As filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on July 13, 2021.
Registration No. 333-257663
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
AMENDMENT NO. 1
TO
FORM S-1
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
CYTEK BIOSCIENCES, INC.
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware | 3826 | 47-2547526 | ||
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(Primary Standard Industrial Classification Code Number) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number) |
Cytek Biosciences, Inc.
46107 Landing Pkwy
Fremont, California 94538
(877) 922-9835
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of Registrants principal executive offices)
Wenbin Jiang, Ph.D.
President and Chief Executive Officer
Cytek Biosciences, Inc.
46107 Landing Pkwy
Fremont, California 94538
(877) 922-9835
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
Copies to:
Gordon K. Ho J. Patrick Loofbourrow John T. McKenna Cooley LLP 3175 Hanover Street Palo Alto, California 94304 (650) 843-5000 |
Valerie Barnett General Counsel Cytek Biosciences, Inc. 46107 Landing Pkwy Fremont, California 94538 (877) 922-9835 |
Ilir Mujalovic Shearman & Sterling LLP 599 Lexington Avenue New York, New York 10022 (212) 848-4000 |
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable after this Registration Statement is declared effective.
If any of the securities being registered on this form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, check the following box. ☐
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of large accelerated filer, accelerated filer, smaller reporting company and emerging growth company in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer |
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Accelerated filer |
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Non-accelerated filer |
☒ |
Smaller reporting company |
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Emerging growth company |
☒ |
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
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Title of Each Class of Securities to be Registered |
Proposed Maximum Aggregate Offering Price(1)(2) |
Amount of Registration Fee(3) | ||
Common Stock, $0.001 par value per share |
$100,000,000 | $10,910 | ||
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(1) | Includes the aggregate offering price of additional shares of common stock that the underwriters have the option to purchase. |
(2) | Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(o) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. |
(3) | The Registrant previously paid a registration fee of $10,910 in connection with the initial filing of this Registration Statement. |
The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.
The information in this preliminary prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This preliminary prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities, and we are not soliciting offers to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.
PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS
Subject To Completion, Dated July 13, 2021
Shares
COMMON STOCK
We are offering shares of our common stock.
This is our initial public offering, and no public market currently exists for our common stock. We expect the initial public offering price to be between $ and $ per share. We have applied to have our common stock listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol CTKB.
Upon the closing of this offering, our executive officers, directors and current beneficial owners of five percent or more of our common stock will, in the aggregate, beneficially own approximately % of our common stock.
We are an emerging growth company and a smaller reporting company as defined under the U.S. federal securities laws and, as such, have elected to comply with certain reduced public company reporting requirements for this prospectus and may elect to do so in future filings. See Prospectus SummaryImplications of Being an Emerging Growth Company and a Smaller Reporting Company.
Investing in our common stock involves risks. Please read Risk Factors beginning on page 16 of this prospectus.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of the securities that may be offered under this prospectus, nor have any of these organizations determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
Per Share |
Total |
|||||||
Initial public offering price |
$ | $ | ||||||
Underwriting discount and commissions (1) |
$ | $ | ||||||
Proceeds, before expenses, to us |
$ | $ |
(1) See Underwriting for additional information regarding underwriting compensation.
At our request, the underwriters have reserved five percent of the shares of common stock to be issued by the company and offered by this prospectus for sale, at the initial public offering price, to certain individuals through a directed share program. See UnderwritingDirected Share Program.
We have granted the underwriters an option for a period of 30 days from the date of this prospectus to purchase up to an additional shares of common stock.
The underwriters expect to deliver the shares of common stock against payment in New York, New York on or about , 2021.
MORGAN STANLEY | GOLDMAN SACHS & CO. LLC | PIPER SANDLER | COWEN |
Prospectus dated , 2021
Prospectus
We and the underwriters have not authorized anyone to provide you with any information or to make any representations other than those contained in this prospectus or in any free writing prospectuses we have prepared. We and the underwriters take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. We are offering to sell, and seeking offers to buy, shares of our common stock only in jurisdictions where offers and sales are permitted. The information contained in this prospectus or in any applicable free writing prospectus is accurate only as of the date of this prospectus or any such free writing prospectus, as applicable, regardless of its time of delivery or of any sale of our common stock. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and future growth prospects may have changed since that date.
