breakdowns can occur because of simple error or mistake. Additionally,
controls can be circumvented by the individual acts of some persons, by collusion of two or more people or by an unauthorized override
of the controls. Accordingly, because of the inherent limitations in our control system, misstatements due to error or fraud may occur
and not be detected.
We are also continuing to improve our internal control over financial
reporting. In order to maintain and improve the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial
reporting, we have expended, and anticipate that we will continue to expend, significant resources, including accounting-related costs
and significant management oversight. If any of these new or improved controls and systems do not perform as expected, we may experience
material weaknesses in our controls.
In addition to our results determined in accordance with U.S.
GAAP, we believe certain non-GAAP measures and key metrics may be useful in evaluating our operating performance. We present certain non-GAAP
financial measures and key performance metrics in this Annual Report and intend to continue to present certain non-GAAP financial measures
and key performance metrics in future filings with the SEC and other public statements. Any failure to accurately report and present our
non-GAAP financial measures and key performance metrics could cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial and other information,
which would likely have a negative effect on the trading price of our ordinary shares.
Our current controls and any new controls that we develop may become inadequate because
of changes in conditions in our business, as a result of our growth and expansion, changes to or additions of new products or otherwise.
Further, weaknesses in our disclosure controls and internal control over financial reporting may be discovered in the future. Any failure
to develop or maintain effective controls or any difficulties encountered in their implementation or improvement could harm our business,
financial condition, and results of operations or cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations and may result in a restatement of
our consolidated financial statements for prior periods. Any failure to implement and maintain effective internal control over financial
reporting also could adversely affect the results of periodic management evaluations that we are required to file with the SEC and annual
independent registered public accounting firm attestation reports regarding the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting
that we will be required to include in our annual reports after we lose our status as an “emerging growth company.” Ineffective
disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting could also cause investors to lose confidence in our
reported financial and other information, which would likely have a negative effect on the trading price of our ordinary shares. In addition,
if we are unable to continue to meet these requirements, we may not be able to remain listed on Nasdaq.
We are required to furnish a report by management on, among other
things, the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404(a). This assessment needs to include
disclosure of any material weaknesses identified by our management in our internal control over financial reporting. The rules governing
the standards that must be met for our management to assess our internal control over financial reporting are complex and require significant
documentation, testing and possible remediation. Testing and maintaining internal controls may divert our management’s attention
from other matters that are important to our business. Additionally, when we are no longer an “emerging growth company,” our
independent registered public accounting firm will be required to formally attest to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial
reporting pursuant to Section 404(b). At such time, our independent registered public accounting firm may issue a report that is adverse
in the event it is not satisfied with the level at which our internal control over financial reporting is documented, designed or operating.
To comply with Section 404, we continuously document and evaluate our internal control over financial reporting, which is both costly
and challenging. In this regard, we need to continue to dedicate internal resources, potentially engage outside consultants, and continue
undertaking steps to improve control processes as appropriate. Despite our efforts, there is a risk that we will not be able to conclude
that our internal control over financial reporting is effective as required by Section 404. If we identify one or more material weaknesses,
it could result in an adverse reaction in the financial markets due to a loss of confidence in the reliability of our financial statements.
As a result, the market price of our ordinary shares could be negatively affected, and we could become subject to investigations by the
SEC or other regulatory authorities, which could require additional financial and management resources.
Any failure to maintain effective disclosure controls and internal
control over financial reporting could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations and could cause a
decline in the price of our ordinary shares.
Our Articles of Association designate the federal
district courts of the United States as the sole and exclusive forum for certain types of actions and proceedings that may be initiated
by our shareholders.
Our Articles of Association provide that, unless we consent in
writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the U.S. federal district courts shall be the sole and exclusive forum for any claim
asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act. Section 22 of the Securities Act creates concurrent jurisdiction for federal
and state courts over all such Securities Act actions. Accordingly, both state and federal courts have jurisdiction to entertain such
claims. We note that investors cannot waive compliance with U.S. federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. This
choice of forum provision may limit a shareholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes
with us or our directors, officers or other employees and may increase the costs associated with such lawsuits, which may discourage such
lawsuits against us and our directors, officers and employees. Alternatively, if a court were to find these provisions of our amended
and restates Articles of Association inapplicable to, or unenforceable in respect of, one or more of the specified types of actions or
proceedings, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such matters in other jurisdictions, which could adversely affect
our business and financial condition. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in our share capital shall be
deemed to have notice of and to have consented to the choice of forum provisions of our Articles of Association described above. This
provision would not apply to suits brought to enforce a duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the
U.S. federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction.
Risks relating to Our Incorporation and Location in Israel
Conditions in Israel could materially and adversely
affect our business.
Many of our employees, including certain members of our executive
leadership team, operate from our offices that are located in Tel Aviv, Israel. In addition, a number of our officers and directors are
residents of Israel. Accordingly, political, economic, and military conditions in Israel and the surrounding region may directly affect
our business and operations. In recent years, Israel has been engaged in sporadic armed conflicts with Hamas, an Islamist terrorist group
that controls the Gaza Strip, with Hezbollah, an Islamist terrorist group that controls large portions of southern Lebanon, and with Iranian-backed
military forces in Syria. In addition, Iran has threatened to attack Israel. Some of these hostilities were accompanied by missiles being
fired from the Gaza Strip against civilian targets in various parts of Israel, including areas in which some employees and consultants
are located, and negatively affected business conditions in Israel. Any hostilities involving Israel or the interruption or curtailment
of trade between Israel and its trading partners could adversely affect our operations and results of operations.
Our commercial insurance does not cover losses that may occur
as a result of events associated with war and terrorism. Although the Israeli government currently covers the reinstatement value of direct
damages that are caused by terrorist attacks or acts of war, we cannot assure you that this government coverage will be maintained or
that it will sufficiently cover our potential damages. Any losses or damages incurred by us could have a material adverse effect on our
business. Any armed conflicts or political instability in the region would likely negatively affect business conditions and could harm
our results of operations.
Further the State of Israel and Israeli companies have been from
time to time subjected to economic boycotts. Several countries still restrict business with the State of Israel and with Israeli companies.
These restrictive laws and policies may have an adverse impact on our operating results, financial condition or the expansion of our business.
A campaign of boycotts, divestment and sanctions has been undertaken against Israel, which could also adversely impact our business.
In addition, many Israeli citizens are obligated to perform several
days, and in some cases more, of annual military reserve duty each year until they reach the age of 40 (or older, for reservists who are
military officers or who have certain occupations) and, in the event of a military conflict, may be called to active duty. In response
to increases in terrorist activity, there have been periods of significant call-ups of military reservists. It is possible that there
will be military reserve duty call-ups in the future. Our operations could be disrupted by such call-ups. Such disruption could materially
adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations.
Furthermore, the Israeli government is currently pursuing extensive
changes to Israel’s judicial system. In response to the foregoing developments, many individuals, organizations and institutions,
both within and outside of Israel, have voiced concerns that the proposed changes may negatively impact the business environment in Israel
including due to reluctance of foreign investors to invest or transact business in Israel as well as to increased currency fluctuations,
downgrades in credit rating, increased interest rates, increased volatility in security markets, and other changes in macroeconomic conditions.
To the extent that any of these negative developments do occur, they may have an adverse effect on our business, our results of operations
and our ability to raise additional funds, if deemed necessary by our management and board of directors.
It may be difficult to enforce a U.S. judgment
against us, and our officers and directors named in this Annual Report, in Israel or the United States, or to assert U.S. securities laws
claims in Israel or serve process on our officers and directors.
Not all of our directors or officers are residents of the United
States and most of their and our assets are located outside the United States. Service of process upon us or our non-U.S. resident directors
and officers and enforcement of judgments obtained in the United States against us or our non-U.S. our directors and executive officers
may be difficult to obtain within the United States. We have been informed by our legal counsel in Israel that it may be difficult to
assert claims under U.S. securities laws in original actions instituted in Israel or obtain a judgment based on the civil liability provisions
of U.S. federal securities laws. Israeli courts may refuse to hear a claim based on a violation of U.S. securities laws against us or
our non-U.S. officers and directors because Israel may not be the most appropriate forum to bring such a claim. In addition, even if an
Israeli court agrees to hear a claim, it may determine that Israeli law and not U.S. law is applicable to the claim. If U.S. law is found
to be applicable, the content of applicable U.S. law must be proved as a fact, which can be a time-consuming and costly process. Certain
matters of procedure will also be governed by Israeli law. There is little binding case law in Israel addressing the matters described
above. Under certain circumstances, Israeli courts might not enforce judgments rendered outside Israel, which may make it difficult to
collect on judgments rendered against us or our non-U.S. officers and directors.
Your rights and responsibilities as our shareholder
will be governed by Israeli law, which differ in some respects from the rights and responsibilities of shareholders of U.S. corporations.
We are incorporated under Israeli law. The rights and responsibilities
of holders of our ordinary shares are governed by our Articles of Association and the Companies Law. These rights and responsibilities
differ in some respects from the rights and responsibilities of shareholders in typical U.S. corporations. In particular, pursuant to
the Companies Law, each shareholder of an Israeli company has to act in good faith and in a customary manner in exercising his or her
rights and fulfilling his or her obligations toward the Company and other shareholders and to refrain from abusing his or her power in
the Company, including, among other things, in voting at the general meeting of shareholders on amendments to a company’s articles
of association, and with regard to increases in a company’s authorized share capital, mergers and certain transactions requiring
shareholders’ approval under the Companies Law. In addition, a controlling shareholder of an Israeli company or a shareholder who
knows that it possesses the power to determine the outcome of a shareholder vote or who has the power to appoint or prevent the appointment
of a director or officer in the company or has other powers toward the Company has a duty of fairness toward the Company. However, Israeli
law does not define the substance of this duty of fairness. There is little case law available to assist in understanding the implications
of these provisions that govern shareholder behavior.
We (or companies we have acquired) have received
Israeli government grants for certain research and development activities. The terms of these grants may require us to satisfy specified
conditions in order to develop and transfer technologies supported by such grants outside of Israel. In addition, in some circumstances,
we may be required to pay penalties in addition to repaying the grants.
A company we acquired in 2017 was previously financed, in part,
through grants from the IIA. As part of the acquisition transaction, we assumed all rights, restrictions and obligation towards the IIA
in respect of such grants. From its inception through 2017, that company conducted projects with the IIA’s support and received
grants totaling $0.3 million from the IIA, which have been fully repaid.
The Innovation Law requires, inter alia, that the products developed
as part of the programs under which the grants were given be manufactured in Israel and restricts the ability to transfer know-how funded
by IIA outside of Israel. Transfer of IIA-funded know-how outside of Israel requires prior approval and is subject to payment of a redemption
fee to the IIA calculated according to a formula provided under the Innovation Law. A transfer for the purpose of the Innovation Law is
generally interpreted very broadly and includes, inter alia, any actual sale of the IIA-funded know-how, any license to develop the IIA-funded
know-how or the products resulting from such IIA-funded know-how or any other transaction, which, in essence, constitutes a transfer of
IIA-funded know-how. We cannot be certain that any approval of the IIA will be obtained on terms that are acceptable to us, or at all.
We may not receive the required approvals should we wish to transfer IIA-funded know-how and/or development outside of Israel in the future.
Subject to prior approval of the IIA, we may transfer the IIA-funded
know-how to another Israeli company. If the IIA-funded know-how is transferred to another Israeli entity, the transfer would still require
IIA approval but will not be subject to the payment of the redemption fee. In such case, the acquiring company would have to assume all
of the applicable restrictions and obligations towards the IIA (including the restrictions on the transfer of know-how and manufacturing
capacity, to the extent applicable, outside of Israel) as a condition to IIA approval.
We may become subject to claims for remuneration
or royalties for assigned service invention rights by our employees, which could result in litigation and adversely affect our business.
A significant portion of our intellectual property has been developed
by our employees in the course of their employment for us. Under the Israeli Patent Law, 5727-1967 (the “Patent Law”), inventions
conceived by an employee in the course and as a result of or arising from his or her employment with a company are regarded as “service
inventions,” which belong to the employer, absent a specific agreement between the employee and employer giving the employee service
invention rights. The Patent Law also provides that if there is no such agreement between an employer and an employee, the Israeli Compensation
and Royalties Committee (the “Committee”), a body constituted under the Patent Law, shall determine whether the employee is
entitled to remuneration for his or her inventions. Case law clarifies that the right to receive consideration for “service inventions”
can be waived by the employee. The Committee will examine, on a case-by-case basis, the general contractual framework between the parties,
using interpretation rules of the general Israeli contract laws. Further, the Committee has not yet determined one specific formula for
calculating this remuneration, but rather uses the criteria specified in the Patent Law. Although we generally enter into assignment-of-invention
agreements with our employees pursuant to which such individuals waive their right to remuneration for service inventions, we may face
claims demanding remuneration in consideration for assigned inventions. As a consequence of such claims, we could be required to pay additional
remuneration or royalties to our current and/or former employees, or be forced to litigate such claims, which could negatively affect
our business.
Our Articles of Association provide that unless
we consent otherwise, the competent courts of Tel Aviv, Israel shall be the sole and exclusive forum for substantially all disputes between
us and our shareholders under the Companies Law and the Israeli Securities Law, which could limit our shareholders’ ability to bring
claims and proceedings against, as well as obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with, us and our directors, officers and other
employees.
Unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative
forum, the competent courts of Tel Aviv, Israel shall be the exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our
behalf, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors, officers or other employees to us
or our shareholders, or (iii) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the Companies Law or the Israeli Securities
Law. This exclusive forum provision is intended to apply to claims arising under Israeli Law and would not apply to claims brought pursuant
to the Securities Act or the Exchange Act or any other claim for which U.S. federal courts would have exclusive jurisdiction. Such exclusive
forum provision in our Articles of Association will not relieve us of our duties to comply with U.S. federal securities laws and the rules
and regulations thereunder, and shareholders will not be deemed to have waived our compliance with these laws, rules and regulations.
This exclusive forum provision may limit a shareholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum of its choosing for disputes
with us or our directors, officers or other employees, which may discourage lawsuits against us and our directors, officers and other
employees.
General Risk Factors
If we are unable to consummate acquisitions
at acceptable prices, and to enter into other strategic transactions and relationships that support our long-term strategy, our growth
rate and our business, financial condition and results of operations could be negatively affected. These transactions and relationships
also subject us to certain risks.
As part of our business strategy, we may acquire or make investments
in complementary companies, products or technologies, and enter into other strategic transactions and relationships in the ordinary course.
Our ability to grow our revenues, earnings and cash flow at or above our historic rates depends in part upon our ability to identify and
successfully acquire and integrate businesses at acceptable prices, realize anticipated synergies and make appropriate investments that
support our long-term strategy. We may not be able to consummate acquisitions at rates similar to the past, which could adversely impact
our growth rate and our business, financial condition and results of operations. Promising acquisitions, investments and other strategic
transactions are difficult to identify and complete for a number of reasons, including high valuations, competition among prospective
buyers, the availability of affordable funding in the capital markets and the need to satisfy applicable closing conditions and obtain
applicable antitrust and other regulatory approvals on acceptable terms. In addition, competition for acquisitions, investments and other
strategic transactions may result in higher purchase prices or other terms less economically favorable to us. Changes in accounting or
regulatory requirements or instability in the credit markets could also adversely impact our ability to consummate these transactions
on acceptable terms or at all.
In addition, even if we are able to consummate acquisitions and
enter into other strategic transactions and relationships, these transactions and relationships involve a number of financial, accounting,
managerial, operational, legal, compliance and other risks and challenges, including the following, any of which could negatively affect
our growth rate and the trading price of our ordinary shares, and may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition
and results of operations:
• |
Any business, technology, product or solution that we acquire or invest in could under-perform
relative to our expectations and the price that we paid or not perform in accordance with our anticipated timetable, or we could fail
to operate any such business or deploy any such technology, product or solution profitably.
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• |
We may incur or assume significant debt in connection with our acquisitions and other
strategic transactions and relationships, which could also cause a deterioration of our credit ratings, result in increased borrowing
costs and interest expense and diminish our future access to the capital markets.
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• |
Acquisitions and other strategic transactions and relationships could cause our financial
results to differ from our own or the investment community’s expectations in any given period, or over the long-term.
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• |
Pre-closing and post-closing earnings charges could adversely impact operating results
in any given period, and the impact may be substantially different from period to period.
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• |
Acquisitions and other strategic transactions and relationships could create demands
on our management, operational resources and financial and internal control systems that we are unable to effectively address.
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• |
We could experience difficulty in integrating personnel, operations and financial
and other controls and systems and retaining key employees and customers.
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• |
We may be unable to achieve cost savings or other synergies anticipated in connection
with an acquisition or other strategic transaction or relationship.
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• |
We may assume unknown liabilities, known contingent liabilities that become realized,
known liabilities that prove greater than anticipated, internal control deficiencies or exposure to regulatory sanctions resulting from
the acquired company’s or investee’s activities and the realization of any of these liabilities or deficiencies may increase
our expenses, adversely affect our financial position and/or cause us to fail to meet our public financial reporting obligations.
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• |
In connection with acquisitions and other strategic transactions and relationships,
we often enter into post-closing financial arrangements such as purchase price adjustments, earn-out obligations and indemnification obligations,
which may have unpredictable financial results.
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• |
As a result of our acquisitions, we have recorded significant goodwill and other assets
on our balance sheet and if we are not able to realize the value of these assets, or if the fair value of our investments declines, we
may be required to incur impairment charges.
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• |
We may have interests that diverge from those of our strategic partners and we may
not be able to direct the management and operations of the strategic relationship in the manner we believe is most appropriate, exposing
us to additional risk. |
Investing in or making loans to early-stage companies often entails
a high degree of risk, and we may not achieve the strategic, technological, financial or commercial benefits we anticipate; we may lose
our investment or fail to recoup our loan; or our investment may be illiquid for a greater-than-expected period of time.
The estimates of market opportunity and forecasts
of market growth included in this Annual Report may prove to be inaccurate, and even if the markets in which we compete achieve the forecasted
growth, our business could fail to grow at similar rates, or at all.
The estimates of market opportunity and forecasts of market growth
included in this Annual Report may prove to be inaccurate. Market opportunity estimates and growth forecasts are subject to significant
uncertainty and are based on assumptions and estimates that may not prove to be accurate, including as a result of any of the risks described
in this Annual Report.
The variables that go into the calculation of our market opportunity
are subject to change over time, and there is no guarantee that any particular number or percentage of addressable users or companies
covered by our market opportunity estimates will purchase our products at all or generate any particular level of revenue for us. In addition,
our ability to expand in any of our target markets depends on a number of factors, including the widespread awareness among key organizational
decision makers of, and the cost, performance, and perceived value associated with, our platform and products and those of our competitors.
Even if the markets in which we compete meet the size estimates and growth forecasted in this Annual Report, our business could fail to
grow at similar rates, or at all. Our growth is subject to many factors, including our success in implementing our business strategy,
which is subject to many risks and uncertainties. Accordingly, the forecasts of market growth included in this Annual Report should not
be taken as indicative of our future growth.
If our estimates or judgments relating to our
critical accounting policies are based on assumptions that change or prove to be incorrect, our results of operations could fall below
the expectations of securities analysts and investors, resulting in a decline in the trading price of our ordinary shares.
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP
requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in our consolidated financial statements and accompanying
notes. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances,
as discussed in the section titled “Operating and Financial Review and Prospects’” included elsewhere in this Annual
Report, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets, liabilities, equity, revenue, and
expenses that are not readily apparent from other sources. Our results of operations may be adversely affected if our assumptions change
or if actual circumstances differ from those in our assumptions, which could cause our results of operations to fall below our publicly
announced guidance or the expectations of securities analysts and investors, resulting in a decline in the market price of our ordinary
shares.
Increased attention to, and evolving expectations
for, environmental, social, and governance (“ESG”) initiatives could increase our costs, harm our reputation, or otherwise
adversely impact our business.
Companies across industries
are facing increasing scrutiny from a variety of stakeholders related to their ESG and sustainability practices. Expectations regarding
voluntary ESG initiatives and disclosures and consumer demand for alternative forms of energy may result in increased costs (including
but not limited to increased costs related to compliance, stakeholder engagement, contracting and insurance), changes in demand for certain
products, enhanced compliance or disclosure obligations, or other adverse impacts to our business, financial condition, or results of
operations.
While we may at times
engage in voluntary initiatives (such as voluntary disclosures, certifications, or goals, among others) or commitments to improve the
ESG profile of our company and/or products, such initiatives or achievements of such commitments may be costly and may not have the desired
effect. For example, expectations around a company's management of ESG matters continues to evolve rapidly, in many instances due to factors
that are out of our control. In addition, we may commit to certain initiatives or goals but not ultimately achieve such commitments or
goals due to factors that are both within or outside of our control. Moreover, actions or statements that we may take based on expectations,
assumptions, or third-party information that we currently believe to be reasonable may subsequently be determined to be erroneous or be
subject to misinterpretation. Even if this is not the case, our current actions may subsequently be determined to be insufficient by various
stakeholders, and we may be subject to investor or regulator engagement on our ESG initiatives and disclosures, even if such initiatives
are currently voluntary.
Certain market participants,
including major institutional investors and capital providers, use third-party benchmarks and scores to assess companies’ ESG profiles
in making investment or voting decisions. Unfavorable ESG ratings could lead to increased negative investor sentiment towards us or our
industry, which could negatively impact our share price as well as our access to and cost of capital. Increasing ESG-related regulation,
such as the SEC’s climate disclosure proposal, may also result in increased compliance costs or scrutiny. To the extent ESG matters
negatively impact our reputation, it may also impede our ability to compete as effectively to attract and retain employees or customers,
which may adversely impact our operations.
Our insurance may not provide adequate levels
of coverage against claims.
We believe that we maintain insurance customary for businesses
of our size and type. However, there are types of losses we may incur that cannot be insured against or that we believe are not economically
reasonable to insure. Moreover, any loss incurred could exceed policy limits and policy payments made to us may not be made on a timely
basis.
Item 4. Information on the Company
A. |
History and Development of the Company |
WalkMe Ltd. was founded in October 2011 under the name Make Tutorial
Ltd. and changed its legal name to WalkMe Ltd. in March of 2012. Our commercial name is WalkMe. In June 2021, we listed our shares on
the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “WKME.” We are a company limited by shares organized under and subject to
the laws of the State of Israel. We are registered with the Israeli Registrar of Companies. Our registration number is 51-4682269. Our
principal executive offices are located at 1 Walter Moses St., Tel Aviv, 6789903, Israel.
Our website address is www.walkme.com, and our telephone number
is +972-3-763-0333. We use our website as a means of disclosing material non-public information. Such disclosures will be included on
our website in the “Investor Relations” sections. Accordingly, investors should monitor such sections of our website, in addition
to following our press releases, SEC filings and public conference calls and webcasts. Information contained on, or that can be accessed
through, our website does not constitute a part of this Annual Report and is not incorporated by reference herein. We have included our
website address in this Annual Report solely for informational purposes. Our SEC filings are available to you on the SEC’s website
at http://www.sec.gov. This site contains reports and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC. The information
on that website is not part of this Annual Report and is not incorporated by reference herein.
Our agent for service of process in the United States is WalkMe,
Inc., which maintains its principal offices at 71 Stevenson Street, Floor 20, San Francisco, CA 94105. Its telephone number is 855-492-5563.
For a description of our principal capital expenditures and divestitures,
see Item 5. “Operating and Financial Review and Prospects-Liquidity and Capital Resources” and Note 2 to our audited consolidated
financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report.
Overview
WalkMe is a platform which enables organizations to better realize
the value of their software investments. Using our cloud-based Digital Adoption Platform, software users, whether they are employees or
customers of organizations, can navigate websites, SaaS applications, or mobile apps through a digital, GPS-like experience to accomplish
any task from simple, online transactions, to complex cross-application software processes, to fully autonomous experiences that require
no manual clicks or entries.
Using our unique, low/no code software implementation process,
our Digital Adoption Platform overlays upon any application and enables a data first approach to understand the gaps between user interactions
and behavior with technology and an organization’s business goals. With actionable insights, we then enable organizations to create
and deliver elegant experiences that lead users to success, ensuring digital adoption and ultimately fulfilling the promise of digital
transformation. We enable businesses to drive workflow adoption by connecting usage data with action for the end user driving a better
experience and better business outcomes.
With a digital adoption strategy powered by WalkMe, employees
and customers of organizations can benefit from an intuitive and unified technology experiences. Chief information officers (“CIO”)
and business leaders gain visibility and insights across the organization’s enterprise technology stack. This allows organizations
to become more results driven, agile and innovative, to better compete in today’s ever-changing business environment, to accelerate
their digital strategies and to ultimately achieve their objectives.
The digital revolution has fundamentally shifted the core competencies
required of successful companies. Worldwide IT spending is projected to total $4.6 trillion in 2023, an increase of 5.1% from 2022, according
to the latest forecast by Gartner, Inc. From remote-first workforces leveraging virtual collaboration for seamless communications to new
digitally-enabled business models, technology is impacting every part of people’s lives. Meanwhile, as daily usage of technology
has increased over time, expectations for digital interactions have evolved, resulting in the consumerization of software and increased
demand for frictionless user experiences. To compete in an increasingly digital world, organizations continue to acquire new technologies,
investing billions of dollars a year in software applications that promise specific business outcomes to elevate and exceed their key
business metrics. These software applications, increasingly delivered over the cloud, cover every business process and department within
an organization. According to Gartner, enterprise software spend is expected to increase from $506 billion in 2021 to $715 billion by
2024, as enterprises invest in software to transform their businesses.
Fully realized, these investments promise increased employee
productivity, better customer experiences and improved business insights for CIOs and business leaders. In practice, however, the more
software organizations acquire, the more complex their enterprise technology stack is to manage, use and maintain. CIOs and business leaders
lack visibility into what or how software is being utilized, which processes can be optimized and whether their technology investments
are delivering the expected business value. Similarly, users-both employees and customers-struggle to navigate a growing number of applications
with different interfaces to complete business processes. Users must continuously relearn new technology functions that may have vastly
different and evolving capabilities while evolving business processes place new demands on the business.
As a result, despite massive investments in technology, the majority
of organizations fail to successfully capitalize on their digital transformation initiatives, accomplish their strategic objectives and
deliver business value at scale. According to Boston Consulting Group, 70% of digital transformations fall short of their objectives.
We believe the principal reason for such failures is the inability of users to overcome deeply rooted behaviors and this resistance to
change leads to users never fully adopting the underlying software and processes.
We believe the key to digital adoption is understanding points
of failure and bottlenecks through data-based insights, then continually acting on and improving processes to achieve digital transformation
more rapidly and strategically. According to a recent Harvard Business Review Analytic Services study of over 500 corporate executives
that we sponsored, 80% of respondents stated that, in order to increase the chances of digital transformation success, it is important
or very important for senior management to have a clear and complete overview of their organization’s digital adoption progress
via analytics. Moreover, 81% of those surveyed agreed or strongly agreed that the ability to rapidly adopt new technologies and embed
them in their employees’ everyday work is a competitive differentiator in their industry.
With digital transformation success, we believe CIOs and business leaders:
• |
gain visibility into the usage of the software applications stack to better understand
resource allocation;
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• |
create streamlined digital experiences that meet business goals for the organization;
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• |
have the ability to measure return on investment in technology spend; and
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• |
track software usage to gain insight into tangible business impact created by manager-led
departments. |
In addition, digital transformation success provides employees and customers with:
• |
intuitive and improving user experiences with technology;
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• |
simplified learning curves for gaining proficiency on a new application, increasing
efficiency and solving the problem of under-utilization of software;
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• |
reduced breadth and variety of applications that they are required to engage with
and continuously learn; and
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• |
more frequent engagement with the business process, not just the software, which leads
to increased retention. |
From new digital transformation programs to optimizing value
out of existing technologies, we help organizations tie software adoption to their strategic goals across every level, from CIOs and business
leaders, to employees and customers. As of December 31, 2022, through our Digital Adoption Platform, we had approximately 1,800 customers
in 39 countries, including 403 of the Global 2000.
Our success in helping customers achieve their digital transformation
strategies has allowed us to achieve significant growth. For the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2022, our revenue was $193.3 million
and $245.0 million, respectively, representing year-over-year growth of 27%. For the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2022, our net loss
was $80.3 million and $108.3 million, respectively, our operating cash flow was ($34.2) million and ($46.8) million, respectively, and
our free cash flow was ($40.8) million and ($53.9) million, respectively.
Key Trends Driving the Need for a Digital Adoption Platform
Digital transformation
is a priority for enterprise organizations. According to Gartner, enterprise software spend is expected to increase from $506 billion
in 2021 to $715 billion by 2024, as enterprises invest in technology to increase productivity, better compete and grow their businesses.
Moreover, global enterprise spend on digital transformation is projected to reach nearly $2.4 trillion within the next four years, representing
over 57% of all business spending on technology, according to IDC. According to research by Accenture, digital leaders, defined as the
top 10% of companies leading technology innovation, achieve two to three times greater revenue growth as compared to their competitors-a
widening divide that Accenture calls the “Digital Achievement Gap.” As enterprises attempt to drive successful digital transformation,
budget allocations to software continue to increase. According to IDC, global enterprise spend on software as a percentage of total global
IT spend has grown from 22% in 2016 to 26% in 2020, and is projected to grow to 30% by 2024. Moreover, according to Gartner, by 2025,
70% of organizations will use digital adoption platforms across the entire technology stack to overcome still insufficient application
user experiences.
The COVID-19 pandemic further accelerated this trend, as public
health measures forced enterprises to accelerate their cloud-migration initiatives, enable virtual work collaboration at scale and transform
operations to deliver contactless, digitally-enabled experiences for their employees and customers. According to a KPMG survey, 79% of
CEOs say that their companies are accelerating the creation of a seamless digital consumer experience as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic
and 63% have increased their digital transformation budget. As technology innovation accelerates in an increasingly online world, companies
must become digital or risk being rendered obsolete.
Digital transformation
is dependent on people adopting new software applications. According to OKTA's 'Business at Work 2022' report, larger companies
deploy more applications finding that companies with 2,000 employees or more deploy an average of 187 applications. Despite this
growth, enterprises are not experiencing the promised returns on their digital transformation investments largely, we believe, because
their employees are overwhelmed by the increasing number of software applications they are being asked to learn and utilize, and their
customers are confused by new digital interactions that are constantly evolving as applications are updated. Additionally, business processes
are constantly evolving to support changing business needs resulting in more confusion and the need to relearn processes and applications.
Enterprises require assistance bridging this gap between their digital transformation aspirations and the technical acumen of their internal
and external users.
Failure to
adopt applications has significant costs for organizations. According to Insight Enterprises, over 20% of licensing spend is on
software that is not utilized, which represents $3.0 million a year in wasted investment for most organizations. For employees, underutilization
results in additional time required to complete tasks, ultimately leading to lost customers and revenue. For managers, underutilization
results in wasted IT spend and resources and reduced employee productivity. As a result, CIOs face difficulty steering their organizations
to desired goals. These factors often result in organizations achieving only a small portion of their digital transformation goals while
incurring large monetary and operational costs.
Users need
a frictionless software application experience. As new advanced digital user interfaces such as wearables, smartphones and AI-powered
voice assistants become more prevalent, enterprise applications appear dated and cumbersome by comparison. This disparity in interfaces
affects engagement and heightens expectations for software provided by organizations to their users. Moreover, employees expect frictionless
technology experiences, which is in turn critical for employee retention. In the virtual work environment, frictionless onboarding and
streamlined workflows have become essential to maintaining an efficient and productive workforce. Meanwhile, customers experience pain
points along their digital journeys, such as difficult to navigate websites, which can lead to lost sales. Enterprises must increasingly
prioritize frictionless digital experiences for their employees and customers.
In a digital world, delivering experiences that employees value
and customers love is key to capturing the benefit of digital transformations and the underlying applications.
Business processes
span multiple applications across organizational silos. Employees depend on a vast array of enterprise software applications that
often span different departments to perform their job functions. A sales employee may utilize different applications for external purposes
such as CRM, quoting and project management, while simultaneously dealing with internal HR, payroll, expense and other back-office tools.
According to a recent report by Harvard Business Review Analytic Services, employees find cross-application workflows are on average 42%
more difficult to use than single application processes. When multiple workflows exist without sufficient guidance, more potential points
of failure arise, as employees can no longer be experts in each application across the organization. A unified and guided user experience
becomes critical as the number of applications grows. Finally, for department-level managers and CIOs overseeing entire organizations,
multiple applications and workflows without centralization or ML-based analytics do not provide the visibility required for insightful
decision-making.
The role of
the CIO is evolving from traditional to transformational. The CIO has increasingly become a key influencer in most parts of an
organization, including customer experience, operations, innovation and overall leadership of the organization. To succeed, CIOs must
present themselves in the core business strategy of the organization. They accordingly require the right technology to lead the organization
to digital transformation success, by ensuring a robust, resilient and agile infrastructure. This requires access to the right data and
visibility into their digital portfolio and the ability to create seamless user experiences for users across the organization and across
any platform.
WalkMe’s Digital Adoption Platform
Our Digital Adoption Platform enables organizations to leverage
data across business applications and workflows and take action to increase user adoption by simplifying user experiences. Our unified,
strategic platform drives value through the following building blocks:
To deliver on the right experience and
improve adoption, WalkMe uncovers data from behind-the-scenes - by identifying the entire tech stack through user journey analytics. WalkMe’s
data portfolio, Digital Transformation Intelligence, provides CIOs and business leaders with visibility across the software stack,
actionable insights and data needed to measure, drive and act to maximize the impact of their digital transformation strategies.
