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U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
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FORM 10-KSB/A
[X] ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE
ACT OF 1934 FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1997
[ ] TRANSITION REPORT UNDER SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT
OF 1934 FOR THE TRANSITION PERIOD FROM
----------------------- TO
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COMMISSION FILE NO. 0-27104
YIELDUP INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
(NAME OF SMALL BUSINESS ISSUER IN ITS CHARTER)
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<S> <C>
DELAWARE 77-0341206
(STATE OR OTHER JURISDICTION OF INCORPORATION) (I.R.S. EMPLOYER ID #)
117 EASY STREET 94043
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA (ZIP CODE)
(ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICES)
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Issuer's telephone number, including area code:
(650) 964-0100
Securities registered under Section 12(b) of the Act:
NONE
Securities registered under Section 12(g) of the Act:
COMMON STOCK, PAR VALUE $0.001
CLASS B WARRANTS, NO PAR VALUE
(TITLE OF CLASS)
Check whether the issuer: 1) filed all reports required to be filed by
Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act during the past 12 months (or for such
shorter period that the Company was required to file such reports), and (2) has
been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. YES [X] NO [ ]
Check if there is no disclosure of delinquent filers in response to Item
405 of Regulation S-B contained in this form, and no disclosure will be
contained, to the best of the Company's knowledge, in definitive proxy or
information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-KSB
or any amendment to this Form 10-KSB. [ ]
The Issuer's revenues for the fiscal year ended December 31, 1997 were
$7,465,447.
The aggregate market value of the voting stock held by non-affiliates of
the Company, based upon the closing price of the Company's Common Stock on
December 31, 1997 in the over-the-counter-market, was approximately $42,967,000.
Shares of voting stock held by each officer and director and by each person who
on that date owned 5% or more of the outstanding voting stock have been excluded
for purposes of the preceding computation, in that such persons may be deemed to
be affiliates. This determination of affiliate status is not necessarily a
conclusive determination for other purposes.
As of December 31, 1997, the Company had 4,341,711 shares of Common Stock
outstanding and 1,413,653 shares of Class A Common Stock outstanding for a total
of 5,755,364 shares outstanding.
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
Parts of the Proxy Statement for the Company's 1998 Annual Meeting of
Stockholders are incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-KSB
Report.
Transitional Small Business Disclosure Format YES [ ] NO [X]
The exhibit index appears on page 27 of this Form 10-KSB Report.
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PART I
ITEM 1. DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS
GENERAL
YieldUP International Corporation ("YieldUP" or "the Company") develops,
manufactures, and markets cleaning, rinsing, and drying equipment used during
several steps in the manufacturing process for semiconductors and other defect
sensitive substrates. Based on the results obtained by customers using its
products, the Company believes its technology allows more thorough and efficient
cleaning, rinsing and drying than conventional approaches, and that the products
based on its technology may enable manufacturers to obtain improvements in the
percentage of good product produced, or yield. The Company's cleaning, rinsing
and drying products also reduce the usage of certain environmentally hazardous
materials, and occupy less floor space when compared to conventional equipment.
The Company currently has approximately 70 cleaning, rinsing and drying systems
installed at about 50 customer sites in the semiconductor, semiconductor
equipment, magnetic disk, flat-panel display, and photo-mask industries.
Disc-shaped wafers composed of silicon are the foundation on which
integrated circuits ("ICs") are manufactured in semiconductor fabrication
facilities. During the typical four to six week process of fabricating IC's on
these wafers, semiconductor manufacturers typically clean, rinse and dry the
wafers several times to prepare the wafer for the next IC fabrication step. For
example, before and after many steps such as etching and deposition of
materials, the manufacturer must thoroughly clean, rinse and dry the wafers to
remove any contaminants or moisture. The likelihood of completing these steps
successfully and producing good ICs depends significantly upon the cleanliness
of the wafers throughout all the process steps. The Company's products are
designed to reduce wafer particle contamination, stains, surface roughness, and
other defects that reduce IC yields, offering a cost-effective, integrated
cleaning, rinsing and drying system using patented filtration, rinsing and
drying technology with no mechanical motion and greatly reduced use of
environmentally hazardous materials.
The Company is marketing its products for application at several points in
the IC fabrication process, and for use in the manufacturing processes of
magnetic disks, photo-masks and flat-panel displays. The Company believes that
there are numerous sites within typical high technology manufacturing facilities
where manufacturers could improve processes and reduce defects by replacing or
retrofitting existing equipment with the Company's products.
The Company's products include the CleanPoint de-ionized water filtration
system, the Omega 1000 Rinsing and Drying System designed to replace the
conventional Spin-Rinse Dryers ("SRD's"), the Omega 2000 Cleaning, Rinsing and
Drying system designed to handle large substrates including 12 inch (300mm)
wafers and flat panels, and the Omega 4000 Cleaning Rinsing and Drying system
that provides integrated hydrofluoric acid cleaning capability.
During the year ended December 31, 1997 and 1996, the Company's revenues
were $7,465,447 and $2,204,590, respectively. The 239% increase in revenue in
1997 was due to an increase in shipments of the Company's cleaning, rinsing, and
drying systems. The Company continues to modify and improve its products,
generally based on feedback from its customers. The Company has also increased
significantly the resources it is allocating to its sales and marketing
departments. The Company believes these factors, along with an increased market
acceptance of the Company's products, has lead to the increase in sales for the
Company's products.
The Company's cost of sales was $5,964,228 for the year ended December 31,
1997, and $2,630,970 for the year ended December 31, 1996. The Company generated
a gross profit of $1,501,219 or 20.1% for the year ended December 31, 1997, and
a negative gross margin of $(426,380) or (19.3%) for the year ended December 31,
1996. The improvement in gross margin was due to more efficient production,
design simplifications, and increased revenues. The Company's cost of sales
remained high during 1997 due to manufacturing expenses being allocated over
relatively few units. The Company expects that its gross margin
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will improve in the future to the extent unit shipments and revenue increase and
to the extent the Company is able to transition to increased shipments of
standardized products and lower unit material costs.
PRODUCTS
Through analyzing the fabrication process of leading semiconductor
manufacturers, the Company determined that the cleaning, rinsing and drying
steps of the manufacturing process present a significant, unfilled opportunity
for yield improvement. The Company has developed and is marketing equipment that
incorporates Company's patented rinsing, and drying technologies which it
believes may help manufacturers achieve significant contamination reduction, and
resulting yield improvement. The Company currently markets the following
products:
CleanPoint Water Filtration System
The CleanPoint Water Filtration System is a patented de-ionized water
filtration system designed to eliminate microscopic particle contamination in
de-ionized water at the point of use. The CleanPoint system is an integral part
of the Company's cleaning, rinsing, and drying systems and is also marketed
independently for other filtration applications. The Company is also
investigating other industrial applications for its CleanPoint water filtration
system, including the pharmaceutical and chemical industries, both of which
require ultra-pure water for product processing.
Omega 1000
The Omega 1000 system is a low cost, stand-alone rinsing and drying system
with a small footprint designed to replace conventional SRD technology in
semiconductor manufacturing facilities. It has an advanced two chamber design
which provides two independently controlled rinsing and drying chambers for
increased flexibility and throughput. The Omega 1000 incorporates the Company's
patented Surface Tension Gradient ("STG") drying technology and patented
CleanPoint water filtration system. This process is designed to reduce
contamination and water spots which can be left by conventional equipment.
The Omega 1000 system provides the following benefits to semiconductor
manufacturers:
- No mechanical motion of wafers, thus preventing wafer breakage problems
associated with SRD's
- Minimal moving parts provide higher system reliability and reduced
equipment maintenance cost
- No particle contamination at 0.2 micron and above added to product wafers
by rinse/dry process
- Reduced water spots and organic residues by eliminating the build-up of
water meniscus common in SRD's
Omega 2000
The Omega 2000 system is an integrated cleaning, rinsing and drying system
that uses the same rinse and dry technology as in the Omega 1000 and couples it
with additional cleaning options and system control capabilities. The Omega 2000
system combines the advantages of immersion technology and the convenience of
full flow processors and is designed to process larger substrates at higher
throughputs. The Company offers chemical injection and megasonic cleaning as
options on the Omega 2000. The Company procures these cleaning subsystems from
one of several manufacturers of such systems. The Omega 2000 is available as a
stand-alone system or as a drop-in upgrade to an existing wet bench system. The
drop-in upgrade version of the Omega 2000 is being marketed to existing wet
bench manufacturers (Original Equipment Manufacturers or OEM's) as the Omega
2100 system.
The Omega 2000 and the Omega 2100 provide the following advantages compared
to conventional equipment:
- Single chamber cleaning, rinsing and drying of wafers, eliminating
cumbersome handling
- Improved rinse and dry cycle times for increased throughput
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- Reduced build-up of scum that sometimes occurs with IsoPropyl Alcohol
("IPA") dryers
- Significantly lower usage of IPA, an environmentally hazardous material,
compared to conventional IPA dryers
- Reduction in surface roughness and haze on wafers
Omega 4000
The Omega 4000 is a cleaning, rinsing and drying system that builds on the
Omega 2000 product by offering an integrated hydrofluoric acid (HF) cleaning
capability in addition to the cleaning, rinsing, and drying capabilities found
on the Omega 2000 product. The HF cleaning module allows more thorough cleaning
of certain types of processed wafers than the Omega 2000. The Company procures
the HF capability from one of several manufacturers of such systems. The Omega
4000 system is also configured with robotics for wafer cassette handling.
The purchase price of the Omega products ranges from $95,000 for the Omega
1000 to $550,000 for the fully configured Omega 4000.
The Company is investigating the development of single chamber cleaning,
rinsing and drying systems based on the Company's patented technologies that can
greatly simplify and enhance wet processing. No assurance can be given that
these development efforts will be successful or that any products developed will
achieve commercial success.
STRATEGY
YieldUP's goal is to become a leading provider of cleaning, rinsing, and
drying equipment used in modern semiconductor manufacturing facilities. The
Company is marketing its products and providing evaluation systems to leading IC
and wafer manufacturers for wet processing applications with the highest IC
yield leverage. The Company believes that integration of the Company's products
into the manufacturing lines of several major semiconductor manufacturers will
provide support for sales into other manufacturers' facilities. In addition, the
Company is marketing its products to the research and development areas within
the semiconductor companies to gain acceptance of the Company's technology in
the development of future semiconductor manufacturing processes that require
lower contamination. The Company has also achieved success in additional markets
for its products in other defect sensitive industries including magnetic disks,
flat panel displays, and photo-masks.
The Company has adapted its products to capitalize on the expected shift in
the semiconductor industry from six and eight inch (150mm and 200mm) silicon
wafers to twelve inch (300mm) silicon wafers. That move will require IC
manufacturers to either refurbish existing manufacturing sites or construct new
ones. During the transition to larger wafers, the Company expects that
semiconductor manufacturers will reevaluate those aspects of the manufacturing
process which have a significant impact on yield, since the potential losses
associated with reduced yield will increase as wafer size increases and critical
dimensions decrease.
The Company has greatly expanded its sales to manufacturers of wet benches
who act as original equipment manufacturers ("OEMs") for the Company and
incorporate the Company's rinsing and drying systems into their existing or new
automated wet benches. Because many customers want automated wet benches which
incorporate rinsing and drying technology such as that available from the
Company, it is important that the Company work with the manufacturers of
automated wet benches to penetrate this customer base. Generally, the Company
sells its products to its OEM partners at a discounted rate based upon volume
purchases. The Company has announced several such partnerships and intends to
continue its OEM relationships. Although the Company has only recently begun
shipments to its OEM partners, the Company expects a significant part of its
future business may come from OEM sales.
The Company is actively targeting the magnetic disk market and has achieved
initial success in adapting its technology to the needs of the disk industry.
The Company has recruited qualified personnel and obtained the required test and
measurement system for its laboratory for this purpose. The Company believes
that a significant part of its future business may come from disk manufacturers.