For investors outside the United States: Neither we nor any of the underwriters have done anything that would permit this offering or possession or distribution of this prospectus in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required, other than in the United States. Persons outside of the United States who come into possession of this prospectus must inform themselves about, and observe any restrictions relating to, the offering of the shares of our common stock and the distribution of this prospectus outside of the United States.
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This summary highlights selected information included elsewhere in this prospectus. This summary does not contain all of the information you should consider before investing in our common stock. You should read this entire prospectus carefully, including the sections titled Risk Factors, Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements, and our consolidated financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus, before making an investment decision. Unless the context otherwise requires, all references in this prospectus to Cytek Biosciences, Cytek, we, us, our and the company refer to Cytek Biosciences, Inc.
Overview
We are a leading cell analysis solutions company advancing the next generation of cell analysis tools by leveraging novel technical approaches. Our goal is to become the premier cell analysis company through continued innovation that facilitates scientific advances in biomedical research and clinical applications. We believe our core instruments, the Aurora and Northern Lights systems, are the first full spectrum flow cytometers able to deliver high-resolution, high-content and high-sensitivity cell analysis by utilizing the full spectrum of fluorescence signatures from multiple lasers to distinguish fluorescent tags on single cells (Full Spectrum Profiling or FSP). Our novel approach harnesses the power of information within the entire spectrum of a fluorescent signal to achieve a higher level of multiplexing with exquisite sensitivity. Our patented FSP technology optimizes sensitivity and accuracy through its novel optical and electronic designs that utilize an innovative method of light detection and distribution. Our FSP platform includes instruments, reagents, software and services to provide a comprehensive and integrated suite of solutions for our customers. Since our first U.S. commercial launch in mid-2017 through March 31, 2021, we have sold and deployed over 750 instrumentsprimarily comprised of our Aurora and Northern Lights systemsto over 620 customers around the world, including the largest pharmaceutical companies, over 125 biopharma companies, leading academic research centers, and clinical research organizations (CROs). In June 2021, we began shipping the Aurora cell sorter (Aurora CS), which uses our FSP technology to further broaden our potential applications across cell analysis.
Biological systems are highly complex, and the multitude of questions that remain unanswered sets many challenges for scientists. Analysis at the single-cell level is essential to understand these complex systems. Identifying the correct cell in the context of a given biological question can have profound implications for drug development and health care decisions. It is essential to correlate information derived from multiple cell analysis approaches and to translate what is known at the gene level to the actual cell function. There is growing demand for deep content through high-dimensional cell analysis and for solutions that can provide a complete picture of cellular biological processes and interactions. To achieve this, scientists need to phenotype and isolate rare events or unique populations down to the single-cell through highly resolvable multi-dimensional cell analysis. While flow cytometry is a widely used tool for single-cell analysis, conventional flow cytometry, mass cytometry and early approaches to spectral flow cytometry technologies have historically been challenged due to limited dimensionality, sub-optimal resolution, low throughput, high cost for performance and/or significant technical expertise required to operate systems.
Our FSP platform addresses the inherent limitations of other technologies by providing a higher density of information with greater sensitivity, more flexibility and increased efficiency, all at a lower cost for performance. Our patented FSP technology is designed to optimize sensitivity and accuracy through its novel optical and electronic designs that utilize an innovative method of light detection and distribution to a specifically selected number of detectors of a particular type. This patented optics design enables researchers to effectively collect the full range of light emissions in an extremely compact space, resulting in higher resolution. Our platform also provides higher content by enabling development of highly complex assays with 40 different colors (individual fluorochromes) and, by combining multiple biomarkers with a fluorochrome, more than 40 biomarkers, all accessible within just a single tube.