WalkMe enables organizations to leverage
technology usage data to design and deploy user experiences that increase adoption and engagement across workflows and applications in
the form of UI elements, in-app, or desktop-based hubs. Pre-built and configurable solution templates enable customers to get started
quickly using industry best practices.
User experience is the foundation
of WalkMe. WalkMe creates a transparent layer for the end-user across any software to ensure immediate and intuitive access to any application,
workflow, or resource. WalkMe can be used across web, mobile, and desktop.
Data- Driven Action Through User-Centric Technology
Applicable Anywhere
Our technology is designed to leverage the UI as the primary
integration point to deliver our products. Unlike Application Programming Interfaces (“APIs”) which are not consistently available
across applications and require developer resources to implement, our UI-focused approach allows us to deploy our Digital Adoption Platform
across any application and deliver contextually aware, fully dynamic workflow guidance, automation and analytics.
Our Digital Adoption Platform drives the success of digital transformation
initiatives by empowering CIOs and business leaders with critical business insights to enhance business process and increase software
adoption by taking data-driven action to improve the user experiences for employees and customers:
•
|
For CIOs and Business Leaders, our platform
provides unified visibility, data and actionable insights across the organization’s software stack, to improve key business processes
and drive employees and customers to action. Our data-driven insights offer strategic perspective and provide a competitive advantage
to CIOs.
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• |
A leading food and beverage company uses our
Digital Adoption Platform to gain visibility into user behavior across applications and focus resources to target employees at the point
in their journey that they need help. By automating common workflow processes and providing targeted support for others, they are realizing
improved task completion rates of nearly two times prior levels, in some cases. Importantly, user satisfaction has increased and productivity
gains have given employees more time to focus on higher value initiatives.
|
• |
For Employees, our platform provides a contextual
and unified experience that can be seamlessly delivered across any application (third party, proprietary, mobile or desktop) to provide
personalized process workflow guidance and automation.
|
• |
A global pharmacy store chain utilized our
technology to drive digital adoption across multiple apps that are relied upon by more than 220,000 employees globally, resulting in an
average reduction of 50% in support tickets. During the pandemic, a key driver of WalkMe’s success was its role in standing up new
technology with as little friction as possible.
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• |
A leading biotechnology company uses WalkMe
across over 45 applications in over 11 languages to empower its workforce to be successful while continuing to deliver on its promises
to employees and customers. WalkMe is used as a strategy for adoption of existing apps as well as a method of deploying new pieces of
software. With WalkMe, they rolled out an enterprise wide HCM to 90,000+ employees with no formal training methods and user satisfaction
ranking at 98% in some cases.
|
• |
For Customers, our platform can be deployed
on any customer facing website or application to power self-service onboarding, feature engagement, support and more.
|
• |
One of the world’s largest technology and consulting
companies uses WalkMe to support onboarding, mitigate support tickets, and increase success of their customers on over 20 B2B offerings.
They’ve seen 6x increase in product adoption, 4x higher conversion rate, 80% revenue growth of digital offerings, and a 300% improvement
in product usage consumption, and user retention. |
Key Benefits of Our Digital Adoption Platform
By overcoming the digital transformation challenge, organizations
are better able to leverage technology to drive key business metrics that focus on mitigating risk for the business, driving efficiency
and revenues. Our Digital Adoption Platform:
• |
Provides Insights to Help CIOs and Business Leaders
Drive Business Outcomes Horizontally Across the Organization. CIOs and business leaders use our Insights capabilities, UI Intelligence
technology and integration- center to gain visibility into the enterprise technology stack, including software usage and user experiences
across business processes. This analytics suite delivers metrics horizontally across departmental managers, which include tactical information
such as how employees and customers engage with applications (e.g., number of active users and application and feature utilization) as
well as higher level, strategic information targeted to CIOs (e.g., enterprise wide technology utilization and process adoption). Our
analytics can be leveraged to manage, measure and prioritize digital projects, change user behaviors, and increase digital adoption, which
drives business outcomes that align with the strategic goals of the entire organization.
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• |
Delivers Immediate Value. Our technology provides
CIOs and business leaders with immediate visibility into the software stack and business processes, consolidates applications for users
to navigate and provides detailed guidance on how to use them effectively. From an employee and customer perspective, time to mastery
of new technologies and processes is greatly reduced. In addition, managers do not have to rely on IT resources to facilitate deployment
and integration with legacy systems, shortening the wait for useful insights and allowing for quick decisions. Such dynamics enable enterprises
to cultivate agile and productive workforces that can rapidly adapt to changing organizational needs. By using our platform, enterprises
organically understand the data-based insights and derived solutions to their issues, saving additional learning curve costs and achieving
faster and increased ROI on their software spend.
|
• |
Optimizes Software Usage and Technology Spend.
We enable enterprises to make greater use of software more efficiently. For example, many enterprises utilize their CRM tools solely as
a contact database. With our Digital Adoption Platform, organizations can create easy to use business process workflows that facilitate
and encourage employees to use the CRM tools as an interactive sales pipeline and forecasting system that provides comprehensive revenue
generation benefits. Through our Digital Adoption Platform, organizations are able to capture this additional value from new user behavior
formed around the optimal product adoption, by leveraging pre-built best practice templates and solution. |
These improved usage behaviors also lead to increased return on technology investment
for CIOs. According to an October 2020 Forrester Consulting study, The Total Economic Impact™ of
WalkMe Digital Adoption Platform, a study WalkMe commissioned (“TEI Study”), our Digital Adoption Platform was estimated
to deliver net present value savings of $9.8 million from increased application usage and process efficiency over a three-year period
for a modeled composite of representative customers. The TEI study also found that WalkMe can deliver up to a 368% return on investment
over three years for customers implementing our Digital Adoption Platform, with a payback period of less than three months. The study
further found that WalkMe enabled organizations can realize future license savings of about 20% savings in the third year of implementing
our Digital Adoption Platform. Additionally, the study indicated that the value of the benefits customers derive from WalkMe can grow
approximately 126% over three years as organizations implement more use cases.
• |
Increases Employee Productivity and Reduces Support
Costs. By engaging employees across software applications, employees are able to use more easily the software applications that
the enterprise has deployed. This leads to improved productivity, increased data accuracy, reduced support costs and increased employee
engagement. Based on the TEI Study, employees observe a 60% reduction in training time on applications and savings of 50% from reduced
IT support calls and Help Desk tickets. With WalkMe, employees are able to realize the full capabilities of different applications without
friction, driving better performance in their jobs and improving business outcomes for the organization.
|
• |
Improves Customer Engagement. Our Digital Adoption
Platform improves customer engagement and retention by simplifying the end user experience. According to the TEI Study, our Digital Adoption
Platform resulted in an approximate increase of 35% in customer retention and 10% growth in upsell opportunities from existing customers
over three years. |
Our Competitive Strengths
Category-defining
platform powering digital transformation. We pioneered the digital adoption category. We believe that our position as the market
leader and our strong brand awareness increases our opportunities to win new customers and to expand our offerings within our existing
customers. As of December 31, 2022, our customers included 403 of the Global 2000. We believe the adoption of WalkMe by the largest global
enterprises is evidence that our platform has the enterprise-grade functionality, scalability, reliability and security required by the
world’s most demanding organizations.
Broad, rich
dataset and AI/ML capabilities provide valuable insights and continuous optimization. The breadth of applications where our software
is deployed has enabled us to build a massive dataset, capturing on average billions of data events per day. We leverage this dataset
to power our machine learning algorithms, which proactively identify where users struggle, what users’ intent was in completing
an action within an application or workflow, and where opportunities exist for automation of repetitive workflows. The depth of our experience
has provided us with deep insights on best practices and industry benchmarking, as well as key performance indicators, all of which we
are able to share with our customers. As a result, WalkMe acts as both a platform for discovering and implementing digital transformation
initiatives, and enabling customers to rapidly adjust business processes and test impact, driving a cycle of continuous optimization.
Proprietary
AI technology that recognizes user interfaces. Our technology operates as a layer upon any user interface and leverages artificial
intelligence to analyze and identify the underlying elements of the UI. By deploying this patented UI intelligence technology across thousands
of software instances, we have developed deep insights into how users interact with software and a powerful understanding of the consistent
elements present across many different user interfaces. This core technology ensures that if an application or user interface is updated,
the existing collection of our instructional guides and automated workflow processes are automatically updated to support the new version
of the underlying application with limited or no input from our customer. For example, if an update to an underlying application changes
the location of a field linked to a Walk- Thru, WalkMe will automatically recognize the new location and the workflow for the user will
not be disrupted. Similarly, as users customize their UI to their own preferences, the WalkMe automations and guidance layers will adapt
to the user by recognizing the relevant underlying elements. This technology enables our customers to scale and advance their digital
transformation strategies by significantly reducing maintenance requirements and costs borne from constant changes to the underlying software,
continuous process modification and optimization, and the flexibility desired by and unique needs of each user.
Growing ecosystem
that positions WalkMe at the center of the digital transformation industry. We are investing to continue to grow our brand awareness
and build out the WalkMe Beyond brand, an ecosystem of professionals, partners, and collaborators with powerful network effects. We have
established WalkMe Beyond as a core strategy that brings together the various industry activities that are shaping our ecosystem, including
our research arm, professionals certified by us on our platform, our partners, the Digital Adoption Institute, our customer community
portal, Integration center, developer hub and a soon-to-launch services exchange marketplace.
Infrastructure
agnostic and extensible technology. Our Digital Adoption Platform can be deployed across any type of application including SaaS
cloud applications, on-premise software on servers, on desktops or on mobile devices and across all operating systems. Because our platform
works across all of these systems, our customers are able to automate digital processes across their internally built, third-party application
environments from a single platform. Our platform is easy to access and operate from anywhere, which is important for increasingly distributed
and remote workforces.
Our Growth Strategy
We intend to capitalize on our large market opportunity, first
mover advantage and category-defining technology platform by executing the following key elements of our growth strategy:
Innovate
and advance our platform. Our investments in research and development to build our technology have been a core differentiator for
us. We released WalkMe for mobile applications in 2017, our Insights engine in 2018, and introduced ActionBot in 2019 and our patented
UI Intelligence technology in 2019. We intend to continue to invest in technology innovation to enhance our platform, including machine-learning,
hyper-automation and process mining/discovery technologies. For example, our DeepUI technology, which automatically understands user interfaces
and user journeys, together with our broad, deep dataset, is uniquely positioned to integrate with generative AI content capabilities
and natural language models to dramatically impact the model for how employees interface with technology at work.
Acquire new
customers. We have achieved significant and broad-based customer adoption, including 403 of the Global 2000. We believe that we
have a substantial opportunity to continue to grow our customer base. We intend to accelerate new customer acquisition across the markets
that we serve as well as enter into new market segments by scaling our sales and marketing capabilities and channel relationships. As
part of this strategy, we intend to increase our capacity, including investing in FedRamp certification for our platform and targeted
sales and marketing resources, to increase our U.S. federal government customers.
Increase
usage and spend from our existing customers. Our customers often initially adopt WalkMe for a specific use case within a single
department. After their initial adoption, our customers frequently expand to new users and use cases across additional applications within
a department and ultimately to applications across the entire enterprise. We believe that our ease of use, depth, breadth of our platform,
and, according to the TEI Study, a pay-back period of less than 3 months, will enable us to increase adoption by our existing customers.
Expand internationally.
We believe there is a global need for our Digital Adoption Platform. For the year ended December 31, 2022, we had approximately
29% of our revenue came from customers outside of the United States. We have made significant investments in expanding our presence in
Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia, and we believe there is a compelling opportunity to expand our offerings internationally in
those markets with minimal additional investment to our technology and infrastructure.
Expand our
ecosystem and go-to-market partnerships. We intend to continue investing in our ecosystem and partner relationships to extend the
functionality of our platform, support new use cases and add new go-to-market channels. We now count Deloitte U.S., Canada, Australia,
and Japan, Accenture, HCL, and SAP Concur, among others, as partners. We have built a flexible technology platform with open APIs
which third-party developers can use to develop and sell new applications and solutions through our WalkMe Marketplace, which will increase
our value to our customers and further embed WalkMe as a strategic platform within the enterprise. We intend to continue to invest in
building our partner relationships including our relationships with system integrators to increase our delivery capacity, add new go-to-market
channels and increase our sales pipeline. We intend to continue to grow our WalkMe Beyond ecosystem, digital adoption platform (“DAP”)
professional as a Profession and our WalkMe Marketplace for independent professionals to offer services supporting WalkMe.
Our Technology
Our technology is designed to autonomously understand user behavior
across digital journeys by leveraging the application UI as the primary integration point to deliver our products. Our UI-focused approach
enables seamless integration and allows us to deploy our products across any application-including custom built software-to deliver contextually
aware, fully dynamic workflow guidance, as well as automation and analytics based on the user needs. Our Digital Adoption Platform does
not require any coding or changes to the underlying application to implement the seamless deployment of WalkMe across the applications
used by our customers.
At the core of our UI-focused approach is DeepUI, our proprietary
UI Intelligence technology. DeepUI leverages patented AI and machine learning algorithms to analyze any software application or website
UI in relation to the user’s process flow context, navigation intent and permissions, among many other factors.
By understanding how users interact with the underlying elements
of any application’s UI at a granular level, our Digital Adoption Platform is able to automatically adapt as applications are continuously
updated. For example, just as a person would know how to recognize a login page because they have seen similar pages countless times before,
our DeepUI technology recognizes the underlying elements of an application’s UI and automatically adapts to enable users to successfully
navigate through any application process flow, regardless of changes to the underlying UI. In addition, our DeepUI technology drives reductions
in operational and maintenance costs by removing the need to support manual updates triggered by version changes to the underlying application.
We do this by periodically scanning the applications upon which our software is deployed and collecting user behavior metadata. We do
this seamlessly, with no impact on the user.
Our Core Principles in Building Our Technology
No prerequisites and frictionless deployment on any digital asset
Our technology is platform agnostic and supports any digital
asset that is used by our customers, including all modern web browsers (desktop and mobile), mobile native applications (iOS and Android),
and desktop operating systems (Windows and macOS).
Simple and flexible deployment across any enterprise environment
Our platform is easy to deploy across any enterprise, including
complex IT environments and custom-built software. We support delivery through a browser extension, code snippet, mobile SDK, desktop
agent, or through 3rd party apps.
No-code simplicity, enterprise grade functionality
We designed our platform so that any individual can build complex
implementations without the need for coding by leveraging our UI intelligence technology and our robust and easy-to-use editor. Like recording
a macro in Office, our editor enables the building of Walkthroughs by recording the steps a user takes. This makes building content simple,
fast and easy to maintain, while also supporting enterprise requirements such as collaboration by multiple users building on the same
account, testing environments or versioning.
Data-driven approach
Our platform is built on a big-data pipeline that collects and
processes on average billions of events every day, providing CIOs and business leaders visibility into the software stack and an understanding
into digital experiences across applications. In order to monitor business goals, customers are able to leverage data, identify areas
of improvement, apply digital adoption capabilities, define success and act upon it.
Deliver extensible, agile and integration-ready platforms
Our platform achieves extensibility and agility by designing
core services such as content management and user behavior analysis to be broadly applicable to any application. This reduces the complexity
and the required effort needed to adopt new applications that are built to serve additional use cases. Furthermore, our platform is designed
to be easily integrated with software utilized by our customers by exposing an API and set of tools for incoming and outgoing data integrations,
in both batch mode as well as online.
Cloud-native architecture for performance, reliability and availability
Our software is built on a microservices-based architecture,
leveraging public cloud infrastructure from Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud Platform. Our architecture is designed to be highly scalable
and reliable, as it runs on top of business critical systems.
Security and privacy by design
WalkMe is ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type II certified. In addition,
we have developed features that provide our customers with security controls over their use of WalkMe that helps achieve their compliance
with regulatory requirements. Additionally, our UI-focused integration approach supports improved security by aligning our Digital Adoption
Platform with the user role-based policies already integrated within the application.
Our Platform
Our extended functional capabilities, designed to solve key business
challenges, include:
Data
WalkMe’s data provides technology buyers including CIOs
and business leaders with visibility across the software stack and the insights needed to measure usage, drive process adoption and act
to ultimately maximize the impact of their digital transformation strategy.
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Enterprise analytics. WalkMe instantly provides organizations with unified observability and
visibility on top of their current mesh of systems and workflows. |
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Workflow analytics. WalkMe provides visibility into user experiences across applications,
pinpoint where users struggle, and continuously optimize experiences to keep up with change. |
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AI-Based data entry diagnostics. WalkMe’s UI Intelligence surfaces AI-based insights
to help improve data integrity and efficient process completion. |
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KPI management. WalkMe customers can prove adoption and digital transformation success by
tracking and automatically reporting on KPIs defined by project leaders. |
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Integration Center. Our Integration Center technology supports both incoming and outgoing
integrations to strengthen data analysis on the one hand and create segmented and personalized user experiences on the other. Our customers
integrate their most business-critical applications to and from WalkMe for better decision making and more impactful user experiences.
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Action
With WalkMe, organizations can leverage data to design and deploy
user experiences that increase adoption and engagement across workflows and applications.
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Build. With WalkMe’s no-code editor, organizations have the agility to take data-driven
action to fix what is broken across workflows and applications. |
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Design and automate. WalkMe users are able to design automated, data-driven experiences including
conversational interfaces, tooltips, on screen guidance or other changes to the UI - without having to rely on developers or release cycles.
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Leverage best practices and solution templates. We have built business process-specific solution
templates based on thousands of implementations gathered by WalkMe across the most commonly used applications. These solution templates
drive best practices, reduce customer maintenance efforts and costs and enable faster implementation and time-to-value for the most common
user workflows. |
Experience
User experience is what drives WalkMe. With WalkMe, our customers
can design contextual and personalized experiences that engage and drive user adoption of their digital assets on mobile, web and desktop.
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Simplify. WalkMe creates a transparent layer for the end-user across any software to ensure
immediate and intuitive access to any application, workflow, or resource - without touching the underlying software or website.
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Personalize. WalkMe enables organizations to drive users to success with personalized
experiences across any workflow or device, through guidance, hyper-automation, in-app engagement and help. |
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Omni-channel experiences. WalkMe enables organizations to connect employees through
a single interface to applications and user workflows within an enterprise and simplify task completion and access to knowledge through
enterprise search, communication tools, and a natural-language chat interface. |
Customers
We serve a diverse set of customers across all major industries,
including some of the world’s largest and most sophisticated enterprises. As of December 31, 2022, we had approximately 1,800 customers
including 403 of the Global 2000, as well as 514 customers with ARR greater than $100,000 and 39 customers with ARR greater than $1,000,000.
Below is a representative list of customers categorized by industry vertical. No single customer accounted for more than 2.6% and 3.1%
of our ARR in the year ended December 31, 2021 and 2022, respectively, which does not take into account certain mergers or acquisitions
that occurred during those years.
Consumer & Retail |
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Technology |
|
Financial Services |
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Energy, Industrial, & Transportation
|
Circle K
L’Oreal
Nestle
Southern Glazers
Ulta
Overstock
Walgreens Boots Alliance
Gojo |
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LinkedIn
Sprinklr
HP
Adobe
WL Gore
Okta |
|
Bank of the West
Citigroup
E*trade
Goldman Sachs
IGM Financial Services
Nasdaq
Paychex
Sun Life Financial
Zurich Insurance Group
Standard Chartered
Paypal |
|
American Airlines
BMW
Chevron
Schneider Electric
Veolia
|
Healthcare & Life Science |
|
Education & Non Profit |
|
Communications |
AstraZeneca
Christus Health
Geisinger
Modernizing Medicine
Parexel
Quest Diagnostics
Syneos Health
Team Health
Thermo Fisher |
|
Kaplan
Make a Wish Foundation
McGraw Hill
Stanford University School of
Medicine
University of Miami
University of Virginia
|
|
British Telecommunications PLC
Cisco
LogMeIn
Lumen Technologies
|
Sales and Marketing
Our sales and marketing teams work together closely to drive
awareness and adoption of our platform, accelerate customer acquisition and increase revenue from customers. While we sell to organizations
of all sizes across a broad range of industries, our key focus is on larger enterprises that tend to invest more heavily in software application
deployment. These organizations have larger workforces and customer bases and therefore a greater need for our Digital Adoption Platform.
We plan to continue to invest in our direct sales force to grow our larger enterprise customer base, both in the U.S. and internationally.
Marketing
To support our sales team in reaching potential customers, our
integrated marketing programs are architected to address the specific needs of our diverse market segments. They create qualified sales
opportunities, highlight WalkMe’s position as the market pioneer and leader and educate and raise awareness of our Digital Adoption
Platform. In addition, we have tailored customer marketing initiatives focusing on driving expansion within existing accounts and virality
among Digital Adoption Platform professionals and advocates.
Our marketing department ensures thought leadership and market
education for our Digital Adoption Platform. It promotes activity around our growing WalkMe Beyond ecosystem as well as Realize, our customer
and user conference.
Sales
Our go-to-market model involves a combination of direct sales
and partner-assisted sales.
Direct Sales:
We sell subscriptions to our platform primarily through our direct
sales force which is largely organized by territory and customer size, measured by the number of employees. Our direct sales force is
focused on landing new customers, as well as expanding within them as they adopt WalkMe for additional use cases and applications. We
typically onboard a new customer with solutions targeting:
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one application or department, after which our sales force focuses on expanding into
other applications or departments, or
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an enterprise-wide deployment where WalkMe is used across departments, applications
and use cases. |
We sell to multiple buyers within an enterprise including:
• |
CIO or VP IT who is focused on digital transformation to business efficiency, workforce
agility and an overall return on software investment; |
• |
VP of sales, whose priorities include sales productivity and forecast accuracy;
|
• |
Head of Human Resources who aims to improve the digital experience of employees, especially
in a remote work environment;
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• |
Head of Product who is trying to improve revenue and customer retention across an
application or platform; and
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Head of Contact Center who is looking to reduce support overhead and improve productivity
of support teams. |
Partner-Assisted Sales:
We work with strategic systems integrators such as Accenture,
Deloitte, IBM and Cognizant to sell with and/or through them to their clients. We believe that Global Systems Integrators (“GSI”)
are important consulting and implementation partners for WalkMe, enabling enterprises to further their digital adoption strategies and
are a natural extension of our go-to-market function. We have also developed relationships with leading regional systems integrators.
We also work with large independent software vendors, such as SAP, who sell joint solutions to their customers.
Customer Support and Professional Services:
Our customer success team provides customer support for each
of our customers. Support begins in the customer acquisition phase and continues throughout the duration of the relationship. Customer
support includes working with customers on launch and on-boarding, ongoing support, analytics and renewal. We have a dedicated professional
services team. This team provides support to customers that require services, may have special operational needs or may require more custom
analytics.
Research and Development
Our research and development organization is responsible for
the design, development, testing and delivery of new technologies, features, integrations and improvements to our platform. It is also
responsible for operating and scaling our platform, including the underlying public cloud infrastructure.
Our research and development organization consists of teams specializing
in software engineering, user experience, product management, data science, technical program management and technical writing. As of
December 31, 2022, we had approximately 290 employees in our research and development organization. Our research and development employees
are located primarily in our Tel Aviv offices. We intend to continue to invest in our research and development capabilities to expand
our platform.
Competition
We have pioneered the Digital Adoption Platform market, and we
do not believe that any single company currently offers a solution that effectively competes with the full functionality of our integrated
platform technology solutions. Our main sources of competition fall into the following categories:
• |
Non-adoption from enterprises maintaining the status quo of offline, internally developed,
or non-dynamic, FAQ-centric application guidance and workflow support;
|
•
|
Point solutions embedded natively or as an add-on to software provided by diversified
enterprise software companies such as SAP, Oracle, Microsoft, Salesforce; and
|
• |
Providers of software for specific in-app guidance or analytics use cases for SaaS
applications, which lack holistic platform solutions and extensibility across applications. |
We believe that the principal competitive factors in our markets
include the following:
• |
Breadth of applications and technology integrations supported;
|
• |
Support for cross-application guidance, automation and analytics;
|
• |
Expertise in third-party application implementations;
|
• |
Integration of robust analytics and visualization capabilities: in addition to analytics
across WalkMe usage, our Digital Experience Analytics provides usage analytics across the underlying, third-party platforms;
|
• |
Cross-platform support for workflows including mobile native applications (iOS and
Android) and desktop (Windows and macOS);
|
• |
Ease of implementation and use;
|
• |
Performance, security, scalability and reliability;
|
• |
Quality of customer support;
|
• |
Total cost of ownership; and
|
• |
Brand recognition and reputation. |
We believe that we compete favorably with respect to the factors
listed above. However, some of the vendors we compete with might have greater financial, technical and other resources, greater brand
recognition, larger sales forces and marketing budgets, broader distribution networks, more diverse product and services offerings and
larger and more mature intellectual property portfolios. These competitors may be able to leverage these resources to gain business in
a manner that discourages customers from purchasing our offerings. Furthermore, we expect that our industry will continue to attract new
competitors, including smaller emerging companies, which could introduce new offerings or alternative solutions to the problems we address.
We may also expand into new markets and encounter additional competitors in such markets.
For geographical and segmental revenue, see Note 12, reporting
segments and geographical information included within our consolidated financial statements elsewhere in this Annual Report
Seasonality
We experience relatively typical seasonality in our quarterly
revenue and operating results consistent with software-as-a-service companies that sell to enterprise customers. We historically have
received a higher volume of orders from new and existing customers in the fourth quarter due in part as a result of software industry
procurement patterns. As a result, our sequential growth in revenue and remaining performance obligations is typically highest in the
fourth quarter of each year. We expect that these seasonal patterns will become more pronounced as we execute on our strategy to target
larger enterprise customers. However, as our revenue from quarter-to-quarter is dependent on various factors including external factors
outside our control, it is difficult to isolate the impact of these seasonal trends on our business and there can be no assurance that
these patterns will continue.
Our Intellectual Property
We consider our trademarks, trade dress, patents, copyrights,
trade secrets and other intellectual property rights, including those in our know-how and the software code of our proprietary technology
and products, to be, in the aggregate, material to our business. We protect our intellectual property rights by relying on federal and
state statutory and common law rights, foreign laws where applicable, as well as contractual restrictions.
We seek to control access to our trade secrets and other confidential
information related to our proprietary technology by entering into confidentiality agreements with our employees, consultants, vendors
and business partners who have access to our confidential information, and we maintain policies and procedures designed to control access
to and distribution of our confidential information.
We seek patent protection covering certain inventions originating from us and, from
time to time, review opportunities to acquire patents to the extent we believe such patents may be useful or relevant to our business.
As of December 31, 2022, we owned 13 issued U.S. patents, eight U.S. pending patent applications, six issued foreign patents, 17 pending
foreign patent applications and two pending patent applications under The Patent Cooperation Treaty.
We pursue the registration of our domain names, trademarks and
service marks in the United States and in locations outside the United States. As of December 31, 2022, we owned a registered trademark
for the “WALKME” mark in the United States and nine other countries; a registered trademark for the “WALKME” logo
in 14 countries; and a registered trademark for the “DAP” mark in the United States. As of December 31, 2022, we also had
one application for trademark registrations pending in the United States.
While most of the intellectual property underlying our technology
and products is developed and owned by us, we have obtained rights to use intellectual property of third parties through licenses, services
and/or other relevant agreements. Although we believe these agreements are sufficient for the operation of our business, these agreements
typically limit our use of the third parties’ intellectual property to specific uses and for specific time periods.
From time to time, we have faced, and we expect to face in the
future, allegations by third parties, including our competitors, that we have infringed their trademarks, copyrights, patents and other
intellectual property rights or challenging the validity or enforceability of our intellectual property rights. We are not presently a
party to any such legal proceedings that, in the opinion of our management, would individually or taken together have a material adverse
effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. For additional information regarding the risks discussed
above and other risks related to our intellectual property, see “Risk Factors-Risks Related to Information Technology, Intellectual
Property and Data Security and Privacy.”
Government Regulations
We are subject to a variety of laws and regulations in the United
States, Europe, Israel and elsewhere that involve matters central to our business. Many of these laws and regulations are still evolving
and being tested in courts, and could be interpreted in ways that could harm our business. These may involve privacy, data protection
and personal information, rights of publicity, content, intellectual property, advertising, marketing, distribution, data security, data
retention and deletion, electronic contracts and other communications, competition, consumer protection, telecommunications, taxation,
economic or other trade prohibitions or sanctions, anti-corruption law compliance, securities law compliance and online payment services,
among others.
In particular, we are subject to U.S. federal, state, and foreign
laws regarding privacy and protection of data relating to individuals. Foreign data protection, privacy, content, competition, and other
laws and regulations can impose different obligations or be more restrictive than those in the United States. U.S. federal and state and
foreign laws and regulations, which in some cases can be enforced by private parties in addition to government entities, are constantly
evolving and can be subject to significant change. As a result, the application, interpretation, and enforcement of these laws and regulations
are often uncertain, particularly in the new and rapidly-evolving industry in which we operate, and may be interpreted and applied inconsistently
from country to country and inconsistently with our current policies and practices.
We are also subject to the European General Data Protection Regulation
(the “GDPR”). The GDPR, and national implementing legislation in EEA member states, impose a strict data protection compliance
regime. Failure to comply with the GDPR could result in penalties for noncompliance (including possible fines of up to the greater of
€20 million and 4% of our global annual turnover for the preceding financial year for the most serious violations, as well as the
right to compensation for financial or non-financial damages claimed by individuals as well as other regulatory investigations and resulting
reputational damage).
In addition, following the departure of the United Kingdom as
an EU Member State on January 31, 2020, we are subject to the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the UK Data Protection Act 2018
(together, the “UK GDPR”). Failure to comply with the UK DP Laws could lead to fines of up to £17.5 million or 4% of
total annual revenue, whichever is greater. Compliance with the GDPR and the UK GDPR may require us to modify our data processing practices
and policies and incur substantial compliance-related costs and expenses and these changes may lead to other additional costs and increase
our overall risk exposure.
The California Consumer Privacy Act
(the “CCPA”), which took effect in January 2020 and to which we are subject, also establishes certain transparency rules and
creates new data privacy rights for users, including rights to access and delete their personal information and new ways to opt-out of
certain sales or transfers of their personal information, and provides users with additional causes of action. Additionally, California
voters approved a new data privacy law, the California Privacy Rights Act (the “CPRA”), in the November 3, 2020 election.
Effective starting on January 1, 2023 (with certain obligations applicable to data processed from and after January 2022), the CPRA will
significantly modify the CCPA, including by expanding consumers’ rights with respect to certain sensitive personal information.
Additionally, the CPRA ends the CCPA's exemption for employee data which expands the scope of applicable data and increases the risk of
noncompliance. The CPRA also creates a new state agency that will be vested with authority to implement and enforce the CCPA and the CPRA.
Virginia enacted the Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act (the
“VCDPA”), which took effect on January 1, 2023. The VCDPA creates consumer rights, similar to the CCPA, but also imposes security
and assessment requirements for businesses. In July 2021, Colorado enacted the Colorado Privacy Act (“COCPA”) which will take
effect on July 1, 2023. In March 2022, Utah enacted the Utah Consumer Privacy Act (the "UCPA") which will take effect on December 31,
2023. Most recently, in May 2022, Connecticut enacted the Connecticut Data Privacy Act (the "CTDPA") which will take effect on July 1,
2023. The COCPA, UCPA and CTDPA largely resemble the VCDPA and CCPA, and each of these laws will be enforced by the respective states’
Attorney General and district attorneys, although they differ in many ways. Once the COCPA, UCPA and CTDPA become enforceable, we must
comply with each if our operations fall within the scope of these newly enacted comprehensive mandates, which may increase our compliance
costs and potential liability. Similarly, there are a number of legislative proposals in the United States, at both the federal and state
level, as well as in other jurisdictions, reflecting a trend toward more stringent data privacy legislation in the United States. This
legislation may add additional restrictions and potential legal risk, require additional investment in resources to compliance programs,
impact strategies and availability of previously useful data and result in changes in business practices and policies.
As an Israeli headquartered company, we are also subject to the
Israeli Protection of Privacy Law, 5741-1981 (the “PPL”), and the regulations enacted thereunder, including the Privacy Protection
Regulations (Data Security), 5777-2017 (the “Data Security Regulations”). The PPL imposes certain obligations on the owners
of databases containing personal data, including a requirement to register databases with certain characteristics, an obligation to notify
data subjects of the purposes for which their personal data is collected and processed and of the disclosure of such data to third parties,
a requirement to respond to certain requests from data subjects to access, rectify and/or delete personal data relating to them, and an
obligation to maintain the security of personal data. In addition, the Data Security Regulations, impose comprehensive data security requirements
on the processing of personal data. The Protection of Privacy Regulations (Transfer of Data to Overseas Databases), 5761-2001, further
impose certain conditions on cross-border transfers of personal data from databases in Israel.
Certain violations of the PPL are considered a criminal and/or
a civil offense and could expose the violating entity to criminal, administrative, and financial sanctions, as well as to civil actions.
Additionally, the Israel Privacy Protection Authority may issue a public statement that an entity violated the PPL, and such a determination
could potentially be used against such entity in civil litigation.
In July 2020, the Israeli Ministry of Justice indicated that
it intends to promote amendments to the PPL designed, among other things, to accommodate the PPL to the digital era, enhance the Israel
Privacy Protection Authority’s investigative and enforcement powers (including powers to impose fines) and to expand data subjects’
rights.