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CUSTOMERS, MARKETING AND SERVICE
The Company is marketing its cleaning, rinsing, and drying systems for
application at several points in the IC fabrication process. Thus, potential
customers with large manufacturing facilities could potentially have use for
several of the Company's products within a single facility. The Company has sold
systems to semiconductor manufacturers who have integrated the Company's
products into existing or new wet benches or have used them in a stand-alone
configuration. The Company has also sold systems to semiconductor equipment
manufacturers, magnetic disk manufacturers, flat panel display manufacturers,
and photo-mask manufacturers. The Company is also collaborating with several
automated wet-bench manufacturers, for integrating its systems into the
wet-benches of these manufacturers.
In the United States, the Company markets its products through direct
customer contact and manufacturer representatives. These representatives provide
sales support to end users in their territories. The Company uses its own
personnel to provide service support for end users in the United States. In
Europe, the Company markets its products through divisions of Teltec
Semiconductor which provide both sales and service support to end users. In
Japan, the Company distributes its products through Kanematsu Semiconductor
Corp., which provides both sales and service support to end users. Other
distributors include Premtek in Taiwan, WKK in Singapore and Malaysia, and
Sekwang Hitech Company in Korea. The Company has agreements with its
representatives and distributors which generally grant the representative or
distributor an exclusive right to sell products in a specified territory and
allow termination by either party without cause on 90 days written notice.
In the United States, the Company uses its own personnel for all equipment
installations, field service and maintenance. In Europe, the Company has
agreements with divisions of Teltec Semiconductor to perform all equipment
installations, field service and maintenance, and the Company has no plans to
discontinue this agreement. In Japan, the Company has similar agreements with
Kanematsu Semiconductor, and is similarly using its distributors in Taiwan,
Singapore and Korea. The Company typically provides customers with a twelve
month warranty covering parts and labor.
During 1997, the major portion of the Company's revenues came from
shipments to North America, with a smaller portion of revenues coming from
shipments to Asia-Pacific region and from shipments to Europe. The Company has
significantly expanded its international marketing efforts.
BACKLOG
The Company schedules production of its systems based upon backlog,
informal customer commitments and general economic forecasts for its targeted
markets. The Company includes in its backlog only those customer orders for
systems for which it has accepted purchase orders and for which delivery has
been specified within twelve months as well as orders for spare parts and
service and support of systems. The Company has not entered into any long-term
purchase agreements with any customers. Customers commit to purchase the
Company's products by issuing purchase orders. The timing of the purchase
orders' issuance depends on the customer's delivery requirements.
The Company's backlog of orders was approximately $2,517,000 as of December
31, 1997, all of which the Company expects to deliver within the next six
months. The systems included in the backlog have been ordered by semiconductor
manufacturers, equipment manufacturers, and magnetic disk manufacturers. The
equipment requirements of manufacturers cannot be determined with accuracy, and
therefore the Company's backlog at any particular date is not indicative of
future growth. In addition, because of possible changes in delivery schedules,
the ability of customers to cancel, defer or reschedule, and potential delays in
system shipments, the Company's backlog at any particular date is not
necessarily representative of actual sales of any succeeding period. Further,
all potential sales will depend on final delivery and testing of equipment.
MANUFACTURING, ASSEMBLY AND TESTING
The Company's equipment manufacturing operations consist of assembly of
systems into final configuration and final testing in a cleanroom prior to
customer shipment. The Company fabricates certain custom
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plastic components that are incorporated into its systems, and also procures
subsystems and materials from a number of distributors and multiple outside
suppliers.
The Company's strategic goal is to continue to use contract manufacturers
for its standard subsystems as unit manufacturing volumes increase and product
designs mature. The Company does not have written contracts with its suppliers
and chooses suppliers based on considerations of quality, cost and delivery
time.
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
The Company incurred research and development expenses of $2,021,790 in
1997 and $1,223,002 in 1996. Research and development expenses represent costs
incurred for the design and development of new products, the redesign of
existing products, and the costs associated with technology development. None of
the Company's research and development costs in 1997 and 1996 were paid for by
customers or other outside organizations.
The market for semiconductor fabrication equipment is characterized by
rapid technological advancement and product innovation. The Company believes
that development of new products will be required to allow it to compete
effectively in the market. As of December 31, 1997, the Company had 22 full time
employees whose duties included research and development. The Company intends to
hire additional research and development personnel in 1998.
The Company has established an Advanced Applications Laboratory complete
with a Class 1 Cleanroom and measurement and test equipment to assist in the
development of its processes and products, perform customer demonstrations and
evaluations, and assure the quality of products shipped to customers. The
Company intends to continue its research and development activities through
internal research and cooperative research relationships with customers and
other technology companies.
The Company intends to continue product enhancement programs focusing on
improving reliability and performance, developing additional features and
capabilities, increasing throughput capacity, promoting ease of equipment
operations, and reducing costs. The Company also believes it can improve
standardization of its systems, and improve product quality, reduce costs and
shorten lead times using molds, contract manufacturing and pre-fabricated items.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS
The Company relies on patent, trade secret, and copyright protection for
its products and technology. The Company has received five United States patents
relating to its products and technologies, one additional patent allowed, and
has filed seventeen additional U.S. and foreign patent applications. The process
of obtaining patents can be expensive and time-consuming and there can be no
assurance that the patent applications will result in the issuance of patents,
that any issued patents will provide the Company with meaningful competitive
advantage, or that challenges will not be issued against the validity or
enforceability of any patent issued to the Company.
The Company also relies on trade secrets and proprietary technology that it
seeks to protect, in part, through confidentiality agreements with employees,
consultants and other parties. There can be no assurance that these agreements
will not be breached, that the Company will have adequate remedies for any
breach, or that the Company's trade secrets will not otherwise become known to
or independently developed by others.
In the absence of significant patent or other proprietary protection,
competitors may be able to copy the Company's technology or design approaches,
replicate its processes or gain access to its trade secrets. Moreover there can
be no assurance that competitors will not be able to develop technologies
similar to or more advanced than the Company's or design around any patent
aspects of the Company's products or technology. No assurance can be given that
the Company's current or future products will not infringe on the patents of
others.
There has been substantial litigation regarding patent and other
intellectual property rights in semiconductor-related industries. Further
commercialization of the Company's products and technologies could
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provoke claims of infringement from third parties. In the future, litigation may
be necessary to enforce patents issued to the Company, to protect trade secrets
or know-how owned by the Company or to defend the Company against claimed
infringement of the rights of others to determine the scope and validity of the
proprietary rights of others. Any such litigation would likely result in
substantial cost and diversion of effort by the Company, which by itself could
have a material adverse effect on the Company's business, financial condition
and operating results. Further adverse determinations in such litigation could
result in the Company's loss of proprietary rights, subject the Company to
significant liabilities to third parties, require the Company to seek licenses
from third parties or prevent the Company from manufacturing or selling its
products, any of which could have a material adverse effect on the Company's
business, financial condition and operating results. See "Legal Proceedings."
COMPETITION
There is intense competition in the market for the Company's products. The
Company's relatively smaller resources makes it vulnerable to competition from
larger companies, many of which have significantly greater financial, employee,
product development and marketing resources. Leading competitors have a larger
installed base of products which can provide them a significant advantage over
the Company, because the Company's technology has not been widely deployed and
therefore presents potential customers with uncertainty not associated with
existing equipment. In addition, many semiconductor manufacturers are reluctant
to choose small companies as key suppliers due to concerns about long term
viability and product support. There can be no assurance that the Company will
overcome these disadvantages.
Competition for the Company's products currently comes from makers of
traditional and new cleaning, rinsing, and drying equipment. Competitors include
manufacturers of SRDs such as Verteq and Semitool, IPA dryer manufacturers such
as S&K and integrated wet processing system manufacturers such as Santa Clara
Plastics, SubMicron Systems, Steag, FSI, CFM Technologies, and Dai Nippon
Screen. There can be no assurance that these competitors will not develop new
products or improve their existing products which, when combined with their
existing market presence, would make the Company's products obsolete or
unmarketable. Additional competition for the Company's products comes from a
large number of small companies making cleaning, rinsing, and drying equipment
which is less expensive than the Company's products. Because the Company's
products sell for significantly higher prices than such products, the Company
may not be able to compete effectively against them without lowering its prices.
The Company also expects that competition may arise from new competitors
and from new technological approaches adopted by existing competitors. Because
of the increasing focus on yield management in the semiconductor manufacturing
industry, equipment manufacturers are likely to put an increased emphasis on
contaminant reduction. Thus competitive technologies or manufacturing techniques
may be developed which could make the Company's products obsolete, thereby
materially adversely affecting the Company.
The Company currently competes principally on the basis of of superior
contamination reduction, better price/performance, improved equipment
reliability, smaller footprint, lower operating costs, and reduction in
hazardous chemical usage. The Company believes that these factors as well as the
ease of use, price, reputation, service and familiarity are important
competitive criteria for selection of cleaning, rinsing and drying equipment by
potential customers. There can be no assurance that the Company will compete
favorably with respect to these or other factors in the future, and any failure
to do so may have a material adverse impact on the Company's business or
operating results.
EMPLOYEES
On December 31, 1997, the Company had 70 full-time employees, including 31
in manufacturing, 22 in research, engineering and product development, 11 in
sales and marketing and 6 in finance and administration. All of the employees
were located in the United States. No employee of the Company is currently
represented by a labor union. Management considers its employee relations to be
good.
The Company intends to add employees from time to time as necessary to meet
its evolving management, research and development, sales and marketing, service
and manufacturing needs. The Company believes that
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its future success is dependent to a significant degree on its ability to
attract and retain additional skilled personnel to enable the Company to develop
and compete.
BUSINESS RISKS
In addition to the other information in this Annual Report, the following
risk factors should be considered carefully in evaluating the Company and its
business. This Annual Report contains forward-looking statements that involve
risks and uncertainties. The statements contained in this Annual Report that are
not purely historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of
Section 27A of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, including without
limitation statements regarding the Company's expectations, beliefs, intentions,
plans or strategies regarding the future. All forward looking statements
included in this document are based on information available to the Company on
the date thereof, and the Company assumes no obligation to update any such
forward-looking statements.
The Company's operations are subject to numerous risks, including
unforeseeable expenses as well as specific risks of the semiconductor equipment
industry. There can be no assurance that the Company will achieve profitable
operations. See Financial Statements and Notes thereto.
HISTORY OF OPERATING LOSSES; NEED FOR ADDITIONAL FINANCING; LIMITED OPERATING
HISTORY
The Company has experienced significant operating losses since its
inception in June 1993 and only commenced significant shipments in the fourth
quarter of 1995. The Company experienced net losses of $3,374,035 and $3,993,642
in 1996 and 1997, respectively. Accordingly, the Company has a limited operating
history on which to base the evaluation of its business, and its prior operating
results are not indicative of the results which may be achieved in the future.
As of December 31, 1997, the Company's accumulated deficit was $10,160,884. The
Company's operating losses have been and will continue to be principally the
result of the various costs associated with the Company's product development,
manufacturing and sales and marketing activities. The Company believes that its
existing capital resources will enable it to fund its operations through 1998.
The Company may obtain additional capital to continue its operations beyond that
time, which may result in dilution to the current stockholders. The existence of
Class B Warrants may also complicate future capital raising activities because
of their potentially dilutive effect on the purchasers of the Company's equity
securities and the anti-dilution provisions of the Class B Warrants. These
antidilution provisions could reduce the exercise price of the Class A Warrants.
If the Company is unable to obtain the necessary capital, it will be required to
significantly curtail its growth operations. On February 19, 1997, the Company
issued 5,149 shares of Common Stock upon the net exercise of a warrant held by
Silicon Valley Bank. On March 30, 1998, the Company completed a private
placement of 600 Series A Shares. The Company raised gross proceeds of $6
million from the sale of the Series A Shares which the Company will use for
general working capital purposes.