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Our solutions have enabled researchers to make significant scientific advances in key areas of medical discovery (such as oncology, immunology and infectious diseases) and empowered improved downstream cell analysis with complementary cell analysis technologies (such as next-generation sequencing (NGS)). We believe that our innovative FSP and targeted cell isolation technology has the potential to accelerate scientific discovery and to have a profound impact on the understanding of cell biology, immunotherapy, and targeted therapeutic approaches (personalized medicine). Further, the rate of publications generated, showcasing our technology across a wide range of applications including oncology, infectious diseases, immunology, immunotherapy and immuno-oncology, has meaningfully accelerated. Over 210 peer-reviewed articles have been published over three years, including many articles that appear in prominent journals.
Our FSP platform was purpose-built to advance the next generation of cell analysis by delivering deep insights, high throughputs and ease of use. Our FSP platform is designed to offer the following key benefits:
| Ultra-sensitive: resolve the most challenging cell populations (such as cells with high autofluorescence or low levels of expression of key biomarkers) by providing high-resolution data at the single-cell level with an optimized signal-to-noise ratio. |
| Deep, high-integrity content: allow development of highly complex assays through access to 40 different colors and, by combining multiple biomarkers with a fluorochrome, more than 40 biomarkers in a single tube without sacrificing precision and throughput to gain a deeper understanding of biological systems and arrive at faster and more accurate diagnoses in clinical settings. |
| Flexible and compatible: enable a single configuration across a wide range of reagents and applications, full backwards compatibility across panels, and greater leverage for downstream analysis with complementary technologies, including NGS. |
| Efficient and compact: improve costs and save time while maintaining industry-leading performance and efficient workflows that limit consumables usage and reduce labor costsall within a highly compact footprint minimizing space requirements for laboratories. |
| Integrated and intuitive: provide fully-integrated workflows through a suite of solutions that include instruments, reagents and kits, software and services. Our proprietary tools and the intuitive functionality of our proprietary SpectroFlo software, coupled with a user-friendly interface, allow for enhanced ease-of-use and minimal operator training. |
Our core instruments, the Aurora and Northern Lights systems, are full spectrum flow cytometers founded on our FSP platform technology. The Aurora systemour most advanced and comprehensive offeringis available with three to five lasers and is suitable for customers seeking to access more than 24 colors (the Aurora system is able to reach 40 different colors and, by combining multiple biomarkers with a fluorochrome, more than 40 biomarkers.) The Northern Lights systemour entry-level offeringis available with one to three lasers and is suitable for customers seeking to access up to 24 colors. Both instruments are reconfigurable based on the desired number of lasers. In June 2021, we began shipping the Aurora CS, which leverages our FSP technology to rapidly isolate living cell populations from lower to higher complexity panels beyond 40 biomarkers. We believe the Aurora CS is the only sorter able to accommodate the same number of parameters with the same sensitivity as the Aurora system. Each system is supported by our highly intuitive, proprietary embedded SpectroFlo software, our reagents, and our service offerings to provide a comprehensive, end-to-end platform of solutions for our customers.