Some countries are also considering or have passed legislation
implementing data protection requirements or requiring local storage and processing of data or similar requirements that could increase
the cost and complexity of delivering our services. For information regarding risks related to these compliance requirements, please see
“Risk Factors-Risks Related to Information Technology, Intellectual Property and Data Security and Privacy-We are subject to stringent
and changing laws, regulations, standards, and contractual obligations related to data privacy, data protection, and data security. Our
actual or perceived failure to comply with such obligations could result in significant liability or reputational harm to our business.”
The foregoing description does not include an exhaustive list of the laws and regulations governing or impacting our business. See the
discussion contained in the “Risk Factors-Risks Related to Other Legal, Regulatory and Tax Matters” section of this Annual
Report for information regarding how actions by regulatory authorities or changes in legislation and regulation in the jurisdictions in
which we operate may have a material adverse effect on our business.
C. |
Organizational Structure |
The legal name of our Company is WalkMe Ltd. and we are organized
under the laws of the State of Israel.
The following table sets forth all of our subsidiaries, which
are 100% owned directly by WalkMe Ltd., except for WalkMe K.K. which is majority owned by WalkMe Ltd.:
Name of Subsidiary
|
Place of Incorporation
|
WalkMe, Inc.
|
Delaware
|
WalkMe UK Limited
|
United Kingdom
|
WalkMe Australia PTY Ltd.
|
Australia
|
WalkMe Singapore PTE Ltd.
|
Singapore
|
WalkMe K.K.
|
Japan
|
WalkMe Canada Ltd. |
Canada
|
WalkMe Germany GmbH |
Germany |
D. |
Property, Plants and Equipment |
Our corporate headquarters are located in Tel-Aviv, Israel, where
we occupy an office space totaling approximately 40,000 square feet, under a lease agreement, which initial lease term expires in February
2026. Our U.S. headquarters is located in San Francisco, where we occupy an office space totaling approximately 40,000 square feet, subject
to a lease agreement, which initial lease term expires in July 2024.
We also lease office space in Raleigh, North Carolina, as well
as in London, Paris, Tokyo, Sydney and Singapore.
We believe that these facilities are sufficient to meet our current
needs and that suitable additional space will be available as needed to accommodate any foreseeable expansion of our operations. We lease
all of our facilities and do not own any real property.
Item 4A. Unresolved Staff
Comments
None.
Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects
You should read the following discussion together with the consolidated
financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this Annual Report. The statements contained in this discussion regarding
industry outlook, our expectations regarding our future performance, planned investments in our expansion into additional geographies,
research and development, sales and marketing and general and administrative functions as well as other non-historical statements contained
in this discussion are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including,
but not limited to, the risks and uncertainties described in Item 3.D. entitled “Risk factors” and “Special note regarding
forward-looking statements” included elsewhere in this Annual Report. Our actual results may differ materially from those contained
in or implied by any forward-looking statements.
Certain information called for by this Item 5, including a discussion
of the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the year ended December 31, 2021 has been reported previously in
our
Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC on March 24, 2022 in Part I, Item 5 under the section entitled “Operating and
Financial Review and Prospects.”
Overview
WalkMe was founded in Israel in 2011 with a mission to make software
easier to use and deploy. From this foundation, we built our Digital Adoption Platform, along the way creating an entire new category
of enterprise software. WalkMe is a platform which enables organizations to better realize the value of their software investments.
Once overlaid, our platform provides immediate insights that enable a data-first approach to understand the gaps between user interactions
and behavior with technology and an organization’s business goals. With actionable insights, we then enable organizations to create
and deliver elegant experiences that enable users to access the full functionality and value of the software, ensuring digital adoption,
and ultimately fulfilling the promise of digital transformation.
For the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2022,
our revenue was $193.3 million and $245.0 million, respectively, representing year-over-year growth of 27%. For the years ended December
31, 2021 and 2022, our net loss was $80.3 million and $108.3 million, respectively, our operating cash flow was ($34.2) million and ($46.8)
million, respectively, and our free cash flow was ($40.8) million and ($53.9) million, respectively. With the residual impact of
the COVID-19 pandemic and global economic uncertainty due in part to rising inflation and interest rates, we expect our revenue growth
to continue to moderate in the short term while we focus on increasing our operating efficiency with our goal to increase free cash flow
and, ultimately, achieve profitability.
Our Business Model
We generate revenue by selling subscriptions to our cloud-based
Digital Adoption Platform, as well as associated professional services. Our contracts are typically for a period of one to three years.
We have seen a trend towards multi-year contracts as our customers deepen their investment in WalkMe as a strategic platform underlying
their digital transformation strategies. We primarily bill our customers annually in advance. Subscription revenue comprised approximately
91% and 90% of our total revenue for 2021 and 2022, respectively.
We price our subscriptions based on the number of applications
on which WalkMe is deployed, the number of users, and the breadth of the capabilities of our Digital Adoption Platform to which our customers
choose to subscribe. Our Digital Adoption Platform is designed to help companies accelerate their digital transformation by streamlining
processes, enhancing user experiences, and improving employee productivity. Our customers often expand their subscriptions as they grow
the number of users that engage with our Digital Adoption Platform, the number of applications on which WalkMe is deployed and the breadth
of the capabilities to which they subscribe. When customers move to an enterprise-wide model, our pricing changes to a price per user
for unlimited applications.
We have a diverse customer base consisting of organizations of
various sizes across all major industries, and our largest customer accounted for less than 2.6% and 3.1% of our ARR in the years ended
December 31, 2021 and 2022, respectively. Our go-to-market strategy is increasingly focused on enterprise customers within the Global
2000, as those customers have larger employee and customer bases, many with a greater need to transform digitally and a significant opportunity
to benefit from the deployment of our Digital Adoption Platform as many of them have a need to accelerate their digital transformations.
As of December 31, 2022, our customers included 403 of the Global 2000, illustrating the applicability of our Digital Adoption Platform
for some of the world’s largest and most sophisticated enterprises, as well as our potential for future growth. In addition, as
of December 31, 2022, we had 514 customers with ARR greater than $100,000, increasing from 454 as of December 31, 2021. These customers
represented 82% of our ARR as of December 31, 2022, increasing from 77% as of December 31, 2021. As of December 31, 2022, we had 39 customers
with ARR greater than $1,000,000, an increase from 31 customers as of December 31, 2021, which represents 32% and 27% of our total ARR,
respectively. Furthermore, of our 403 Global 2000 customers, 239 had ARR greater than $100,000 and 26 had ARR of $1,000,000 or more as
of December 31, 2022. Our revenue from customers outside of the United States represented approximately 30% and 29% of our total revenue
in the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2022, respectively.
Key Factors Affecting Our Performance
We believe that the growth and future success of our business
depends on many factors. While each of these factors presents significant opportunities for our business, they also pose important challenges
that we must successfully address in order to sustain our growth and improve our results of operations.
Customer Acquisition and Expansion
We are focused on continuing to acquire new customers and expanding
our footprint within our current customers to support our long-term growth. We have increasingly optimized our customer acquisition efforts
to target customers with greater than 500 employees that we believe can yield greater expansion opportunities over time as compared to
less than 500 employee customer accounts. As of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2022, we had 1,994 and 1,806 total customers, respectively.
Also, as of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2022, we had 1,208 and 1,244 customers with 500 or more employees, respectively.
We define a customer as a distinct entity with an active subscription
contract as of the measurement date. For new customers, we typically land in a specific geography or departmental use case such as HRIS,
ERP or CRM. We then aim to grow within that customer’s organization by expanding across other departments, use cases and geographies.
For some customers, we offer enterprise-wide subscriptions that enable them to use our Digital Adoption Platform on any application and
across any department or geography within their organization. We believe enterprise-wide subscription agreements such as this encourage
our customers to consume more of our platform and ultimately can result in greater long-term value to us. We intend to continue to invest
in our go-to-market strategy to acquire new customers, expand within current customer and develop new use cases across all industries
and customer sizes. Our results will depend in part on the degree to which these efforts are successful.
We also intend to focus on expansion with our current customer
base. We demonstrate this by sharing the increase of ARR for each cohort by year. For example, the 2018 cohort includes all customers
that made their first purchase from us between January 1, 2018 and December 31, 2018. Our ARR from customers for the 2015 cohort, 2016
cohort, 2017 cohort, 2018 cohort, 2019 cohort, 2020 cohort, and 2021 cohort as of December 31, 2022 represented an increase over each
cohort’s initial aggregate ARR by 3.2x, 1.3x, 1.9x, 1.6x, 1.4x, 1.1x, and 1.1x respectively. Our ARR from customers with
500 or more employees for the 2015 cohort, 2016 cohort, 2017 cohort, 2018 cohort, 2019 cohort, 2020 cohort, and 2021 cohort as of December
31, 2022 represented an increase over each cohort’s initial aggregate ARR by 6.5x, 2.5x, 3.4x, 2.3x, 2.0x, 1.4x, and 1.1x
respectively. These ARR multiples reflect both decreases in customer contract values and customer cancellations that have occurred since
the comparative ARR calculation date. We track ARR within each customer cohort because we believe it provides useful information to management
and investors regarding our ability to retain and expand ARR from our existing customers over time, and for identifying trends in customer
use cycles and gauging the success of our customer expansion efforts over the long-term, which assists us in planning for and managing
the growth of our business.
Focused Investing for Durable Growth
Our focused investments for growth encompass multiple critical
areas, including international growth, enterprise sales, increasing our ability to sell to the U.S. federal government and product expansion.
We also intend to selectively expand our sales and go-to-market efforts in existing markets and broaden our partner ecosystem. We also
plan to invest in marketing to drive awareness of the category of digital adoption. We also plan to continue our investment into research
and development to extend our technology leadership, product functionality and grow the emerging Digital Adoption category. We expect
to balance these investments with a focus on increased operating efficiency as we drive to increase our free cash flow and, ultimately,
achieve profitability in the long term.
We continue to evolve our technology to ensure that we are best
serving our customers’ needs. We believe this will lead to continued expansion within our current customers’ organizations
and increase sales to new customers. We continue to invest in research and development to drive product innovation and development.
Ecosystem Expansion
In February 2021, we launched WalkMe Beyond, our solution ecosystem
which includes components such as Digital Adoption Platform professionals, a marketplace and community, product and technology integrations,
open API, and a training institute. We have strong partnerships with strategic systems integrators such as Accenture, Cognizant, Deloitte,
IBM and PwC, among others. We expect our partnerships to extend our sales reach and provide implementation leverage both in the United
States and internationally. We intend to continue to invest in our partnership expansion and integration development efforts to build
a healthy ecosystem that will contribute to the long-term growth and sustainability of our business.
Impact of COVID-19 and Recent Economic Developments
The COVID-19 pandemic continued to present challenges to our
operations and business in 2022, primarily, operational challenges, but to a lesser extent than in 2021. Due to the worldwide growing
trend in availability and administration of vaccines against COVID-19, many restrictions that were in place during 2020 and 2021 were
gradually lifted by governments across the globe in 2022.
As the global economy has emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic, rising inflation has
led to rapidly rising interest rates which is increasing the cost of capital, slowing economic growth and creating uncertainty amongst
our customer base including our potential customers. The closure of SVB and related impacts is contributing to the uncertainty in the
market regarding macroeconomic conditions. For additional information regarding the potential impact of recent economic developments
on our business, see “Risk Factors—Unfavorable conditions in our industry or the global economy or reductions in information
technology spending could limit our ability to grow our business and negatively affect our results of operations.”
Key Business and Financial Metrics
We review a number of operating and financial metrics, including
the following key metrics, to evaluate our business, measure our performance, identify trends affecting our business, formulate business
plans, and make strategic decisions.
Annualized Recurring Revenue (“ARR”)
We use ARR as a measure of our revenue trend and as an indicator
of our future revenue opportunity from existing customer contracts. We define ARR as the annualized value of customer subscription contracts
as of the measurement date, assuming any contract that expires during the next 12 months is renewed on its existing terms (including contracts
for which we are negotiating a renewal). Our calculation of ARR is not adjusted for the impact of any known or projected future events
(such as customer cancellations, upgrades or downgrades, or price increases or decreases) that may cause any such contract not to be renewed
on its existing terms. In addition, the amount of actual revenue that we recognize over any 12-month period is likely to differ from ARR
at the beginning of that period, sometimes significantly. This may occur due to new bookings, cancellations, upgrades, downgrades or other
changes in pending renewals, as well as the effects of professional services revenue and acquisitions or divestitures. As a result, ARR
should be viewed independently of, and not as a substitute for or forecast of, revenue and deferred revenue. Our calculation of ARR may
differ from similarly titled metrics presented by other companies. As of December 31, 2022, customers having 500 or more employees represented
94% of our total ARR compared to 92% of our total ARR as of December 31, 2021.
|
|
As of December 31,
|
|
|
|
2021
|
|
|
2022
|
|
Annualized Recurring Revenue (millions) |
|
$ |
219.6 |
|
|
$ |
262.3 |
|
Customers with ARR Greater than $100,000
We measure the number of customers with ARR greater than $100,000
(“$100,000+ Customers”). We believe our ability to increase these customers is an indicator of our market penetration, strategic
demand for our Digital Adoption Platform, the growth of our business, and our potential future business opportunities. Our calculation
of this metric may differ from similarly titled metrics presented by other companies.
|
|
As of December 31,
|
|
|
|
2021
|
|
|
2022
|
|
$100,000+ Customers |
|
|
454
|
|
|
|
514 |
|
We also measure the number of customers within our $100,000+
Customers who have purchased enterprise-wide subscriptions or who have department-wide usage of our Digital Adoption Platform across four
or more applications. We believe these customers are an indication of the success of our customer acquisition and expansion strategy and
demonstrate the strategic demand for our Digital Adoption Platform, the growth of our business and our potential future business opportunities.
Our calculation of this metric may differ from similarly titled metrics presented by other companies. As of December 31, 2021 and 2022,
we had 126 and 173, respectively, of these customers. As of December 31, 2022, these customers represented 50% of our ARR, compared to
37% of our ARR as of December 31, 2021. Additionally, as of December 31, 2022, these customers had an average ARR of $758 thousand, compared
to $637 thousand as of December 31, 2021.
Dollar-Based Net Retention Rate
We use our Dollar-Based Net Retention Rate to measure our ability
to retain and expand ARR from our existing customers on a trailing four-quarter basis. Our Dollar-Based Net Retention Rate compares the
ARR from the same set of subscription customers across comparable periods. In each of the trailing four quarters, the set of customers
identified from 12 months prior is compared to those same customers’ subscription ARR in the respective quarter. ARR in the trailing
four quarters includes customer renewals, expansion, contraction and churn. The calculation of our Dollar-Based Net Retention Rate in
a particular quarter is obtained by averaging the result from that particular quarter with the corresponding results from each of the
prior three quarters. Our calculation of Dollar-Based Net Retention Rate may differ from similarly titled metrics presented by other companies.
|
|
As of December 31,
|
|
|
|
2021
|
|
|
2022
|
|
Dollar-Based Net Retention Rate (all customers) |
|
|
115 |
% |
|
|
113 |
% |
Dollar Based Net Retention Rate (customers having 500 or more employees)
|
|
|
121 |
% |
|
|
116 |
% |
Remaining Performance Obligations
Our Remaining Performance Obligations represents future revenue
from committed contracts that has not been recognized. This calculation includes deferred revenue and non-cancelable amounts that will
be invoiced and recognized as revenue in future periods. Subscription contracts with termination for convenience and without any penalty
are excluded. We expect to recognize 58% of our Remaining Performance Obligations as of December 31, 2022 as revenue over the next twelve
months, and the remainder thereafter, in each case, in accordance with our revenue recognition policy; however, we cannot guarantee that
any portion of our Remaining Performance Obligations will be recognized as revenue within the timeframe we expect or at all.
|
|
As of December 31,
|
|
|
|
2021
|
|
|
2022
|
|
Remaining Performance Obligations (millions) |
|
$ |
316.2 |
|
|
$ |
374.0 |
|
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
In addition to our financial results reported in accordance with
GAAP, we believe that Free Cash Flow and Non-GAAP Operating Income (Loss), both of which are non-GAAP financial measures, are useful in
evaluating the performance of our business. See tables below for a discussion regarding our use of Free Cash Flow and Non-GAAP Operating
Income (Loss), including their limitations, and a reconciliation to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures.
Free Cash Flow
We define Free Cash Flow as net cash used in operating activities, less cash used
for purchases of property and equipment and capitalized internal-use software development costs. We believe that Free Cash Flow is a useful
indicator of liquidity that provides information to management and investors, even if negative, about the amount of cash used in our business.
Free Cash Flow has limitations as an analytical tool, may differ from similarly titled metrics presented by other companies, and should
not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of net cash used in operating activities, the most directly comparable
GAAP liquidity measure, or any other GAAP financial measures. Our Free Cash Flow may vary from period to period and be impacted as we
continue to invest for growth in our business. The following table sets forth our net cash used in operating activities and the reconciliation
to Free Cash Flow for each period presented (in millions).
|
|
Year Ended December
31, |
|
|
|
2021 |
|
|
2022 |
|
Net cash used in operating activities |
|
$ |
(34.2 |
) |
|
$ |
(46.8 |
) |
Less: Purchases of property and equipment |
|
|
(2.6 |
) |
|
|
(2.9 |
) |
Less: Capitalized software development costs |
|
|
(3.9 |
) |
|
|
(4.3 |
) |
Free Cash Flow |
|
$ |
(40.8 |
)* |
|
$ |
(53.9 |
)* |
* Due to rounding, numbers presented in the above table may not add up precisely to the totals
provided and percentages may not precisely reflect the absolute figures.
Non-GAAP Operating Income (Loss)
We define Non-GAAP Operating Income (Loss) as net income (loss)
from operations excluding share-based compensation and amortization and impairment of acquired intangible assets. We exclude these items
because they occur for reasons that may be unrelated to our core operating performance during the period, and because we believe that
such items may obscure underlying business trends and make comparisons of long-term performance difficult. We use Non-GAAP Operating Income
(Loss) with traditional GAAP measures to evaluate our financial performance. We believe that Non-GAAP Operating Income (Loss) provides
our management and investors with useful supplementary information by facilitating period-to-period comparisons of our results of operations.
Non-GAAP Operating Income (Loss) has limitations as an analytical tool, may differ from similarly titled metrics presented by other companies,
and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of operating loss, the most directly comparable GAAP financial
performance measure, or any other GAAP financial measures. The following table sets forth our operating loss, as determined in accordance
with GAAP, and the reconciliation to Non-GAAP Operating Loss for each period presented (in millions).
|
|
Year Ended December 31, |
|
|
|
2021 |
|
|
2022 |
|
GAAP operating loss |
|
$ |
(77.8 |
) |
|
$ |
(109.8 |
) |
Plus: Share-based compensation expense |
|
|
27.3 |
|
|
|
50.1 |
|
Plus: Amortization and impairment of acquired intangibles |
|
|
0.3 |
|
|
|
1.5 |
|
Non-GAAP operating loss |
|
$ |
(50.2 |
)* |
|
$ |
(58.3 |
)* |
GAAP operating margin |
|
|
(40 |
)% |
|
|
(45 |
)% |
Non-GAAP operating margin |
|
|
(26 |
)% |
|
|
(24 |
)% |
* Due to rounding, numbers presented
in the above table may not add up precisely to the totals provided and percentages may not precisely reflect the absolute figures.
Components of Our Results of Operations
Revenue
Subscription Revenue
Subscription revenue primarily consists of subscription fees
from our cloud-based Digital Adoption Platform. We recognize subscription revenue ratably over the subscription period, which typically
varies from one to three years. Our customers are generally billed annually upfront, and amounts that have been billed are initially recorded
as deferred revenue until recognized in accordance with our revenue recognition policy. Consequently, a portion of the revenue that we
report in each period is attributable to the recognition of deferred revenue relating to subscriptions that we entered into during previous
periods.
Professional Services Revenue
Professional services consist of services provided to our customers
to help them maximize our platform capabilities in highly complex operational environments. Professional services are priced on a time
and material basis and, accordingly, revenues are recognized as services are delivered.
Cost of Revenue and Gross Margin
Cost of revenue
Cost of subscription revenue primarily consists of costs related
to third-party cloud infrastructure providers for hosting our platform, employee-related costs for operations and global support (including
salaries, benefits, bonuses and share-based compensation), and depreciation and amortization related to acquired intangibles and internal-use
software. Cost of professional services revenue primarily consists of employee-related costs (such as salaries, bonuses and share-based
compensation) and subcontractor costs associated with the delivery of these services. Additionally, we allocate certain overhead costs
to each of these costs of revenue.
We intend to continue to invest additional resources in our platform
and our customer support organization as we grow our business. The level and timing of investment in these areas will affect our cost
of revenue in the future.
Gross profit and gross margin
Gross margin is gross profit expressed as a percentage of revenue.
Our gross margin may fluctuate from period to period as a result of the timing and amount of investments to expand our hosting capacity,
and our continued efforts to build platform support and professional services teams.
Operating expenses
Research and development
Research and development expenses consist primarily of employee-related
costs (including salaries, benefits, bonuses and share-based compensation) and subcontractor costs associated with our engineering team
responsible for the design, development, and testing of our products, the cost of development environments and tools, and allocated overhead.
We expect that our research and development expenses will increase in absolute dollars as our business grows, particularly as we continue
to invest in the development of our platform. We expect research and development expenses may fluctuate as a percentage of revenues from
period to period due to the timing and extent of these expenses.
Sales and marketing
Sales and marketing expenses primarily consist of employee-related
costs (such as salaries, sales commissions, bonuses and share-based compensation expenses), costs associated with marketing programs to
promote our brand and awareness, demand generating activities, customer events, other sales expenses and allocated overhead.
We expect sales and marketing expenses to increase in absolute
dollars as we continue to make investments in our sales and marketing organizations to drive additional revenues, further penetrate our
target markets, and expand our global customer base. As a percentage of revenues, we expect our sales and marketing expenses may fluctuate
as a percentage of our revenue from period to period due to the timing and extent of these expenses.
General and administrative
General and administrative expenses primarily consist of employee-related
costs (such as salaries, bonuses and share-based compensation) for executive, finance, legal, human resources, IT and other administrative
personnel, professional services fees, consulting services and allocated overhead.
We anticipate general and administrative expenses to decrease
as a percentage of our total revenue over time.
Finance income (expense)
Finance income (expenses), net primarily consists of interest
income earned on our cash investments and finance expenses such as bank fees, foreign exchange gains and losses.
Provision for income taxes
Income tax expenses primarily consist of income taxes related
to U.S. and other jurisdictions in which we conduct business. We maintain a valuation allowance for deferred tax assets as we believe
that it is more likely than not that the deferred tax assets will not be realized. Our effective tax rate is affected by tax rates in
the jurisdictions in which we conduct business and the relative amounts of income we earn in those jurisdictions, as well as non-deductible
expenses and changes in our valuation allowance.
A. Operating Results
The following tables summarize key components of our results
of operations data and such data as a percentage of total revenue for the periods presented. The period-to-period comparisons of our historical
results are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected in the future.
|
|
Year ended December 31,
|
|
|
|
2021
|
|
|
2022
|
|
|
|
(in thousands)
|
|
Revenue |
|
$ |
193,303 |
|
|
$ |
245,006 |
|
Cost of revenue |
|
|
46,657
|
|
|
|
53,884 |
|
Gross profit |
|
|
146,646
|
|
|
|
191,122 |
|
Operating expenses: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Research and development |
|
|
48,160
|
|
|
|
59,468 |
|
Sales and marketing |
|
|
127,719
|
|
|
|
176,307 |
|
General and administrative |
|
|
48,557
|
|
|
|
65,188 |
|
Total operating expenses |
|
|
224,436
|
|
|
|
300,963 |
|
Operating loss |
|
|
(77,790 |
) |
|
|
(109,841 |
) |
Financial income (expense), net |
|
|
(9 |
) |
|
|
5,322 |
|
Loss before income taxes |
|
|
(77,799 |
) |
|
|
(104,519 |
) |
Income taxes |
|
|
(2,494 |
) |
|
|
(3,831 |
) |
Net loss |
|
$ |
(80,293 |
) |
|
$ |
(108,350 |
) |
|
|
Year ended December 31,
|
|
|
|
2021
|
|
|
2022
|
|
|
|
(as a % of revenue)
|
|
Revenue |
|
|
100 |
% |
|
|
100 |
% |
Cost of revenue |
|
|
24
|
|
|
|
22 |
|
Gross profit |
|
|
76
|
|
|
|
78 |
|
Operating expenses: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Research and development |
|
|
25
|
|
|
|
24 |
|
Sales and marketing |
|
|
66
|
|
|
|
72 |
|
General and administrative |
|
|
25
|
|
|
|
27 |
|
Total operating expenses |
|
|
116
|
|
|
|
123 |
|
Operating loss |
|
|
(40 |
) |
|
|
(45 |
) |
Financial income (expense), net |
|
|
*
|
|
|
|
2 |
|
Loss before income taxes |
|
|
(40 |
) |
|
|
(43 |
) |
Income taxes |
|
|
(1 |
) |
|
|
(1 |
) |
Net loss |
|
|
(41 |
)% |
|
|
(44 |
)% |
* Represents amounts of less than 1%
Comparison of the years ended December 31, 2021
and 2022
Revenue
|
|
Year Ended December 31,
|
|
|
Period-over-Period Change
|
|
|
|
2021
|
|
|
2022
|
|
|
Dollar
|
|
|
Percentage
|
|
|
|
(in thousands, except percentages)
|
|
Subscription revenues |
|
$ |
175,328 |
|
|
$ |
220,972 |
|
|
$ |
45,644 |
|
|
|
26 |
% |
Professional services revenues |
|
|
17,975
|
|
|
|
24,034 |
|
|
|
6,059 |
|
|
|
34
|
|
Total revenue |
|
$ |
193,303 |
|
|
$ |
245,006 |
|
|
$ |
51,073 |
|
|
|
27 |
% |
The following table presents our subscription revenues and professional
services revenues as a percentage of our total revenue for each period presented above.
|
|
Year Ended December 31,
|
|
|
|
2021
|
|
|
2022
|
|
Subscription revenues |
|
|
91 |
% |
|
|
90 |
% |
Professional services revenues |
|
|
9
|
|
|
|
10
|
|
Total revenue |
|
|
100 |
% |
|
|
100 |
% |
Subscription Revenues
Subscription revenues increased by $45.6 million, or 26%, to
$221.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to $175.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. This increase was
primarily due to expansion from existing customers within and across lines of business, as well as new customer additions. Approximately
72% of the increase in revenue was attributable to the growth from existing customers, and the remaining increase in revenue was attributable
to new customers.
Professional Services Revenues
Professional services revenues increased by $6.1 million, or 34%, to $24.0 million
for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to $18.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. This increase was primarily due to
the expansion of our services in order to help our customers further realize the benefits of the platform.
Cost of Revenues and Gross Margin
|
|
Year Ended December 31,
|
|
|
Period-over-Period Change
|
|
|
|
2021
|
|
|
2022
|
|
|
Dollar
|
|
|
Percentage
|
|
|
|
(in thousands, except percentages)
|
|
Cost of revenues: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cost of subscription revenues |
|
$ |
24,025 |
|
|
$ |
25,990 |
|
|
$ |
1,965 |
|
|
|
8 |
% |
Cost of professional services revenues |
|
|
22,632
|
|
|
|
27,894 |
|
|
|
5,262 |
|
|
|
23 |
% |
Total cost of revenues |
|
$ |
46,657 |
|
|
$ |
53,884 |
|
|
$ |
7,227 |
|
|
|
15 |
% |
Gross margin: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subscription |
|
|
86 |
% |
|
|
88 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Professional services |
|
|
(26 |
) |
|
|
(16 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total gross margin |
|
|
76 |
% |
|
|
78 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cost of Subscription Revenues
Cost of subscription revenues increased by $2.0 million, or 8%,
to $26.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to $24.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. This increase was
primarily attributable to an increase of $1.0 million in employee-related costs as a result of increased headcount, $0.5 million in share-based
compensation expense, $0.3 million in allocated overhead expenses, $0.3 million in depreciation and amortization and $0.2 million other
costs, partially offset by a $0.3 million decrease in third party cloud hosting.
Gross Margin-Subscription
Our gross margin for subscription revenue increased during the
year ended December 31, 2022, compared to the year ended December 31, 2021, mainly due to continued optimization of our cloud hosting
operations. While our gross margins for subscription revenue may fluctuate in the near-term as we invest in our growth, we expect our
subscription revenue gross margin to improve over the long-term as we achieve additional economies of scale.
Cost of Professional Services Revenues
Cost of professional services revenues increased by $5.3 million,
or 23%, to $27.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to $22.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. This increase
was primarily attributable to an increase of $2.1 million in employee-related costs as a result of increased headcount, $1.5 million in
share-based compensation expense, $0.9 million in outsourcing and professional service fees, $0.4 million in allocated overhead expenses
and $0.4 million in other costs.
Gross Margin-Professional Services
Our gross margin for professional services revenue improved primarily
due to enhanced focus on our professional services delivery practices, and better operational efficiency of our professional services
organization.
Operating Expenses
Research and Development
|
|
Year Ended December 31,
|
|
|
Period-over-Period Change
|
|
|
|
2021
|
|
|
2022
|
|
|
Dollar
|
|
|
Percentage
|
|
|
|
(in thousands, except percentages)
|
|
Research and development |
|
$ |
48,160 |
|
|
$ |
59,468 |
|
|
$ |
11,308 |
|
|
|
23 |
% |
Research and development expenses increased by $11.3 million,
or 23%, to $59.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to $48.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. This increase
was primarily attributable to an increase of $7.4 million in employee-related costs as a result of increased headcount, $4.1 million in
share-based compensation expense and $0.5 million in allocated overhead costs. These increases were partially offset by a $0.7 million
increase in capitalization of software development costs.
Sales and Marketing
|
|
Year Ended December 31,
|
|
|
Period-over-Period Change
|
|
|
|
2021
|
|
|
2022
|
|
|
Dollar
|
|
|
Percentage
|
|
|
|
(in thousands, except percentages)
|
|
Sales and marketing |
|
$ |
127,719 |
|
|
$ |
176,307 |
|
|
$ |
48,588 |
|
|
|
38 |
% |
Sales and marketing expenses increased by $48.6 million, or 38%,
to $176.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to $127.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. The increase in
sales and marketing expenses was primarily attributable to an increase of $21.3 million in employee-related costs (excluding commission
expenses) as a result of increased headcount and payroll benefits, $10.3 million commission expenses, including amortization of deferred
commission, $10.9 million in share-based compensation expense, $2.4 million in allocated overhead, $2.3 million in travel and $1.4 million
in other sales and marketing expenses.
General and Administrative
|
|
Year Ended December 31,
|
|
|
Period-over-Period Change
|
|
|
|
2021
|
|
|
2022
|
|
|
Dollar
|
|
|
Percentage
|
|
|
|
(in thousands, except percentages)
|
|
General and administrative |
|
$ |
48,557 |
|
|
$ |
65,188 |
|
|
$ |
16,631 |
|
|
|
34 |
% |
General and administrative expenses increased by $16.6 million,
or 34%, to $65.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to $48.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. This increase
was primarily attributable to an increase of $5.5 million in employee-related costs as a result of increased headcount, $6.3 million in
share-based compensation expense, $2.8 million in professional services and insurance costs, $2.0 million in other general and administrative
expenses.
Financial Income (Expense), Net
|
|
Year Ended December 31,
|
|
|
Period-over-Period Change
|
|
|
|
2021
|
|
|
2022
|
|
|
Dollar
|
|
|
Percentage
|
|
|
|
(in thousands, except percentages)
|
|
Financial income (expense), net |
|
$ |
(9 |
) |
|
$ |
5,322 |
|
|
$ |
5,331 |
|
|
|
- |
% |
Financial income (expense), net increase by $5.3 million for
the year ended December 31, 2022 as compared to the prior year period. This increase was primarily attributable to an increase of $4.8
million in interest income and $0.5 million in foreign currency exchange rates income.
Income Tax Expenses
|
|
Year Ended December 31,
|
|
|
Period-over-Period Change
|
|
|
|
2021
|
|
|
2022
|
|
|
Dollar
|
|
|
Percentage
|
|
|
|
(in thousands, except percentages)
|
|
Income tax expenses |
|
$ |
2,494 |
|
|
$ |
3,831 |
|
|
$ |
1,337 |
|
|
|
54 |
% |
Income tax expenses increased by $1.3 million, or 54%, to $3.8
million for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to $2.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. The increase in income tax
expenses was primarily due to an increase in taxes on our operations in the United States.
B. Liquidity and Capital Resources
Overview
Since inception, we have financed operations primarily through
our operating cash flows and the net proceeds we have received from sales of equity securities. In June 2021, upon completion of our IPO,
we received net proceeds of $263.9 million, after deducting underwriters’ discounts and commissions and offering expenses of $22.8
million.
As of December 31, 2022, our principal sources of liquidity were
cash and cash equivalents and short-term bank deposits of $219.3 million and investments in marketable securities of $85.5 million.
In August 2021, we entered into a loan and security agreement with SVB to establish
a Revolving Credit Facility to enable us to borrow, repay and re-borrow funds up to the amount of $50 million for a period of three years.
As of December 31, 2022, this facility remained unutilized. At this time the Company is evaluating future accessibility to the revolving
credit facility.
We believe that our existing cash and cash equivalents and short-term
bank deposits and investments in marketable securities, together with cash flow from operations, will be sufficient to support our liquidity
and capital requirements for at least the next 12 months. Our future capital requirements will depend on many factors, including our revenue
growth, the timing and extent of investments to support such growth, the expansion of sales and marketing activities, increases in general
and administrative costs and many other factors, including those described elsewhere in this section under “Key Factors Affecting
Our Performance” and elsewhere in this Annual Report under “Risk Factors.” We may, in the future, enter into arrangements
to acquire or invest in complementary technologies, solutions or businesses. We may be required to seek additional equity or debt financing.