RELIANCE ON DEPENDENCE ON PROPRIETARY TECHNOLOGY; EXPENSE AND RISK OF PATENT
LITIGATION
The Company relies on patent, trade secret and copyright protection for its
products and technology. The Company has obtained five United States patents
since 1996 relating to its cleaning, rinsing and drying products and
technologies and has filed additional U.S. and foreign patent applications. The
process of obtaining patents can be expensive and there can be no assurance that
the patent applications will result in the issuance of patents, that any issued
patents will provide the Company with meaningful competitive advantages, or that
challenges will not be issued against the validity and enforceability of any
patent issued to the Company.
The Company also relies on trade secrets and proprietary technology that it
seeks to protect, in part, through confidentiality agreements with employees,
consultants and other parties. There can be no assurance that these agreements
will not be breached, that the Company will have adequate remedies for any
breach, or that the Company's trade secrets will not otherwise become known to
or independently developed by others.
In the absence of significant patent or other proprietary protection,
competitors may be able to copy the Company's technology or design approaches,
replicate its processes or gain access to its trade secrets.
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Moreover, there can be no assurance that competitors will not be able to develop
technologies similar to or more advanced than the Company's products or
technology. No assurance can be given that the Company's current or future
products will not infringe on the patents of others.
There has been substantial litigation regarding patent and other
intellectual property rights in semiconductor-related industries. Further
commercialization of the Company's products could provoke additional claims of
infringement from third parties. In the future, litigation may be necessary to
enforce patents issued to the Company, if any, to protect trade secrets or
know-how owned by the Company or to defend the Company against claimed
infringement of the rights of others and to determine the scope and validity of
the proprietary rights of others. Any such litigation would likely result in
substantial cost and diversion of effort by the Company, which by itself could
have a material adverse effect on the Company's business, financial condition
and operating results. Further, adverse determinations in such litigation could
result in the Company's loss of proprietary rights, subject the Company to
significant liabilities to third parties, require the Company to seek licenses
from third parties or prevent the Company from manufacturing or selling its
products, any of which could have a material adverse effect on the Company's
business, financial condition and results of operations. See "Legal
Proceedings."
RELIANCE ON SINGLE PRODUCT FAMILY
The Company anticipates that the substantial majority of its future
revenues will come from the sale of its cleaning, rinsing and drying systems.
The Company's revenues increased in 1997 and in the first quarter of 1998 as a
result of increased sales in the Company's products. Should the demand for, or
pricing of, the Company's products decline due to increased competitive
pressure, the introduction of superior systems or processes by competitors, or
changes in the semiconductor, magnetic disk, flat panel display or photo-mask
industries, the Company's business, financial condition and results of
operations would be materially adversely affected. The ability of the Company to
diversify its operations through the introduction and sale of new products is
dependent on the success of the Company's continuing research and development
activities as well as its marketing efforts. No assurance can be given that the
Company will be able to develop, acquire, introduce or market new products in a
timely or cost-effective manner. Accordingly, the Company may be dependent on
the overall market acceptance of its existing products.
FLUCTUATIONS IN QUARTERLY OPERATING RESULTS
The Company expects to derive a substantial portion of its revenues from
the sale of a relatively small number of systems, which typically range in
purchase price from $95,000 to $550,000. As a result, a small reduction in
number of systems shipped in a quarter due to changing demand, rescheduling or
cancellation of an order, or supplier delays would have a material adverse
effect on the Company's revenues and results of operations for that quarter.
In addition, the Company's need for continued investment in research and
development and sales, marketing and service will limit the Company's ability to
reduce expenses in response to any such decrease in sales. If the Company's
anticipated level of revenues is not achieved for a particular period, the
Company's operating results could be adversely affected by its inability to
reduce costs. Because the Company builds certain sub-assemblies according to
forecast, a reduction in customer orders could also result in excessive
inventories which could adversely affect the Company's results of operations and
liquidity. The impact of these and other factors on the Company's operating
results in any future period cannot be accurately forecast.
DEPENDENCE ON KEY SUPPLIERS
The Company has no written contracts with any of its key suppliers, and
such suppliers may terminate their relationships with the Company at any time
without notice. Any such termination would materially impair the Company's
ability to satisfy any orders for its products and would materially adversely
affect the Company's results of operations. If any of the Company's outside
suppliers terminate their relationship with the Company, the Company will be
required to replace such suppliers. In such an event, there could be no
assurance that the Company would find replacement suppliers or that such
replacement suppliers would not be
8
<PAGE> 10
more expensive than the Company's current suppliers, thereby materially
adversely affecting the Company's results of operations.
LENGTHY SALES CYCLE
Sales of the Company's products have been, and are expected to continue to
be, characterized by a relatively long sales cycle, generally six to nine
months, due to such factors as the substantial time required by potential
customers for technical evaluation of the Company's products prior to purchase,
and the high cost and the critical role the Company's products will play in the
manufacturing process. The Company believes that the sales cycle will continue
to be lengthy as certain of its anticipated customers centralize purchasing
decisions, which is expected to intensify the evaluation process and require
additional sales and marketing expenditures by the Company.
NEED TO DEVELOP NEW PRODUCTS AND TECHNOLOGIES
Semiconductor, magnetic disk, flat-panel display and photo-mask
manufacturing equipment and processes are subject to rapid technological changes
and product obsolescence. The Company believes that its future success will
depend in part upon its ability to develop and enhance its current products and
develop new products, processes and technologies to meet such anticipated
changes. If the Company does not successfully introduce new products in a timely
manner, any competitive position the Company may develop could be lost, and the
Company's sales reduced. There can be no assurance that the Company will be able
to develop and introduce new products which satisfy customer needs and achieve
market acceptance. Any failure of the Company to manage its research and
development efforts would have a material adverse effect upon its business and
prospects.
CONCENTRATION OF CUSTOMERS; LIMITED CONCURRENT SELLING OPPORTUNITIES
Historically, the Company has sold a significant proportion of its systems
in each period to a limited number of customers. For example, Applied Materials
accounted for 19.8% and 37% of revenues in 1997 and in the Quarter ended March
31, 1998, respectively. Opportunities for new systems sales are episodic because
each customer has historically purchased at most one or two cleansing, rinsing
and drying systems for limited implementations. As a particular customer starts
a new or expands a facility or production line, sales to that customer may
increase sharply; conversely, as a customer completes a facility, sales to that
customer may decrease sharply. The failure to replace such sales with sales to
other customers in succeeding periods would have a material adverse effect on
the Company's business, financial condition and results of operations. The
Company expects that sales to relatively few customers will continue to account
for a high percentage of the Company's revenues in any accounting period in the
foreseeable future. A reduction in orders from any customer or the cancellation
of any significant order could have a material adverse effect on the Company's
business, financial condition and results of operations. None of the Company's
customers has entered into a long-term agreement requiring it to purchase the
Company's products.
DEPENDENCE ON OEM CUSTOMERS
An increasing percentage of the Company's revenues is derived from sales to
OEM customers. The timing and amount of sales to these customers ultimately
depends on sales levels and shipping schedules for the OEM products into which
the Company's products are incorporated. The Company has no control over the
shipping dates or volumes of products shipped by its OEM customers, and there is
no assurance that any OEM will continue to ship products that incorporate the
Company's products at current levels or at all. Many of the markets in which the
Company's customers operate have experienced cyclical declines and advances.
Cyclical downturns have been characterized by reduced product demand and price
erosion. Further, such downturns may adversely affect the ability of the
Company's OEM customers to make payments for the Company's products in a timely
manner, or at all, which could materially adversely affect the Company's
business, financial condition and operating results. Generally, the Company's
OEM customers may terminate orders at any time without penalty. Failure of these
OEMs to achieve significant sales of products
9
<PAGE> 11
incorporating the Company's products and fluctuations in the timing and volume
of such sales could have a material adverse effect on the Company's business,
financial condition and results of operations.
The loss of, or reduction in, orders by a significant customer could have a
material adverse effect on the Company's business, financial condition and
results of operations. There is no assurance that the Company will be able to
maintain or continue to increase the level of its sales in the future or that
the Company will be able to retain existing OEM customers or attract new ones.
INTERNATIONAL SALES
Export sales to the Company's international customers outside North
America, primarily to Japan and Europe, comprised approximately 5%, 33% and 32%
of the net revenues for the years ended December 31, 1995, 1996, and 1997,
respectively. Sales to customers outside the United States are subject to risks,
including exposure to currency fluctuations, the imposition of governmental
controls, the need to comply with a wide variety of foreign and U.S. export
laws, political and economic instability, trade restrictions, changes in tariffs
and taxes, longer payment cycles typically associated with foreign sales, the
greater difficulty of administering business overseas and general economic
conditions. In addition, the laws of certain foreign countries may not protect
the Company's intellectual property to the same extent as do the laws of the
United States. Although to date the Company's results of operations have not
been adversely affected by currency exchange rate fluctuations because the
Company has invoiced substantially all of its international sales in United
States dollars, there can be no assurance that the Company's results of
operations will not be adversely affected by currency fluctuations in the
future.
DEPENDENCE ON KEY PERSONNEL
The Company's success will, to a large extent, depend upon the continued
services of its executive officers, including in particular Raj Mohindra,
President and Chief Executive Officer. The loss of services of these executive
officers could materially adversely affect the Company. The Company does not
have employment agreements with any of its key personnel, but it is the
beneficiary of key man life insurance in the amount of $2 million on Mr.
Mohindra.
The success of the Company will also depend, in part, upon its ability to
retain the personnel who have assisted in the development of the Company's
products, and to attract and retain additional qualified operating, marketing,
technical and financial personnel. The competition in the semiconductor
equipment industry for such qualified personnel is often intense, and there can
be no assurance that the Company will be able to hire or retain necessary
personnel.
POTENTIAL DILUTIVE EFFECT OF CONVERSION OF SERIES A PREFERRED STOCK AND EXERCISE
OF ALL CLASS B WARRANT
The number of shares of Common Stock which may be issued upon conversion of
the Series A Shares is dependent upon the trading price of the Company's Common
Stock at the time of conversion. To the extent that the trading price of the
Common Stock is lower than 10.8625 per share at the time of any conversion of
the currently outstanding Series A Shares, the number of shares of Common Stock
issuable upon such conversion will increase with resulting dilution to the
holders of the Company's Common Stock. There is no minimum conversion price and
thus no maximum number of shares of Common stock into which the Series A Shares
may be converted. The Series A Shares also have a cumulative annual dividend of
5% payable in shares of Common Stock upon conversion. The Purchase Agreement
also provides for the issuance of additional Series A Shares, subject to certain
conditions. Issuance of such additional Series A Shares will result in
additional dilution to the holders of the Common Stock. In addition, the Company
has approximately 4,155,000 Class B Warrants outstanding. Each Class B Warrant
entitles the holder to acquire one share of Common Stock upon payment of the
exercise price of $11.00, which price is subject to reduction in the event that
the Company issues shares of Common Stock at a price less than the fair market
value on the date of issuance. Because the holders of Class B Warrants will
likely only exercise their purchase right at a time when the price of the Common
Stock is higher than $11.00 per share, holders of Common Stock at the time of
exercise will suffer dilution.
10
<PAGE> 12
CONCENTRATION OF SHARE OWNERSHIP AND VOTING POWER
Holders of the Company's Class A Common Stock are entitled to five votes
for each share owned by them on all matters submitted to a vote of the
stockholders, while holders of Common Stock are entitled to one vote per share.
The directors and officers of the Company control approximately 91% of the
voting power and are able to elect all of the Company's directors and, hence,
are able to control the affairs of the Company. In addition, the directors and
officers of the Company, subject to certain limitations imposed by applicable
law, are able to, among other things, amend the Company's Certificate of
Incorporation and By-laws and effect or preclude fundamental corporate
transactions involving the Company, including the acceptance or rejection of any
proposals relating to a merger of the Company or an acquisition of the Company
by another entity, in each case without the approval of any of the Company's
other stockholders.