Within the life sciences technology market, flow cytometry technologies currently provide solutions largely within cell proliferation, cell counting, cell identification, cell quality control and single-cell applications, and they represent an initial total addressable market of nearly $8 billion. However, we believe that, driven by enhanced capabilities, our FSP platform has the potential to capture an increasingly greater share of the broader
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cell analysis market, which according to MarketsandMarkets Research Private Ltd. is expected to grow from roughly $16 billion in 2019 to approximately $23 billion by 2024, approximately $5 billion of which represents revenue from hospitals and diagnostic laboratories and $1.5 billion of which comes from the United States. Our Northern Lights system has been approved for clinical use in the European Union and China. In the United States, our products are currently labeled and promoted, and are, and in the near-future are expected to continue to be, sold primarily to academic and research institutions and biopharmaceutical companies as research use only products for non-diagnostic and non-clinical purposes, and are not currently designed, or intended to be used, for clinical diagnostic tests. We plan to continue generating supporting publications and data, as well as pursue any required regulatory approvals for clinical use for our products in the United States. Our ability to penetrate the clinical markets in the United States will depend in part on our ability to receive 510(k) clearance, de novo classification, or approval of a pre-market approval application from the FDA. Further, we believe our differentiated platform will enable us to expand the use of cell analysis into new markets, well beyond current applications addressed by prior flow cytometry technologies and other cell analysis technologies and creating a larger potential total addressable market. New and existing markets addressable by our platform include applications within immunotherapy, immuno-oncology, bio-processing, infectious diseases, and immuno-deficiencies. In addition, the combination of our platform with complementary, downstream cell analysis technologies is expected to provide areas for new applications. Combining FSP technology with NGS, for example, has demonstrated an improved ability to predict leukemia relapse after therapy (such as minimal residual disease (MRD) testing) and served to support the use of our technology within personalized medicine. As our FSP platform is further validated through the continued acceleration of peer-reviewed publications in new applications, we expect our total addressable market to expand.
We believe the combination of our people and our global reach across the United States, Europe and Asia will enable us to continue to execute on our growth strategies, stay ahead of competition and remain at the forefront of innovation in cell analysis. Our leadership team has extensive track records in the life sciences and technology sectors. As of March 31, 2021, we employed a multidisciplinary group of over 390 employees, with more than 110 advanced degrees, including over 70 PhDs and MDs, with expertise across optics, electronics, fluidics, computer sciences, chemistry, biology, and medical sciences. Our worldwide commercial team of more than 120 employees and our research and development team of more than 100 employees have significant expertise, industry experience and collaborative relationships with key opinion leaders (KOLs), industry leaders, innovators and potential customers.
We have a long history of providing high-quality and efficient customer service and our product development efforts reflect our deep understanding of our customers needs. One of our key differentiators is our customer-facing technical team, which collaborates closely with our customers to identify and find solutions for unmet needs across the market. We collaborate closely with KOLs, generating relevant data and publications to demonstrate not only the feasibility, but also the quality of our FSP approach. We plan to continue executing on our strategy to accelerate our growth by driving adoption of our FSP solutions, inspiring innovation, investing in integrated workflow solutions, and driving application development and adoption in clinical markets.
We believe our financial results reflect the significant market demand for our offerings and adoption of our FSP technology: our strong financial profile is differentiated by the combination of our scaled revenue base, high revenue growth and profitability. Our revenue reached $57.9 million, $92.8 million and $24.3 million for fiscal years 2019 and 2020, and the three months ended March 31, 2021, respectively, and has realized a 112% CAGR from fiscal year 2018 to fiscal year 2020. We generated a net loss of $16.8 million for fiscal year 2019 and a net income of $19.4 million and $102,000 for fiscal year 2020 and the three months ended March 31, 2021, respectively. Our Adjusted EBITDA was $3.3 million, $14.9 million and $1.8 million for fiscal years 2019 and 2020, and the three months ended March 31, 2021, respectively. Adjusted EBITDA is a non-U.S. generally accepted accounting principle (GAAP) financial measure. For a reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure, information about why we consider Adjusted EBITDA
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useful and a discussion of the material risks and limitations of these financial measures, please see Prospectus SummarySummary Consolidated Financial Data.