In the event we require additional financing, we may not be able to raise such financing on terms acceptable to us or at all. In particular,
the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by inflation and rising interest rates across the global economy, has resulted in, and may continue to
result in, significant disruption of global financial markets, which may reduce our ability to access capital. If we are unable to raise
additional capital or generate cash flows necessary to expand our operations and invest in continued innovation, we may not be able to
compete successfully, which would adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Cash Flows
The following table summarizes our cash flows for the periods
presented:
|
|
Year Ended December 31,
|
|
|
|
2021
|
|
|
2022
|
|
(in thousands) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net cash used in operating activities |
|
$ |
(34,225 |
) |
|
$ |
(46,808 |
) |
Net cash used in investing activities |
|
|
(27,523 |
) |
|
|
(149,956 |
) |
Net cash provided by financing activities |
|
|
276,789
|
|
|
|
14,791 |
|
Effect of foreign currency exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents,
and restricted cash |
|
|
(685 |
) |
|
|
(850 |
) |
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted
cash |
|
|
214,356
|
|
|
|
(182,823 |
) |
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of year
|
|
|
62,895
|
|
|
|
277,251 |
|
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of the year
|
|
$ |
277,251 |
|
|
$ |
94,428 |
|
Operating Activities
Our largest source of operating cash is cash collection from
sales of subscriptions to our customers. Our primary uses of cash from operating activities are for employee-related expenses, marketing
expenses, hosting expenses and allocated overhead expenses. We have generated negative cash flows and have supplemented working capital
requirements through net proceeds from the sale of equity securities.
Cash used in operating activities for the year ended December
31, 2021 of $34.2 million was primarily related to our net loss of $80.3 million, adjusted for non-cash charges of $32.1 million and net
cash inflows of approximately $14.0 million provided by changes in our operating assets and liabilities. Non-cash charges primarily consisted
of share-based compensation, depreciation of property and equipment, amortization of capitalized software and amortization of acquired
intangibles. The main drivers of the changes in operating assets and liabilities were related to a $28.6 increase in deferred revenues,
mainly due to increased billing, $15.0 million increase in employee-related accruals, $4.6 million increase in accrued expenses and other
liabilities and $1.7 million increase in deferred taxes, net. These amounts were partially offset by a $29.8 million increase in prepaid
expenses and other assets primarily due to an increase in deferred contract acquisition costs and $7.0 million increase in trade receivables,
net, due to an increase in sales.
Cash used in operating activities for the year ended December
31, 2022 of $46.8 million was primarily related to our net loss of $108.3 million, adjusted for non-cash charges of $58.0 million and
net cash inflows of approximately $3.5 million provided by changes in our operating assets and liabilities. Non-cash charges primarily
consisted of share-based compensation, depreciation, amortization and impairments of long-lived assets. The main drivers of the changes
in operating assets and liabilities were related to a $22.9 million increase in deferred revenues, mainly due to increased billing, $3.2
million increase in accrued expenses and other liabilities and $2.5 million increase in deferred taxes, net. These amounts were
partially offset by a $8.9 million increase in prepaid expenses and other assets, $7.4 million increase in trade receivables, net, due
to an increase in sales and $5.8 million decrease in employees and payroll accruals.
Investing Activities
Cash used in investing activities of $27.5 million for the year
ended December 31, 2021 was related to net investment in short-term and long-term bank deposits of $19.6 million, capitalization of software
development costs of $3.9 million, capital expenditures of $2.6 million and $1.3 purchase of intangible assets.
Cash used in investing activities of $150.0 million for the year
ended December 31, 2022 was related to investment in marketable securities of $84.9 and net investment in short-term and long-term bank
deposits of $57.9 million, capitalization of software development costs of $4.3 million and capital expenditures of $2.9 million.
Financing Activities
Cash provided by financing activities of $276.8 million for the
year ended December 31, 2021 was primarily due to net proceeds from our initial public offering of $263.9 million after deducting underwriting
discounts and commissions and other issuance costs, $10.0 million in proceeds from equity financing, net of issuance costs and $2.9 million
of proceeds from the exercise of share options.
Cash provided by financing activities of $14.8 million for the
year ended December 31, 2022 was due to proceeds from employee share purchase plans of $9.7 million and proceeds from the exercise of
share option of $5.1 million.
Material Cash Requirements for Known Contractual and Other Obligations
We are a party to many contractual obligations involving commitments to make payments
to third parties. These obligations impact our short-term and long-term liquidity and capital resource needs. Certain contractual obligations
are reflected on the consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2022, while others are considered future commitments. Our contractual
obligations primarily consist of hosting services, software products and services and operating leases. For information regarding our
other contractual obligations, refer to Note 7 “Commitments and Contingent Liabilities“ and Note 8, “Leases”.
In addition to the obligations described above, our subscription
agreements contain standard indemnification obligations. Pursuant to these agreements, we will indemnify, defend, and hold the other party
harmless with respect to a claim, suit, or proceeding brought against the other party by a third party alleging that our intellectual
property infringes upon the intellectual property of the third party, or results from a breach of our representations and warranties or
covenants, or that results from any acts of negligence or willful misconduct. The term of these indemnification agreements is generally
perpetual any time after the execution of the agreement. Typically, these indemnification provisions do not provide for a maximum potential
amount of future payments we could be required to make. However, in the past we have not been obligated to make significant payments for
these obligations and no liabilities have been recorded for these obligations on our consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2021
or 2022.
We also indemnify our officers and directors for certain events
or occurrences, subject to certain limits, while the officer is or was serving at our request in such capacity. The maximum amount of
potential future indemnification is unlimited. However, our director and officer insurance policy limits our exposure and enables us to
recover a portion of any future amounts paid. Historically, we have not been obligated to make any payments for these obligations and
no liabilities have been recorded for these obligations on our consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2021 or 2022.
WalkMe K.K.
During the year ended December 31, 2018, we established WalkMe
K.K., a Japanese company in which we own a controlling interest, for purposes of facilitating our entry into the Japanese market. We have
consolidated the results of operations and financial condition of WalkMe K.K. since its inception. Pursuant to an agreement with the holders
of the non-controlling interest in WalkMe K.K., beginning in 2027 we may redeem the non-controlling interest, or be required to redeem
such interest by the holders thereof, based on a prescribed formula derived from certain financial performance indicators of WalkMe K.K.
and the Company. The balance of the redeemable non-controlling interest is reported on our balance sheet below total liabilities but above
shareholders’ equity at the greater of the initial carrying amount adjusted for the redeemable non-controlling interest’s
share of earnings or losses and other comprehensive income or loss, or its estimated redemption value. As of December 31, 2021 and 2022,
the redeemable non-controlling interest of non-controlling interests in WalkMe K.K. amounted to $23.9 million and $8.1 million, respectively.
C. Research and Development, Patents and
Licenses, Etc.
For a discussion of our research and development policies for
the last three years, see Item 4.B. “Research and Development” and “Our Intellectual Property” above.
D. Trend Information
Other than as disclosed elsewhere in this Annual Report, we are
not aware of any trends, uncertainties, demands, commitments or events since December 31, 2022 that are reasonably likely to have a material
adverse effect on our revenues, income, profitability, liquidity or capital resources, or that would cause the disclosed financial information
to be not necessarily indicative of our future operating results or financial conditions.
E. Critical Accounting Estimates
We have provided a summary of our significant accounting policies,
estimates and judgments in Note 2 to our consolidated financial statements, which are included elsewhere in this Annual Report. The following
critical accounting discussion pertains to accounting policies management believes are most critical to the portrayal of our historical
financial condition and results of operations and that require significant, difficult, subjective or complex judgments. Other companies
in similar businesses may use different estimation policies and methodologies, which may impact the comparability of our financial condition,
results of operations and cash flows to those of other companies.
Application of Critical Accounting Policies
and Estimates
Our consolidated financial statements and the related notes thereto
included elsewhere in this Annual Report are prepared in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of consolidated financial statements in
accordance with GAAP requires us to make estimates, judgments and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in our consolidated financial
statements and the related disclosures. Our management believes that the estimates, judgments and assumptions used are reasonable based
upon information available at the time they are made. These estimates, judgments and assumptions can affect the reported amounts of assets
and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the dates set forth in the consolidated financial statements,
and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the applicable reporting periods. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
We believe that the accounting policies described below require
management’s most difficult, subjective or complex judgments. Judgments or uncertainties affecting the application of these policies
may result in materially different amounts being reported under different conditions or using different assumptions. Accordingly, we believe
these are the most critical to aid in fully understanding and evaluating our financial condition and results of operations. See note 2
to the consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report for a summary of significant accounting policies and
the effect on our financial statements.
Revenue Recognition
We generate revenue primarily from sales of subscriptions to
access our Digital Adoption Platform, together with related services to our customers. Arrangements with customers do not provide the
customer with the right to take possession of the software operating our platform at any time. Instead, customers are granted continuous
access to our platform over the contractual period. Revenue is recognized when control of these services is transferred to our customers,
which is based on the customer’s usage of the product and reflects the consideration we expect to receive in exchange for those
services. Revenue excludes sales and other indirect taxes.
We account for revenue contracts with customers through the following
steps:
• |
identify the contract with a customer;
|
• |
identify the performance obligations in the contract;
|
• |
determine the transaction price;
|
• |
allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract; and
|
• |
recognize revenue when or as, we satisfy a performance obligation. |
Our contracts with customers often include promises to transfer
multiple performance obligations. In these contracts, we identify each performance obligation and evaluate whether the performance obligations
are distinct within the context of the contract at contract inception. Performance obligations that are not distinct at contract inception
are combined.
We allocate the transaction price to each distinct performance
obligation based on the stand-alone selling price for each performance obligation. Judgment is required to determine the stand-alone selling
price for each distinct performance obligation. We generally estimate the stand-alone selling price of our subscription and professional
services based on the actual renewal prices in stand-alone transactions.
Cost to Obtain a Contract
We capitalize sales commissions and associated payroll taxes
paid to sales personnel that are incremental to the acquisition of customer contracts. These costs are recorded as deferred contract acquisition
costs on the consolidated balance sheets. We determine whether costs should be deferred based on our sales compensation plans and if the
commissions are incremental and would not have occurred absent the customer contract.
Sales commissions for the renewal of a contract are not considered
commensurate with the sales commissions paid for the acquisition of the initial contract given a substantive difference in commission
rates in proportion to their respective contract values. Sales commissions paid for the renewal of a contract to sales personnel are amortized
over the contractual term of the renewals. Sales commissions paid upon the initial acquisition of a customer contract for sales personnel
are amortized over a period of four years. We determine the period of benefit for sales commissions paid for the acquisition of the initial
customer contract by taking into consideration the length of terms in its customer contracts, life of the technology and other factors.
Amortization of sales commissions are included in sales and marketing
expenses in the consolidated statements of operations. We have applied the practical expedient in ASC 340-40, Other assets and deferred
costs, to expense costs as incurred for costs to obtain a contract with a customer when the amortization period would have been one year
or less. We periodically review these deferred contract acquisition costs to determine whether events or changes in circumstances have
occurred that could impact the period of benefit.
As of December 31, 2022, we had $66.4 million of deferred contract
acquisition costs, of which $26.3 million will be amortized over the next 12 months.
Share-Based Compensation
Share-based compensation expense related to employees, consultants,
and non-employee directors is measured based on the grant-date fair value of the awards. We establish fair value as the measurement objective
in accounting for share-based payment transactions and recognize expenses on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period,
which is generally the vesting term of four years. The fair value of each share option granted is estimated using the Black-Scholes option-pricing
model and, for ESPP awards, we used a Monte Carlo option-pricing model.
The fair value of each RSU is based on the fair value of our
ordinary shares on the date of grant.
Determining the fair value of share-based awards at the grant
date requires significant judgment. The determination of the grant date fair value of share-based awards using the option-pricing models
was affected by our estimated ordinary share fair value as well as other subjective assumptions including the expected term of the awards,
the expected volatility over the expected term of the awards, expected dividend yield and risk-free interest rates. The assumptions used
in our option-pricing model represent management’s best estimates. These assumptions and estimates are as follows:
• |
Fair Value of Ordinary Shares. For the period in which our ordinary shares were not
publicly traded, we estimated the fair value of our ordinary shares based on contemporaneous valuations and other factors deemed relevant
by management. After the IPO, the fair value of each ordinary share was based on the closing price of our publicly traded ordinary shares
as reported on the date of the grant.
|
• |
Expected Term. The expected term of the share options reflects the period for which
we believe the option will remain outstanding. To determine the expected term, we generally apply the simplified method approach. The
simplified method deems the term to be the average of the time-to-vesting and the contractual life of the options.
|
• |
Expected Volatility. As we do not have sufficient trading history for our ordinary
shares, the selected volatility used is representative of expected future volatility. We base expected future volatility on the historical
and implied volatility of comparable publicly traded companies over a similar expected term.
|
• |
Expected Dividend Yield. We have never declared or paid any cash dividends and do
not presently intend to pay cash dividends in the foreseeable future. As a result, we used an expected dividend yield of zero.
|
• |
Risk-Free Interest Rates. We use the U.S. Treasury yield for our risk-free interest
rate that corresponds with the expected term. |
The following table reflects the weighted average assumptions
used to estimate the fair value of share options and ESPP granted during the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2022:
|
|
Year Ended December 31,
|
|
|
|
2021
|
|
|
2022
|
|
Expected dividend yield |
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Expected volatility |
|
|
41%-60 |
% |
|
|
60%-91.9 |
% |
Expected term (years) |
|
|
0.57-6.55
|
|
|
|
0.5-6.98 |
|
Risk-free interest rate |
|
|
0.06-1.06 |
% |
|
|
0.46-3.88 |
% |
Assumptions used in valuing non-employee share options are generally
consistent with those used for employee share options with the exception that the expected term is over the contractual life, or 10 years.
We will continue to use judgment in evaluating the assumptions
related to our share-based compensation on a prospective basis. As we continue to accumulate additional data related to our ordinary shares,
we may have refinements to our estimates, which could materially impact our future share-based compensation expense.
Internal Use Software Development Costs
We capitalize certain costs related to the development of our
platform and other software applications for internal use. In accordance with authoritative guidance, we begin to capitalize our costs
to develop software when preliminary development efforts are successfully completed, management has authorized and committed project funding,
and it is probable that the project will be completed and the software will be used as intended. We stop capitalizing these costs when
the software is substantially complete and ready for its intended use, including the completion of all significant testing. These costs
are amortized on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful life of the related asset, generally estimated to be three years. We
also capitalize costs related to specific upgrades and enhancements when it is probable the expenditure will result in additional functionality
and expense costs incurred for maintenance and minor upgrades and enhancements. Costs incurred prior to meeting these criteria together
with costs incurred for training and maintenance are expensed as incurred and recorded within research and development expenses in our
consolidated statements of operations.
We exercise judgment in determining the point at which various
projects may be capitalized, in assessing the ongoing value of the capitalized costs and in determining the estimated useful lives over
which the costs are amortized. To the extent that we change the manner in which we develop and test new features and functionalities related
to our platform, assess the ongoing value of capitalized assets or determine the estimated useful lives over which the costs are amortized,
the amount of internal-use software development costs we capitalize and amortize could change in future periods.
During the year ended December 31, 2022, we capitalized internal
use software development costs in the amount of $5.0 million.
Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements
See the section titled “Summary of Significant Accounting
Policies” in note 2 to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report for more information.
JOBS Act Accounting Election
We are an emerging growth company, as defined in the JOBS Act.
The JOBS Act provides that an emerging growth company can take advantage of an extended transition period for complying with new or revised
accounting standards. This provision allows an emerging growth company to delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those
standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We have elected to take advantage of this extended transition period until the earlier
of the date we (x) are no longer an emerging growth company, or (y) affirmatively and irrevocably opt out of the extended transition period.
As a result, our operating results and financial statements may not be comparable to those of companies that comply with new or revised
accounting pronouncements as of public company effective dates.
Item 6. Directors, Senior
Management and Employees
A. |
Directors and Senior Management |
The following table sets forth the name and position of each
of our executive officers and directors as of February 28, 2023:
Name |
|
Age |
|
Position |
|
|
|
Executive Officers
|
|
|
|
|
Dan Adika
|
|
37
|
|
Chief Executive Officer and Director
|
Hagit Ynon
|
|
51
|
|
Chief Financial Officer
|
Scott Little |
|
55 |
|
Chief Revenue Officer
|
Non-Employee Directors
|
|
|
|
|
Michele Bettencourt (1)
|
|
62
|
|
Chairperson of the Board
|
Haleli Barath |
|
48
|
|
Director
|
Rafael Sweary
|
|
51
|
|
Director
|
Menashe Ezra (3) |
|
70
|
|
Director
|
Ron Gutler (1) (2) (3)
|
|
65
|
|
Director
|
Jeff Horing (3) |
|
58
|
|
Director
|
Rory O’Driscoll (2) |
|
58
|
|
Director
|
Michael Risman (3) |
|
54
|
|
Director
|
Roy Saar (1) (2)
|
|
52
|
|
Director
|
(1)
|
Member of the audit committee
|
(2)
|
Member of the compensation committee
|
(3)
|
Member of the nominating, governance and sustainability committee
|
Executive Officers
Dan Adika is our Co-Founder
and has served as our Chief Executive Officer and a member of our board of directors since March 2012. Prior to co-founding our Company,
Mr. Adika served as a software engineer at Hewlett-Packard Company, a computer and information technology company, from May 2010 to May
2011. Before that, from January 2005 to March 2010, Mr. Adika served as a computer programmer in the Israel Defense Forces. We believe
that Mr. Adika’s technical experience and knowledge of our Company qualify him to serve on our board of directors.
Hagit Ynon has served
as our Chief Financial Officer since February 2023. Prior to that, Ms. Ynon served as our interim Chief Financial Officer since September
2022 and as our Executive Vice President, Finance and Operations since September 2019. Prior to joining WalkMe, Ms. Ynon spent 19
years in various positions in the finance department at NICE Ltd., a public company that provides cloud and on-premises platforms for
AI-driven digital business solutions, most recently as Vice President, Corporate Finance. Before joining NICE Ltd., Ms. Ynon served
as an Audit Manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Ms. Ynon holds a B.A. in Management and Accounting and an M.B.A. from the College
of Management Academic Studies in Israel and is a registered CPA in Israel.
Scott Little has
served as our Chief Revenue Officer since July 2022. Prior to joining our Company, Mr. Little served as Chief Revenue Officer of
Software AG, an enterprise SaaS software company, from January 2021 to July 2022 and as Regional President of Sales at Software AG from
November 2019 to January 2021. Before that, Mr. Little served in senior sales roles in several technology companies, including interim
Head of Sales at Sigga Workforce Technologies, a maintenance optimization software company, from July 2019 to November 2019, Vice
President of Sales, North America at Aveva, an IT technology consulting company, from September 2018 to April 2019 and Vice President
of Sales, Americas for Commvault, a data protection and management software company, from March 2015 to August 2018. Mr. Little
previously spent 18 years in the sales organization at Oracle Corporation, serving most recently as Group Vice President from June 2008
to March 2015. Mr. Little holds a B.S. in electrical engineering from Texas A&M University.
Non-Employee Directors
Michele Bettencourt has
served as chairperson of our board of directors since December 2022 and as a member of our board of directors since March 2021. From February
2017 to February 2020, Ms. Bettencourt served as Co-Chief Executive Officer of He Said She Said Productions NYC, a film production company
which she founded. From August 2014 to February 2018, Ms. Bettencourt also served as chairperson of the board of directors of Imperva,
Inc., a cybersecurity company, where she also served as Chief Executive Officer from August 2014 to July 2017. Before that, from November
2010 to March 2014, Ms. Bettencourt served as Chief Executive Officer of Coverity Inc., a software company, through its acquisition by
Synopsys, Inc. From January 2006 to October 2009, Ms. Bettencourt served as Senior Vice President of Special Projects at Autonomy Corporation
plc. Before that, from 2003 to 2005, Ms. Bettencourt served as Chief Executive Officer of Verity Inc., an enterprise search company, and
led the company through its acquisition by Autonomy in 2005. Ms. Bettencourt served on the board of directors of Proofpoint, Inc., an
enterprise security company, from April 2012 until January 2017, and on the board of directors of Versant Corporation from January 2012
to December 2012 through its acquisition by Actian Corporation. Ms. Bettencourt holds a B.A. in English from Santa Clara University. We
believe that Ms. Bettencourt’s extensive management experience and service on the board of directors of technology companies qualifies
her to serve on our board of directors.
Haleli Barath has served
as a member of our board of directors since February 2021. Since 2009, Ms. Barath has served as Managing Partner at BFP & Co. law
firm which she co-founded. Since 2014, Ms. Barath has served as a General Partner at Cerca Partners, a venture capital firm which she
co-founded and she has served as a Managing Partner since 2020. Ms. Barath also served on the board of IM Cannabis Corp., a publicly traded
company, from February 2021 until September 2022. Ms. Barath currently serves on the boards of directors of several privately-held companies.
Ms. Barath holds a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Israel. We believe that Ms. Barath’s corporate
law and business expertise gained from her experience in the legal profession and in the venture capital industry, including her time
spent serving on boards of directors of various companies and familiarity with Israeli companies, qualifies her to serve on our board
of directors.
Rafael Sweary is our
Co-Founder and served as our President from March 2012 to December 2022 and as a member of our board of directors since March 2012. Prior
to co-founding our Company, Mr. Sweary served as the Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Ocean Assets from June 2005 to November 2007. Before
that, from June 2001 to June 2005, Mr. Sweary served as the President and Chief Executive Officer at Jetro Platforms, an enterprise software
company which he co-founded. Mr. Sweary holds a B.A. in economics from the College of Management Academic Studies in Israel and an M.B.A.
from the University of Baltimore. We believe that Mr. Sweary’s broad leadership and industry experience and knowledge of our Company
qualify him to serve on our board of directors.
Menashe Ezra has served
as a member of our board of directors since December 2014. Since 2008, Mr. Ezra has served
as Managing Partner at Gemini Israel Ventures, a venture capital firm. Before joining Gemini Israel Ventures, from October 2001 to October
2007, Mr. Ezra served as Managing Partner at BRM Capital, a venture capital firm. Before that, from 1993 to 1998, Mr. Ezra served as Chief
Executive Officer at WaveAccess, a wireless communications company which he founded and which was sold to Lucent Technologies Inc., a
telecommunications company, or Lucent, in 1998. From December 1998 to April 2001, Mr. Ezra served as VP Wireless Network Solutions at
Lucent. Mr. Ezra also serves on the boards of directors of several privately-held companies. Mr. Ezra holds a B.Sc. in electrical engineering
from Tel Aviv University. We believe that Mr. Ezra’s experience in the venture capital industry, including his time spent serving
on the boards of directors of various companies and familiarity with Israeli companies, qualifies him to serve on our board of directors.
Ron Gutler has served
as a member of our board of directors since October 2020. Mr. Gutler has served on the boards of directors of Fiverr International Ltd.
since 2019, Wix.com Ltd. since 2013, and CyberArk Software Ltd. since 2014. From May 2002 through February 2013, Mr. Gutler served as
the Chairman of the board of directors of NICE Systems Ltd., a public company specializing in voice recognition, data security and surveillance.
Between 2002 and 2011, Mr. Gutler served as the Chairman of G.J.E. 121 Promoting Investments Ltd., a real estate company. Mr. Gutler is
a former Managing Director and Partner of Bankers Trust Company, which is currently part of Deutsche Bank. Mr. Gutler holds a B.A. and
an M.B.A. from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. We believe that Mr. Gutler’s extensive management experience serving on the board
of directors of technology companies qualifies him to serve on our board of directors.
Jeff Horing has served as a member of our
board of directors since December 2015. Since January 1995, Mr. Horing has served as Managing Director at Insight Venture Partners, a
private equity firm which he co-founded. Mr. Horing has served on the boards of directors of monday.com Ltd., a software company, since
2017; and JFrog Ltd., a software company, since June 2018; nCino, Inc., a financial technology company, since March 2018; and Alteryx,
Inc., a software company, since December 2021. Mr. Horing also currently serves on the boards of directors of several privately-held companies
and has previously served on the boards of directors of numerous publicly-held companies, including the board of directors of Tintri,
Inc., a software company, from February 2014 to June 2017. Mr. Horing holds a B.S. and B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania’s
Moore School of Engineering and the Wharton School, respectively, and an M.B.A. from the M.I.T. Sloan School of Management. We believe
that Mr. Horing’s corporate finance and business expertise gained from his experience in the venture capital industry, including
his time spent serving on boards of directors of various companies and familiarity with Israeli companies, qualifies him to serve on our
board of directors.
Rory O’Driscoll
has served as a member of our board of directors since February 2014. Since 2007, Mr. O’Driscoll
has served as a Managing Partner at Scale Venture Partners, a venture capital firm. Mr. O’Driscoll previously served as a member
of the board of directors of Bill.com Holdings, Inc., a software company, from July 2013 to January 2023. He also previously served on
the board of directors of Box, Inc., a data storage and file management software company, from March 2010 to July 2020, and DocuSign,
Inc., an eSignature and digital transaction management company, from December 2010 to August 2018. Mr. O’Driscoll currently serves
on the boards of directors of several privately held companies. Mr. O’Driscoll holds a B.Sc. in Economics from the London School
of Economics. We believe that Mr. O’Driscoll’s extensive experience in the venture capital industry and his knowledge of technology
companies qualify him to serve on our board of directors.
Michael Risman has served
as a member of our board of directors since June 2021. Prior to then and since December 2019, he also served as the representative of
the former corporate director, Vitruvian Directors I Limited. Since May 2006, Mr. Risman has served as Managing Partner of Vitruvian Partners,
a private equity firm which he co-founded. Prior to that, from September 1995 to May 2006, Mr. Risman served as a Global Equity Partner
at Apax Partners, a private equity firm, where he led their Information Technology Investment Team in Europe. Mr. Risman has previously
served on the boards of directors of Farfetch, a fashion technology company, from November 2014 to August 2020; Just Eat, an online food
ordering company from April 2012 to March 2016; and Dialog Semiconductor, a semiconductor solutions manufacturer, from August 1999 to
July 2006. Mr. Risman also currently serves on the board of directors of several privately-held companies in which funds managed by Vitruvian
Partners have invested. Mr. Risman holds an M.A. in electrical engineering from Cambridge University and an M.B.A. from the Harvard Business
School. We believe that Mr. Risman’s extensive experience in the venture capital industry and his knowledge of technology companies
qualify him to serve on our board of directors.
Roy Saar has served as
a member of our board of directors since March 2012. Since 2008, Mr. Saar has served in positions of increasing responsibility at Mangrove
Capital Partners, an investment firm, most recently serving as Partner. In 2002, Mr. Saar co-founded RFcell Technologies Ltd., a wireless
product and service provider. Before that, in 1999, he co-founded Sphera Corporation, a virtual server technology vendor for SaaS providers,
which was acquired by Parallels in 2007. Since January 2007, Mr. Saar has also served as a member of the board of directors of Wix.com
Ltd. Mr. Saar also currently serves on the boards of directors of several privately-held companies. Mr. Saar holds a B.A. in Business
Administration and Economics from Tel Aviv University. We believe that Mr. Saar’s extensive experience in the venture capital industry
and with technology companies qualify him to serve on our board of directors.
Board Diversity Matrix
The table below provides certain information regarding the diversity
of our board of directors as of the date of this Annual Report.
Board Diversity Matrix
As of the date of this Annual Report |
Country of Principal Executive Offices:
|
Israel
|
Foreign Private Issuer
|
Yes
|
Disclosure Prohibited under Home Country Law
|
No
|
Total Number of Directors
|
10
|
|
Female
|
Male
|
Non-
Binary/Transgender |
Did Not Disclose Gender
|
Part I: Gender Identity
|
|
Directors
|
1
|
6
|
1
|
2
|
Part II: Demographic Background
|
|
Underrepresented Individual in Home Country Jurisdiction |
1
|
LGBTQ+
|
1
|
Did Not Disclose Demographic Background
|
5
|
Directors. Under the Companies
Law, the compensation of our directors requires the approval of our compensation committee, the subsequent approval of the board of directors
and, unless exempted under regulations promulgated under the Companies Law, the approval of the shareholders at a general meeting. If
the compensation of our directors is inconsistent with our stated compensation policy, then, those provisions that must be included in
the compensation policy according to the Companies Law must have been considered by the compensation committee and board of directors,
and shareholder approval by a simple majority will also be required, provided that:
• |
at least a majority of the shares held by all shareholders who are not controlling
shareholders and do not have a personal interest in such matter, present and voting at such meeting, are voted in favor of the compensation
package, excluding abstentions; or |
• |
the total number of shares of non-controlling shareholders and shareholders who do
not have a personal interest in such matter voting against the compensation package does not exceed two percent (2%) of the aggregate
voting rights in the Company. |
Executive Officers other than
the Chief Executive Officer. The Companies Law requires the approval of the compensation of a public company’s executive
officers (other than the chief executive officer) in the following order: (1) the compensation committee, (2) the company’s board
of directors, and (3) if such compensation arrangement is inconsistent with the company’s stated compensation policy, the company’s
shareholders (by a special majority vote as discussed above with respect to the approval of director compensation). However, if the shareholders
of the company do not approve a compensation arrangement with such executive officer that is inconsistent with the company’s stated
compensation policy, the compensation committee and board of directors may override the shareholders’ decision if each of the compensation
committee and the board of directors provide detailed reasons for their decision.
An amendment to an existing arrangement with an office holder (who
is not a director) requires only the approval of the compensation committee, if the compensation committee determines that the amendment
is not material in comparison to the existing arrangement. However, under the Companies Law, an amendment to an existing arrangement with
an office holder (who is not a director) who is subordinate to the chief executive officer will not require the approval of the compensation
committee, if (1) the amendment is approved by the chief executive officer, (2) the company’s compensation policy provides that
a non-material amendment to the terms of service of an office holder (other than the chief executive officer) may be approved by the chief
executive officer and (3) the engagement terms are consistent with the company’s compensation policy.
Chief Executive Officer.
Under the Companies Law, the compensation of a public company’s chief executive officer is required to be approved by: (1) the company’s
compensation committee; (2) the company’s board of directors, and (3) the company’s shareholders (by a special majority vote
as discussed above with respect to the approval of director compensation). However, if the shareholders of the company do not approve
the compensation arrangement with the chief executive officer, the compensation committee and board of directors may override the shareholders’
decision if each of the compensation committee and the board of directors provide detailed reasons for their decision. The approval of
each of the compensation committee and the board of directors should be in accordance with the company’s stated compensation policy;
however, in special circumstances, they may approve compensation terms of a chief executive officer that are inconsistent with such policy
provided that they have considered those provisions that must be included in the compensation policy according to the Companies Law and
that shareholder approval is obtained (by a special majority vote as discussed above with respect to the approval of director compensation).
In addition, the compensation committee may waive the shareholder approval requirement with regards to the approval of the engagement
terms of a candidate for the chief executive officer position, if they determine that the compensation arrangement is consistent with
the company’s compensation policy and that the chief executive officer candidate did not have a prior business relationship with
the company or a controlling shareholder of the company and that subjecting the approval of the engagement to a shareholder vote would
impede the company’s ability to employ the chief executive officer candidate.
Compensation of Directors and Executive Officers
The aggregate compensation paid by us and our subsidiaries to
our directors and executive officers, including share-based compensation expenses recorded in our financial statements, for the year ended
December 31, 2022, was approximately $9.4 million. This amount includes deferred or contingent compensation accrued for such year (and
excludes deferred or contingent amounts accrued for during the year ended December 31, 2021 and paid during the year ended December 31,
2022). This amount includes approximately $0.1 million set aside or accrued to provide pension, severance, retirement or similar benefits
or expenses, but does not include business travel, relocation, professional and business association dues and expenses reimbursed to our
directors and executive officers.
During the year ended December 31, 2022, our directors and officers
were granted options to purchase an aggregate of 500,947 ordinary shares, at a weighted average exercise price of $13.2 per share, and
356,098 restricted share units under our 2021 Share Incentive Plan.
The following is a summary of the salary expenses and social
benefit costs of our five most highly compensated executive officers in 2022, or the “Covered Executives.” All amounts reported
reflect the cost to the Company as recognized in our financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2022.
• |
Mr. Dan Adika, Chief Executive Officer. Compensation expenses recorded in 2022 of
$0.4 million in salary expenses and $0.1 million in social benefits costs. |
• |
Mr. Rafael Sweary, Director and former President. Compensation expenses recorded in
2022 of $0.4 million in salary expenses and $0.1 million in social benefits costs. |
• |
Ms. Hagit Ynon, Chief Financial Officer. Compensation expenses recorded in 2022 of
$0.4 million in salary expenses and $0.1 million in social benefits costs. |
• |
Ms. Chelsea Pyrzenski, Chief People Officer. Compensation expenses recorded in 2022
of $0.4 million in salary expenses and $0.1 million in social benefits costs. |
• |
Mr. Wayne McCulloch, Chief Customer Officer. Compensation expenses recorded in 2022
of $0.4 million in salary expenses and $0.1 million in social benefits costs. |
The salary expenses summarized above include the gross salary
paid to the Covered Executives, and the benefit costs include the social benefits paid by us on behalf of the Covered Executives, convalescence
pay, contributions made by the company to an insurance policy, pension fund or 401(K) fund.