POTENTIAL ADVERSE EFFECT OF AUTHORIZED BUT UNISSUED PREFERRED STOCK ON HOLDERS
OF COMMON STOCK;
ANTI-TAKEOVER EFFECTS
The Board of Directors has authority to issue up to 4,997,600 shares of
Preferred Stock and to fix the rights, preference, privileges and restrictions,
including voting rights, of those shares without any further vote or action by
the stockholders. The rights of the holders of the Common Stock will be subject
to, and may be adversely affected by, the rights of the holders of the Preferred
Stock that may be issued in the future. The issuance of Preferred Stock, while
providing desirable flexibility in connection with possible acquisitions and
other corporate purposes, could have the effect of making it more difficult for
a third party to acquire a majority of the outstanding voting stock of the
Company, thereby delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control of the
Company. Furthermore, such Preferred Stock may have other rights, including
economic rights senior to the Common Stock, and, as a result, the issuance
thereof could have a material adverse effect on the market value of the Common
Stock.
POSSIBLE DELISTING FROM NASDAQ SMALLCAP MARKET AND MARKET ILLIQUIDITY
While the Company's Common Stock and Class B Warrants meet the current
Nasdaq SmallCap Market requirements there can be no assurance that such
securities will meet the continued listing requirements. Under current criteria
for continued inclusion on the Nasdaq SmallCap Market, (i) the Company will have
to maintain at least $2 million in total net tangible assets or a market
capitalization of $35 million or have $500,000 in net income, (ii) the minimum
bid price of the Common Stock will have to be at least $1.00 per share, (iii)
there must be at least 500,000 shares in the public float valued at $1 million
or more, (iv) the Common Stock must have at least two active market makers, and
(v) the Common Stock must be held by at least 300 holders.
If the Company is unable to satisfy the Nasdaq SmallCap Market's
maintenance requirements, its securities may be delisted from the Nasdaq
SmallCap Market. In such event, trading, if any, in the Common Stock and Class B
Warrants would thereafter be conducted in the over-the-counter market in the
so-called "pink sheets" or the NASD's "Electronic Bulletin Board." Consequently,
the liquidity of the Company's securities could be impaired, not only in the
number of securities which could be bought and sold, but also through delays in
the timing of transactions, reduction in security analysts' and the news media's
coverage of the Company and lower prices for the Company's securities than might
otherwise be obtained.
The Company's securities have not been qualified or registered in all
states and will not be eligible for trading unless an exemption from the
qualification or registration requirements is available. There can be no
assurance that any such exemption will become available in any jurisdiction.
NO DIVIDENDS ANTICIPATED
The Company has never paid any cash dividends on its Common Stock or Class
A Common Stock. The Company anticipates that in the future, earnings, if any,
will be retained for use in the business or for other corporate purposes, and it
is not anticipated that cash dividends in respect of the Common Stock or Class A
Common Stock will be paid.
11
<PAGE> 13
RISKS RELATED TO YEAR 2000 PROBLEM
In the next two years, most companies could face a potentially serious
information systems problem because many software applications and operational
programs written in the past were designed to handle date formats with two-digit
years and thus may not properly recognize calendar dates beginning in the Year
2000. This problem could result in computers either outputting incorrect data or
shutting down altogether when attempting to process a date such as "01/01/00."
The Company has examined all of its critical software and operational
applications and found no potential problems related to the Year 2000 issue. In
addition, however, the Company could be exposed to a potential adverse impact
resulting from the failure of financial institutions and other third parties to
adequately address the Year 2000 problem. The Company intends to devote the
necessary resources to identify and resolve Year 2000 issues that may exist with
third parties. However, the Company cannot estimate the cost of this effort at
this time, nor can any assurance be given that the Year 2000 problem will not
have a material adverse effect on the Company's business, operating results or
financial condition.
ITEM 2. DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY
The Company's principal administrative, manufacturing, engineering and
development, and sales/ marketing facilities occupy approximately 14,400 square
feet in a single story building in Mountain View, California. The property is in
good condition and is occupied under a lease that expires in September 1998. The
Company has exercised its option to extend the lease for three additional years
beyond September 1998. The Company has also leased an additional 3,000 square
feet for its expanded Sales and Marketing Operations in Pleasanton, California.
Management believes its facilities should be adequate for the Company's
operations for at least the near term.
ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
CFM Technologies, Inc. and CFMT, Inc. (collectively "CFM") filed a
complaint against the Company in United States District Court for the District
of Delaware in September 1995. The complaint alleged that the drying process
incorporated in certain of the Company's products infringes a patent held by
CFM. On October 14, 1997, a federal court for the District of Delaware ruled in
favor of the defendant, YieldUP International Corporation. In a written opinion
granting summary judgment for YieldUP, the United States District Court held
that CFM had failed to produce evidence on three separate elements of the patent
claim. To establish infringement, evidence of all three elements was required.
However, there can be no assurance that this judgment will not be overturned
should there be an appeal by CFM. A loss, if any, resulting from an unfavorable
adjudication, cannot presently be estimated. Accordingly, no provision for any
liability that may result upon adjudication has been made in the accompanying
financial statements.
ITEM 4. SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS
No matters were submitted to a vote of the security holders during the
Company's fourth quarter.
12
<PAGE> 14
PART II
ITEM 5. MARKET FOR COMMON EQUITY AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS
PRICE RANGE OF COMMON STOCK
Since November 1995, the Company's Common Stock has traded on the Nasdaq
SmallCap Market under the symbol "YILD." The following table sets forth for the
periods indicated the high and the low sale prices of the Common Stock as
reported by the Nasdaq SmallCap Market. These figures reflect the inter-dealer
prices without retail markup, mark-down or commission and may not represent
actual transactions.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
HIGH LOW
---- ---
<S> <C> <C>
1996
1st Quarter............................................... $ 6 $ 4 7/16
2nd Quarter............................................... 8 5/8 5 3/8
3rd Quarter............................................... 6 13/16 4 1/2
4th Quarter............................................... 6 4 1/2
1997
1st Quarter............................................... $10 7/8 $ 5 5/8
2nd Quarter............................................... 13 1/4 6 3/8
3rd Quarter............................................... 15 1/8 11 3/4
4th Quarter............................................... 14 3/8 8 3/8
</TABLE>
On December 31, 1997, the last reported sale price of the Common Stock on
the Nasdaq SmallCap Market was $9 1/2 per share. As of December 31, 1997, there
were 13 holders of record of the Common Stock and 34 holders of record for the
Class A Common Stock, and the Company believes that there were over 700
beneficial owners of Common Stock.
DIVIDEND POLICY
The Company has not paid any cash dividends on its Common Stock or Class A
Common Stock. It is the present policy of the Company to retain any earnings to
finance the growth and development of the business, and, therefore, the Company
does not anticipate paying cash dividends on its Common Stock or Class A Common
Stock in the foreseeable future.
ITEM 6. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
The information in this section contains forward-looking statements
describing the Company's plans to increase revenues and gross margins on its
products and for debt and equity financing to meet its capital needs. Such
statements are made in reliance on the safe harbor provisions of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The Company's plans and intentions
with respect to increasing revenues and improving gross margins are subject to
risks and uncertainties, and actual results could differ materially from those
projected in the forward-looking statements. The Company's ability to execute
its plans may be adversely affected by competitive conditions, failure to timely
complete development and installation of new products and product enhancements,
supply disruptions, customer purchasing cycles and other factors described under
"Business Risks" and elsewhere in this Annual Report.
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
During the years ended December 31, 1997 and 1996, the Company's revenues
were $7,465,447 and $2,204,590, respectively. The 239% increase in revenue in
1997 was due to an increase in shipments of the Company's cleaning, rinsing, and
drying systems. The Company continues to modify and improve its products,
generally based on feedback from its customers. The Company has also increased
significantly the resources it is allocating to its sales and marketing
departments. The Company believes these factors, along with an increased market
acceptance of the Company's products, has lead to the increase in sales for the
Company's products.
13
<PAGE> 15
The Company's cost of sales was $5,964,228 for the year ended December 31,
1997, and $2,630,970 for the year ended December 31, 1996. The Company generated
a gross profit of $1,501,219 or 20.1% for the year ended December 31, 1997, and
a negative gross margin of $(426,380) or (19.3%) for the year ended December 31,
1996. The improvement in gross margin was due to more efficient production,
design simplifications, and increased revenues. The Company's cost of sales
remained high during 1997 due to manufacturing expenses being allocated over
relatively few units. The Company expects that its gross margin will improve in
the future to the extent unit shipments and revenue increase and to the extent
the Company is able to transition to increased shipments of standardized
products and lower unit material costs.
Research and development expenses were $2,021,790 for the year ended
December 31, 1997, and $1,223,002 for the year ended December 31, 1996. The
increase in research and development expenses was due mainly to an increase in
engineering personnel and an increase in expenses for prototype development of
the Company's new products compared to 1996. In addition, in 1997, the Company
continued to invest in enhancement of its existing product line. The Company
expects to continue to invest in new product research and development and
enhancement of existing products, although these expenses may decline as a
percentage of revenues to the extent revenues increase.
Selling, general, and administrative expenses were $3,724,100 for the year
ended December 31, 1997, and $1,829,460 for the year ended December 31, 1996.
The increase in selling, general, and administrative expenses reflected the
Company's increased expenses for representative sales commissions due to higher
shipment levels and increased legal expense for litigation and patent activity
compared to 1996. Selling, general and administrative expenses declined as a
percentage of revenues to 49.9% in 1997 from 83.0% in 1996 due to increased
revenues. The Company expects that selling, general, and administrative expenses
will continue to decline as a percentage of revenues to the extent revenues
increase.
Net interest income was $251,029 for the year ended December 31, 1997, and
$104,807 for the year ended December 31, 1996. The increase in net interest
income in 1997 was due to interest income on a portion of the funds raised in
the Company's financing from the exercise of its Class A Warrants in April 1997.
The Company expects that interest income may decline in the future due to lower
short term investment balances caused by operating losses in 1997.
The Company sustained a net loss of $3,993,642 for the year ended December
31, 1997, as compared to a net loss of $3,374,035 for the year ended December
31, 1996. The net loss in 1997 included an $808,469 inventory write-off, due
primarily to a decision by the Company to discontinue its old product lines, and
a non-cash expense of $300,000 in the first quarter of 1997 related to an
amendment to certain of the Company's Class A Warrants to resolve a potential
dispute with holders of such warrants with respect to the effectiveness of a
resale registration statement relating to such Class A Shares. The terms of
certain Class A warrants were amended to give certain Class A warrant holders an
additional 0.2 shares of common stock for each Class A warrant exercised. The
Company used the Black-Scholes option pricing model to value the Class A
warrants before and after the change in terms and determined that the increase
in value was approximately $300,000. Excluding these two items, the net loss for
1997 would have been $2,885,173. The continued net loss was due primarily to the
continued product development activities and increased manufacturing operations.
In addition, the Company expanded its marketing, support, and administrative
organizations to manage increased sales and shipments of the Company's products.
Net losses are expected to continue until the Company is able to sell sufficient
numbers of cleaning, rinsing and drying systems to cover operating expenses, of
which there can be no assurance.
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
The Company's primary source of liquidity in the year ended December 31,
1997 has been the cash flow generated from the Company's exercise of its Class A
warrants, resulting in total net proceeds to the Company of approximately $14.5
million. As of December 31, 1997, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of
$2,145,785, restricted cash of $406,749, short term investments of $1,506,150,
accounts receivable of $4,324,760 and inventories of $4,678,600.
14
<PAGE> 16
Net cash used for operating activities was approximately $3,370,000 for the
year ended December 31, 1996 and $9,948,000 for the year ended December 31,
1997. The increase in cash used in operations in the year ended December 31,
1997 was primarily attributable to the increase in accounts receivable and
inventories as the working capital requirements of the Company increased due to
business expansion during the period.