Our Competitive Strengths
We aim to transform the cell analysis market by building on our success as a leading platform of innovative FSP solutions and continuing to leverage our key competitive strengths, including:
| Our novel, patented FSP platform delivers high-resolution, high-content and high-sensitivity cell analysis by utilizing the full spectrum of fluorescent signatures. |
| Our solutions address many of our customers unmet needs. |
| Our complete FSP offering is available across a range of price points while consistently delivering high performance. |
| Our diversified customer base and breadth of relationships and scientific validation. |
| Our global scale and reach. |
Our Strategy
Our strategy includes the following core elements:
| Accelerate adoption of our FSP solutions. To continue driving adoption of our solutions and to support our leading global brand, we intend to further expand our sales infrastructure by hiring additional, highly qualified and reputable sales representatives, technical applications specialists and customer support staff, and by increasing marketing efforts. This investment will also support our entry into new markets as we rollout new solutions and applications and appropriately manage inbound interest from new customers. |
| Continue to innovate and offer our customers best-in-class FSP solutions. Our development efforts focus on value-additive features and enhancements to meet the growing needs of the cell analysis market. These efforts drive continued innovation across our proprietary reagents, software and services offerings, in addition to new instrumentation releases, such as the beginning of shipment of the Aurora CS in June 2021. |
| Invest in integrated workflow solutions to drive pull-through from our consumables and services. Our overarching goal is to become a comprehensive solutions provider to our customers by delivering a fully-integrated offering of instruments, consumables, software and services enabled by our FSP technology. As we continue to penetrate our addressable markets, we can leverage our growing installed base to drive consumable pull-through and recurring revenue. |
| Drive application development and adoption in clinical markets. We are deeply committed to developing our platforms applications within the clinical market, and in particular, within disease detection, diagnosis and treatment monitoring. We also focus on areas where we can leverage the combination of our FSP platform with complementary cell analysis technologies (such as NGS) to produce differentiated outcomes with greater sensitivity, such as with MRD testing. We can provide insights to clinicians to facilitate personalized medicine for patients, as well as facilitate biopharmas research and development efforts to develop the next generation of targeted therapies. Our Northern Lights system has been approved for clinical use in the European Union and China, and we plan to continue generating supporting publications and data, as well as to pursue any required regulatory approvals for clinical use in the United States. In the United States, our products are currently labeled |
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and promoted, and are, and in the near-future are expected to continue to be, sold primarily to academic and research institutions and biopharmaceutical companies as research use only products for non-diagnostic and non-clinical purposes, and are not currently designed, or intended to be used, for clinical diagnostic tests. |
Our Market Opportunity and Industry Background
Our market opportunity. Within the life sciences technology market, flow cytometry technologies currently provide solutions, including cell proliferation, cell counting, cell identification, cell quality control and single-cell applications, largely within the global cell analysis market. However, we believe that the enhanced capabilities of our FSP platform relative to conventional flow cytometry (CFCs), mass cytometry and early approaches to spectral flow cytometry enable us to capture an increasingly greater share of the total addressable market by accessing the entire cell analysis market, which according to MarketsandMarkets Research Private Ltd. is expected to grow from roughly $16 billion in 2019 to approximately $23 billion by 2024, approximately $5 billion of which represents revenue from hospitals and diagnostic laboratories and $1.5 billion of which comes from the United States. Our Northern Lights system has been approved for clinical use in the European Union and China. In the United States, our products are currently labeled and promoted, and are, and in the near-future are expected to continue to be, sold primarily to academic and research institutions and biopharmaceutical companies as research use only products for non-diagnostic and non-clinical purposes, and are not currently designed, or intended to be used, for clinical diagnostic tests. We plan to continue generating supporting publications and data, as well as pursue any required regulatory approvals for clinical use for our products in the United States. Our ability to penetrate the clinical markets in the United States will depend in part on our ability to receive 510(k) clearance, de novo classification, or approval of a pre-market approval application from the FDA. Further, we believe our differentiated platform will enable us to expand the use of cell analysis into new markets, well beyond current applications addressed by prior flow cytometry technologies and other cell analysis technologies, and creating a larger potential total addressable market. New and existing markets addressable by our platform include applications within immunotherapy, immuno-oncology, bio-processing, infectious diseases and immuno-deficiencies. In addition, the combination of our platform with complementary, downstream cell analysis technologies is expected to provide additional areas for new applications. Combining FSP technology with NGS, for example, has demonstrated an improved ability to predict leukemia relapse after therapy (such as MRD testing) and served to support the use of our technology within personalized medicine. As our FSP platform is further validated through the continued acceleration of peer-reviewed publications in new applications, we expect our total addressable market to expand.