In accordance with our compensation policy, we also paid cash
bonuses to our Covered Executives upon compliance with predetermined performance parameters as set by the compensation committee and the
board of directors. The 2022 cash bonus expenses for Mr. Dan Adika, Mr. Rafael Sweary, Ms. Hagit Ynon, Ms. Chelsea Pyrzenski and Mr. Wayne
McCulloch, as provided for in our 2022 financial statements, were $0.2 million, $0.2 million , $0.1 million, $0.2 million and $0.1 million,
respectively.
We recorded equity-based compensation expenses in our financial
statements for the year ended December 31, 2022 for Mr. Dan Adika, Mr. Rafael Sweary, Ms. Hagit Ynon, Ms. Chelsea Pyrzenski and Mr. Wayne
McCulloch of $4.7 million, $4.7 million, $0.8 million, $0.9 million and $1.6 million, respectively.
All equity-based compensation grants to our Covered Executives
were made in accordance with the parameters of our compensation policy and were approved by our compensation committee and board of directors.
Assumptions and key variables used in the calculation of such amounts are described in Note 10 to our audited consolidated financial statements
included in Item 18 of this Annual Report.
Additionally, we annually pay to each of our non-employee directors
a cash retainer of up to $30,000 (or $50,000 for the chairperson) with an additional annual payment for service on board committees as
follows: $10,000 (or $20,000 for the chairperson) per membership of the audit committee, or $7,500 (or $15,000 for the chairperson) per
membership of the compensation committee and $4,000 (or $8,000 for the chairperson) per membership of the nominating, governance and sustainability
committee or any other board committee. In addition, upon election, non-employee directors, will be granted equity awards under our incentive
plan at a value of $400,000, which will vest on a monthly basis over a period of three years. In addition, each non-employee director
will be granted equity awards under our incentive plan (provided the director is still in office) at a value of $180,000, which will vest
on the earlier of the first anniversary of the date on which such options and restricted share units were granted or the date upon which
our next annual general meeting of the shareholders is convened, subject to such director’s continued service through such date.
Any unvested equity grants will accelerate and fully vest upon the occurrence of a change in control transaction.
Employment and consulting agreements with executive
officers and directors
Employment Agreements.
We have entered into employment agreements with each of our executive officers who works for us as an employee. These agreements each
contain provisions regarding noncompetition, confidentiality of information and assignment of inventions. The enforceability of covenants
not to compete is subject to limitations. These agreements also provide for notice periods of varying duration for termination of
the agreement by us or by the relevant executive officer, during which time the executive officer will continue to receive base salary
and benefits.
The provisions of certain of our executive officers’ employment
agreements contain termination or change of control provisions. With respect to certain executive officers, either we or the executive
officer may terminate his or her employment by giving 90 calendar days’ advance written notice to the other party. We may also terminate
an executive officer’s employment agreement for good reason (as defined the applicable employment agreement) or in the event of
a merger or acquisition transaction.
Equity Awards. Since
our inception, we have granted options to purchase our ordinary shares to our executive officers and certain of our directors. In August
2021, we began granting restricted share units, or RSUs, to our executive officers. Such equity agreements may contain acceleration provisions
upon certain merger, acquisition or change of control transactions.
Exculpation, Indemnification
and Insurance. Our Articles of Association permit us to exculpate, indemnify and insure our office holders to the fullest extent
permitted by the Companies Law. We have entered into agreements with certain office holders, exculpating them from a breach of their duty
of care to us to the fullest extent permitted by law and undertaking to indemnify them to the fullest extent permitted by law, subject
to certain exceptions (including with respect to our IPO) to the extent that these liabilities are not covered by insurance.
Equity incentive plans
Restated 2012 Plan
The Restated 2012 Plan was adopted by our board of directors
on June 29, 2012, amended as of December 6, 2012, amended and restated on June 4, 2020 and further amended on May 11, 2021. The Restated
2012 Plan provides for the grant of options to our employees, directors, office holders, consultants and other eligible service providers.
The Restated 2012 Plan terminated upon the effective date of our initial public offering, or the IPO, and we will not grant any additional
awards under the Restated 2012 Plan. However, the Restated 2012 Plan will continue to govern the terms and conditions of the outstanding
awards previously granted under the Restated 2012 Plan.
Authorized Shares. Ordinary
shares subject to options granted under the Restated 2012 Plan that expire or become unexercisable without having been exercised in full
will become available again for future grant under the 2021 Plan.
Administration. Our board
of directors, or a duly authorized committee of our board of directors, or the administrator, administers the Restated 2012 Plan. Under
the Restated 2012 Plan, the administrator has the authority, subject to applicable law, to interpret the terms of the Restated 2012 Plan
and any notices of grant or options granted thereunder, appoint a trustee, designate recipients of option grants, designate the types
of options and elect the Israel tax track with respect to the options, determine and amend the terms of awards, including the exercise
price of an option award, the fair market value of an ordinary share, the time and vesting schedule applicable to an option grant or the
method of payment for an award, accelerate or amend the vesting schedule applicable to an option grant, prescribe the forms of agreement
for use under the Restated 2012 Plan and take all other actions and make all other determinations necessary for the administration of
Restated 2012 Plan. If the administrator is a duly authorized committee of our board of directors, our board of directors will determine
the grant of options to be made, if any, to members of such committee.
The administrator also has the authority to amend and rescind
rules and regulations relating to the Restated 2012 Plan or terminate the Restated 2012 Plan.
Eligibility. The Restated
2012 Plan provides for granting options in compliance with Section 102 of the Israeli Income Tax Ordinance (New Version), 5721-1961 (the
“Ordinance”), or, for options granted to consultants, advisors, service providers or controlling shareholders of the company,
under Section 3(i) of the Ordinance.
Section 102 of the Ordinance allows employees, directors and
officers who are not controlling shareholders and are considered Israeli residents to receive favorable tax treatment for compensation
in the form of shares or options. Our non-employee service providers and controlling shareholders may only be granted options under section
3(i) of the Ordinance, which does not provide for similar tax benefits. Section 102 includes two alternatives for tax treatment involving
the issuance of options or shares to a trustee for the benefit of the grantees and also includes an additional alternative for the issuance
of options or shares directly to the grantee. Section 102(b)(2) of the Ordinance, the most favorable tax treatment for the grantee, permits
the issuance to a trustee under the “capital gain track.”
Grant. All options granted
pursuant to the Restated 2012 Plan are evidenced by a notice of grant, in a form approved by the administrator in its sole discretion.
The notice of grant will set forth the terms and conditions of the option grant. Each option will expire ten years from the date of the
grant thereof, unless such shorter term of expiration is otherwise designated by the administrator.
Unless otherwise determined by the administrator and stated in
the option agreement, and subject to the conditions of the Restated 2012 Plan, options vest and become exercisable under the following
schedule: twenty-five percent (25%) of the shares covered by the option, on the first anniversary of the vesting commencement date determined
by the administrator, and 1/36 of the shares covered by the award at the end of each subsequent month thereafter over the course of the
following three (3) years; provided that the grantee remains continuously as an employee or provides services to the Company throughout
such vesting dates.
Exercise. An option under
the Restated 2012 Plan may be exercised by providing the company with a written or electronic notice of exercise and full payment of the
exercise price for such shares with respect to which the option is exercised, in such form and method as may be determined by the administrator
and permitted by applicable law, and any other deliverable as may be stipulated in the option agreement. An option may not be exercised
for a fraction of a share.
Transferability. Other
than by will, the laws of descent and distribution or as otherwise provided under the Restated 2012 Plan, neither the options nor any
right in connection with such options are assignable or transferable.
Termination of Employment.
In the event of termination of an optionee’s employment or service with the company or any of its affiliates for any reason other
than “cause” (as defined in the Restated 2012 Plan) or due to such optionee’s death or disability, all vested and exercisable
options held by such optionee as of the date of termination may be exercised within three months after such date of termination, unless
otherwise provided by the administrator. After such three month period, all unexercised options will terminate and the shares covered
by such options shall again be available for issuance under the 2021 Plan.
In the event of termination of an optionee’s employment
or service with the company or any of its affiliates due to such optionee’s death or disability, all vested and exercisable options
held by such optionee as of the date of termination may be exercised by the optionee, the optionee’s legal guardian, the optionee’s
estate, or by a person who acquired the right to exercise the option by bequest or inheritance, as applicable, within twelve months after
such date of termination, unless otherwise provided by the administrator. Any options which are unvested as of the date of death or disability
or which are vested but not then exercised within the twelve month period following such date, will terminate and the shares covered by
such options shall again be available for issuance under the 2021 Plan.
Notwithstanding any of the foregoing, if an optionee’s
employment or services with the company or any of its affiliates is terminated for “cause,” all outstanding options held by
such optionee (whether vested or unvested) will terminate on the date of such termination and the shares covered by such options shall
again be available for issuance under the 2021 Plan.
Right of Repurchase.
If, after an optionee has exercised an option under the Restated 2012 Plan, an event defined as “cause” occurs while the optionee
remains employed or engaged by the Company or the optionee violates the terms of any confidentiality, non-competition or other agreement
with the Company, then the Company shall have the right to repurchase all of the shares held by the optionee in exchange for payment of
the exercise price, forfeit all such shares, redeem all such shares at par value (or for less than that amount if allowed by applicable
law), convert such shares into deferred shares entitling their holder only to their par value upon liquidation, or take any other action
which may be required in order to achieve similar results.
Adjustments. In the event
of a share split, reverse share split, share dividend, recapitalization, combination or reclassification of our shares, or any other increase
or decrease in the number of issued shares effected without receipt of consideration by the company (but not including the conversion
of any convertible securities of the company), the administrator shall make an appropriate adjustment in the number of shares related
to each outstanding option and to the number of shares reserved for issuance under the Restated 2012 Plan, to the class and kind of shares
subject to the Restated 2012 Plan, as well as the exercise price per share of each outstanding option, provided however, that any fractional
shares resulting from such adjustment shall be rounded down to the nearest whole share unless otherwise determined by the administrator.
Except as expressly provided herein, no issuance by the company of shares of any class, or securities convertible into shares of any class,
shall affect, and no adjustment by reason thereof shall be made with respect to, the number or price of shares subject to an option.
Merger or Acquisition.
In the event of a sale of all or substantially all of the assets or shares of the company, or a merger or other reorganization of the
company with or into another corporation or a scheme of arrangement for the purpose of effecting such sale or merger, the administrator
shall have discretion to (i) cause any outstanding option to be assumed or an equivalent award substituted by the successor company or
one of its affiliates, or (ii) in the event such options are not assumed or substituted for, provide the optionee the right to exercise
the award as to all or part of the shares, including discretion to accelerate vesting of unvested awards and provide for cancellation
of unexercised options upon closing of the transaction, and/or provided for cancellation of each outstanding option in exchange for a
cash payment for each vested share equal to the fair market value foregoing of the underlying shares, as reflected in the terms of the
transaction, less the exercise price, or (iii) notwithstanding the foregoing, provide that upon completion of the transaction that the
terms of any option will be otherwise amended, modified or terminated and/or that the option will confer the right to receive any other
security or asset, including cash, as the administrator shall deem in good faith to be appropriate.
U.S. Appendix. Our United
States Appendix to the Restated 2012 Plan (the “U.S. Appendix”) governs option awards granted to our United States employees
or service providers, including those who are deemed to be residents of the United States for tax purposes. The U.S. Appendix will share
in the option pool discussed above. Each option will be evidenced by a notice of grant, which will contain the terms and conditions upon
which such option will be issued and exercised. Each option which is intended to be an incentive stock option will be granted in compliance
with the requirements of Section 422 of the Code and applicable law. Only our United States employees are eligible to be granted incentive
stock options. With respect to any option granted to a United States optionee, in the event of a conflict between the terms of the U.S.
Appendix and the Restated 2012 Plan, the terms of the U.S. Appendix will prevail.
2021 Share Incentive Plan
We adopted the 2021 Plan immediately prior to the IPO. The 2021
Plan provides for the grant of equity-based incentive awards to our employees, directors, office holders, service providers and consultants
in order to incentivize them to increase their efforts on behalf of the Company and to promote the success of the Company’s business.
Shares Available for Grants.
The maximum number ordinary shares available for issuance under the 2021 Plan is equal to the sum of (i) 9,954,480 shares, (ii)
any shares subject to awards under the Restated 2012 Plan which have expired, or were cancelled, terminated, forfeited or settled in cash
in lieu of issuance of shares or became unexercisable without having been exercised and (iii) an annual increase on the first day of each
year beginning in 2022 and on January 1st of each calendar year thereafter and ending on January 1, 2031, equal to the lesser of (A) 5%
of the outstanding ordinary shares of the Company on the last day of the immediately preceding calendar year; and (B) such amount as determined
by our board of directors if so determined prior to January 1 of a calendar year, provided that no more than 99,544,800 ordinary shares
may be issued upon the exercise of Incentive Stock Options. If permitted by our board of directors, shares tendered to pay the exercise
price or withholding tax obligations with respect to an award granted under the 2021 Plan or the Restated 2012 Plan may again be available
for issuance under the 2021 Plan, unless determined otherwise by the Board. Our board of directors may also reduce the number of ordinary
shares reserved and available for issuance under the 2021 Plan in its discretion.
Administration. Our board
of directors, or a duly authorized committee of our board of directors, or the administrator, will administer the 2021 Plan. Under the
2021 Plan, the administrator has the authority, subject to applicable law, to interpret the terms of the 2021 Plan and any award agreements
or awards granted thereunder, designate recipients of awards, determine and amend the terms of awards, including the exercise price of
an option award, the fair market value of an ordinary share, the time and vesting schedule applicable to an award or the method of payment
for an award, accelerate or amend the vesting schedule applicable to an award, prescribe the forms of agreement for use under the 2021
Plan and take all other actions and make all other determinations necessary for the administration of the 2021 Plan.
The administrator also has the authority to approve the conversion,
substitution, cancellation or suspension under and in accordance with the 2021 Plan of any or all option awards or ordinary shares, and
the authority to modify option awards to eligible individuals who are foreign nationals or are individuals who are employed outside Israel
to recognize differences in local law, tax policy or custom, in order to effectuate the purposes of the 2021 Plan but without amending
the 2021 Plan.
The administrator also has the authority to amend and rescind
rules and regulations relating to the 2021 Plan or terminate the 2021 Plan at any time before the date of expiration of its ten year term.
Eligibility. The 2021
Plan provides for granting awards under various tax regimes, including, without limitation, in compliance with Section 102 of the Ordinance,
and Section 3(i) of the Ordinance and for awards granted to our United States employees or service providers, including those who are
deemed to be residents of the United States for tax purposes, Section 422 of the Code and Section 409A of the Code.
Grants. All awards granted
pursuant to the 2021 Plan will be evidenced by an award agreement, in a form approved, from time to time, by the administrator in its
sole discretion. The award agreement will set forth the terms and conditions of the award, including the type of award, number of shares
subject to such award, vesting schedule and conditions (including performance goals or measures) and the exercise price, if applicable.
Certain awards under the 2021 Plan may constitute or provide for a deferral of compensation, subject to Section 409A of the Code, which
may impose additional requirements on the terms and conditions of such awards.
Unless otherwise determined by the administrator and stated in
the award agreement, and subject to the conditions of the 2021 Plan, awards vest and become exercisable under the following schedule:
25% of the shares covered by the award on the first anniversary of the vesting commencement date determined by the administrator (and
in the absence of such determination, the date on which such award was granted) and 6.25% of the shares covered by the award at the end
of each subsequent three-month period thereafter over the course of the following three years; provided that the grantee remains continuously
as an employee or provides services to the company throughout such vesting dates.
Each award will expire ten years from the date of the grant thereof,
unless such shorter term of expiration is otherwise designated by the administrator.
Awards. The 2021 Plan
provides for the grant of stock options (including incentive stock options and nonqualified stock options), ordinary shares, restricted
shares, RSUs, stock appreciation rights and other share-based awards.
Options granted under the 2021 Plan to the Company employees
who are U.S. residents may qualify as “incentive stock options” within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code, or may be non-qualified
stock options. The exercise price of an option may not be less than the par value of the shares (if the shares bear a par value) for which
such option is exercisable. The exercise price of an Incentive Stock Option may not be less than 100% of the fair market value of the
underlying share on the date of grant or such other amount as may be required pursuant to the Code, and in the case of Incentive Stock
Options granted to ten percent stockholders, not less than 110%.
Exercise. An option award
under the 2021 Plan may be exercised by providing the Company with a written or electronic notice of exercise and full payment of the
exercise price for such shares underlying the award, if applicable, in such form and method as may be determined by the administrator
and permitted by applicable law. An option award may not be exercised for a fraction of a share. With regard to tax withholding, exercise
price and purchase price obligations arising in connection with awards under the 2021 Plan, the administrator may, in its discretion,
accept cash, provide for net withholding of shares in a cashless exercise mechanism or direct a securities broker to sell shares and deliver
all or a part of the proceeds to the Company or the trustee.
Transferability. Other
than by will, the laws of descent and distribution or as otherwise provided under the 2021 Plan, neither the options nor any right in
connection with such options are assignable or transferable.
Termination of Employment. In
the event of termination of a grantee’s employment or service with the Company or any of its affiliates, all vested and exercisable
awards held by such grantee as of the date of termination may be exercised within three months after such date of termination, unless
otherwise determined by the administrator, but in no event later than the date of expiration of the award as set forth in the award agreement.
After such three-month period, all such unexercised awards will terminate and the shares covered by such awards shall again be available
for issuance under the 2021 Plan.
In the event of termination of a grantee’s employment or
service with the Company or any of its affiliates due to such grantee’s death or permanent disability, or in the event of the grantee’s
death within the three month period (or such longer period as determined by the administrator) following his or her termination of service,
all vested and exercisable awards held by such grantee as of the date of termination may be exercised by the grantee or the grantee’s
legal guardian, estate or by a person who acquired the right to exercise the award by bequest or inheritance, as applicable, within one
year after such date of termination, unless otherwise provided by the administrator, but in no event later than the date of expiration
of the award as set forth in the award agreement. Any awards which are unvested as of the date of such termination or which are vested
but not then exercised within the one year period following such date, will terminate and the shares covered by such awards shall again
be available for issuance under the 2021 Plan.
Notwithstanding any of the foregoing, if a grantee’s employment
or services with the Company or any of its affiliates is terminated for “cause” (as defined in the 2021 Plan), all outstanding
awards held by such grantee (whether vested or unvested) will terminate on the date of such termination and the shares covered by such
awards shall again be available for issuance under the 2021 Plan.
Voting Rights. Except
with respect to restricted share awards, grantees will not have the rights as a shareholder of the Company with respect to any shares
covered by an award until the award has vested and/or the grantee has exercised such award, paid any exercise price for such award and
becomes the record holder of the shares. With respect to restricted share awards, grantees will possess all incidents of ownership of
the restricted shares, including the right to vote and receive dividends on such shares.
Dividends. Grantees holding
restricted share awards will be entitled to receive dividends and other distributions with respect to the shares underlying the restricted
share award. Any stock split, stock dividend, combination of shares or similar transaction will be subject to the restrictions of the
original restricted share award. Grantees holding RSUs will not be eligible to receive dividend but may be eligible to receive dividend
equivalents.
Transactions. In the
event of a share split, reverse share split, share dividend, recapitalization, combination or reclassification of the Company’s
shares, the administrator in its sole discretion may, and where required by applicable law shall, without the need for a consent of any
holder, make an appropriate adjustment in order to adjust (i) the number and class of shares reserved and available for the outstanding
awards, (ii) the number and class of shares covered by outstanding awards, (iii) the exercise price per share covered by any award, (iv)
the terms and conditions concerning vesting and exercisability and the term and duration of the outstanding awards, (v) the type or class
of security, asset or right underlying the award (which need not be only that of the Company, and may be that of the surviving corporation
or any affiliate thereof or such other entity party to any of the above transactions), and (vi) any other terms of the award that in the
opinion of the administrator should be adjusted; provided that any fractional shares resulting from such adjustment shall be rounded to
the nearest whole share unless otherwise determined by the administrator. In the event of a distribution of a cash dividend to all shareholders,
the administrator may determine, without the consent of any holder of an award, that the exercise price of an outstanding and unexercised
award shall be reduced by an amount equal to the per share gross dividend amount distributed by the Company, subject to applicable law.
In the event of a merger or consolidation of the Company or a
sale of all, or substantially all, of the Company’s shares or assets or other transaction having a similar effect on the Company,
or change in the composition of the board of directors, or liquidation or dissolution, or such other transaction or circumstances that
our board of directors determines to be a relevant transaction, then without the consent of the grantee, (i) unless otherwise determined
by the administrator, any outstanding award will be assumed or substituted by such successor corporation, or (ii) regardless of whether
or not the successor corporation assumes or substitutes the award (a) provide the grantee with the option to exercise the award as to
all or part of the shares, and may provide for an acceleration of vesting of unvested awards, (b) cancel the award and pay in cash, shares
of the Company, the acquirer or other corporation which is a party to such transaction or other property as determined by the administrator
as fair in the circumstances, or (c) provide that the terms of any award shall be otherwise amended, modified or terminated, as determined
by the administrator to be fair in the circumstances.
2021 Employee Share Purchase Plan
We adopted the ESPP immediately prior to the IPO. The ESPP is
comprised of two distinct components: (1) the component intended to qualify for favorable U.S. federal tax treatment under Section 423
of the Code (the “Section 423 Component”) and (2) the component not intended to be tax qualified under Section 423 of the
Code to facilitate participation for employees who are not eligible to benefit from favorable U.S. federal tax treatment and, to the extent
applicable, to provide flexibility to comply with non U.S. law and other considerations (the “Non Section 423 Component”).
Authorized Shares. A
total of 1,824,988 of our ordinary shares remains available for sale under the ESPP, subject to adjustment as provided for in the ESPP.
In addition, on the first day of each fiscal year beginning with our 2022 fiscal year and through our 2031 fiscal year, such pool of ordinary
shares shall be increased by that number of our ordinary shares equal to the lesser of:
• |
1% of the outstanding ordinary shares as of the last day of the immediately preceding
fiscal year, determined on a fully diluted basis; or |
• |
such other amount as our board of directors may determine. |
In no event will more than ordinary shares be available for issuance
under the Section 423 Component.
ESPP Administration. Unless
otherwise determined by our board of directors, the compensation committee of our board of directors; or the administrator; will administer
the ESPP and will have the authority to interpret the terms of the ESPP and determine eligibility under the ESPP, to impose a mandatory
holding period under which employees may not dispose or transfer shares under the ESPP, prescribe, revoke and amend forms, rules and procedures
relating to the ESPP, and otherwise exercise such powers and to perform such acts as the administrator deems necessary or expedient to
promote the best interests of the Company and its subsidiaries and to carry out the intent that the ESPP be treated as an “employee
stock purchase plan” within the meaning of Section 423 of the Code for the Section 423 Component.
Eligibility. Participation
in the Section 423 Component may be limited in the terms of any offering to employees of the Company and any of its designated subsidiaries
(a) who customarily work 20 hours or more per week, (b) whose customary employment is for more than five months per calendar year and
(c) who satisfy the procedural enrollment and other requirements set forth in the ESPP. Under the Section 423 Component, designated subsidiaries
include any subsidiary (within the meaning of Section 424(f) of the Code) of the Company that has been designated by our board of directors
or the compensation committee as eligible to participate in the ESPP (and if an entity does not so qualify within the meaning of Section
424(f) of the Code, it shall automatically be deemed to be a designated subsidiary in the Non-Section 423 Component). In addition, with
respect to the Non-Section 423 Component, designated subsidiaries may include any corporate or noncorporate entity in which the Company
has a direct or indirect equity interest or significant business relationship. Under the Section 423 Component, no employee may be granted
a purchase right if, immediately after the purchase right is granted, the employee would own (or, under applicable statutory attribution
rules, would be deemed to own) shares possessing 5% or more of the total combined voting power or value of all classes of shares of the
Company or any of its subsidiaries. In addition, in order to facilitate participation in the ESPP, the compensation committee may provide
for such special terms applicable to participants who are citizens or residents of a non-U.S. jurisdiction, or who are employed by a designated
subsidiary outside of the U.S., as the compensation committee may consider necessary or appropriate to accommodate differences in local
law, tax policy or custom. Except as permitted by Section 423 of the Code, with respect to the Section 423 Component, such special terms
may not be more favorable than the terms of rights granted under the Section 423 Component to eligible employees who are residents of
the United States.
Offering Periods. The
ESPP provides for offering periods, not to exceed 27 months each, during which we will grant rights to purchase our ordinary shares to
our employees. The timing of the offering periods will be determined by the administrator. The terms and conditions applicable to each
offering period will be set forth in an offering document adopted by the administrator for the particular offering period. The provisions
of offerings during separate offering periods under the ESPP need not be identical.
Contributions. The ESPP
will permit participants to purchase our ordinary shares through contributions (in the form of payroll deductions, or otherwise, to the
extent permitted by the administrator). The percentage of compensation designated by an eligible employee as payroll deductions for participation
in an offering may not be less than 1% and may not be more than the maximum percentage specified by the administrator in the applicable
offering document (which maximum percentage shall be 20% in the absence of any such specification). A participant may increase or decrease
the percentage of compensation designated in his or her subscription agreement, or may suspend his or her payroll deductions, at any time
during an offering period; provided, however, that the administrator may limit the number of changes a participant may make in the applicable
offering document. In the absence of any specific designation by the administrator, a participant may decrease (but not increase) his
or her payroll deduction elections one time during each offering period Exercise of Purchase Right. Amounts contributed and accumulated
by the participant will be used to purchase our ordinary shares at the end of each offering period. Unless otherwise determined by the
administrator, the purchase price of the shares will be 85% of the lower of the fair market value of our ordinary shares on (i) the first
trading day of the offering period or (ii) the last trading day of the offering period (and may not be lower than such amount with respect
to the Section 423 Component).
Participants may end their participation at any time during an
offering period and will be paid their accrued contributions that have not yet been used to purchase our ordinary shares. Participation
ends automatically upon termination of employment with us.
Non-Transferability. A
participant may not transfer contributions credited to his or her account nor any rights granted under the ESPP other than by will, the
laws of descent and distribution or as otherwise provided under the ESPP.
Corporate Transactions. In
the event of certain transactions or events such as a consolidation, merger or similar transaction, a sale or transfer of all or substantially
all of the Company’s assets, or a dissolution or liquidation of the Company, with respect to which the administrator determines
that an adjustment is appropriate in order to prevent dilution or enlargement of the benefits or potential benefits intended by the Company
to be made available under the ESPP or with respect to any outstanding purchase rights under the ESPP, the administrator shall make equitable
adjustments, if any, to reflect such change with respect to (a) the aggregate number and type of shares that may be issued under the ESPP;
(b) the class(es) and number of shares and price per share subject to outstanding rights; and (c) the purchase price with respect to any
outstanding rights. In addition, in any such situation, the administrator may, in its discretion, make other adjustments, including:
a. |
providing for either (i) termination of any outstanding right in exchange for an amount
of cash, or (ii) the replacement of such outstanding right with other rights or property; |
b. |
providing that the outstanding rights under the ESPP shall be assumed by the successor
or survivor corporation, with appropriate adjustments as to the number and kind of shares and prices; |
c. |
making adjustments in the number and type of shares (or other securities or property)
subject to outstanding rights under the ESPP and/or in the terms and conditions of outstanding rights and rights that may be granted in
the future; |
d. |
providing that participants’ accumulated payroll deductions may be used to purchase
shares prior to the next occurring purchase date on such date as the administrator determines and the participants’ rights under
the ongoing offering period(s) shall be terminated; and |
e. |
providing that all outstanding rights shall terminate without being exercised.
|
Amendment; Termination. The
administrator will have the authority to amend, suspend or terminate the ESPP. The ESPP is not subject to a specific termination date.
Additional Jurisdictions.
The administrator may adopt, amend and terminate one or more sub-plans to the ESPP to permit employees in a country other than the United
States to participate in the ESPP on the terms described in the applicable sub-plan, in compliance with that country’s securities,
tax and other laws (including, but not limited to an Israeli appendix as attached to the ESPP); provided, however, that such sub-plans
shall be a separate offering from any offering intended to comply with the requirements of Section 423 and in no event shall the provisions
of such sub-plans cause the ESPP to fail to satisfy the requirements of Section 423. In the event that employees in a country other than
the United States participate in an offering that is intended to comply with the requirements of Section 423, the terms of the offering
may be changed for such employees by the administrator if, in order to comply with the laws of a foreign jurisdiction, the terms for such
employees are less favorable than the terms of the offering to employees resident in the United States.
Israeli Appendix. The
administrator, in its discretion, may grant a right to purchase awards in compliance with Section 102 of the Ordinance to eligible employees
who are, or are deemed to be, residents of the State of Israel for Israeli tax purposes.
Corporate Governance Practices
As an Israeli company, we are subject to various corporate governance
requirements under the Companies Law. However, pursuant to regulations promulgated under the Companies Law, companies with shares traded
on certain U.S. stock exchanges, including Nasdaq, may, subject to certain conditions, “opt out” from the Companies Law requirements
to appoint external directors and related Companies Law rules concerning the composition of the audit committee and compensation committee
of the board of directors (other than the gender diversification rule under the Companies Law, which requires the appointment of a director
from the other gender if at the time a director is appointed all members of the board of directors are of the same gender). In accordance
with these regulations, we elected to “opt out” from those requirements of the Companies Law. Under these regulations, the
exemptions from such Companies Law requirements will continue to be available to us so long as: (i) we do not have a “controlling
shareholder” (as such term is defined under the Companies Law), (ii) our shares are traded on certain U.S. stock exchanges, including
Nasdaq, and (iii) we comply with the director independence requirements and the audit committee and compensation committee composition
requirements under U.S. laws (including applicable rules of Nasdaq) applicable to U.S. domestic issuers.
We are a “foreign private issuer” (as such term is
defined in Rule 3b-4 under the Exchange Act). As a foreign private issuer, we are permitted to comply with Israeli corporate governance
practices instead of the corporate governance rules of Nasdaq, provided that we disclose which requirements we are not following and the
equivalent Israeli requirement. As a foreign private issuer, we are exempt under the Exchange Act from, among other things, the rules
prescribing the furnishing and content of proxy statements, and our officers, directors and principal shareholders are exempt from the
reporting and short-swing profit recovery provisions contained in Section 16 of the Exchange Act. In addition, we are not be required
under the Exchange Act to file periodic reports and financial statements with the SEC as frequently or as promptly as U.S. companies whose
securities are registered under the Exchange Act. For more information regarding our corporate governance practices and foreign private
issuer status, see Item 16G. “Corporate Governance.”
Board of Directors
Under the Companies Law and our Articles of Association, our
business and affairs are managed under the direction of our board of directors. Our board of directors may exercise all powers and may
take all actions that are not specifically granted to our shareholders or to executive management. Our Chief Executive Officer (referred
to as a “general manager” under the Companies Law) is responsible for our day-to-day management. Our Chief Executive Officer
is appointed by, and serves at the discretion of, our board of directors, subject to the employment agreement that we have entered into
with him. All other executive officers are appointed by the Chief Executive Officer, subject to applicable corporate approvals, and are
subject to the terms of any applicable employment or consulting agreements that we may enter into with them.
Under our Articles of Association, our board of directors must
consist of not less than three but no more than ten directors divided into three classes, as nearly equal in number as practicable, with
staggered three-year terms, provided, however, that in the event at any time our board of directors is comprised of nine or less members,
the maximum number of members permitted under our Articles of Association shall not exceed nine. Each class of directors consists, as
nearly as possible, of one-third of the total number of directors constituting the entire board of directors. At each annual general meeting
of our shareholders, the election or re-election of directors following the expiration of the term of office of the directors of that
class of directors will be for a term of office that expires on the third annual general meeting following such election or re-election,
such that from the annual general meeting of 2022 and thereafter, each year the term of office of only one class of directors will expire.
Our directors are divided among the three classes as follows:
• |
the Class I directors are Roy Saar, Michael Risman, Menashe Ezra and Dan Adika, and
their terms will expire at our annual general meeting of our shareholders to be held in 2025; |
• |
the Class II directors, are Michele Bettencourt, Rafael Sweary and Rory O’Driscoll,
and their terms will expire at our annual general meeting of our shareholders to be held in 2023; and |
• |
the Class III directors are Jeff Horing, Ron Gutler and Haleli Barath, and their terms
will expire at our annual general meeting of our shareholders to be held in 2024. |
Our directors are appointed by a simple majority vote of holders
of our ordinary shares, participating and voting at an annual general meeting of our shareholders, provided that (i) in the event of a
contested election, the method of calculation of the votes and the manner in which the resolutions will be presented to our shareholders
at the general meeting will be determined by our board of directors in its discretion, and (ii) in the event that our board of directors
does not or is unable to make a determination on such matter, then the directors will be elected by a plurality of the voting power represented
at the general meeting in person or by proxy and voting on the election of directors.
Each director will hold office until the annual general meeting
of our shareholders for the year in which such director’s term expires, unless the tenure of such director expires earlier pursuant
to the Companies Law or unless such director is removed from office as described below.
Under our Articles of Association, the approval of the holders
of at least 65% of the total voting power of our shareholders is generally required to remove any of our directors from office or any
amendment to this provision shall require the approval of at least 65% of the total voting power of our shareholders to remove any of
our directors from office. In addition, vacancies on our board of directors may only be filled by a vote of a simple majority of the directors
then in office. A director so appointed will hold office until the next annual general meeting of our shareholders for the election of
the class of directors in respect of which the vacancy was created, or in the case of a vacancy due to the number of directors being less
than the maximum number of directors stated in our Articles of Association, the new director filling the vacancy will serve until the
next annual general meeting of our shareholders for the election of the class of directors to which such director was assigned by our
board of directors.