Net cash provided by investing activities was approximately $436,000 in the
year ended December 31, 1996 as compared to net cash used for investing
activities of approximately $3,187,000 in the year ended December 31, 1997. The
increase in cash used for investing activities during 1997 primarily reflects
the investment activity of funds received through the Company's exercise of its
Class A warrants and an equity and debt investment in another company.
The Company's financing activities provided net cash of approximately
$677,060 for the year ended December 31, 1996, and approximately $14,662,000 for
the year ended December 31, 1997. During 1996, the Company received proceeds of
$750,000 from a term loan. During 1997, the Company received proceeds of
$250,000 from a term loan and then decreased its bank borrowings by $360,000.
The increase in cash provided by financing activities during 1997 primarily
reflects cash provided by the exercise of Company's Class A warrants and stock
options.
On March 30, 1998, the Company completed a $6 million equity financing in a
private placement of convertible preferred stock (Series A Preferred Stock). The
Company, subject to certain conditions, may exercise a put option for up to an
additional $6 million and the investors, subject to certain conditions, may
exercise a call option for up to an additional $6 million. The Company has
agreed to file a registration statement for the resale of the shares of the
Company's Common Stock acquired on conversion of the Series A Preferred Stock.
Under the securities purchase agreement, the Company has issued 600 shares
of convertible preferred stock which are initially convertible into an aggregate
of approximately 615,000 shares of the Company's Common Stock. After the
satisfaction of certain holding periods, each of the newly issued shares of
Series A Preferred Stock is convertible, at the option of the holder, into
shares of common stock of the Company based upon a conversion price of $10.8625
per share or if lower, 100% of the market price, defined as the lowest closing
bid price during the 20 trading days preceding a conversion. The convertible
preferred stock bears a dividend of 5% per year, payable in kind. The shares of
Series A Preferred Stock are subject to automatic conversion after three years
if not previously converted.
The Company has also obtained a commitment from a commercial lender to
receive a loan of up to $500,000 for its capital equipment and to create a $4
million revolving credit line collateralized by the Company's qualifying
accounts receivable. The funds available to the Company, if any, under such line
of credit will depend on the Company's ability to generate revenues in the near
term. The Company believes that the $6 million equity financing and the two
credit facilities should provide the Company with the necessary funds to finance
operations through 1998. The Company may be required to seek additional capital
beyond that time, which may result in dilution to the current stockholders. If
the Company is unable to obtain the necessary capital, the Company's business,
financial, and operating results may be materially adversely affected.
15
<PAGE> 17
ITEM 7. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' REPORT
The Board of Directors and Stockholders
YieldUP International Corporation:
We have audited the accompanying balance sheet of YieldUP International
Corporation (the Company), as of December 31, 1997, and the related statements
of operations, stockholders' equity, and cash flows for each of the years in the
two-year period then ended. These financial statements are the responsibility of
the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these
financial statements based on our audits.
We conducted our audits in accordance with generally accepted auditing
standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain
reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material
misstatement. An audit includes examining on a test basis, evidence supporting
the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes
assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by
management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation.
We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly,
in all material respects, the financial position of YieldUP International
Corporation as of December 31, 1997, and the results of its operations and its
cash flows for each of the years in the two-year period then ended in conformity
with generally accepted accounting principles.
KPMG PEAT MARWICK LLP
Mountain View, California
February 13, 1998, except as
to Note 8, which is
as of March 30, 1998
16
<PAGE> 18
YIELDUP INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
BALANCE SHEET
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
DECEMBER 31,
1997
------------
<S> <C>
ASSETS
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents................................. $ 2,145,785
Restricted cash........................................... 406,749
Short-term investments.................................... 1,506,150
Accounts receivable....................................... 4,324,760
Inventories............................................... 4,678,600
Prepaid expenses and other assets......................... 308,419
-----------
Total current assets.............................. 13,370,463
-----------
Property, plant, and equipment.............................. 1,409,817
Other assets................................................ 2,144,660
-----------
Total assets...................................... $16,924,940
===========
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable.......................................... $ 2,512,204
Accrued liabilities....................................... 693,699
Capital lease obligations and debt........................ 617,854
-----------
Total current liabilities......................... 3,823,757
-----------
Stockholders' equity:
Preferred stock:
$.001 par value; 5,000,000 shares authorized; no shares
issued and outstanding................................. --
Class A common stock:
$.001 par value; 2,229,927 shares authorized; 1,413,653
shares issued and outstanding; each share is entitled
to five votes.......................................... 1,414
Common stock:
$.001 par value; 20,000,000 shares authorized;
4,341,711 shares issued and outstanding; each share is
entitled to one vote................................... 4,341
Additional paid-in capital................................ 22,685,283
Notes receivable from stockholders........................ (1,841)
Accumulated deficit....................................... (9,588,014)
-----------
Total stockholders' equity........................ $13,101,183
-----------
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity........ $16,924,940
===========
</TABLE>
See accompanying notes to financial statements
17
<PAGE> 19
YIELDUP INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31,
--------------------------
1997 1996
----------- -----------
<S> <C> <C>
Revenues.................................................... $ 7,465,447 $ 2,204,590
Cost of sales............................................... 5,964,228 2,630,970
----------- -----------
Gross margin................................................ 1,501,219 (426,380)
----------- -----------
Operating expenses:
Research and development.................................. 2,021,790 1,223,002
Selling, general, and administrative...................... 3,724,100 1,829,460
----------- -----------
Total operating expenses............................... 5,745,890 3,052,462
----------- -----------
Operating loss......................................... (4,244,671) (3,478,842)
Interest income, net........................................ 251,029 104,807
----------- -----------
Net loss.................................................... $(3,993,642) $(3,374,035)
=========== ===========
Basic and diluted net loss per share........................ $ (0.81) $ (0.99)
=========== ===========
Shares used in per share computations....................... 4,946,858 3,406,395
=========== ===========
</TABLE>
See accompanying notes to financial statements
18
<PAGE> 20
YIELDUP INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
CLASS A NOTES
COMMON STOCK COMMON STOCK ADDITIONAL RECEIVABLE TOTAL
------------------ ------------------ PAID-IN FROM ACCUMULATED STOCKHOLDERS'
SHARES AMOUNT SHARES AMOUNT CAPITAL STOCKHOLDERS DEFICIT EQUITY
--------- ------ --------- ------ ----------- ------------ ----------- -------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Balances as of December 31,
1995....................... 1,910,301 $1,910 1,495,000 $1,495 $ 7,570,302 $ (41,281) $(2,220,337) $ 5,312,089
Exercise of Class A common
stock options.............. 1,810 2 -- -- 1,248 -- -- 1,250
Payment of notes
receivable................. -- -- -- -- -- 25,933 -- 25,933
Net loss..................... -- -- -- -- -- -- (3,374,035) (3,374,035)
--------- ------ --------- ------ ----------- --------- ----------- -----------
Balances as of December 31,
1996....................... 1,912,111 1,912 1,495,000 1,495 7,571,550 (15,348) (5,594,372) 1,965,237
Exercise of Class A common
stock options.............. 46,861 47 -- -- 86,173 -- -- 86,220
Exercise of common stock
options.................... -- -- 42,702 43 238,610 -- -- 238,653
Exercise of Class A
warrants................... -- -- 2,257,690 2,257 14,477,951 -- -- 14,480,208
Expense related to certain
Class A warrants........... -- -- -- -- 300,000 -- -- 300,000
Exercise of Class B
warrants................... 1,000 1 10,999 -- -- 11,000
Conversion of Class A common
stock to common stock...... (545,319) (545) 545,319 545 -- -- -- --
Payment of notes
receivable................. -- -- -- -- -- 13,507 -- 13,507
Net loss..................... -- -- -- -- -- -- (3,993,642) (3,993,642)
--------- ------ --------- ------ ----------- --------- ----------- -----------
Balances as of December 31,
1997....................... 1,413,653 $1,414 4,341,711 $4,341 $22,685,283 $ (1,841) $(9,588,014) $13,101,183
========= ====== ========= ====== =========== ========= =========== ===========
</TABLE>
See accompanying notes to financial statements
19
<PAGE> 21
YIELDUP INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31,
--------------------------
1997 1996
----------- -----------
<S> <C> <C>
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net loss.................................................. $(3,993,642) $(3,374,035)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used for
operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization.......................... 293,322 154,819
Expense related to certain Class A Warrants
amendment............................................. 300,000 --
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable.................................. (3,625,301) (20,032)
Inventories.......................................... (4,001,217) (171,451)
Prepaid expenses and other assets.................... (198,597) 59,110
Accounts payable..................................... 1,869,115 (75,000)
Accrued liabilities.................................. 169,422 157,156
Customer deposits.................................... (43,000) (101,000)
----------- -----------
Net cash used for operating activities............ (9,229,898) (3,370,433)
----------- -----------
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchase of plant and equipment........................... (794,245) (751,892)
Sale of fixed asset....................................... -- 22,000
Increase in restricted cash............................... -- (888,741)
Decrease in restricted cash............................... 103,129 --
Other assets.............................................. (718,543) --
Proceeds from sales of short-term investments............. -- 4,554,645
Purchases of short-term investments, net.................. (1,496,150) (2,499,933)
Purchases of other investments............................ (1,000,000) --
----------- -----------
Net cash (used for) provided by investing
activities..................................... (3,905,809) 436,079
----------- -----------
Cash flows from financing activities:
Principal payments under capital lease obligations........ (57,268) (40,123)
Proceeds from term loan................................... 250,000 750,000
Principal payments of term loan........................... (360,000) (60,000)
Proceeds of notes receivable from stockholders............ 13,507 25,933
Issuance of Common Stock from option exercise............. 238,653 --
Issuance of Common Stock from warrant exercise, net....... 14,491,208 --
Issuances of Class A Common Stock from option exercise.... 86,220 1,250
----------- -----------
Net cash provided by financing activities......... 14,662,320 677,060
----------- -----------
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents........ 1,526,613 (2,257,294)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year.............. 619,172 2,876,466
----------- -----------
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year.................... $ 2,145,785 $ 619,172
=========== ===========
Non-cash financing and investing activity:
Acquisition of equipment under capital lease
obligations............................................ $ -- $ 42,000
----------- -----------
Cash paid for interest...................................... $ 75,870 $ 24,756
=========== ===========
</TABLE>
See accompanying notes to financial statements
20
<PAGE> 22
YIELDUP INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER 31, 1997 AND 1996
(1) SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
The Company
YieldUP International Corporation (the Company or YieldUP) develops,
manufactures, and markets cleaning, rinsing and drying equipment used in the
manufacturing of semiconductor wafers and other defect sensitive substrates.
Cash Equivalents
Cash equivalents consist primarily of highly liquid debt instruments with
original maturity dates up to 90 days.
Short-Term Investments
Short-term investments are classified as "available-for-sale" and are
stated at fair value. Any unrealized gains and losses are reported as a separate
component of stockholders' equity, but to date have not been significant.
Concentration of Credit Risk
Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to significant
concentration of credit risk consist primarily of cash equivalents, short-term
investments and trade receivables. Substantially all of the Company's cash
equivalents are invested in certificates of deposit and money market funds. The
Company performs ongoing credit evaluations of its customers and generally
requires no collateral. The Company maintains reserves for potential credit
losses; historically, such losses have been minor and within management's
expectations.
Inventories
Inventories are stated at the lower of first-in, first-out cost or market.
The Company periodically reviews its inventories for potential slow-moving and
obsolete items and writes down impaired items to net realizable value.
Property, Plant and Equipment
Property and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation.
Depreciation is provided using the straight-line method over the estimated
useful lives of the related assets, generally three to five years. Property,
plant and equipment recorded under capital leases and leasehold improvements are
amortized on a straight-line basis over the shorter of the lease terms or their
estimated useful lives.
Statement of Financial Accounting Standards ("SFAS") No. 121, "Accounting
for the Impairment of Long-Lived Assets and for Long-Lived Assets to Be Disposed
Of ", requires that long-lived assets and certain identifiable intangibles be
reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate
that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability of
assets to be held and used is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of
an asset to future net cash flows expected to be generated by the asset. If such
assets are considered to be impaired, the impairment to be recognized is
measured by the amount by which the carrying amount of the assets exceed the
fair value of the assets. Assets to be disposed of are reported at the lower of
the carrying amount or fair value less costs to sell.