Complementary technologies to FSP and multi-omics applications. Since our FSP platform provides highly complex data down to single-cell resolution at a rapid speed, it is inherently well-suited to drive more targeted and efficient downstream analyses for other single-cell technologies, such as NGS, single-cell capture and sample preparation, high-resolution microscopy (such as mass imaging cytometry, super resolution microscopy, confocal microscopy and high-throughput screening platforms), and micro and optofluidic systems. FSP is highly complementary to single-cell genomics applications utilizing NGS as it can be used earlier in workflows to rapidly phenotype and isolate living cell populations to the single-cell level with highly multiplexed proteomic data. These cells can then be transferred from our instrument into NGS systems to correlate proteomic and genomic expression, which in turn enables researchers to develop novel drug targets for therapeutics and clinicians to drive outcomes for patients through more informed treatment decision-making. For example, a peer-reviewed article published in the Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation journal recognized that combining multiparameter flow cytometry with NGS resulted in an improved ability to predict leukemia relapse after therapy, demonstrating strong potential utility in the large and growing market for MRD testing. With MRD, end users require high sensitivity and standardization, which makes our FSP technology ideal for addressing these challenges. According to a global MRD testing market report by BIS Research in December 2020, flow cytometry technology has the largest market share in MRD testing among relevant technologies, including NGS, polymerase chain reaction and others.
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Importance of cell analysis at the single-cell level. Due to the heterogeneity within tissues, understanding cellular biology, particularly at the single-cell level, is necessary to unravel mechanisms that might otherwise not be detectable in bulk assays. Deep cellular analysis is a key application that we expect to enable a new age of healthcare delivery, and in particular, personalized medicine. Emerging and chronic infectious diseases, an aging population with a myriad of chronic diseases, and the need for more effective and targeted therapeutics all demand that the global healthcare market have advanced cell analysis technologies to research therapeutic and diagnostic solutions. These primary market forces, among others, will drive the direction for cell analysis applications that provide new possibilities for novel drug development and improved patient outcomes through enhanced disease detection, diagnosis, and treatment monitoring.
Preliminary Estimated Results for the Three Months Ended June 30, 2021
We expect preliminary unaudited revenue, net, for the three months ended June 30, 2021 to be approximately $ to $ million, income from operations to be approximately $ to $ million, gross profit margin to be approximately % to %, cash and cash equivalents to be approximately $ to $ , and instruments shipped to be approximately to . We have provided a range for the preliminary and unaudited financial results and operating metrics described above primarily because our financial closing procedures for the three months ended June 30, 2021 are not yet complete. As a result, there is a possibility that our final results will vary from these preliminary estimates. We undertake no obligation to update or supplement the information provided above until we release our results of operations for the three months ended June 30, 2021. The preliminary estimates for the three months ended June 30, 2021 presented above have been prepared by, and are the responsibility of, management. Deloitte & Touche LLP, our independent registered public accounting firm, has not audited, reviewed, compiled, or performed any procedures with respect to such preliminary information. Accordingly, Deloitte & Touche LLP does not express an opinion or any other form of assurance with respect thereto.