Chairperson of the Board
Our Articles of Association provide that the Chairperson of our
board of directors is appointed by the members of our board of directors from among them. Under the Companies Law, the chief executive
officer of a public company, or a relative of the chief executive officer, may not serve as the chairperson of the board of directors
of such public company, and the chairperson of the board of directors of a public company, or a relative of the chairperson, may not be
vested with authorities of the chief executive officer of such public company without shareholder approval consisting of a majority vote
of the shares present and voting at a shareholders meeting, and in addition, either:
• |
at least a majority of the shares of non-controlling shareholders and shareholders
that do not have a personal interest in the approval voted at the meeting are voted in favor (disregarding abstentions); or |
• |
the total number of shares of non-controlling shareholders and shareholders who do
not have a personal interest in such appointment that re voted against such appointment does not exceed two percent (2%) of the aggregate
voting rights in the company. |
The shareholders’ approval can be effective for a period
of up to five years following an initial public offering, and subsequently, for additional periods of up to three years.
In addition, a person who is subordinated, directly or indirectly,
to the chief executive officer may not serve as the chairperson of the board of directors; the chairperson of the board of directors may
not be vested with authorities that are granted to persons who are subordinated to the chief executive officer; and the chairperson of
the board of directors may not serve in any other position in the company or in a controlled subsidiary, but may serve as a director or
chairperson of a controlled subsidiary.
Our board of directors appointed Michele Bettencourt as chairperson
of the board of directors effective December 31, 2022, replacing Dan Adika who, in addition to his role as Chief Executive Officer, served
as chairperson of the board of directors from June 2021 until December 2022.
External Directors
Under the Companies Law, companies incorporated under the laws
of the State of Israel that are “public companies,” including companies with shares listed on Nasdaq, are required to appoint
at least two external directors. Pursuant to regulations promulgated under the Companies Law, companies with shares traded on certain
U.S. stock exchanges, including Nasdaq, which do not have a “controlling shareholder,” may, subject to certain conditions,
“opt out” from the Companies Law requirements to appoint external directors and related Companies Law rules concerning the
composition of the audit committee and compensation committee of the board of directors. In accordance with these regulations, we have
elected to “opt out” from the Companies Law requirement to appoint external directors and related Companies Law rules concerning
the composition of the audit committee and compensation committee of our board of directors.
Appointment Rights
Pursuant to our articles of association in effect prior to the
IPO, certain of our shareholders had rights to appoint members of our board of directors. All rights to appoint directors terminated upon
the closing of the IPO. Our currently serving directors were appointed as follows:
• |
Dan Adika was appointed by a majority vote based on the number of shares held by Mr.
Eyal Cohen, Brooks S.M. Projects Ltd. and Mr. Dan Adika; |
• |
Haleli Barath was appointed by resolution of our board of directors; |
• |
Michele Bettencourt was appointed by resolution of our board of directors; |
• |
Menashe Ezra was appointed by Gemini Israel V, L.P. and Gemini Partners Investors
V, L.P; |
• |
Ron Gutler was appointed by unanimous consent of our board of directors; |
• |
Jeff Horing was appointed by Insight Venture Partners IX, L.P., Insight Venture Partners
(Cayman) IX, L.P., Insight Venture Partners IX (Co-Investors), L.P. and Insight Venture Partners (Delaware) IX, L.P.; |
• |
Rory O’Driscoll was appointed by Scale Venture Partners IV, L.P.; |
• |
Michael Risman was appointed by Vitruvian Directors I Limited on behalf of Ambleside
S.a.r.l; |
• |
Roy Saar was appointed by Mangrove III Investments S.a.r.l.; and |
• |
Rafael Sweary was appointed by a majority vote based on the number of shares held
by Mr. Eyal Cohen, Brooks S.M. Projects Ltd. and Mr. Dan Adika. |
Committees of our Board of Directors
Audit Committee
Companies Law Requirements
Under the Companies Law, the board of directors of a public company
must appoint an audit committee. The audit committee must be comprised of at least three directors.
Listing Requirements
Under Nasdaq corporate governance rules, we are required to maintain
an audit committee consisting of at least three independent directors, each of whom is financially literate and one of whom has accounting
or related financial management expertise.
Our audit committee consists of Ron Gutler, Michele Bettencourt
and Roy Saar. Ron Gutler serves as the chairperson of the audit committee. All members of our audit committee meet the requirements for
financial literacy under the applicable rules and regulations of the SEC and Nasdaq corporate governance rules. Our board of directors
has determined that each of Ron Gutler, Michele Bettencourt and Roy Saar is an audit committee financial expert as defined by the SEC
rules and has the requisite financial experience as defined by Nasdaq corporate governance rules.
Our board of directors has determined that each member of our
audit committee is “independent” as such term is defined under the Nasdaq corporate governance rules and under Rule 10A-3(b)(1)
under the Exchange Act, which is different from the general test for independence of board and committee members.
Audit Committee Role
Our board of directors has adopted an audit committee charter
setting forth the responsibilities of the audit committee consistent with the Companies Law, the SEC rules and Nasdaq corporate governance
rules, which include:
• |
retaining and terminating our independent auditors, subject to ratification by our
board of directors, and in the case of retention, to ratification by the shareholders; |
• |
pre-approving audit and non-audit services to be provided by the independent auditors
and related fees and terms; |
• |
overseeing the accounting and financial reporting processes of our Company and audits
of our financial statements, the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting and making such reports as may be required
of an audit committee under the rules and regulations promulgated under the Exchange Act; |
• |
reviewing with management and our independent auditor our annual and quarterly financial
statements prior to publication or filing (or submission, as the case may be) to the SEC; |
• |
recommending to our board of directors the retention and termination of the internal
auditor, and the internal auditor’s engagement fees and terms, in accordance with the Companies Law as well as approving the yearly
or periodic work plan proposed by the internal auditor; |
• |
reviewing policies and procedures with respect to transactions (other than transactions
related to the compensation or terms of services) between us and our officers and directors, or affiliates of our officers or directors,
or transactions that are not in the ordinary course of our business and deciding whether to approve such acts and transactions if so required
under the Companies Law; and |
• |
establishing procedures for the handling of employees’ complaints as to the
management of our business and the protection to be provided to such employees. |
Compensation Committee
Companies Law Requirements
Under the Companies Law, the board of directors of a public company
must appoint a compensation committee, which must be comprised of at least three directors.
Listing Requirements
Under the Nasdaq corporate governance rules, we are required
to maintain a compensation committee consisting of at least two independent directors.
Our compensation committee consists of Rory O’Driscoll,
Ron Gutler and Roy Saar. Rory O’Driscoll serves as chairperson of the compensation committee. Our board of directors has determined
that each member of our compensation committee is independent under Nasdaq corporate governance rules, including the additional independence
requirements applicable to the members of a compensation committee.
Compensation Committee Role
In accordance with the Companies Law, the roles of the compensation
committee are, among others, as follows:
• |
making recommendations to our board of directors with respect to the approval of the
compensation policy for office holders and, once every three years, regarding any extensions to a compensation policy that was adopted
for a period of more than three years; |
• |
reviewing the implementation of the compensation policy and periodically making recommendations
to our board of directors with respect to any amendments or updates of the compensation policy; |
• |
resolving whether or not to approve arrangements with respect to the terms of office
and employment of office holders; and |
• |
exempting, under certain circumstances, a transaction with our Chief Executive Officer
from the approval of our shareholders. |
An “office holder” is defined in the Companies Law
as a general manager, chief business manager, deputy general manager, vice general manager, any other person assuming the responsibilities
of any of these positions regardless of such person’s title, a director and any other manager directly subordinate to the general
manager. Certain of the persons listed in the table under the section titled “Management-Executive Officers and Directors”
are office holders under the Companies Law.
Our board of directors has adopted a compensation committee charter
setting forth the responsibilities of the committee, which are consistent with Nasdaq corporate governance rules and the Companies Law,
and include among others:
•
|
recommending to our board of directors for its approval a compensation policy in accordance
with the requirements of the Companies Law as well as other compensation policies, incentive-based compensation plans and equity-based
compensation plans, and overseeing the development and implementation of such policies and recommending to our board of directors any
amendments or modifications the committee deems appropriate, including as required under the Companies Law; |
•
|
reviewing and approving the granting of options and other incentive awards to our
Chief Executive Officer and other executive officers, including reviewing and approving corporate goals and objectives relevant to the
compensation of our Chief Executive Officer and other executive officers, including evaluating their performance in light of such goals
and objectives; |
• |
Reviewing and making recommendations to the Board regarding director compensation;
|
• |
approving and exempting certain transactions regarding office holders’ compensation
pursuant to the Companies Law; and |
• |
administering our equity-based compensation plans, including without limitation, approving
the adoption of such plans, amending and interpreting such plans and the awards and agreements issued pursuant thereto, and making awards
to eligible persons under the plans and determining the terms of such awards. |
Compensation Policy
under the Companies Law
In general, under the Companies Law, a public company must have
a compensation policy approved by the board of directors after receiving and considering the recommendations of the compensation committee.
In addition, our compensation policy must be approved at least once every three years, first, by our board of directors, upon the recommendation
of our compensation committee, and second, by a simple majority of the ordinary shares present, in person or by proxy, and voting (excluding
abstentions) at a general meeting of shareholders, provided that either:
• |
such majority includes at least a majority of the shares held by shareholders who
are not controlling shareholders and shareholders who do not have a personal interest in such compensation policy; or |
• |
the total number of shares of non-controlling shareholders and shareholders who do
not have a personal interest in the compensation policy and who vote against the policy does not exceed two percent (2%) of the aggregate
voting rights in the Company. |
Under special circumstances, the board of directors may approve
the compensation policy despite the objection of the shareholders on the condition that the compensation committee and then the board
of directors decide, on the basis of detailed grounds and after discussing again the compensation policy, that approval of the compensation
policy, despite the objection of shareholders, is for the benefit of the company.
If a company that initially offers its securities to the public,
like us, adopts a compensation policy in advance of its initial public offering, and describes it in its prospectus for such offering,
then such compensation policy shall be deemed a validly adopted policy in accordance with the Companies Law requirements described above.
Furthermore, if the compensation policy is established in accordance with the aforementioned relief, then it will remain in effect for
a term of five years from the date such company becomes a public company.
The compensation policy must be based on certain considerations,
include certain provisions and reference certain matters as set forth in the Companies Law. The compensation policy must serve as the
basis for decisions concerning the financial terms of employment or engagement of office holders, including exculpation, insurance, indemnification
or any monetary payment or obligation of payment in respect of employment or engagement. The compensation policy must be determined and
later reevaluated according to certain factors, including: the advancement of the company’s objectives, business plan and long-term
strategy; the creation of appropriate incentives for office holders, while considering, among other things, the company’s risk management
policy; the size and the nature of the company’s operations; and with respect to variable compensation, the contribution of the
office holder towards the achievement of the company’s long-term goals and the maximization of its profits, all with a long-term
objective and according to the position of the office holder. The compensation policy must furthermore consider the following additional
factors:
• |
the education, skills, experience, expertise and accomplishments of the relevant office
holder; |
• |
the office holder’s position and responsibilities; |
• |
prior compensation agreements with the office holder; |
• |
the ratio between the cost of the terms of employment of an office holder and the
cost of the employment of other employees of the company, including employees employed through contractors who provide services to the
company, in particular the ratio between such cost to the average and median salary of such employees of the company, as well as the impact
of disparities between them on the work relationships in the company; |
• |
if the terms of employment include variable components - the possibility of reducing
variable components at the discretion of the board of directors and the possibility of setting a limit on the value of non-cash variable
equity-based components; and |
• |
if the terms of employment include severance compensation - the term of employment
or office of the office holder, the terms of the office holder’s compensation during such period, the company’s performance
during such period, the office holder’s individual contribution to the achievement of the company goals and the maximization of
its profits and the circumstances under which he or she is leaving the company. |
The compensation policy must also include, among other things:
• |
with regards to variable components: |
• |
with the exception of office holders who report to the chief executive officer, a
means of determining the variable components on the basis of long-term performance and measurable criteria; provided that the company
may determine that an immaterial part of the variable components of the compensation package of an office holder shall be awarded based
on non-measurable criteria, or if such amount is not higher than three months’ salary per annum, taking into account such office
holder’s contribution to the company; and |
• |
the ratio between variable and fixed components, as well as the limit of the values
of variable components at the time of their payment, or in the case of equity-based compensation, at the time of grant; |
• |
a condition under which the office holder will return to the company, according to
conditions to be set forth in the compensation policy, any amounts paid as part of the office holder’s terms of employment, if such
amounts were paid based on information later to be discovered to be wrong, and such information was restated in the company’s financial
statements; |
• |
the minimum holding or vesting period of variable equity-based components to be set
in the terms of office or employment, as applicable, while taking into consideration long-term incentives; and |
• |
a limit to retirement grants. |
Our compensation policy is designed to promote retention and
motivation of directors and executive officers, incentivize superior individual excellence, align the interests of our directors and executive
officers with our long-term performance and provide a risk management tool. To that end, a portion of our executive officer compensation
package is targeted to reflect our short and long-term goals, as well as the executive officer’s individual performance. On the
other hand, our compensation policy includes measures designed to reduce the executive officer’s incentives to take excessive risks
that may harm us in the long-term, such as limits on the value of cash bonuses and equity-based compensation, limitations on the ratio
between the variable and the total compensation of an executive officer and minimum vesting periods and performance based vesting for
equity-based compensation.
Our compensation policy also addresses our executive officers’
individual characteristics (such as their respective position, education, scope of responsibilities and contribution to the attainment
of our goals) as the basis for compensation variation among our executive officers and considers the internal ratios between compensation
of our executive officers and directors and other employees. Pursuant to our compensation policy, the compensation that may be granted
to an executive officer may include: base salary, annual bonuses and other cash bonuses (such as a signing bonus and special bonuses with
respect to any special achievements, such as outstanding personal achievement, outstanding personal effort or outstanding company performance),
equity-based compensation, benefits and retirement and termination of service arrangements. All cash bonuses are limited to a maximum
amount linked to the executive officer’s base salary.
An annual cash bonus may be awarded to executive officers upon
the attainment of pre-set periodic objectives and individual targets. The annual cash bonus that may be granted to our executive officers
other than our Chief Executive Officer will be based on performance objectives and a discretionary evaluation of the executive officer’s
overall performance by our Chief Executive Officer and subject to minimum thresholds. The annual cash bonus that may be granted to executive
officers other than our Chief Executive Officer may alternatively be based entirely on a discretionary evaluation. Furthermore, our Chief
Executive Officer will be entitled to approve performance objectives for executive officers who report to him.
The measurable performance objectives of our Chief Executive
Officer will be determined annually by our compensation committee and board of directors. A non-material portion of the Chief Executive
Officer’s annual cash bonus, as provided in our compensation policy, may be based on a discretionary evaluation of the Chief Executive
Officer’s overall performance by the compensation committee and the board of directors.
The equity-based compensation under our compensation policy for
our executive officers (including members of our board of directors) is designed in a manner consistent with the underlying objectives
in determining the base salary and the annual cash bonus, with its main objectives being to enhance the alignment between the executive
officers’ interests with our long-term interests and those of our shareholders and to strengthen the retention and the motivation
of executive officers in the long term. Our compensation policy provides for executive officer compensation in the form of share options
or other equity-based awards, such as restricted shares and restricted share units, in accordance with our equity incentive plan then
in place. The equity-based compensation shall be granted from time to time and be individually determined and awarded according to the
performance, educational background, prior business experience, qualifications, role and the personal responsibilities of the executive
officer.
In addition, our compensation policy contains compensation recovery
provisions which allow us under certain conditions to recover bonuses paid in excess, enable our Chief Executive Officer to approve an
immaterial change in the terms of employment of an executive officer who reports directly to him (provided that the changes of the terms
of employment are in accordance with our compensation policy) and allow us to exculpate, indemnify and insure our executive officers and
directors to the maximum extent permitted by Israeli law subject to certain limitations set forth therein.
Our compensation policy also provides for compensation to the
members of our board of directors either (i) in accordance with the amounts provided in the Companies Regulations (Rules Regarding the
Compensation and Expenses of an External Director) of 2000, as amended by the Companies Regulations (Relief for Public Companies Traded
in Stock Exchange Outside of Israel) of 2000, as such regulations may be amended from time to time, or (ii) in accordance with the amounts
determined in our compensation policy.
Our compensation policy was approved by our board of directors
and shareholders and became effective upon the closing of our IPO.
Nominating, Governance and Sustainability Committee
Our nominating, governance and sustainability committee consists
of Menashe Ezra, Jeff Horing, Ron Gutler and Michael Risman. Menashe Ezra serves as chairman of the nominating and governance committee.
Our board of directors has adopted a nominating, governance and sustainability committee charter setting forth the responsibilities of
the committee, which include:
• |
overseeing and assisting our board in reviewing and recommending nominees for election
as directors; |
• |
overseeing the assessment of the performance of the members of our board; |
• |
establishing and maintaining effective corporate governance policies and practices,
including, but not limited to, developing and recommending to our board a set of corporate governance guidelines applicable to our business;
and |
• |
overseeing our policies, programs and strategies related to environmental, social
and governance matters (“ESG). |
Internal Auditor
Under the Companies Law, the board of directors of a public company
must appoint an internal auditor based on the recommendation of the audit committee. The role of the internal auditor is, among other
things, to examine whether a company’s actions comply with applicable law and orderly business procedure. Under the Companies Law,
the internal auditor cannot be an interested party or an office holder or a relative of an interested party or an office holder, nor may
the internal auditor be the company’s independent auditor or its representative. “interested party” is defined in the
Companies Law as (i) a holder of 5% or more of the issued share capital or voting power in a company, (ii) any person or entity who has
the right to designate one or more directors or to designate the chief executive officer of the company or (iii) any person who serves
as a director or as chief executive officer of the company. As of December 31, 2022, Sharon Cohen, CPA from Deloitte IL & Co, a firm
in the Deloitte Global Network is acting as our internal auditor.
Approval of Related Party Transactions under Israeli Law
Fiduciary duties of directors and Executive
Officers
An office holder’s fiduciary duties consist of a duty of
care and a duty of loyalty. The duty of care requires an office holder to act with the level of care with which a reasonable office holder
in the same position would have acted under the same circumstances. The duty of care includes, among other things, a duty to use reasonable
means, in light of the circumstances, to obtain:
• |
information on the business advisability of a given action brought for his, her or
its approval or performed by virtue of his, her or its position; and |
• |
all other important information pertaining to such action. |
The duty of loyalty requires that an office holder act in good
faith and in the best interests of the company, and includes, among other things, the duty to:
• |
refrain from any act involving a conflict of interest between the performance of his,
her or its duties in the company and his, her or its other duties or personal affairs; |
• |
refrain from any activity that is competitive with the business of the company;
|
• |
refrain from exploiting any business opportunity of the company for the purpose of
gaining a personal advantage for himself, herself or itself or others; and |
• |
disclose to the company any information or documents relating to the company’s
affairs which the office holder received as a result of his, her or its position as an office holder. |
Under the Companies Law, a company may approve an act specified
above which would otherwise constitute a breach of the office holder’s duty of loyalty, provided that the office holder acted in
good faith, neither the act nor its approval harms the company, and the office holder discloses his, her or its personal interest a sufficient
time before the approval of such act. Any such approval is subject to the terms of the Companies Law setting forth, among other things,
the appropriate bodies of the company required to provide such approval and the methods of obtaining such approval.
Disclosure of Personal Interests of an Office
Holder and Approval of Certain Transactions
The Companies Law requires that an office holder promptly disclose
to the board of directors any personal interest that such office holder may have and all related material information known to such office
holder concerning any existing or proposed transaction with the company. A personal interest includes an interest of any person in an
act or transaction of a company, including a personal interest of one’s relative or of a corporate body in which such person or
a relative of such person is a 5% or greater shareholder, director or general manager or in which such person has the right to appoint
at least one director or the general manager, but excluding a personal interest stemming solely from one’s ownership of shares in
the company. A personal interest includes the personal interest of a person for whom the office holder holds a voting proxy or the personal
interest of the office holder with respect to the officer holder’s vote on behalf of a person for whom he or she holds a proxy even
if such shareholder has no personal interest in the matter.
If it is determined that an office holder has a personal interest
in a non-extraordinary transaction, meaning any transaction that is in the ordinary course of business, on market terms or that is not
likely to have a material impact on the company’s profitability, assets or liabilities, approval by the board of directors is required
for the transaction unless the company’s articles of association provide for a different method of approval. Any such transaction
that is adverse to the company’s interests may not be approved by the board of directors.
Approval first by the company’s audit committee and subsequently
by the board of directors is required for an extraordinary transaction (meaning any transaction that is not in the ordinary course of
business, not on market terms or that is likely to have a material impact on the company’s profitability, assets or liabilities)
in which an office holder has a personal interest.
A director and any other office holder who has a personal interest
in a transaction which is considered at a meeting of the board of directors or the audit committee may generally (unless it is with respect
to a transaction which is not an extraordinary transaction) not be present at such a meeting or vote on that matter unless a majority
of the directors or members of the audit committee, as applicable, have a personal interest in the matter. If a majority of the members
of the audit committee or the board of directors have a personal interest in the matter, then all of the directors may participate in
deliberations of the audit committee or board of directors, as applicable, with respect to such transaction and vote on the approval thereof
and, in such case, shareholder approval is also required.
Certain disclosure and approval requirements apply under Israeli
law to certain transactions with controlling shareholders, certain transactions in which a controlling shareholder has a personal interest
and certain arrangements regarding the terms of service or employment of a controlling shareholder. For these purposes, a controlling
shareholder is any shareholder that has the ability to direct the company’s actions, including any shareholder holding 25% or more
of the voting rights if no other shareholder owns more than 50% of the voting rights in the company. Two or more shareholders with a personal
interest in the approval of the same transaction are deemed to be one shareholder.
For a description of the approvals required under Israeli law
for compensation arrangements of officers and directors, see “-Compensation of Directors and Executive Officers.”
Shareholder Duties
Pursuant to the Companies Law, a shareholder has a duty to act
in good faith and in a customary manner toward the company and other shareholders and to refrain from abusing his or her power with respect
to the company, including, among other things, in voting at a general meeting and at shareholder class meetings with respect to the following
matters:
• |
an amendment to the company’s articles of association; |
• |
an increase of the company’s authorized share capital; |
• |
a merger; or |
• |
interested party transactions that require shareholder approval. |
In addition, a shareholder has a general duty to refrain from
discriminating against other shareholders.
Certain shareholders also have a duty of fairness toward the
company. These shareholders include any controlling shareholder, any shareholder who knows that it has the power to determine the outcome
of a shareholder vote and any shareholder who has the power to appoint or to prevent the appointment of an office holder of the company
or exercise any other rights available to it under the company’s articles of association with respect to the company. The Companies
Law does not define the substance of this duty of fairness, except to state that the remedies generally available upon a breach of contract
will also apply in the event of a breach of the duty of fairness.
Exculpation, Insurance and Indemnification
of Office Holders
Under the Companies Law, a company may not exculpate an office
holder from liability for a breach of the duty of loyalty. An Israeli company may exculpate an office holder in advance from liability
to the company, in whole or in part, for damages caused to the company as a result of a breach of duty of care but only if a provision
authorizing such exculpation is included in its articles of association. Our Articles of Association include such a provision. An Israeli
company may not exculpate a director from liability arising out of a prohibited dividend or distribution to shareholders.
An Israeli company may indemnify an office holder in respect
of the following liabilities and expenses incurred for acts performed as an office holder, either in advance of an event or following
an event, provided a provision authorizing such indemnification is contained in its articles of association:
• |
a financial liability imposed on him or her in favor of another person pursuant to
a judgment, including a settlement or arbitrator’s award approved by a court. However, if an undertaking to indemnify an office
holder with respect to such liability is provided in advance, then such an undertaking must be limited to events which, in the opinion
of the board of directors, can be foreseen based on the company’s activities when the undertaking to indemnify is given, and to
an amount or according to criteria determined by the board of directors as reasonable under the circumstances, and such undertaking shall
detail the above mentioned events and amount or criteria; |
• |
reasonable litigation expenses, including legal fees, incurred by the office holder
(1) as a result of an investigation or proceeding instituted against him or her by an authority authorized to conduct such investigation
or proceeding, provided that (i) no indictment was filed against such office holder as a result
of such investigation or proceeding; and (ii) no financial liability, such as a criminal penalty, was imposed upon him or her as a substitute
for the criminal proceeding as a result of such investigation or proceeding or, if such financial liability was imposed, it was imposed
with respect to an offense that does not require proof of criminal intent; and (2) in connection with a monetary sanction; |
• |
reasonable litigation expenses, including legal fees, incurred by the office holder
or imposed by a court in proceedings instituted against him or her by the company, on its behalf or by a third-party or in connection
with criminal proceedings in which the office holder was acquitted or as a result of a conviction for an offense that does not require
proof of criminal intent; and |
• |
expenses, including reasonable litigation expenses and legal fees, incurred by an
office holder in relation to an administrative proceeding instituted against such office holder, or certain compensation payments made
to an injured party imposed on an office holder by an administrative proceeding, pursuant to certain provisions of the Israeli Securities
Law. |
An Israeli company may insure an office holder against the following
liabilities incurred for acts performed as an office holder if and to the extent provided in the company’s articles of association:
• |
a breach of the duty of loyalty to the company, to the extent that the office holder
acted in good faith and had a reasonable basis to believe that the act would not prejudice the company; |
• |
a breach of the duty of care to the company or to a third-party, including a breach
arising out of the negligent conduct of the office holder; |
• |
a financial liability imposed on the office holder in favor of a third-party;
|
• |
a financial liability imposed on the office holder in favor of a third-party harmed
by a breach in an administrative proceeding; and |
• |
expenses, including reasonable litigation expenses and legal fees, incurred by the
office holder as a result of an administrative proceeding instituted against him or her, pursuant to certain provisions of the Israeli
Securities Law. |
An Israeli company may not indemnify or insure an office holder
against any of the following:
• |
a breach of the duty of loyalty, except to the extent that the office holder acted
in good faith and had a reasonable basis to believe that the act would not prejudice the company; |
• |
a breach of the duty of care committed intentionally or recklessly, excluding a breach
arising out of the negligent conduct of the office holder; |
• |
an act or omission committed with intent to derive illegal personal benefit; or
|
• |
a fine, monetary sanction or forfeit levied against the office holder. |
Under the Companies Law, exculpation, indemnification and insurance
of office holders must be approved by the compensation committee and the board of directors (and, with respect to directors and the chief
executive officer, by the shareholders). However, under regulations promulgated under the Companies Law, the insurance of office holders
does not require shareholder approval and may be approved by only the compensation committee if the engagement terms are determined in
accordance with the company’s compensation policy, which was approved by the shareholders by the same special majority required
to approve a compensation policy, provided that the insurance policy is on market terms and the insurance policy is not likely to materially
impact the company’s profitability, assets or obligations.
Our Articles of Association allow us to exculpate, indemnify
and insure our office holders for any liability imposed on them as a consequence of an act (including any omission) which was performed
by virtue of being an office holder. Our office holders are currently covered by a directors and officers’ liability insurance policy.
We have entered into indemnification agreements with each of
our directors and executive officers exculpating them in advance, to the fullest extent permitted by law, from liability to us for damages
caused to us as a result of a breach of duty of care, and undertaking to indemnify them to the fullest extent permitted by law. This indemnification
is limited to events determined as foreseeable by the board of directors based on our activities, and to an amount or according to criteria
determined by the board of directors as reasonable under the circumstances.
The maximum indemnification amount set forth in such agreements
is limited to an amount equal to the higher of (i) 10% of our IPO’s valuation, (ii) 25% of our total shareholders’ equity
as reflected in our most recent consolidated financial statements prior to the date on which the indemnity payment is made and (iii) 10%
of our total market cap calculated based on the average closing price our ordinary shares over the 30 trading days prior to the actual
payment, multiplied by the total number of our issued and outstanding shares as of the date of the payment (other than indemnification
for an offering of securities to the public, including by a shareholder in a secondary offering, in which case the maximum indemnification
amount is limited to the gross proceeds raised by us and/or any selling shareholder in such public offering). The maximum amount set forth
in such agreements is in addition to any amount paid (if paid) under insurance and/or by a third-party pursuant to an indemnification
arrangement.
In the opinion of the SEC, indemnification of directors and office
holders for liabilities arising under the Securities Act, however, is against public policy and therefore unenforceable.
We employ a growing and highly-skilled employee base, including
our sales force and engineers and promote a culture of innovation to continuously enhance our services and commercial footprint. Our human
capital objectives include, as applicable, identifying, recruiting, retaining, incentivizing and integrating our current and new employees.
As of December 31, 2022, we had approximately 1,200 full-time
employees. Employee turnover has not had a material impact on our operations to date. None of our employees are represented by a trade
or labor union. In certain countries in which we operate, we are subject to local labor law requirements, which may automatically make
our employees subject to industry-wide collective bargaining agreements. We have not experienced any work stoppages and we consider our
relationship with our employees to be good.
For information regarding the share ownership of directors and
officers, see Item 7.A. “Major Shareholders and Related Party Transactions-Major Shareholders.” For information as to our
equity incentive plans, see Item 6.B. “Director, Senior Management and Employees-Compensation- Equity incentive plans.”
F. |
Disclosure of a Registrant’s Action to Recover Erroneously
Awarded Compensation |
Not applicable.
Item 7. Major Shareholders
and Related Party Transactions
The beneficial ownership of ordinary shares is determined in
accordance with the SEC rules and generally includes any ordinary shares over which a person exercises sole or shared voting or investment
power. For purposes of the table below, we deem shares subject to options or warrants that are currently exercisable or exercisable within
60 days of February 28, 2023, to be outstanding and to be beneficially owned by the person holding the options or warrants for the purposes
of computing the percentage ownership of that person but we do not treat them as outstanding for the purpose of computing the percentage
ownership of any other person. The percentage of shares beneficially owned is based on 87,861,147 ordinary shares outstanding as of February
28, 2023.
All of our shareholders, including the shareholders listed below,
have the same voting rights attached to their ordinary shares. Unless otherwise noted below, each shareholder’s address is 1 Walter
Moses St., Tel Aviv, 6789903, Israel.
A description of any material relationship that our principal
shareholders have had with us or any of our affiliates within the past three years is included under “Certain relationships and
related party transactions.”
Name of Beneficial Owner |
|
Number |
|
|
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Principal Shareholders: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Entities Affiliated with Insight Partners(1) |
|
|
24,253,823 |
|
|
|
27.6 |
|
Entities Affiliated with StepStone Group(2) |
|
|
10,366,855 |
|
|
|
11.8 |
|
Scale Venture Partners IV, LP(3) |
|
|
9,429,021 |
|
|
|
10.7 |
|
Entities Affiliated with Mangrove Capital Partners(4) |
|
|
6,278,354 |
|
|
|
7.1 |
|
Entities Affiliated with Gemini Israel Ventures(5) |
|
|
7,730,048 |
|
|
|
8.8 |
|
Entities Affiliated with AMBLESIDE S.À R.L.(6) |
|
|
5,462,245 |
|
|
|
6.2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Executive Officers and Directors: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dan Adika(7) |
|
|
3,244,447 |
|
|
|
3.6 |
|
Hagit Ynon (8) |
|
246,354 |
|
|
* |
|
Scott Little |
|
32,971 |
|
|
|
* |
|
Michele Bettencourt(9) |
|
|
23,333 |
|
|
|
* |
|
Haleli Barath (10) |
|
|
109,328 |
|
|
|
* |
|
Rafael Sweary(11) |
|
|
3,056,433 |
|
|
|
3.4 |
|
Menashe Ezra(12) |
|
|
7,739,543 |
|
|
|
8.8 |
|
Ron Gutler(13) |
|
|
39,609 |
|
|
|
* |
|
Jeff Horing(14) |
|
|
9,495 |
|
|
|
* |
|
Rory O’Driscoll(15) |
|
|
9,435,228 |
|
|
|
10.7 |
|
Michael Risman(16) |
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
Roy Saar(17) |
|
|
196,735 |
|
|
|
* |
|
All directors and executive officers as a group (12
individuals) |
|
24,133,476 |
|
|
26.0 |
|
* |
Indicates ownership of less than 1%. |
|
|
(1)
|
Pursuant to Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on February 11, 2022, consists of (i)
14,719,862 ordinary shares held of record by Insight Venture Partners IX, L.P., (ii) 293,822 ordinary shares held of record by Insight
Venture Partners IX (Co-Investors), L.P., (iii) 7,313,935 ordinary shares held of record by Insight Venture Partners (Cayman) IX, L.P.,
(iv) 1,559,564 ordinary shares held of record by Insight Venture Partners (Delaware) IX, L.P., (v) 163,070 ordinary shares held of record
by Insight Partners (Cayman) XI, L.P., (vi) 21,747 ordinary shares held of record by Insight Partners (Delaware) XI, L.P., (vii) 20,202
ordinary shares held of record by Insight Partners (EU) XI, S.C.Sp., (viii) 3,568 ordinary shares held of record by Insight Partners XI
(Co-Investors) (B), L.P., (ix) 2,589 ordinary shares held of record by Insight Partners XI (Co-Investors), L.P., and (x) 155,464 shares
held of record held by Insight Partners XI, L.P. The general partner of Insight Venture Partners IX, L.P., Insight Venture Partners IX
(Co-Investors), L.P., Insight Venture Partners (Cayman) IX, L.P., and Insight Venture Partners (Delaware) IX, L.P. is Insight Venture
Associates IX, L.P., (“IVA IX LP”), whose general partner is Insight Venture Associates IX, Ltd., (“IVA IX Ltd”).