21
<PAGE> 23
YIELDUP INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
Revenue Recognition
Revenue is recognized after shipment when there is no significant
uncertainty regarding customer acceptance and payment. The Company has
determined that no significant uncertainties exist regarding customer acceptance
and payment when the Company has received signed evidence of an arrangement with
the customer, the Company's product has been shipped and the collection of the
Company's receivable is probable.
Product Warranty
A provision for the estimated future costs of warranty repair is provided
at the time of sale.
Income Taxes
The Company is accounting for income taxes using an asset and liability
approach that results in the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities
for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been recognized in
the Company's financial statements or tax returns. In estimating future tax
consequences generally all expected future events other than the enactment of
changes in tax laws or rates are considered. Valuation allowances are
established when necessary to reduce deferred tax assets to the amounts expected
to be realized.
Stock Based Compensation
The Company accounts for its stock based compensation plans using the
intrinsic value method. As such, compensation expense is recorded if on the date
of grant the current market price of the underlying stock exceeds the exercise
price.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
The carrying amounts of the Company's cash and cash equivalents, restricted
cash, short-term investments, equity investment in a semiconductor equipment
company and a cash advance to that company (included in other assets), accounts
receivable, accounts payable and long term debt approximate their respective
fair values.
Use of Estimates
The Company's management has made a number of estimates and assumptions
relating to the reporting of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of
contingent assets and liabilities to prepare these financial statements in
conformity with generally accepted accounting principles. Actual results could
differ from those estimates.
Net Loss Per Share
Basic net loss per share is based on the weighted average number of shares
of Class A common stock and common stock outstanding. Diluted net loss per share
is based on the weighted average number of shares of Class A common stock and
common stock outstanding and dilutive common equivalent shares from stock
options and warrants outstanding using the treasury stock method. In 1997 and
1996 the Company had 658,806 options and 4,182,149 warrants and 610,287 options
and 4,160,000 warrants outstanding, respectively, that could potentially dilute
basic EPS in the future that were not included in the computation of diluted EPS
because to do so would have been antidilutive for those years.
22
<PAGE> 24
YIELDUP INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
Reclassifications
Certain amounts in the 1996 financial statements have been reclassified to
conform with the 1997 financial statement presentation.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
In June 1997, the FASB issued SFAS No. 130, Reporting Comprehensive Income.
SFAS No. 130 establishes standards for reporting and displaying comprehensive
income and its components in the consolidated financial statements. It does not,
however, require a specific format for the statement, but requires the Company
to display an amount representing total comprehensive income for the period in
that financial statement. The Company is in the process of determining its
preferred format. This statement is effective for fiscal years beginning after
December 15, 1997.
In June 1997, the FASB issued SFAS No. 131, Disclosures about Segments of
an Enterprise and Related Information. SFAS No. 131 establishes standards for
the way public business enterprises report information about operating segments
in annual financial statements and requires those enterprises to report selected
information about operating segments in interim financial reports issued to
stockholders. SFAS 131 is effective for financial statements for periods
beginning after December 31, 1997. The Company has not yet determined whether it
has any separately reportable business segments.
(2) BALANCE SHEET COMPONENTS
Restricted Cash
As of December 31, 1997, the Company had restricted cash in the form of
certificates of deposit, of $406,749.
Short-Term Investments
Short-term investments, all of which are maturing in one year or less,
consisted of the following as of December 31, 1997 (fair value approximates
cost):
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
MARKET
VALUE
----------
<S> <C>
Auction rate securities..................................... $1,000,000
Commercial paper............................................ 496,150
Certificates of deposit..................................... 10,000
----------
$1,506,150
==========
</TABLE>
Inventories
A summary of inventories follows:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
DECEMBER 31,
1997
------------
<S> <C>
Raw materials............................................... $1,762,780
Work in process............................................. 941,576
Evaluation units............................................ 1,001,958
Finished goods.............................................. 972,286
----------
$4,678,600
==========
</TABLE>
23
<PAGE> 25
YIELDUP INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
Evaluation units are systems installed at potential customers' sites. These
units are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is provided
using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the units,
generally three years.
Property, Plant and Equipment
A summary of property, plant and equipment follows:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
DECEMBER 31,
1997
------------
<S> <C>
Machinery and equipment..................................... $1,015,446
Furniture and fixtures...................................... 57,295
Leasehold improvements...................................... 767,940
----------
1,840,681
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization.............. 430,864
----------
$1,409,817
==========
</TABLE>
Other Assets
Other assets include a $1,000,000 equity investment in a semiconductor
equipment company comprising 7% ownership in that company, and a cash advance of
$1,000,000 to that company for purchase of materials.
(3) INCOME TAXES
The Company has a net operating loss carryforward for federal and
California purposes at December 31, 1997 of $7,341,000 and $3,669,000,
respectively. The difference between the federal net operating loss and the
accumulated deficit is primarily attributed to the years ending December 31,
1993 and 1994 when the Company was an S corporation for taxation purposes. The
difference between the federal and California net operating loss carryforward is
due to the 50% limitation of net operating loss carry-forwards for California
purposes. The federal net operating loss carryforwards expire in the years 2010
through 2012. The California net operating loss carryforwards expire in the
years 2000 through 2002.
Federal and California tax laws impose significant restrictions on the
utilization of net operating loss carryforwards in the event of a shift in the
ownership of the Company, which constitutes an "ownership change" as defined by
Internal Revenue Code Section 382. The initial public offering ("IPO") of
YieldUP common stock in November 1995 resulted in such a change. As a result,
$1,400,000 of YieldUP's federal and $699,000 of the California net operating
loss carryforwards are subject to an annual limitation approximating $525,000.
Any unused annual limitations may be carried forward to increase the limitations
in subsequent years.
The following reconciles the expected corporate federal income tax expense
(computed by multiplying the Company's income before taxes by 34%) to the
Company's income tax expense for the years ended December 31, 1997 and 1996:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
1997 1996
----------- -----------
<S> <C> <C>
Expected income tax expense..................... $(1,358,000) $(1,118,000)
Net operating loss not benefited................ 1,358,000 1,118,000
----------- -----------
Actual income tax expense............... $ -- $ --
=========== ===========
</TABLE>
24
<PAGE> 26
YIELDUP INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
The tax effects of temporary differences that give rise to significant
portions of deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities as of December 31,
1997 and 1996 are as follows:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
1997 1996
----------- -----------
<S> <C> <C>
Deferred tax assets
Net operating loss carryforwards................ $ 2,710,000 $ 1,658,000
Reserves and accruals........................... 506,000 80,000
Other........................................... 113,000 32,000
----------- -----------
Total gross deferred tax assets.............. 3,329,000 1,770,000
Less valuation allowance.......................... (3,329,000) (1,770,000)
----------- -----------
Net deferred tax assets................. $ -- $ --
=========== ===========
</TABLE>
The net change in the total valuation allowance was an increase of
$1,559,000 and $1,167,000 for the years ended December 31, 1997 and 1996,
respectively.
(4) DEBT
Debt comprises of two bank loans, both maturing in 1998. The first is a
bank term loan which is fully collateralized by a certificate of deposit. As of
December 31, 1997, $330,000 was outstanding under this loan. The loan is payable
in monthly installments of $30,000, and bears interest at the bank's prime rate
plus 2.25%. The second is a revolving credit line collateralized by the
Company's qualifying accounts receivable, and bears interest at the bank's prime
rate plus 1.75%. As of December 31, 1997, $250,000 was outstanding under this
loan.
The Company was in violation of a covenant of these loans and obtained a
waiver from the bank.
(5) COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Leases
The Company is obligated under operating leases for certain equipment and
its facilities, and capital leases for certain equipment, furniture and fixtures
that expire at various dates during the next three years. The amount of
equipment, furniture, and fixtures and related accumulated amortization recorded
under capital leases were as follows:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
DECEMBER 31,
1997
------------
<S> <C>
Machinery and equipment..................................... $103,500
Furniture and fixtures...................................... 37,930
--------
141,430
Less accumulated amortization............................... 94,287
--------
$ 47,143
========
</TABLE>
25
<PAGE> 27
YIELDUP INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
Future minimum lease payments under the Company's non-cancelable operating
leases and future minimum capital lease payments as of December 31, 1997, are as
follows:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
YEAR ENDING CAPITAL OPERATING
DECEMBER 31, LEASES LEASES
------------ ------- ---------
<S> <C> <C>
1998.................................................. $51,913 $218,286
1999.................................................. -- 94,704
2000.................................................. -- 85,693
------- --------
Total minimum lease payments............................ $51,913 $398,683
========
Less amount representing interest....................... 3,050
-------
Present value of minimum lease payments................. 48,863
=======
</TABLE>
Rent expense was approximately $149,751 and $140,789 for the years ended
December 31, 1997 and 1996, respectively.
Patent Matters
CFM Technologies, Inc. and CFMT, Inc. (collectively "CFM") filed a
complaint against the Company in United States District Court for the District
of Delaware in September 1995. The complaint alleged that the drying process
incorporated in certain of the Company's products infringes a patent held by
CFM. On October 14, 1997, a federal court for the District of Delaware ruled in
favor of the defendant, YieldUP International Corporation. In a written opinion
granting summary judgment for YieldUP, the United States District Court held
that CFM had failed to produce evidence on three separate elements of the patent
claim. To establish infringement, evidence of all three elements was required.
However, there can be no assurance that this judgment will not be overturned
should there be an appeal by CFM. A loss, if any, resulting from an unfavorable
adjudication, cannot presently be estimated. Accordingly, no provision for any
liability that may result upon adjudication has been made in the accompanying
financial statements.
(6) STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
Common Stock And Class A Common Stock
The terms of the Common Stock and the Class A Common Stock are essentially
identical, except that: (i) the holders of the Common Stock are entitled to one
vote per share and holders of Class A Common Stock are entitled to five votes
per share, (ii) if stock dividends, splits, distributions, reverse splits,
combinations, reclassification of shares, or other recapitalizations
(collectively, "recapitalizations") are declared or effected, such
recapitalizations shall be effected in a like manner with respect to the Common
Stock and the Class A Common Stock, except that payments in shares of capital
stock shall be paid in Common Stock with respect to Common Stock and Class A
Common Stock with respect to Class A Common Stock, and (iii) shares of Class A
Common Stock are convertible into Common Stock on a share-for-share basis option
of the holder at any time and all remaining shares of Class A Common Stock will
automatically be converted to Common Stock at such time as there are fewer than
400,000 shares of Class A Common Stock outstanding.
In addition, the shares of Class A Common Stock are automatically converted
into shares of Common Stock upon their transfer to any person other than the
permitted transferees which are mainly the stockholders family members.
Preferred Stock
The Preferred Stock may be issued in series, and shares of each series will
have such rights and preferences as are fixed by the Board in the resolutions
authorizing the issuance of that particular series.
26
<PAGE> 28
YIELDUP INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
Warrants
As of December 31, 1997, all of the Company's Class A Warrants had been
exercised or redeemed except 1,780 Class A warrants outstanding which can be
redeemed by the holders at a price of $0.05 per warrant. The Company incurred a
non-cash expense of $300,000 in the first quarter of 1997 related to an
amendment to certain of the Company's Class A Warrants to resolve a potential
dispute with holders of such warrants with respect to the effectiveness of a
resale registration statement relating to such Class A shares. The terms of
certain Class A warrants were amended to give certain Class A warrant holders an
additional 0.2 shares of common stock for each Class A warrant exercised. The
Company used the Black-Scholes option pricing model to value the Class A
warrants before and after the change in terms and determined that the increase
in value was approximately $300,000.