The general partner of Insight Partners (Cayman) XI, L.P., Insight Partners (Delaware) XI, L.P., Insight Partners XI (Co-Investors) (B),
L.P., Insight Partners XI (Co-Investors), L.P. and Insight Partners XI, L.P. is Insight Associates XI, L.P., (“IA XI LP”),
whose general partner is Insight Associates XI, Ltd. (“IA XI Ltd”). The general partner of Insight Partners (EU) XI, S.C.Sp.
is Insight Associates (EU) XI, S.a.r.l., (“IA EU XI”). The sole shareholder of IVA IX Ltd, IA XI Ltd and IA EU XI is Insight
Holdings Group, LLC. Mr. Horing, one of the Company’s directors, is a managing director at Insight Venture Partners. The address
for these entities is c/o Insight Partners, 1114 Avenue of the Americas, 36th Floor, New York, NY 10036. |
(2)
|
Pursuant to Schedule 13/G filed with the SEC on September 20, 2022, consists of (i)
10,366,855 ordinary shares held by StepStone Group LP. (“StepStone”); (ii) 3,013,139 ordinary shares held by StepStone
VC Global Partners VI-A, L.P. (“Global Partners VI-A”); (iii) 1,203,629 ordinary shares held by StepStone VC
Global Partners VI-C, L.P. (“Global Partners VI-C”); (iv) 4,216,768 ordinary shares held by StepStone VC General
Partner VI, L.P. (“Partners VI GP”); (v) 5,948,813 ordinary shares held by StepStone VC Opportunities III, L.P. (“Opportunities
III”); (vi) 5,948,813 ordinary shares held by StepStone VC Opportunities General Partner III, L.P. (“Opportunities III GP”);
(vii) 201,274 ordinary shares held by StepStone VC Secondaries Fund IV, L.P. (“Secondaries Fund IV,” and together with Global
Partners VI and Opportunities III, the “Funds”) and (viii) 201,274 ordinary shares held by StepStone VC Secondaries General
Partner IV, L.P (“Secondaries IV GP”). Partners VI GP is the general partner of Global Partners VI-A and Global Partners VI-C,
Opportunities III GP is the general partner of Opportunities III, and Secondaries IV GP is the general partner of Secondaries Fund IV.
StepStone is the investment manager of the Funds. StepStone Group Holdings LLC (“StepStone Group Holdings”) is the general
partner of StepStone, and StepStone Group Inc. is the sole managing member of StepStone Group Holdings. On September 20, 2021, StepStone
Group Inc., a Delaware corporation, and StepStone Group LP, a Delaware limited partnership, completed the acquisition of Greenspring Associates,
LLC and certain of its affiliates or subsidiaries (the “StepStone Acquisition”). As a result of the Stepstone Acquisition,
StepStone Group LP became the investment manager of the Funds. The address of these entities is 4225 Executive Square, Suite 1600, La
Jolla, CA 90237. |
(3)
|
Pursuant to Schedule 13G/A filed with the SEC on February 13, 2023, consists of 9,429,021
ordinary shares held of record by Scale Venture Partners IV, L.P. (“SVP IV”). The general partner of SVP IV is Scale Venture
Management IV, L.P. whose general partner is Scale Venture Management IV, LLC (“Scale IV LLC”). Rory O’Driscoll, one
of our directors, Andrew Vitus and Stacey Bishop are managers of Scale IV LLC and share voting and dispositive power with respect to the
ordinary shares held by SVP IV. The address for these entities is c/o Scale Venture Partners, 950 Tower Lane, Suite 1150, Foster City,
California 94404. |
(4)
|
Pursuant to Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on January 19, 2022, consists of (i) 5,638,420
ordinary shares held by Mangrove III Investments S.à r.l (“Mangrove III”) and (ii) 639,934 ordinary shares held by Mangrove
V Investments S.à r.l (“Mangrove V”). Mangrove III S.C.A. SICAR is the owner of 100% of the share capital of Mangrove
III, and Mangrove V (SCA), RAIF is the owner of 100% of the share capital of Mangrove V. Mangrove III Management S.A. is the liquidator
of Mangrove III S.C.A. SICAR. The members of the board of directors of Mangrove III Management S.A. are Mark Tluszcz, Hans-Jurgen Schmitz
and Willibrord Ehses. As a result of these relationships, each of Mangrove III S.C.A. SICAR, Mangrove III Management S.A. and Messrs.
Tluszcz, Schmitz and Ehses may be deemed to share voting and dispositive power with respect to the securities held by Mangrove III. Mangrove
Capital Partners S.A. is the manager of Mangrove V (SCA), RAIF. The members of the board of directors of Mangrove Capital Partners S.A.
are Mark Tluszcz, Hans-Jürgen Schmitz, Michael Rabinowicz and Gerardo Lopez Fojaca. As a result of these relationships, each of Mangrove
V (SCA), RAIF, Mangrove Capital Partners S.A. and Messrs. Tluszcz, Schmitz, Rabinowicz and Lopez Fojaca may be deemed to share voting
and dispositive power with respect to the securities held by Mangrove V. Roy Saar, one of our directors, is a partner at Mangrove Capital
Partners. The address for these entities is 31 Boulevard Joseph II, L-1840, Luxembourg. |
(5)
|
Pursuant to Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on February 14, 2023, consists of (i)
7,652,748 ordinary shares held of record by Gemini Israel V Limited Partnership (“Gemini V”) and (ii) 77,300 ordinary shares
held of record by Gemini Partners Investors V L.P. (“Gemini Partners”). Gemini Capital Associates V LP (“Gemini Associates
LP”) is the general partner of Gemini V and Gemini Capital Associates V GP, Ltd. (“Gemini Associates GP”) is the general
partner of Gemini Associates LP. Gemini Israel Funds IV Ltd. is the general partner of Gemini Partners. Yossi Sela and Menashe Ezra are
the managing partners of Gemini Associates GP, and Gemini Israel Funds IV Ltd. The address for these entities is 1 Abba Eban Avenue, Merkazim
2001, Bldg A, 3rd Floor, Herzliya Israel. |
(6)
|
Pursuant to Schedule 13D/A filed with the SEC on December 17, 2021, consists of: (i)
3,404,955 ordinary shares held or record by Ambleside S.à r.l. (“Ambleside”) and (ii) 2,057,290 ordinary shares held
of record by Ambleside Lux S.à r.l. (“Ambleside Lux”). Vitruvian III Luxembourg S.à r.l. (“Vitruvian Luxembourg”),
is the sole shareholder of Ambleside. VIP III Cortex-B S.à r.l. (“VIP III Cortex-B”) is the sole shareholder of Ambleside
Lux. VIP III Nominees Limited (“VIP Nominees”) is the nominee for and on behalf of VIP III LP, and VIP III Co-Invest LP (collectively,
the “Funds”), and sole legal shareholder of Vitruvian Luxembourg and VIP III Cortex-B. Vitruvian Partners LLP (“Vitruvian
Partners”) is the manager of the Funds and sole shareholder of VIP Nominees. Michael Risman, one of our directors, is a managing
partner of Vitruvian Partners. The address of the principal business office of VIP Nominees, VIP III LP and Vitruvian Partners is 105
Wigmore Street, London W1U 1QY, the address of the principal business office of VIP III Co-Invest LP is 12 Castle Street St Helier Jersey
JE2 3RT and the address of the principal business office of Ambleside, Ambleside Lux, Vitruvian Luxembourg and VIP III Cortex-B is 21,
rue Philippe II, L-2340 Luxembourg. |
(7) |
Consists of 2,876,125 ordinary shares underlying options exercisable within 60 days of February 28, 2023.
|
(8) |
Consists of 208,854 ordinary shares underlying options exercisable within 60 days of February 28, 2023.
|
(9) |
Consists of 23,333 ordinary shares underlying options exercisable within 60 days of
February 28, 2023. |
(10) |
Consists of 23,328 ordinary shares underlying options exercisable within 60 days of February 28, 2023.
|
(11) |
Includes (a) 1,133,305 ordinary shares held by Brooks S.M. Projects Ltd. and (b) 1,915,628
ordinary shares underlying options exercisable within 60 days of February 28, 2023. |
(12)
|
Includes (a) ordinary shares beneficially held by entities affiliated with Gemini
Israel Ventures as set forth in footnote (5) above, (b) 3,288 ordinary shares and (c) 6,207 ordinary shares underlying options exercisable
within 60 days of February 28, 2023. |
(13) |
Consists of 39,609 ordinary shares underlying options exercisable within 60 days of
February 28, 2023. |
(14) |
Consists of 6,207 ordinary shares underlying options exercisable within 60 days of
February 28, 2023. Does not include the ordinary shares beneficially held by entities affiliated with Insight Partners as set forth in
footnote (1) above. |
(15) |
Includes (a) ordinary shares beneficially held by entities affiliated with Scale Venture
Partners IV, LP as set forth in footnote (3) above, and (b) 6,207 ordinary shares underlying options exercisable within 60 days of February
28, 2023. |
(16) |
Does not include the ordinary shares beneficially held by entities affiliated with
Ambleside as set forth in footnote (6) above |
(17) |
Consists of 6,207 ordinary shares underlying options exercisable within 60 days of
February 28, 2023. Does not include the ordinary shares beneficially held by entities affiliated with Mangrove Capital Partners as set
forth in footnote (4) above. |
Significant Changes in Ownership
To our knowledge, other than as disclosed in the table above,
our other filings with the SEC and this Annual Report, there has been no significant change in the percentage ownership held by any major
shareholder during the past three years.
Voting Rights
Neither our major shareholders nor our directors and executive
officers will have different or special voting rights with respect to their ordinary shares.
Registered Holders
As of February 28,
2023, approximately 75% of our outstanding shares were held by 133 holders of records in the United
States (including Cede & Co., the nominee of the Depository Trust Company). The number of record holders in the United States is not
representative of the number of beneficial holders nor is it representative of where such beneficial holders are resident since many of
these ordinary shares were held by brokers or other nominees.
Change in Control Arrangements
We are not aware of any arrangement that may at a subsequent
date, result in a change of control of the Company.
B. |
Related Party Transactions |
The following is a description of our related party transactions
as defined under Item 7.B of Form 20-F, since January 1, 2020.
Series F Preferred Share Financing. In
November 2019, we signed a Series F Share Purchase Agreement, undertaking to sell to investors an aggregate of 4,103,487 of our Series F
preferred shares at a purchase price of $21.932565 per share for an aggregate purchase price of $90 million, such shares to be issued
(against payment) from time to time upon our funding request(s) or the purchase request(s) of such investors, no later than 24 months
from the initial closing or (if earlier) upon an IPO or exit event. In January 2020, we signed a joinder to the Series F Share Purchase
Agreement, selling an aggregate of 159,338 of our Series F preferred shares at a purchase price of $21.932565 per share for an aggregate
purchase price of approximately $3.5 million. Each Series F preferred share automatically converted into one ordinary share
immediately prior to the closing of our IPO in accordance with the terms of our articles of association in effect prior to our IPO.
The following table summarizes the Series F preferred
shares purchased by holders of more than 5% of our share capital, our executive officers, members of our board of directors and any entities
affiliated with our executive officers or a member of our board of directors, as of the date of this Annual Report:
|
|
Series F Preferred Shares
|
|
Shareholder(1)
|
|
Shares Purchased
|
|
|
Aggregate Purchase
Price |
|
Entities Affiliated with Insight Partners(2)
|
|
|
911,886 |
|
|
$ |
20.0 million |
|
Entity Affiliated with Vitruvian Partners(3)
|
|
|
3,191,601 |
|
|
$ |
70.0 million |
|
(1) |
Additional details regarding certain of these shareholders and their equity holdings
are provided in this Annual Report under the caption “Major Shareholders.” |
(2) |
Jeff Horing, a member of our board of directors, is a member of the board of managers
of Insight Holdings Group LLC. |
(3) |
Michael Risman, a member of our board of directors, is the managing partner of Vitruvian
Partners. |
Rights of Appointment Pre-IPO
Our board of directors currently consists of ten directors. Pursuant
to our articles of association in effect prior to our IPO, certain of our shareholders, including our related parties, had rights to appoint
members of our board of directors. See the section titled “Management-Appointment Rights.”
All rights to appoint directors and observers terminated upon
the closing of our IPO, although currently serving directors that were appointed prior to our IPO will continue to serve pursuant to their
appointment until the annual general meeting of our shareholders at which the term of their class of director expires.
Investor’s Rights Agreement
In June 2021, we entered into an amended and restated investor’s
rights agreement with certain holders of our preferred shares, entities affiliated with certain of our executive officers and directors,
as well as certain of our executive officers and directors. These shareholders are entitled to certain registration rights with respect
to the registrable securities held by them.
Other Transactions
Maya Flisser, the spouse of Dan Adika, our Chief Executive Officer
and a member of our board of directors, is employed by us as a Purchasing Manager based in Tel Aviv. We believe Ms. Flisser’s compensation
is aligned with that of employees of similar companies in Tel Aviv having similar skills and experience. Ms. Flisser is not an executive
officer of the Company.
For each of the years ended December 31, 2020, 2021 and 2022,
we paid BFP & Co. (“BFP”), our external corporate counsel, consideration of approximately $320,000, $920,000, $145,000,
respectively, for legal services. Haleli Barath, a member of our board of directors, is a partner at BFP.
Agreements with Directors and Officers
Employment and Consulting Agreements.
We have entered into written employment agreements with each of our executive officers. See Item 6. “Management-Employment and Consulting
Agreements with Executive Officers.”
Awards. Since our inception,
we have granted options to purchase our ordinary shares to our executive officers and certain of our directors. Such option agreements
may contain acceleration provisions upon certain merger, acquisition or change of control transactions and other circumstances. We describe
our option plans under “Management-Share Option Plans.”
Exculpation, Indemnification
and Insurance. Our Articles of Association permit us to exculpate, indemnify and insure certain of our office holders to the fullest
extent permitted by the Companies Law. We have entered into agreements with certain office holders, exculpating them from a breach of
their duty of care to us to the fullest extent permitted by law and undertaking to indemnify them to the fullest extent permitted by law,
subject to certain exceptions, including with respect to liabilities resulting from the IPO to the extent that such liabilities are not
covered by insurance. See Item 6. “Directors, Senior Management and Employees-Exculpation, Insurance and Indemnification of Directors
and Officers.”
Related Party Transaction Policy
Our board of directors has adopted a written related party transaction
policy that sets forth the policies and procedures for the review and approval or ratification of related person transactions. This policy
covers interested party transactions under the Companies Law, interested party transactions as defined in Part I, Item 7.B of Form 20-F
and transactions between the Company and an interested party, which are material to the Company or the interested party, and any such
transactions between the Company and an interested party that are unusual in their nature or conditions, involving goods, services, or
tangible or intangible assets. A transaction involving an amount exceeding $120,000 is presumed to be material, though transactions involving
lower amounts may be material based on the facts and circumstances.
C. |
Interests of Experts and Counsel |
Not applicable.
Item 8. Financial
Information
A. |
Consolidated Statements and Other Financial Information |
Consolidated Financial Statements
See Item 18. “Financial Statements.”
Legal and Arbitration Proceedings
From time to time, we may be involved in various claims and legal
proceedings arising from the normal course of our business activities and operations. Other than as noted below, we are not presently
a party to any litigation the outcome of which, we believe, if determined adversely to us, would individually or taken together have a
material adverse effect on our business, operating results, cash flows or financial condition. Defending such proceedings is costly and
can impose a significant burden on management and employees. The outcomes of any such claims or proceedings, regardless of the merits,
is inherently uncertain and can have an adverse impact on us because of defense and settlement costs, diversion of management resources
and other factors.
On October 21, 2022, a former employee filed a putative class
action in the Superior Court for the City and County of San Francisco, based on claims that she was misclassified as an exempt employee
and that the Company failed to properly reimburse for business expenses, failed to pay the proper rate of pay for paid sick leave, and
other claims related to the payment of commissions and derivative of the misclassification claim. On December 16, 2022, the plaintiff
filed a First Amended Complaint, adding a cause of action for civil penalties under California’s Private Attorneys General Act (California
Labor Code Section 2698, et. seq.) seeking to recover civil penalties on behalf of herself, other WalkMe employees, and the State of California,
for alleged violations of California’s Labor Code violations. The suit seeks monetary and non-monetary damages, including
punitive damages, as well as disgorgement of profits, penalties, interest, and attorneys’ fees on behalf of plaintiff and others
similarly situated. The Company filed its Answer on January 19, 2023. Although this proceeding is at preliminary stages, the Company
believes this lawsuit is without merit and intends to vigorously contest these claims. While the outcome of any complex legal proceeding
is inherently unpredictable and subject to significant uncertainties, based upon information presently known to management, the Company
believes that the potential liability, if any, will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition, cash
flows, or results of operations.
Dividend Policy
We do not anticipate paying any dividends in the foreseeable
future. We currently intend to retain future earnings, if any, to finance operations and expand our business. Our board of directors has
sole discretion whether to pay dividends. If our board of directors decides to pay dividends, the form, frequency and amount will depend
upon our future operations and earnings, capital requirements and surplus, general financial condition, contractual restrictions, restrictions
under our Credit Facility and other factors that our directors may deem relevant. The Companies Law imposes restrictions on our ability
to declare and pay dividends.
Payment of dividends may be subject to Israeli withholding taxes.
See Item 10.E. “Taxation-Israeli Tax Considerations” for additional information.
None.
Item 9. The Offer and Listing
A. |
Offer and Listing Details |
Our ordinary shares commenced trading on the Nasdaq Global Select
Market on June 16, 2021 under the symbol “WKME.” Prior to this, no public market existed for our ordinary shares.
Not applicable.
Our ordinary shares commenced trading on the Nasdaq Global Select
Market on June 16, 2021.
Not applicable.
Not applicable.
Not applicable.
Item 10. Additional Information
Not applicable.
B. |
Memorandum and Articles of Association |
A copy of our Articles of Association is attached as Exhibit
1.1 to this Annual Report. Other than as set forth below, the information called for by this Item is set forth in Exhibit 2.1 to this
Annual Report and is incorporated by reference into this Annual Report.
Except as disclosed below or otherwise disclosed in this Annual
Report (including the Exhibits), we are not currently, nor have we been for the two years immediately preceding the date of this Annual
Report, party to any material contract, other than contracts entered into in the ordinary course of business.
There are currently no Israeli currency control restrictions
on remittances of dividends on our ordinary shares, proceeds from the sale of the ordinary shares or interest or other payments to non-residents
of Israel, except for shareholders who are subjects of countries that are, have been, or will be, in a state of war with Israel.
Israeli Tax Considerations
General corporate tax structure in Israel
Israeli companies are generally subject to corporate tax. The
standard corporate tax rate in 2022 was 23%. However, the effective tax rate payable by a company that derives income from an , a "Preferred
Enterprise", a “Special Preferred Enterprise”, a “Preferred Technological Enterprise”, or a "Special Preferred
Technology Enterprise" (as discussed below) may be considerably less. Capital gains derived by an Israeli company are generally subject
to the prevailing corporate tax rate.
Law for the Encouragement of Capital Investments, 5719-1959
The Law for the Encouragement of Capital Investments, 5719-1959,
generally referred to as the Investment Law, provides certain incentives for capital investments in production facilities (or other eligible
assets).
The Investment Law was significantly amended effective as of
April 1, 2005 (the “2005 Amendment”), as of January 1, 2011 (the “2011 Amendment”) and as of January 1, 2017 (the
“2017 Amendment”). Pursuant to the 2005 Amendment, tax benefits granted in accordance with the provisions of the Investment
Law prior to its revision by the 2005 Amendment remain in force but any benefits granted subsequently are subject to the provisions of
the amended Investment Law. Similarly, the 2011 Amendment introduced new benefits to replace those granted in accordance with the provisions
of the Investment Law in effect prior to the 2011 Amendment. However, companies entitled to benefits under the Investment Law as in effect
prior to January 1, 2011 were entitled to choose to continue to enjoy such benefits, provided that certain conditions are met, or elect
instead, irrevocably, to forego such benefits and have the benefits of the 2011 Amendment apply. The 2017 Amendment introduced new benefits
for Preferred Technological Enterprises, alongside the existing tax benefits.
Tax benefits under the 2011 Amendment
The 2011 Amendment introduced new benefits for income generated
by a “Preferred Company” through its “Preferred Enterprise” (as such terms are defined in the Investment Law)
as of January 1, 2011. The definition of a Preferred Company includes a company incorporated in Israel that is not fully owned by a governmental
entity, and that has, among other things, Preferred Enterprise status and is controlled and managed from Israel.
Pursuant to the 2011 Amendment, a Preferred Company was entitled
to a reduced corporate tax rate of 15% with respect to its income derived from its Preferred Enterprise in 2011 and 2012, unless the Preferred
Enterprise is located in a certain development zone, in which case the rate was 10%. Under the 2011 Amendment, together with amendments
to the Investment Law from 2014 and 2017, such corporate tax rate was reduced from 15% and 10%, respectively, to 12.5% and 7%, respectively,
in 2013, 16% and 9% respectively, in 2014, 2015 and 2016, and 16% and 7.5%, respectively, in 2017 and thereafter. Income derived by a
Preferred Company from a “Special Preferred Enterprise” (as such term is defined in the Investment Law) would be entitled,
during a benefits period of 10 years, to further reduced tax rates of 8%, or 5% if the Special Preferred Enterprise is located in a certain
development zone. Since January 1, 2017, the definition for “Special Preferred Enterprise” includes less stringent conditions.
Dividends distributed from preferred income which is attributed
to a “Preferred Enterprise” or to a "Special Preferred Enterprise" should generally be subject to withholding tax at
source at the following rates: (i) Israeli resident corporations-0%, (although, if such dividends are subsequently distributed to individuals
or a non-Israeli company the below rates detailed in sub sections (ii) and (iii) shall apply), (ii) Israeli resident individuals-20% and
(iii) non-Israeli residents (individuals and corporations)- subject to the receipt in advance of a valid certificate from the Israel Tax
Authority (“ITA”) allowing for a reduced tax rate, 20% or such lower rate as may be provided under the provisions of any applicable
double tax treaty.
The 2011 Amendment also provided transitional provisions to address
companies already enjoying existing tax benefits under the Investment Law. These transitional provisions provide, among other things,
that unless an irrevocable request is made to apply the provisions of the Investment Law as amended in 2011 with respect to income to
be derived as of January 1, 2011, a “Benefited Enterprise” (as such term is defined under the Investment Law) can elect to
continue to benefit from the benefits provided to it before the 2011 Amendment came into effect, provided that certain conditions are
met.
We currently do not intend to implement the 2011 Amendment.
Tax benefits under the 2017 Amendment that became effective on
January 1, 2017
The 2017 Amendment was enacted as part of the Economic Efficiency
Law that was published on December 29, 2016, and is effective as of January 1, 2017. The 2017 Amendment provided new tax benefits for
two types of “Preferred Technological Enterprises,” as described below, and is in addition to the other existing tax beneficial
programs under the Investment Law.
The 2017 Amendment provides that a technology company satisfying
certain conditions should qualify as a Preferred Technological Enterprise (“PTE”) and thereby enjoy a reduced corporate tax
rate of 12% on income that qualifies as “Preferred Technological Income,” as defined in the Investment Law. The tax rate is
further reduced to 7.5% for a PTE located in development zone “A”. In addition, a PTE will enjoy a reduced corporate tax rate
of 12% on capital gain derived from the sale of certain “Benefited Intangible Assets” (as defined in the Investment Law) to
a related foreign company if the Benefited Intangible Assets were acquired from a foreign company after January 1, 2017 for at least NIS
200 million, and the sale received prior approval from the National Authority for Technological Innovation previously known as the Israeli
Office of the Chief Scientist), to which we refer as IIA.
The 2017 Amendment further provides that a technology company
satisfying certain conditions (group turnover of at least NIS 10 billion) should qualify as a “Special Preferred Technological Enterprise”
and will thereby enjoy a reduced corporate tax rate of 6% on “Preferred Technological Income” regardless of the company’s
geographic location within Israel. In addition, a Special Preferred Technological Enterprise should enjoy a reduced corporate tax rate
of 6% on capital gain derived from the sale of certain “Benefited Intangible Assets” to a related foreign company if the Benefited
Intangible Assets were either developed by the Special Preferred Enterprise or acquired from a foreign company after January 1, 2017,
and the sale received prior approval from IIA. A Special Preferred Technological Enterprise that acquires Benefited Intangible Assets
from a foreign company for more than NIS 500 million should be eligible for these benefits for at least ten years, subject to certain
approvals as specified in the Investment Law.
Dividends distributed to Israeli shareholders by a PTE or a Special
Preferred Technology Enterprise, paid out of Preferred Technological Income, should generally subject to withholding tax at source at
the rate of 20% (in the case of non-Israeli shareholders- subject to the receipt in advance of a valid certificate from the ITA allowing
for a reduced tax rate, 20%, or such a lower rate as may be provided in an applicable tax treaty). However, if such dividends are paid
to an Israeli company, no tax is generally required to be withheld (although, if such dividends are subsequently distributed to individuals
or a non-Israeli company, the aforesaid should apply). If such dividends are distributed to a foreign company that holds solely or together
with other foreign companies 90% or more in the Israeli company and other conditions are met, the withholding tax rate should be 4% (or
such lower rate as may be provided in an applicable tax treaty, in either case, subject to the receipt in advance of a valid certificate
from the ITA allowing for such reduced tax rate).
Currently we have not exhausted the benefits we believe we may
qualify for as a PTE and continue to examine the degree to which we may qualify as a PTE, the amount of Preferred Technological Income
that we may have and other benefits that we may receive from the 2017 Amendment in the future.
Tax benefits and grants for research and development
Israeli tax law allows, under certain conditions, a tax deduction
for expenditures, including capital expenditures, in scientific research in the fields of industry, agriculture, transportation or energy,
for the year in which they are incurred. Expenditures are deemed related to scientific research and development projects, if:
• |
The expenditures are approved by the relevant Israeli government ministry, determined
by the field of research; |
• |
The research and development must be for the promotion of the company; and |
• |
The research and development is carried out by or on behalf of the company seeking
such tax deduction. |
The amount of such deductible expenses is reduced by the sum
of any funds received through government grants for the finance of such scientific research and development projects. No deduction under
these research and development deduction rules is allowed if such deduction is related to an expense invested in an asset depreciable
under the general depreciation rules of the Ordinance. Expenditures that are unqualified under the conditions above are deductible in
equal amounts over three years.
From time to time we may apply to the Israel Innovation Authority
for approval to allow a tax deduction for all or most of research and development expenses during the year incurred. There can be no assurance
that such application will be accepted.
Taxation of our shareholders
Capital gains taxes applicable
to non-Israeli resident shareholders. Capital gain tax is imposed on the disposition of capital assets by an Israeli resident for
tax purposes, and on the disposition of such assets by a non-Israeli resident for tax purposes if those assets are (i) located in Israel;
(ii) are shares or a right to a share in an Israeli resident corporation, or (iii) represent, directly or indirectly, rights to assets
the majority of which are located in Israel, unless a specific exemption is available or unless a tax treaty between Israel and the shareholder’s
country of residence provides otherwise. The Ordinance distinguishes between “Real Capital Gain” and the “Inflationary
Surplus.” Real Capital Gain is the excess of the total capital gain over Inflationary Surplus.
Inflationary Surplus is a portion of the total capital gain which
is equivalent to the increase in the relevant asset’s cost base that is attributable to the increase in the Israeli consumer price
index or, in certain circumstances, a foreign currency exchange rate, between the date of purchase and the date of disposition. Inflationary
Surplus attributed to the period after December 31, 1993 is not currently subject to tax in Israel.
Real Capital Gain accrued by individuals from the sale of our
shares should generally be taxed at the rate of 25%. However, if the individual shareholder is a “substantial shareholder”
(as defined below) at the time of sale or at any time during the preceding 12-month period, such capital gain should be taxed at the rate
of 30%. Furthermore, where an individual claimed real interest expenses and linkage differentials on securities, the capital gain on the
sale of the securities should be taxed at a rate of 30%. Real Capital Gain derived by corporations should generally be subject to the
corporate tax rate (23% in 2022).
Individual and corporate shareholders dealing in securities
in Israel are taxed at the tax rates applicable to business income (a corporate tax rate for a corporation and a marginal tax rate of
up to 47% for an individual in 2022, excluding surtax as discussed below) unless contrary provisions in a relevant tax treaty applies.
A non-Israeli resident who derives capital gains from the sale
of shares in an Israeli resident company that were purchased upon or after the company was listed for trading on a stock exchange outside
of Israel, should be exempt from Israeli capital gains tax so long as the capital gain derived from the sale of shares was not attributed
to a permanent establishment that the non-Israeli resident maintains in Israel. However, non-Israeli entities (including corporations)
should not be entitled to the foregoing exemption if Israeli residents: (i) have a controlling interest of more than 25% in such non-Israeli
entity or (ii) are the beneficiaries of, or are entitled to, 25% or more of the revenues or profits of such non-Israeli corporation, whether
directly or indirectly. In addition, such exemption is not applicable to a person whose gains from selling or otherwise disposing of the
shares are deemed to be business income.
Additionally, a sale of securities by a non-Israeli resident
may be exempt from Israeli capital gains tax under the provisions of an applicable tax treaty, subject to the eligibility of such person
to the treaty benefits. For example, under Convention Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the
State of Israel with respect to Taxes on Income, as amended (the “U.S Israel Tax Treaty”), the sale, exchange or other disposition
of shares by a shareholder who is a United States resident (for purposes of the treaty) holding the shares as a capital asset and is entitled
to claim the benefits afforded to such a resident by the U.S. Israel Tax Treaty (a “Treaty U.S. Resident”) is generally exempt
from Israeli capital gains tax unless: (i) the capital gain arising from such sale, exchange or disposition is attributed to real estate
located in Israel; (ii) the capital gain arising from such sale, exchange or disposition is attributed to royalties; (iii) the capital
gain arising from the such sale, exchange or disposition is attributed to a permanent establishment in Israel, under certain terms; (iv)
such Treaty U.S. Resident holds, directly or indirectly, shares representing 10% or more of the voting capital during any part of the
12 month period preceding the disposition, subject to certain conditions; or (v) such Treaty U.S. Resident , being an individual, was
present in Israel for 183 days or more during the relevant taxable year.
Shareholders may be required to demonstrate that they are exempt
from tax on their capital gains in order to avoid withholding at source at the time of sale, by presenting a valid withholding exemption
certificate issued by the ITA prior to the applicable payment. In addition, in transactions involving a sale of all of the shares of an
Israeli resident company, in the form of a merger or otherwise, the ITA may require from shareholders who are not liable for Israeli tax
to sign declarations in forms specified by this authority or obtain a specific exemption from the ITA to confirm their status as a non-Israeli
resident for tax purposes, and, in the absence of such declarations or exemptions, may require the purchaser of the shares to withhold
taxes.
Taxation of non-Israeli shareholders
on receipt of dividends. Non-Israeli residents (either individuals or corporations) are generally subject to Israeli income tax
on the receipt of dividends paid on our ordinary shares at the rate of 25%, which tax will be withheld at source, unless relief is provided
in a treaty between Israel and the shareholder’s country of residence (subject to the receipt in advance of a valid certificate
from the ITA allowing for a reduced tax rate). With respect to a person who is a “substantial shareholder” at the time of
receiving the dividend or on any time during the preceding twelve months, the applicable tax rate is 30%. A “substantial shareholder”
is generally a person who alone or together with such person’s relative or another person who collaborates with such person on a
permanent basis, holds, directly or indirectly, 10% or more of any of the “means of control” of the corporation. “Means
of control” generally include the right to vote, receive profits, nominate a director or an executive officer, receive assets upon
liquidation, or order someone who holds any of the aforesaid rights how to act, regardless of the source of such right. Such dividends
are generally subject to Israeli withholding tax at a rate of 25% so long as the shares are registered with a nominee company (whether
the recipient is a substantial shareholder or not), or 20% if the dividend is distributed from income attributed to a Preferred Enterprise
or PTE or such lower rate as may be provided in an applicable tax treaty, subject to the receipt in advance of a valid certificate from
the ITA allowing for a reduced tax rate. For example, under the U.S. Israel Tax Treaty, and subject to the eligibility to the benefits
under this treaty, the maximum rate of tax withheld at source in Israel on dividends paid to a holder of our ordinary shares who is a
Treaty U.S. Resident is 25%. However, generally, the maximum rate of withholding tax on dividends, not generated by a Preferred Enterprise,
that are paid to a United States corporation holding 10% or more of the outstanding voting capital throughout the tax year in which the
dividend is distributed as well as during the previous tax year, is 12.5%, provided that not more than 25% of the gross income for such
preceding year consists of certain types of dividends and interest. Notwithstanding the foregoing, dividends distributed from income attributed
to a Preferred Enterprise are not entitled to such reduction under the tax treaty but are subject to a withholding tax rate of 15% for
a shareholder that is a U.S. corporation, provided that the conditions related to 10% or more holding and to our gross income for the
previous year (as set forth in the previous sentence) are met. If the dividend is attributable partly to income derived from a Preferred
Enterprise, and partly to other sources of income, the withholding rate will be a blended rate reflecting the relative portions of the
two types of income. We cannot assure you that we will designate the profits that we may distribute in a way that will reduce shareholders’
tax liability. The aforementioned rates under the U.S. Israel Tax Treaty would not apply if the dividend income is derived through a permanent
establishment of the Treaty U.S. Resident in Israel.
A non-Israeli resident who receives dividends from which full
tax was withheld is generally exempt from the obligation to file tax returns in Israel with respect to such income, provided that (i)
such income was not generated from business conducted in Israel by the taxpayer, (ii) the taxpayer has no other taxable sources of income
in Israel with respect to which a tax return is required to be filed, and (iii) the taxpayer is not obligated to pay surtax (as further
explained below).
Surtax. Subject to the
provisions of an applicable tax treaty, individuals who are subject to tax in Israel (whether any such individual is an Israeli resident
or non-Israeli resident) are also subject to an additional tax at a rate of 3% on annual taxable income (including, but not limited to,
dividends, interest and capital gain) exceeding NIS 663,240 for 2022, which amount is linked to the annual change in the Israeli consumer
price index.
Estate and Gift Tax.
Israeli law presently does not impose estate or gift taxes.
Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations for U.S. Holders
The following is a description of certain material United States
federal income tax considerations of the ownership and disposition of our ordinary shares. This description addresses only the United
States federal income tax consequences to U.S. Holders (as defined below) that hold our ordinary shares as capital assets within the meaning
of Section 1221 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and that have the U.S. dollar as their functional
currency. This discussion is based upon the Code, applicable U.S. Treasury regulations, administrative pronouncements and judicial decisions,
in each case as in effect on the date hereof, all of which are subject to change (possibly with retroactive effect). No ruling will be
requested from the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) regarding the tax consequences of the ownership or disposition of
the ordinary shares, and there can be no assurance that the IRS will agree with the discussion set out below. This summary does not address
any U.S. tax consequences other than U.S. federal income tax consequences (e.g., the estate and gift tax or the Medicare tax on net investment
income) and does not address any state, local or non-U.S. tax consequences.
This description does not address tax considerations applicable
to holders that may be subject to special tax rules, including, without limitation:
• |
banks, financial institutions or insurance companies; |
• |
real estate investment trusts or regulated investment companies; |
• |
dealers or brokers; |
• |
traders that elect to mark to market; |
• |
tax-exempt entities or organizations; |
• |
“individual retirement accounts” and other tax-deferred accounts;
|
• |
certain former citizens or long-term residents of the United States; |
• |
persons that are resident or ordinarily resident in or have a permanent establishment
in a jurisdiction outside the United States; |
• |
persons that acquired our ordinary shares pursuant to the exercise of any employee
share option or otherwise as compensation for the performance of services; |
• |
persons holding our ordinary shares as part of a “hedging,” “integrated”
or “conversion” transaction or as a position in a “straddle” for United States federal income tax purposes;
|
• |
persons subject to special tax accounting as a result of any item of gross income
with respect to the ordinary shares being taken into account in an applicable financial statement; |
• |
partnerships or other pass-through entities and persons holding the ordinary shares
through partnerships or other pass-through entities; or |
• |
holders that own directly, indirectly or through attribution 10% or more of the total
voting power or value of all of our outstanding shares. |
For purposes of this description, a “U.S. Holder”
is a beneficial owner of our ordinary shares that, for United States federal income tax purposes, is:
• |
an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States; |
• |
a corporation (or other entity treated as a corporation for United States federal
income tax purposes) created or organized in or under the laws of the United States or any state thereof, including the District of Columbia;
|
• |
an estate the income of which is subject to United States federal income taxation
regardless of its source; or |
• |
a trust if such trust has validly elected to be treated as a United States person
for United States federal income tax purposes or if (1) a court within the United States is able to exercise primary supervision over
its administration and (2) one or more United States persons have the authority to control all of the substantial decisions of such trust.
|
If an entity or arrangement treated as a partnership for United
States federal income tax purposes holds our ordinary shares, the tax treatment of a partner in such partnership will generally depend
on the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. Such a partner or partnership should consult its tax advisor as to
the particular United States federal income tax consequences of owning and disposing of our ordinary shares in its particular circumstance.
You should consult your tax advisor with respect
to the United States federal, state, local and foreign tax consequences of owning and disposing of our ordinary shares.
Distributions
Subject to the discussion under “-Passive Foreign Investment
Company Considerations” below, the gross amount of any distribution made to you with respect to our ordinary shares before reduction
for any Israeli taxes withheld therefrom, generally will be includible in your income as dividend income on the date on which the dividends
are actually or constructively received, to the extent such distribution is paid out of our current or accumulated earnings and profits
as determined under United States federal income tax principles. To the extent that the amount of any distribution by us exceeds our current
and accumulated earnings and profits as determined under United States federal income tax principles, it will be treated first as a tax-free
return of your adjusted tax basis in our ordinary shares and thereafter as capital gain. However, we do not expect to maintain calculations
of our earnings and profits under United States federal income tax principles and, therefore, you should expect that the entire amount
of any distribution generally will be taxable as dividend income to you. Non-corporate U.S. Holders may qualify for the lower rates of
taxation with respect to dividends on ordinary shares applicable to long-term capital gains (i.e., gains from the sale of capital assets
held for more than one year), provided that we are not a PFIC (as discussed below under “-Passive
Foreign Investment Company Considerations”) with respect to you in our taxable year in which the dividend was paid or in the prior
taxable year and certain other conditions are met, including certain holding period requirements and the absence of certain risk reduction
transactions. However, such dividends will not be eligible for the dividends received deduction generally allowed to corporate U.S. Holders.
You should consult your tax advisor regarding the availability of the lower rate for dividends paid with respect to our shares.
The amount of any distribution paid in foreign currency will
be equal to the U.S. dollar value of such currency, translated at the spot rate of exchange on the date such distribution is received,
regardless of whether the payment is in fact converted into U.S. dollars at that time.
Dividends paid to you with respect to our ordinary shares generally
will be treated as foreign source income, which may be relevant in calculating your foreign tax credit limitation. Subject to certain
conditions and limitations, Israeli tax withheld on dividends may be credited against your United States federal income tax liability
or, at your election, be deducted from your U.S. federal taxable income. Dividends that we distribute generally should constitute “passive
category income” for purposes of the foreign tax credit. However, if we are a “United States-owned foreign corporation,”
solely for foreign tax credit purposes, a portion of the dividends allocable to our U.S. source earnings and profits may be recharacterized
as U.S. source. A “United States-owned foreign corporation” is any foreign corporation in which United States persons own,
directly or indirectly, 50% or more (by vote or by value) of the stock. In general, United States-owned foreign corporations with less
than 10% of earnings and profits attributable to sources within the United States are excepted from these rules. In the event we are treated
as a “United States-owned foreign corporation,” if 10% or more of our earnings and profits are attributable to sources within
the United States, a portion of the dividends paid on our ordinary shares allocable to our U.S. source earnings and profits will be treated
as U.S. source, and, as such, a U.S. Holder may not offset any foreign tax withheld as a credit against U.S. federal income tax imposed
on that portion of dividends. A foreign tax credit for foreign taxes imposed on distributions may be denied if you do not satisfy certain
minimum holding period requirements. The rules relating to the determination of the foreign tax credit are complex, and you should consult
your tax advisor regarding the availability of a U.S. foreign tax credit in your particular circumstances and the possibility of claiming
a deduction (in lieu of the U.S. foreign tax credit) for any foreign taxes paid or withheld.
Sale, Exchange or Other Disposition of Ordinary
Shares
Subject to the discussion under “-Passive Foreign Investment
Company Considerations” below, you generally will recognize gain or loss on the sale, exchange or other disposition of our ordinary
shares equal to the difference between the amount realized on such sale, exchange or other disposition and your adjusted tax basis in
our ordinary shares, and such gain or loss will be capital gain or loss. If you are a non-corporate U.S. Holder, capital gain from the
sale, exchange or other disposition of ordinary shares is generally eligible for a preferential rate of taxation applicable to capital
gains, if your holding period for such ordinary shares exceeds one year (i.e., such gain is long-term capital gain). The deductibility
of capital losses for United States federal income tax purposes is subject to limitations under the Code. Any such gain or loss that a
U.S. Holder recognizes generally will be treated as U.S. source income or loss for foreign tax credit limitation purposes.
If the consideration received upon the sale or other disposition
of our ordinary shares is paid in foreign currency, the amount realized will be the U.S. dollar value of the payment received, translated
at the spot rate of exchange on the date of the sale or other disposition. If the ordinary shares are treated as traded on an established
securities market and you are either a cash basis taxpayer or an accrual basis taxpayer who has made a special election (which must be
applied consistently from year to year and cannot be changed without the consent of the IRS), the U.S. dollar value of the amount realized
in foreign currency will be determined by translating the amount received at the spot rate of exchange on the settlement date of the sale.
If our ordinary shares are not treated as traded on an established securities market, or you are an accrual basis taxpayer that does not
elect to determine the amount realized using the spot rate of exchange on the settlement date, you will recognize foreign currency gain
or loss to the extent of any difference between the U.S. dollar amount realized on the date of sale or disposition (as determined above)
and the U.S. dollar value of the currency received translated at the spot rate of exchange on the settlement date, and such gain or loss
generally will constitute U.S. source ordinary income or loss.
The adjusted tax basis in an ordinary share generally will be
equal to the cost of such ordinary share. If you used foreign currency to purchase the ordinary shares, the cost of the ordinary shares
will be the U.S. dollar value of the foreign currency purchase price on the date of purchase, translated at the spot rate of exchange
on that date. If our ordinary shares are treated as traded on an established securities market and you are either a cash basis taxpayer
or an accrual basis taxpayer who has made the special election described above, the U.S. dollar value of the cost of such ordinary shares
will be determined by translating the amount paid at the spot rate of exchange on the settlement date of the purchase.
Passive Foreign Investment Company Considerations
If a non-U.S. company is classified as a PFIC in any taxable
year, a U.S. Holder of such PFIC’s shares will be subject to special rules generally intended to reduce or eliminate any benefits
from the deferral of U.S. federal income tax that such U.S. Holder could derive from investing in a non-U.S. company that does not distribute
all of its earnings on a current basis.
In general, a non-U.S. corporation will be classified as a PFIC
for any taxable year if at least (i) 75% of its gross income is classified as “passive income” or (ii) 50% of its gross assets
(determined on the basis of a quarterly average) produce or are held for the production of passive income (the “asset test”).
Passive income for this purpose generally includes dividends, interest, royalties, rents, gains from commodities and securities transactions
and the excess of gains over losses from the disposition of assets which produce passive income. For these purposes, cash and other assets
readily convertible into cash are considered passive assets, and the company’s goodwill and other unbooked intangibles are generally
taken into account. In making this determination, the non-U.S. corporation is treated as earning its proportionate share of any income
and owning its proportionate share of any assets of any corporation in which it directly or indirectly holds 25% or more (by value) of
the stock.
Based on the composition of our income, assets and operations,
we do not believe that we were a PFIC for the taxable year ended December 31, 2022. However, our status as a PFIC requires a factual determination
that depends on, among other things, our income, assets and operations in each year. Fluctuations in the market price of our ordinary
shares may cause our classification as a PFIC for the current or future taxable years to change because the value of our assets for purposes
of the asset test, including the value of our goodwill and unbooked intangibles, may be determined by reference to the market price of
our shares from time to time (which may be volatile). Among other matters, if our market capitalization subsequently declines, it may
make our classification as a PFIC more likely for the current or future taxable years. The composition of our income and assets may also
be affected by how, and how quickly, we use our liquid assets. Therefore, there can be no assurance that we will not be treated as a PFIC
for our current taxable year or any future taxable year.
Under the PFIC rules, if we were considered a PFIC at any time
that you hold our ordinary shares, we would continue to be treated as a PFIC with respect to your investment in all succeeding years during
which you own our ordinary shares (regardless of whether we continue to meet the tests described above) unless (i) we have ceased to be
a PFIC and (ii) you have made a “deemed sale” election under the PFIC rules. If such election is made, you will be deemed
to have sold your ordinary shares at their fair market value on the last day of the last taxable year in which we were a PFIC, and any
gain from the deemed sale would be subject to the rules described in the following paragraph. After the deemed sale election, so long
as we do not become a PFIC in a subsequent taxable year, the ordinary shares with respect to which such election was made will not be
treated as shares in a PFIC. You should consult your tax advisor as to the possibility and consequences of making a deemed sale election
if we are (or were to become) and then cease to be a PFIC, and such election becomes available.
If we are considered a PFIC at any time that you hold ordinary
shares, unless you make one of the elections described below, any gain recognized by you on a sale or other disposition of the ordinary
shares, as well as the amount of any “excess distribution” (defined below) received by you, would be allocated ratably over
your holding period for the ordinary shares. The amounts allocated to the taxable year of the sale or other disposition (or the taxable
year of receipt, in the case of an excess distribution) and to any year before we became a PFIC would be taxed as ordinary income. The
amount allocated to each other taxable year would be subject to tax at the highest rate in effect for individuals or corporations, as
appropriate, for that taxable year, and an interest charge would be imposed. For purposes of these rules, an excess distribution is the
amount by which any distribution received by you on your ordinary shares in a taxable year exceeds 125% of the average of the annual distributions
on the ordinary shares during the preceding three taxable years or your holding period, whichever is shorter. Distributions below the
125% threshold are treated as dividends taxable in the year of receipt and are not subject to prior highest tax rates or the interest
charge.
If we are treated as a PFIC with respect to you for any taxable
year, you will be deemed to own shares in any entities in which we directly or indirectly own equity that are also PFICs, and you may
be subject to the tax consequences described above with respect to the shares of such lower-tier PFIC you would be deemed to own.
Mark-to-market elections
If we are a PFIC for any taxable year during which you hold ordinary
shares, then in lieu of being subject to the tax and interest charge rules discussed above, you may make an election to include gain on
the ordinary shares as ordinary income under a mark-to-market method, provided that such ordinary shares are “marketable.”
The ordinary shares will be marketable if they are “regularly traded” on a qualified exchange or other market, as defined
in applicable U.S. Treasury regulations, such as the Nasdaq Global Select Market. For these purposes, the ordinary shares will be considered
regularly traded during any calendar year during which they are traded, other than in de minimis quantities,
on at least 15 days during each calendar quarter. Any trades that have as their principal purpose meeting this requirement will be disregarded.
However, because a mark-to-market election cannot be made for any lower-tier PFICs that we may own, you will generally continue to be
subject to the PFIC rules discussed above with respect to your indirect interest in any investments we hold that are treated as an equity
interest in a PFIC for United States federal income tax purposes. As a result, it is possible that any mark-to-market election will be
of limited benefit. If you make an effective mark-to-market election, in each year that we are a PFIC, you will include in ordinary income
the excess of the fair market value of your ordinary shares at the end of the year over your adjusted tax basis in the ordinary shares.
You will be entitled to deduct as an ordinary loss in each such year the excess of your adjusted tax basis in the ordinary shares over
their fair market value at the end of the year, but only to the extent of the net amount previously included in income as a result of
the mark-to-market election. If you make an effective mark-to-market election, in each year that we are a PFIC, any gain that you recognize
upon the sale or other disposition of your ordinary shares will be treated as ordinary income and any loss will be treated as ordinary
loss, but only to the extent of the net amount of previously included income as a result of the mark-to-market election.
Your adjusted tax basis in the ordinary shares will be increased
by the amount of any income inclusion and decreased by the amount of any deductions under the mark-to-market rules discussed above. If
you make an effective mark-to-market election, it will be effective for the taxable year for which the election is made and all subsequent
taxable years unless the ordinary shares are no longer regularly traded on a qualified exchange or the IRS consents to the revocation
of the election. You should consult your tax advisor about the availability of the mark-to-market election, and whether making the election
would be advisable in your particular circumstances.
Qualified electing fund elections
In certain circumstances, a U.S. equity holder in a PFIC may
avoid the adverse tax and interest-charge regime described above by making a “qualified electing fund” election to include
in income its share of the corporation’s income on a current basis. However, you may make a qualified electing fund election with
respect to the ordinary shares only if we agree to furnish you annually with a PFIC annual information statement as specified in the applicable
U.S. Treasury regulations. We do not intend to provide the information necessary for you to make a qualified electing fund election if
we are classified as a PFIC. Therefore, you should assume that you will not receive such information from us and would therefore be unable
to make a qualified electing fund election with respect to any of our ordinary shares were we to be or become a PFIC.
Tax reporting
If you own ordinary shares during any year in which we are a
PFIC and you recognize gain on a disposition of such ordinary shares or receive distributions with respect to such ordinary shares, you
generally will be required to file an IRS Form 8621 with respect to us, generally with your federal income tax return for that year. If
we are a PFIC for a given taxable year, then you should consult your tax advisor concerning your annual filing requirements.
You should consult your tax advisor regarding
whether we are a PFIC as well as the potential U.S. federal income tax consequences of holding and disposing of our ordinary shares if
we are or become classified as a PFIC, including the possibility of making a mark-to-market election in your particular circumstances.
Backup Withholding Tax and Information Reporting
Requirements
Dividend payments on and proceeds paid from the sale or other
taxable disposition of the ordinary shares may be subject to information reporting to the IRS. In addition, a U.S. Holder may be subject
to backup withholding on cash payments received in connection with dividend payments and proceeds from the sale or other taxable disposition
of ordinary shares made within the United States or through certain U.S. related financial intermediaries.
Backup withholding will not apply, however, to a U.S. Holder
who furnishes a correct taxpayer identification number, provides other required certification and otherwise complies with the applicable
requirements of the backup withholding rules or who is otherwise exempt from backup withholding (and, when required, demonstrates such
exemption). Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Rather, any amount withheld under the backup withholding rules will be creditable
or refundable against the U.S. Holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability, provided the required information is timely furnished
to the IRS.
Foreign Asset Reporting
Certain U.S. Holders are required to report their holdings of
certain foreign financial assets, including equity of foreign entities, if the aggregate value of all of these assets exceeds certain
threshold amounts by filing an IRS Form 8938 with their federal income tax return. Our ordinary shares are expected to constitute foreign
financial assets subject to these requirements unless the ordinary shares are held in an account at certain financial institutions. U.S.
Holders are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding their information reporting obligations, if any, with respect to their ownership
and disposition of our ordinary shares and the significant penalties for non-compliance.
The above description is not intended to constitute
a complete analysis of all tax consequences relating to the ownership and disposition of our ordinary shares. You should consult your
tax advisor concerning the tax consequences of your particular situation.
F. |
Dividends and Paying Agents |
Not applicable.
Not applicable.
We are subject to the informational requirements of the Exchange
Act. Accordingly, we are required to file reports and other information with the SEC, including annual reports on Form 20-F and reports
on Form 6-K. The SEC maintains an internet website that contains reports and other information about issuers, like us, that file electronically
with the SEC. The address of that website is www.sec.gov.
We maintain a corporate website at http://www.walkme.com.
Information contained on, or that can be accessed through our website does not constitute a part of this Annual Report on Form 20-F. We
also make available on our website’s investor relations page at http://ir.walkme.com, free
of charge, our Annual Report and the text of our reports on Form 6-K, including any amendments to these reports, as well as certain other
SEC filings, as soon as reasonably practicable after they are electronically filed with or furnished to the SEC. The information contained
on our website is not incorporated by reference in this Annual Report.
As a foreign private issuer, we are exempt under the Exchange
Act from, among other things, the rules prescribing the furnishing and content of proxy statements, and our officers, directors and principal
shareholders are exempt from the reporting and short-swing profit recovery provisions contained in Section 16 of the Exchange Act. In
addition, we are not be required under the Exchange Act to file periodic reports and financial statements with the SEC as frequently or
as promptly as U.S. companies whose securities are registered under the Exchange Act. However, we will file with the SEC, within four
months after the end of each subsequent fiscal year, or such applicable time as required by the SEC, an annual report on Form 20-F containing
financial statements audited by an independent registered public accounting firm. We also intend to furnish certain other material information
to the SEC under cover of Form 6-K.
We will send our transfer agent a copy of all notices of shareholders’
meetings and other reports, communications and information that are made generally available to shareholders. The transfer agent has agreed
to mail to all shareholders a notice containing the information (or a summary of the information) contained in any notice of a meeting
of our shareholders received by the transfer agent and will make available to all shareholders such notices and all such other reports
and communications received by the transfer agent.
I. |
Subsidiary Information |
Not applicable.
J. |
Annual Report to Security Holders |
Not applicable.
Item 11. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market
Risk
We are exposed to market risk from changes in exchange rates,
interest rates and inflation. All of these market risks arise in the ordinary course of business, as we do not engage in speculative trading
activities. The following analysis provides additional information regarding these risks.
Interest rate risk
Our investments are subject to market risk due to changes in interest rates, which
may affect our interest income and fair market value of our investments. To minimize this risk, we maintain our portfolio in a variety
of high-grade securities, including U.S. treasury bonds and government agencies. The primary objectives of our investment activities are
to support liquidity, preserve principal and to maximize income without significantly increasing risk.
As of December 31, 2022, we had $304.9 million of cash and cash
equivalent, bank deposits and marketable securities. Interest-earning instruments carry a degree of interest rate risk. However, our historical
interest income has not fluctuated significantly. A hypothetical 10% change in interest rates would not have had a material impact on
our financial results for the years ended December 30, 2021 and 2022. We do not enter into investments for trading or speculative purposes
and have not used any derivative financial instruments to manage our interest rate risk exposure.
Foreign Currency Exchange
Risk
Our reporting currency and the functional currency of our non-U.S.
subsidiaries is U.S. dollar, with the exception of Walkme K.K our Japanese subsidiary, for which the Japanese Yen is the functional currency.
The majority of our revenues were denominated in U.S. dollars and the remainder in other currencies. However, a significant portion of
our operating costs in Israel, consisting principally of salaries and employee-related costs, and operating lease and facility expenses
are denominated in NIS. This foreign currency exposure gives rise to market risk associated with exchange rate movements of the U.S. dollar
against the NIS.
To reduce the impact of foreign currency exchange risks associated
with forecasted future cash flows and certain existing assets and liabilities and the volatility in our consolidated statements of operations,
we have established a hedging policy. Currently, our hedging activity relates to U.S. dollar/NIS exchange rate exposure. We do not enter
into derivative instruments for trading or speculative purposes. We account for our derivative instruments as either assets or liabilities
and carry them at fair value in the consolidated balance sheets. The accounting for changes in the fair value of the derivative depends
on the intended use of the derivative and the resulting designation. Our hedging activities reduce but do not eliminate the impact of
currency exchange rate movements.
A decrease of 10% in the U.S. dollar/NIS exchange rate would
have increased our cost of revenue and operating expenses by 2.2% for the year ended December 31, 2022. If the NIS fluctuates significantly
against the U.S. dollar, it may have a negative impact on our results of operations.
Item 12.
Description of Securities Other than Equity Securities
Not applicable.
PART II
Item 13. Defaults, Dividend Arrearages and Delinquencies
None.
Item 14. Material Modifications to the Rights of Security Holders
and Use of Proceeds
None.
Use of Proceeds
On June 18, 2021, we completed an IPO of 9,250,000 ordinary shares
sold at an initial public offering price of $31.00 per share. The ordinary shares offered and sold in the IPO were registered under the
Securities Act pursuant to our Registration Statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-256219), which was declared effective by the SEC on June
15, 2021.
The IPO generated gross proceeds of $286,750,000. We had underwriting
discounts and commissions of $18,638,750 and other issuance costs of $4,200,000. We paid out of Company proceeds all of our fees, costs
and expenses in connection with the IPO.
No offering expenses were paid directly or indirectly to any
of our directors or officers (or their associates), persons owning 10% or more of our ordinary shares or any other affiliates.
There has been no material change in the expected use of the
net proceeds from our IPO as described in our final prospectus filed with the SEC on June 16, 2021 pursuant to Rule 424(b).
Item 15.
Controls and Procedures
Disclosure Controls and Procedures
We maintain disclosure controls and procedures (as such term
is defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (“Exchange Act”)) that are
designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in the Company’s reports under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed,
summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms and that such information is accumulated
and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely
decisions regarding required disclosures. Any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable
assurance of achieving the desired control objectives. Our management, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief
Financial Officer, has evaluated the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures as of December
31, 2022. Based upon that evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that, as of December 31, 2022,
our disclosure controls and procedures were effective to accomplish their objectives at the reasonable assurance level.
Management’s Annual Report on Internal
Control over Financial Reporting
Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining
adequate internal control over our financial reporting (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act).
Our management conducted an assessment of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting based on the criteria set
forth in “Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013)” issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway
Commission. Based on this assessment, our management concluded that, as of December 31, 2022, our internal control over financial reporting
was effective.
Attestation Report of the Registered Public
Accounting Firm
This Annual Report on Form 20-F does not include an attestation
report of our independent registered public accounting firm due to a transition period established by rules of the SEC for emerging growth
companies.
Changes in Internal Control
over Financial Reporting
There were no changes in our internal controls over financial
reporting (as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act) that occurred during the period covered by
this Annual Report that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
Item 16. [Reserved]
Item 16A. Audit Committee Financial Expert
Our board of directors has determined that each of Ron Gutler,
Michele Bettencourt and Roy Saar is an audit committee financial expert as defined by the SEC rules and has the requisite financial experience
as defined by Nasdaq corporate governance rules.
Our board of directors has determined that each member of our
audit committee is “independent” as such term is defined under the Nasdaq corporate governance rules and under Rule 10A-3(b)(1)
under the Exchange Act, which is different from the general test for independence of board and committee members.
Item 16B. Code of Ethics
We have adopted a Code of Ethics and Conduct that applies to
all our employees, officers and directors, including our principal executive, principal financial and principal accounting officers. Our
Code of Ethics and Conduct addresses, among other things, competition and fair dealing, gifts and entertainment, conflicts of interest,
international business laws, financial matters and external reporting, company assets, confidentiality and corporate opportunity requirements
and the process for reporting violations of the Code of Ethics and Conduct. Our Code of Ethics and Conduct is intended to meet the definition
of “code of ethics” under Item 16B of 20-F under the Exchange Act.
We will disclose on our website any amendment to, or waiver from,
a provision of our Code of Ethics and Conduct that applies to our directors or executive officers to the extent required under the rules
of the SEC or Nasdaq. Our Code of Ethics and Conduct is available on our website at https://ir.walkme.com/corporate-governance/governance-overview.
The information contained on or through our website, or any other website referred to herein, is not incorporated by reference in this
Annual Report.
We granted no waivers under our Code of Ethics and Conduct in
2022.
Item 16C. Principal Accountant Fees and Services
The consolidated financial statements of WalkMe Ltd. as of December
31, 2021 and 2022, and for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2022, appearing in this Annual Report have been audited
by Kost Forer Gabbay & Kasierer, a member of Ernst & Young Global, independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth
in their report thereon appearing elsewhere herein, and are included in reliance upon such report given on the authority of such firm
as experts in accounting and auditing. The current address of Kost Forer Gabbay & Kasierer is 144 Menachem Begin Road, Building A,
Tel Aviv 6492101, Israel.
The table below sets out the total amount of services rendered
to us by Kost Forer Gabbay & Kasierer, a member of Ernst & Young Global, for services performed in the years ended December 31,
2021 and 2022, and breaks down these amounts by category of service:
|
|
Year ended December 31, |
|
|
|
2021
|
|
|
2022
|
|
|
|
(in thousands)
|
|
Audit Fees |
|
$ |
1,110 |
|
|
$ |
500 |
|
Audit Related Fees |
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tax Fees |
|
|
65 |
|
|
|
39 |
|
All Other Fees |
|
|
23
|
|
|
|
- |
|
Total |
|
$ |
1,198 |
|
|
$ |
539 |
|
Audit Fees
Audit fees for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 consisted
of fees for professional services provided in connection with the audit of our annual consolidated financial statements and audit services
that are normally provided by an independent registered public accounting firm in connection with statutory and regulatory filings or
engagements for those years. The audit fees for the year ended 2021 include fees for professional services provided in connection with
our initial public offering incurred during the year ended December 31, 2021.
Tax Fees
Tax fees for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 refer
to professional services rendered by our auditors, which include ongoing tax advisory, tax compliance and tax consulting associated with
transfer pricing.
All Other Fees
All other fees for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021
consisted of fees for services provided in connection with the assessment and reports of our compliance programs.
Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures
The advance approval of the Audit Committee or members thereof,
to whom approval authority has been delegated, is required for all audit and non-audit services provided by our auditors.
All services provided by our auditors are approved in advance
by either the Audit Committee or members thereof, to whom authority has been delegated, in accordance with the Audit Committee’s
pre-approval policy.
Item 16D. Exemptions
from the Listing Standards for Audit Committees
Not applicable.
Item 16E. Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated
Purchasers
None.
Item 16F. Change in Registrant’s Certifying Accountant
None.
Item 16G.
Corporate Governance
We are a “foreign private issuer” (as such term is
defined in Rule 3b-4 under the Exchange Act) and our ordinary shares are listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market. Under the Listing
Rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market, listed companies that are foreign private issuers are permitted to follow home country practice in lieu
of the corporate governance provisions specified by the Listing Rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market with limited exceptions. We rely on this
“home country practice exemption” with respect to the quorum requirement for shareholder meetings. Whereas under the Listing
Rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market, a quorum requires the presence, in person or by proxy, of holders of at least 331/3% of the total issued
outstanding voting power of our shares at each general meeting of shareholders, pursuant to our Articles of Association, and as permitted
under the Companies Law, the quorum required for a general meeting of shareholders consists of at least two shareholders present in person
or by proxy in accordance with the Companies Law, who hold or represent at least 331/3% of the total outstanding voting power of our shares,
except if (i) any such general meeting of shareholders was initiated by and convened pursuant to a resolution adopted by the board of
directors and (ii) at the time of such general meeting, we qualify to use the forms and rules of a “foreign private issuer,”
the requisite quorum will consist of two or more shareholders present in person or by proxy who hold or represent at least 25% of the
total outstanding voting power of our shares (and if the meeting is adjourned for a lack of quorum, the quorum for such adjourned meeting
will be, subject to certain exceptions, any number of shareholders).
We otherwise comply with and intend to continue to comply with
the rules generally applicable to U.S. domestic companies listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market. We may in the future, however, decide
to use other foreign private issuer exemptions with respect to some or all of the Listing Rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market. Following
our home country governance practices may provide less protection than is accorded to investors under the Listing Rules of the Nasdaq
Stock Market applicable to domestic issuers.
Item 16H. Mine Safety Disclosure
Not applicable.
Item 16I. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent
Inspections
Not applicable.
PART III
Item 17. Financial Statements
We have provided financial statements pursuant to Item 18.
Item 18. Financial Statements
The audited consolidated financial statements as required under
Item 18 are attached hereto starting on page F-1 of this Annual Report. The audit report of Kost Forer Gabbay & Kasierer (a member
of Ernst & Young Global), an independent registered public accounting firm, is included herein preceding the audited consolidated
financial statements.
Item 19. Exhibits
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Incorporation by Reference
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Filed / |
Exhibit No. |
|
Description |
|
Form |
|
File No. |
|
Exhibit No. |
|
Filing Date |
|
Furnished |
|
|
|
|
20-F |
|
001-40490 |
|
1.1 |
|
3/24/2022 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
20-F |
|
001-40490 |
|
2.1 |
|
3/24/2022 |
|
|
|
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|
|
F-1/A |
|
333-256219 |
|
4.1 |
|
6/7/2021 |
|
|
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|
|
|
F-1/A |
|
333-256219 |
|
10.5 |
|
6/7/2021 |
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|
F-1/A |
|
333-256219 |
|
10.1 |
|
5/17/2021 |
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F-1/A |
|
333-256219 |
|
10.2 |
|
5/17/2021 |
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|
F-1/A |
|
333-256219 |
|
10.3 |
|
5/17/2021 |
|
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|
|
|
|
F-1/A |
|
333-256219 |
|
10.4 |
|
5/17/2021 |
|
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|
F-1/A
|
|
333-256219
|
|
4.2
|
|
6/14/2021
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* |
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* |
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** |
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** |
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* |
101.INS |
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Inline XBRL Instance Document - the instance document does not appear in the Interactive
Data File because XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document. |
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* |
101.SCH |
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Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document. |
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* |
101.CAL |
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Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document. |
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* |
101.DEF |
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Inline XBRL Taxonomy Definition Linkbase Document. |
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* |
101.LAB |
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Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document. |
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* |
101.PRE |
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Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document. |
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* |
104 |
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Inline XBRL for the cover page of this Annual Report on Form 20-F, included in the
Exhibit 101 Inline XBRL Document Set. |
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* |
* |
Filed herewith. |
** |
Furnished herewith. |
† |
Indicates management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement. |
Certain agreements filed as exhibits to this Annual Report contain representations
and warranties that the parties thereto made to each other. These representations and warranties have been made solely for the benefit
of the other parties to such agreements and may have been qualified by certain information that has been disclosed to the other parties
to such agreements and that may not be reflected in such agreements. In addition, these representations and warranties may be intended
as a way of allocating risks among parties if the statements contained therein prove to be incorrect, rather than as actual statements
of fact. Accordingly, there can be no reliance on any such representations and warranties as characterizations of the actual state of
facts. Moreover, information concerning the subject matter of any such representations and warranties may have changed since the date
of such agreements.
SIGNATURES
The registrant hereby certifies that it meets all of the requirements
for filing on Form 20-F and that it has duly caused and authorized the undersigned to sign this annual report on its behalf.
|
WALKME LTD. |
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Date: March 14, 2023 |
By: |
/s/ Dan Adika |
|
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Name: |
Dan Adika |
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Title: |
Chief Executive Officer |
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Date: March 14, 2023 |
By: |
/s/ Hagit Ynon |
|
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Name: |
Hagit Ynon |
|
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Title: |
Chief Financial Officer |
|