As of December 31, 1997, the Company had issued and outstanding 4,155,421
Class B warrants. The holder of each Class B warrant is entitled, upon payment
of the exercise price of $11.00, to purchase one share of common stock. Unless
previously redeemed, the Class B warrants are exercisable at any time until
November 21, 2000. The Class B warrants are subject to redemption by the
Company, at a price of $0.05 per warrant, if the average closing bid price of
the common stock exceeds certain prices within certain time periods. As of
December 31, 1997, 1000 Class B warrants have been exercised and no Class B
warrants have been redeemed.
In September 1995, 450,000 Class B warrants were issued on a pro-rata basis
to all holders of the Company's stock and stock options. This action was
accounted for as a recapitalization. In November 1995, 1,495,000 Class B
warrants were issued as part of the Company's IPO which offered Units, each of
which comprised one share of common stock, a Class A warrant and a Class B
warrant. Upon the conversion of the Class A warrants, in April 1997, the Class A
warrant holders were given 1,495,000 Class B warrants in accordance with the
terms of the Class A warrant. These Class B warrants were valued at their fair
values at the time of their issuances and these amounts are included under
common stock in equity.
Stock Option Plans
As of December 31, 1997, the Company has three stock-based compensation
plans, which are described below.
The Board of Directors has reserved 750,000 shares of common stock for
issuance under the Company's 1995 Stock Option Plan (the Option Plan). Options
may be granted to employees (including officers), consultants, advisers and
directors, although only employees and directors and officers, who are also
employees, may receive "incentive stock options" intended to qualify for certain
tax treatment. The exercise price of non-qualified stock options must equal at
least 85% of the fair market value of the common stock on the date of grant, and
the exercise price of incentive stock options must be no less than the fair
market value on the date of grant. Options granted under the Option Plan vest
over 4 years and must be exercised within 10 years. As of December 31, 1997,
378,063 options are outstanding under the Option Plan.
Prior to the adoption of the Option Plan in September 1995, the Company
granted 346,411 options to purchase shares of Class A common stock at prices
ranging from $0.69 to $3.17 per share under a separate option plan (the Prior
Plan). The Company does not anticipate granting any additional options to
purchase Class A common stock under the Prior Plan, and any shares subject to
options under the Prior Plan that terminate, or are canceled, will not be issued
or used for new options. As of December 31, 1997, 200,743 options are
outstanding under the Prior Plan.
Under the Company's 1995 Outside Directors Stock Option Plan (the Directors
Plan), 100,000 shares of common stock have been reserved for issuance. The
Directors Plan provides for the automatic granting of non-qualified stock
options to directors of the Company who are not employees of the Company
(Outside Directors). Under the Directors Plan, each new Outside Director elected
will automatically be granted an
27
<PAGE> 29
YIELDUP INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
option to purchase 20,000 shares of common stock at the date of his election.
Additionally, each Outside Director, except for Outside Directors who have
received an initial grant of an option to purchase 20,000 shares within six
months of the annual meeting of stockholders, will automatically be granted an
option to purchase 5,000 shares of common stock on the date of each annual
meeting of stockholders. The exercise price of the options in all cases will be
equal to the fair market value of the common stock on the date of grant. Options
granted under the Directors Plan vest over 4 years and, generally, must be
exercised within 10 years. As of December 31, 1997, 80,000 options are
outstanding under the Director's Plan.
A summary of the status of the Company's three fixed stock option plans as
of December 31, 1997 and 1996, and changes during the years ended on those dates
is presented below:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
NUMBER OF WEIGHTED AVERAGE
SHARES EXERCISE PRICES
--------- ----------------
<S> <C> <C>
Balance as of December 31, 1995................... 376,008 $ 1.97
Granted......................................... 339,500 $ 5.75
Exercised....................................... (1,810) $ 0.69
Canceled........................................ (103,411) $ 4.63
-------- ------
Balance as of December 31, 1996................... 610,287 $ 3.63
-------- ------
Granted......................................... 344,750 $10.04
Exercised....................................... (89,563) $ 3.63
Canceled........................................ (206,668) $ 6.10
-------- ------
Balance as of December 31, 1997................... 658,806 $ 6.21
======== ======
</TABLE>
As of December 31, 1997, 415,829 shares were available for grant. As of
December 31, 1997 and 1996, the number of options exercisable were 237,374 and
223,341, respectively.
The Company uses the intrinsic value method in accounting for its plans.
Accordingly, no compensation cost has been recognized for any of the plans. Had
compensation cost for the Company's three stock-based compensation plans been
determined consistent with SFAS No. 123, the Company's net loss and net loss per
share would have been increased to the pro forma amounts indicated below:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
1997 1996
----------- -----------
<S> <C> <C>
Net loss as reported.............................. $(3,993,642) $(3,374,035)
Pro forma....................................... $(4,738,585) $(3,692,023)
Net loss per share as reported.................... $(0.81) $(0.99)
Pro forma....................................... $(0.96) $(1.08)
</TABLE>
The effects of applying SFAS 123 in this proforma disclosure is not
indicative of the effects on reported results for future years. SFAS 123 does
not apply to awards prior to 1995, and additional awards in future years are
anticipated. Stock options granted to consultants and advisors are accounted for
using the fair value method under SFAS 123.
The weighted-average fair value of options granted in 1997 and 1996, was
$6.79 and $3.84, respectively.
The fair value of each option grant is estimated on the date of grant using
Black Scholes option-pricing model with the following weighted-average
assumptions used for grants in 1997 and 1996, respectively: no dividend yield;
expected volatility of 67.5%; risk free interest rates of 6%; expected lives of
four years for the Prior Plan and five years for the other two plans.
28
<PAGE> 30
YIELDUP INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
The following table summarizes information about fixed stock options
outstanding as of December 31, 1997:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
OPTIONS OUTSTANDING
--------------------------------------------- OPTIONS EXERCISABLE
WEIGHTED --------------------------
AVERAGE WEIGHTED WEIGHTED
RANGE OF NUMBER REMAINING AVERAGE NUMBER AVERAGE
EXERCISE PRICES OF SHARES CONTRACTUAL LIFE EXERCISE PRICE OF SHARES EXERCISE PRICE
--------------- --------- ---------------- -------------- --------- --------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
$ 0.69 - $ 0.69................... 74,771 7.40 $ 0.6900 53,625 $0.6900
$ 0.76 - $ 0.76................... 125,971 7.32 $ 0.7600 125,971 $0.7600
$ 3.17 - $ 5.00................... 96,501 8.52 $ 4.9483 35,301 $4.9601
$ 5.25 - $ 7.00................... 89,563 8.79 $ 6.2356 22,477 $6.0123
$ 7.50 - $ 8.38................... 68,500 9.17 $ 8.1794 --
$ 9.66 - $ 9.66................... 66,000 9.47 $ 9.6600 --
$10.75 - $10.75................... 28,500 9.38 $10.7500 --
$11.75 - $11.75................... 10,000 9.41 $11.7500 --
$12.88 - $12.88................... 20,000 9.71 $12.8800 --
$13.00 - $13.00................... 79,000 9.58 $13.0000 --
------- -------
$ 0.69 - $13.00................... 658,806 8.58 $ 6.2077 237,374 $1.8662
======= =======
</TABLE>
(7) MAJOR CUSTOMERS
For the year ended December 31, 1997, sales to only one customer exceeded
10% of total revenues. Sales to Applied Materials as a percent of total annual
revenues were 19.8% for the year ended December 31, 1997, 15.5% for the year
ended December 31, 1996, and 23.6% for the year ended December 31, 1995.
Export sales to the Company's international customers outside North
America, primarily to Japan and Europe comprised approximately 5%, 33%, and 32%
of net revenues for the years ended December 31, 1995, 1996 and 1997,
respectively.
(8) SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
On March 30, 1998, the Company completed a $6 million equity financing in a
private placement of convertible preferred stock (Series A Preferred Stock).
Under the securities purchase agreement, the Company has issued 600 shares of
convertible preferred stock which are initially convertible into an aggregate of
approximately 615,000 shares of the Company's Common Stock (these shares could
potentially dilute basic EPS in the future). After the satisfaction of certain
holding periods, each of the newly issued shares of Series A Preferred Stock is
convertible, at the option of the holder, into shares of common stock of the
Company based upon a conversion price of $10.8625 per share or if lower, 100% of
the market price, defined as the lowest closing bid price during the 20 trading
days preceding a conversion. The convertible preferred stock bears a dividend of
5% per year, payable in kind. The shares of Series A Preferred Stock are subject
to automatic conversion after three years if not previously converted.
The Company has also obtained a commitment from a commercial lender to
receive a loan up to $500,000 for its capital equipment, at an interest rate of
the lender's prime rate plus 1.75%, and to create a $4 million revolving credit
line collateralized by the Company's qualifying accounts receivable, at an
interest rate of the lender's prime rate plus 1.25%.
29
<PAGE> 31
ITEM 8. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND
FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE
None
PART III
ITEM 9. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS, PROMOTERS, AND CONTROL PERSONS;
COMPLIANCE WITH SECTION 16(a) OF THE EXCHANGE ACT
The following sets forth certain information regarding the executive
officers of the Registration:
DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
The directors and executive officers of the Company and their ages as of
January 31, 1998 are as follows:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
NAME AGE POSITION
---- --- --------
<S> <C> <C>
Raj Mohindra....................... 53 President, Chief Executive Officer
and Director
Abhay K. Bhushan................... 53 Executive Vice President,
Chief Financial Officer and
Director
Suraj Puri......................... 54 Vice President, Chief Technical
Officer and Director
Ram Paul Gupta(1).................. 59 Director
Werner Kern(1)..................... 69 Director
</TABLE>
- ---------------
(1) Members of the Compensation and Audit Committees.
Mr. Mohindra co-founded the Company in 1993 and has served as President,
Chief Executive Officer and a director of the Company since its inception. Prior
to joining the Company, from 1968 to 1993, he worked for IBM where he held a
number of operational, management and technical positions, including head of the
IBM Productivity Competence Center, Manager of Systems Engineering and Senior
Technical Staff Member.
Mr. Bhushan co-founded the Company in 1993 and has served as Executive Vice
President and Chief Financial Officer since June 1997, and as a director of the
Company since its inception. He also served as Chief Financial Officer of the
Company from August 1993 until July 1995. From 1996 to 1997, Mr. Bhushan was
co-founder of Portola Communication, a software company, where he served as
Chairman, President, Chief Financial Officer and Vice President Business
Development. From 1974 through 1995, Mr. Bhushan was employed by Xerox
Corporation, where he served in various capacities, including Manager of the
Xerox Environmental Leadership Programs, Manager of Systems Engineering and
Standards and Manager of Business Strategy.
Mr. Puri co-founded the Company in 1993 and has served as Vice President,
Chief Technical Officer and a director of the Company since its inception. Prior
to joining the Company, from 1986 to 1993, Mr. Puri served as an independent
consultant in the semiconductor industry.
Mr. Gupta has served as a director of the Company since July 1995. From
1992 to the present, Mr. Gupta has served as President, Chief Operating Officer
and Vice President of Operations of Quality Semiconductor, Inc., a semiconductor
manufacturer. From 1988 to 1992, Mr. Gupta served as President of Blackship
Computers, Inc., a systems integration company.
Mr. Kern has served as a director of the Company since September 1997. Mr.
Kern is President of Werner Kern Associates, and is the recipient of the 1997
SEMI Award for Process Technology. Mr. Kern is a fellow of the Electrochemical
Society and was chairman of the Society's Diclectric and Insulation Division.
The Board of Directors is divided into three classes. Each class of
directors consists of one or two directors, who serve staggered three year
terms.
30
<PAGE> 32
Officers are elected by and serve at the discretion of the Board of
Directors. There are no family relationships among the directors or officers of
the Company.
COMPLIANCE WITH SECTION 16(A) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the
"Exchange Act"), requires the Company's directors and executive officers, and
persons who own more than ten percent of a registered class of the Company's
equity securities, to file with the SEC initial reports of ownership and reports
of changes in ownership of Common Stock and other equity securities of the
Company. Officers, directors and greater than ten percent beneficial owners are
required by SEC regulation to furnish the Company with copies of all reports
they file under Section 16(a).
To the Company's knowledge, based solely on its review of the copies of
such reports furnished to the Company and written representation that no other
reports were required, all Section 16(a) filing requirements applicable to its
officers, directors and greater than ten-percent beneficial owners were complied
with during the year ended December 31, 1997, except for Mr. Bhushan who was
late with respect to the filing of one report.
ITEM 10. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
The following table sets forth the aggregate base salary and bonuses paid
by the Company for services rendered during 1995, 1996 and 1997 to the Company's
chief executive officer and the other executive officers (the "Named Executive
Officers") who earned more than $100,000 in any of these years. In 1995 no
executive officer of the Company received in excess of $100,000 compensation for
services rendered to the Company.
SUMMARY COMPENSATION TABLE
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
ANNUAL LONG-TERM
COMPENSATION COMPENSATION
-------------------------------- ------------
SECURITIES
ALL OTHER UNDERLYING
NAME AND PRINCIPAL POSITION YEAR SALARY COMPENSATION OPTIONS
--------------------------- ---- -------- ------------ ------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Raj Mohindra................................... 1995 $ 84,000 -- 125,971
President and Chief Executive Officer 1996 $138,459 $5,400(1) --
1997 $159,045 $7,200(1) --
Abhay Bhushan.................................. 1997 $ 67,721 $4,200(1) 60,000
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial
Officer(2)
Suraj Puri..................................... 1997 $ 98,242 $4,200(1) --
Vice President and Chief Technical Officer
</TABLE>
- ---------------
(1) Represents automobile allowance payments.
(2) Mr. Bhushan became an employee of the company in June 1997
31
<PAGE> 33
STOCK OPTION INFORMATION
The following table contains information concerning stock option grants to
the Named Executive Officers during the year ended December 31, 1997.
OPTIONS/SAR GRANTS IN LAST FISCAL YEAR
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
PERCENTAGE OF
NUMBER OF TOTAL OPTIONS
SECURITIES GRANTED TO
UNDERLYING EMPLOYEES EXERCISE OR BASE EXPIRATION
NAME OPTIONS GRANTED IN FISCAL YEAR PRICE($/SH) DATE
---- --------------- -------------- ---------------- ----------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Raj Mohindra............................... -- -- -- --
Abhay Bhushan(1)........................... 60,000 20.4% $9.66 6/3/07
Suraj Puri................................. -- -- -- --
</TABLE>
- ---------------
(1) This does not include 30,000 options granted to Mr. Bhushan for being a
non-employee Director of the Company, prior to his employment at the
Company, in accordance with the 1995 Outside Directors Stock Option Plan
(the "Directors Plan").
AGGREGATED OPTION/SAR EXERCISES IN LAST FISCAL YEAR AND FISCAL YEAR-END
OPTION/SAR VALUES
The following table sets forth, for the Named Executive Officers, the
shares acquired and the value realized on exercise of stock options during the
year ended December 31, 1997 and the year-end number and value of exercisable
and unexercisable options.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
NUMBER OF
SECURITIES UNDERLYING VALUE OF UNEXERCISE
UNEXERCISED OPTIONS AT IN-THE-MONEY OPTIONS AT
SHARES DECEMBER 31, 1997 DECEMBER 31, 1997(1)
ACQUIRED ON VALUE ---------------------------- ----------------------------
NAME EXERCISE REALIZED EXERCISABLE UNEXERCISABLE EXERCISABLE UNEXERCISABLE
---- ----------- -------- ----------- ------------- ----------- -------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Raj Mohindra -- -- 125,971 -- $1,100,987 --
Abhay Bhushan -- -- 60,000 -- -- --
</TABLE>
- ---------------
(1) The value of "in-the-money" stock options for Mr. Mohindra represents the
positive spread between the exercise price of stock options, $0.76 per
share, and the fair market value for the Company's Common Stock of $9.50 per
share as of December 31, 1997, which was the closing price of the Company's
Common Stock on December 31, 1997. Mr. Bhushan's options were at $9.66 per
share which was higher than the fair market value for the Company's Common
Stock of $9.50 per share as of December 31, 1997, which was the closing
price of the Company's Common Stock on December 31, 1997.
The Company does not have employment agreements with any of its executive
officers or directors.
COMPENSATION OF DIRECTORS
From time to time, directors have received grants of options to purchase
the Company's Common Stock. Directors who are not employees of the Company
receive yearly grants of options to purchase Common Stock under the Directors
Plan. The Company does not pay additional amounts for committee participation or
special assignments of the Board of Directors.
32
<PAGE> 34
ITEM 11. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT
PRINCIPAL STOCKHOLDERS
The following table sets forth certain information regarding the beneficial
ownership of the Company's capital stock as of December 31, 1997, (i) by each
person who is known by the Company to own beneficially more than 5% of the
Company's capital stock, (ii) by each of the Named Executive Officers and by
each of the Company's directors, and (iii) by all officers and directors as a
group.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
PERCENTAGE
NUMBER OF OF SHARES OF
NUMBER OF SHARES SHARES OF CLASS CLASS A
NAME AND ADDRESS OF OF COMMON PERCENTAGE A COMMON COMMON
BENEFICIAL OWNER(1) STOCK(2) OF CLASS(3) STOCK(2) STOCK(3)
------------------- ---------------- ----------- --------------- ------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Raj Mohindra.......................... 10,000 * 980,257(4) 63.7%
Abhay Bhushan......................... 96,605(5) 2.2% 262,070(6) 18.4%
Suraj Puri............................ 25,000 * 172,544(7) 12.2%
Ram Paul Gupta........................ 30,000(8) * 22,646(9) 1.6%
Werner Kern........................... 20,000(10) * -- --
All directors and executive
officers as a group (five
(5) persons)........................ 181,605(11) 4.1% 1,437,517(12) 91.0%
</TABLE>
- ---------------
* Represents less than one percent.
(1) All beneficial owners listed may be reached at 117 Easy Street, Mountain
View, California 94043.
(2) Except pursuant to applicable community property laws or as otherwise
noted, all shares are beneficially owned and sole voting, and investment
power is held by the persons named.
(3) Based on 1,413,653 shares of Class A Common Stock and 4,341,711 shares of
Common Stock outstanding as of December 31, 1997, plus shares which may be
acquired by the named person(s) upon exercise of outstanding options
exercisable within 60 days of April 30, 1998. Each share of Class A Common
Stock has five votes, and each share of Common Stock has one vote.
(4) Includes 125,971 shares of Class A Common Stock issuable upon exercise of
options exercisable within 60 days of April 30, 1998. Also includes 44,161
shares held by family members of Mr. Mohindra, but Mr. Mohindra disclaims
beneficial ownership of all such shares except to the extent of any
pecuniary interest therein which he may have.
(5) Includes 90,000 shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of options
exercisable within 60 days of April 30, 1998.
(6) Includes 14,479 shares of Class A Common Stock issuable upon exercise of
options exercisable within 60 days of April 30, 1998. Also includes 43,434
shares of Class A Common Stock held by family members of Mr. Bhushan, but
Mr. Bhushan disclaims beneficial ownership of all such shares except to the
extent of any pecuniary interest therein which he may have.
(7) Includes 7,239 shares of Class A Common Stock held by a family member of
Mr. Puri, but Mr. Puri disclaims beneficial ownership of all such shares
except to the extent of any pecuniary interest therein which he may have.
(8) Includes 30,000 shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of options
exercisable within 60 days of April 30, 1998.
(9) Includes 22,646 shares of Class A Common Stock issuable upon exercise of
options exercisable within 60 days of April 30, 1998.
(10) Includes 20,000 shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of options
exercisable within 60 days of April 30, 1998.
33
<PAGE> 35
(11) Includes 140,000 shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of options
exercisable within 60 days of April 30, 1998.
(12) Includes 1,179,587 shares of Class A Common Stock issuable upon exercise of
options exercisable within 60 days of April 30, 1998.
ITEM 12. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS
During the last two fiscal years, the Company had the following
transactions with certain of its officers, directors and holders of 5% of the
outstanding shares of the Company, as described below.
In September 1995, the Company issued a promissory note in the principal
amount of $50,000 and 25,000 warrants which subsequently converted into Class A
Warrants to each of Raj Mohindra, Abhay Bhushan, Suraj Puri and Bernard Slade,
who at the time were directors of the Company. Bernard Slade has since resigned
as a director.
In October 1995, the Company distributed a dividend of 220,000 Class A
Warrants and 450,000 Class B Warrants pro rata among all holders of capital
stock and options to acquire capital stock of the Company, including all then
officers and directors of the Company other than William Elder.
The Company believes that all transactions with affiliates described above
were made on terms no less favorable to the Company than could have been
obtained from unaffiliated third parties.
PART IV
ITEM 13. EXHIBITS AND REPORTS ON FORM 8-K
(a) Exhibits: See the index of exhibits on pages 27 of this report
(b) Reports on Form 8-K: None filed
34
<PAGE> 36
YIELDUP INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
INDEX OF EXHIBITS
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
EXHIBIT
NUMBER DESCRIPTION OF EXHIBIT
- ------- ----------------------
<C> <S>
3.2* Certificate of Incorporation.
3.3** Bylaws.
4.1* Form of Warrant Agreement between the Company and the
Warrant Agent, including the form of warrants.
10.1* Form of Indemnity Agreement.
10.2* 1995 Stock Option Plan and forms of agreement thereunder.
10.3* 1995 Outside Directors Stock Option Plan and forms of
agreement thereunder.
10.5* Facilities lease between the Company and Lori A. Halligan
Trust, dated September 11, 1995.
10.7* Loan and Security Agreement with Silicon Valley Bank dated
September 16, 1996.
23.1 Consent of Independent Auditors.
24.3** Power of Attorney. (See page 28)
27.1** Financial Data Schedule
</TABLE>
- ---------------
* The exhibit is incorporated by reference to Form SB-2 (Registration No.
33-97792-LA)
** Filed previously.
35
<PAGE> 37
SIGNATURES
In accordance with Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, the Company has
caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized.
YIELDUP INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
(COMPANY)
/s/ RAJ MOHINDRA
--------------------------------------
Raj Mohindra, Chairman and Chief
Executive
(Principal Executive Officer)
Date: June 19, 1998
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
NAME TITLE DATE
---- ----- ----
<C> <S> <C>
/s/ RAJ MOHINDRA Chairman, Chief Executive June 19, 1998
- ----------------------------------------------------- Officer, and Director
Raj Mohindra
ABHAY K. BHUSHAN* Chief Financial Officer, and June 19, 1998
- ----------------------------------------------------- Director
Abhay K. Bhushan
(PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL OFFICER)
WERNER KERN* Director June 19, 1998
- -----------------------------------------------------
Werner Kern
RAM PAUL GUPTA* Director June 19, 1998
- -----------------------------------------------------
Ram Paul Gupta
SURAJ PURI* Director June 19, 1998
- -----------------------------------------------------
Suraj Puri
</TABLE>
*by: /s/ RAJ MOHINDRA
- ------------------------------------------------
Raj Mohindra, Attorney-in-Fact
36
<PAGE> 1
EXHIBIT 23.1
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT AUDITORS
The Board of Directors
YieldUP International Corporation
We consent to incorporation by reference in the registration statements
(Nos. 333-19645, 333-19647 and 333-19649) on Forms S-3 and S-8 of YieldUP
International Corporation of our report dated February 13, 1998, except as to
Note 8, which is as of March 30, 1998, relating to the balance sheet of YieldUP
International Corporation as of December 31, 1997, and the related statements of
operations, stockholders' equity, and cash flows for each of the years in the
two-year period then ended, which report appears in the December 31, 1997,
annual report on Form 10-KSB/A of YieldUP International Corporation.
KPMG Peat Marwick LLP
Mountain View, California
June 19, 1998