Risks Associated with Our Business
Our business is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties that you should consider before investing in our company. These risks are described more fully in the section titled Risk Factors. These risks include, but are not limited to, the following:
| We have a limited operating history and only recently launched our commercial products, which may make it difficult to evaluate the prospects for our future viability and predict our future performance. We have limited experience marketing and selling our products. |
| We are highly dependent on a limited number of product offerings. Our revenue has been primarily generated from sales of our core Aurora and Northern Light systems, which require a substantial sales cycle and are prone to quarterly fluctuations in revenue. Our future success depends on our ability to develop and successfully introduce new and enhanced products that meet the needs of our customers. |
| We rely on single source suppliers and, in some cases, sole source suppliers, for certain components and materials used in our systems and may not be able to find replacements or immediately transition to alternative suppliers, which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. We do not have long-term supply contracts with these suppliers, and there are no minimum purchase or payment requirements. |
| Our results of operations will be harmed if we are unable to accurately forecast customer demand for our products and manage our inventory. |
| Our business is dependent on adoption of our products by academic and government institutions, clinical research organizations, pharmaceutical companies and clinical laboratories for their research |
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and development activities focused on cell analysis. If academic and government institutions, clinical research organizations, pharmaceutical companies and clinical laboratories are unwilling to adopt our products, it will negatively affect our business, financial condition, prospects and results of operations. |
| If we are unable to manufacture our products in high-quality commercial quantities successfully and consistently to meet demand, our growth will be limited. |
| Our future success is dependent upon our ability to increase penetration in our existing markets and expand into adjacent markets. If we are unable to successfully expand our commercial operations, including hiring additional qualified sales representatives, technical applications specialists and customer support staff, our business may be adversely affected. |
| We and our suppliers are subject to ongoing regulatory obligations and continued regulatory review, which may result in significant additional expense and subject us to penalties if we fail to comply with applicable regulatory requirements. Our products may become subject to more onerous regulation by the FDA or other regulatory agencies in the future, which could increase our costs and delay or prevent sales of our products or commercialization of new products and product enhancements. |
| Concentration of ownership of our common stock among our executive officers, directors and principal stockholders may prevent new investors from influencing significant corporate decisions. Based on shares outstanding as of March 31, 2021 and including the shares to be sold in this offering and shares issuable upon the conversion of our preferred stock into our common stock upon the closing of this offering, our executive officers, directors and current beneficial owners of 5% or more of our common stock will, in the aggregate, beneficially own approximately % of our common stock (assuming no exercise of the underwriters option to purchase additional shares of common stock). These stockholders, acting together, will be able to significantly influence all matters requiring stockholder approval, including the election and removal of directors and any merger or other significant corporate transactions after completion of this offering. |
| If we are unable to obtain and maintain patent or other intellectual property protection for any of our current or future products, or if the scope of the patent and other intellectual property protection obtained is not sufficiently broad, our competitors could develop and commercialize products similar or identical to ours, and our ability to successfully commercialize our current or future products may be harmed. |
| Our business currently depends significantly on research and development spending by academic institutions and government-owned institutions, a reduction in which could limit demand for our solutions and adversely affect our business and operating results. |
| International operations and expansion of our international business exposes us to business, regulatory, political, operational, financial and economic risks associated with doing business outside of the United States. |
| The market for cell analysis technologies and life sciences tools, including flow cytometry, is rapidly evolving and highly competitive. If we are unable to successfully develop new products, adapt to rapid and significant technological change, respond to introductions of new products by competitors, make strategic and operational decisions to prioritize certain markets, technology offerings or partnerships, and develop and capitalize on markets, technologies or partnerships, our business could suffer. |
| If our products do not perform as expected, our operating results, reputation and business will suffer. |
| If we are unable to expand or leverage the number of peer-reviewed articles published using data generated by our products or otherwise increase brand awareness, the demand for our products and our business may be adversely affected. |
| We have increased the size of our organization and expect to further increase it in the future, and we may experience difficulties in managing our growth. If we are unable to manage the anticipated growth of our business, our future revenue and operating results may be harmed. |
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| We rely on distributors for sales of our products in certain geographies outside of the United States. If we are unable to secure additional distributors or maintain good relationships with our existing distributors, or if such distributors do not perform adequately or effectively, our business could suffer. |
| We have identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting. If we are unable to remediate this material weakness, or if we identify additional material weaknesses in the future or otherwise fail to maintain an effective system of internal controls, we may not be able to accurately or timely report our financial condition or results of operations. |
| Our operating results may fluctuate significantly, which makes our future operating results difficult to predict and could cause our operating results to fall below expectations or any guidance we may provide. |
| We may need to raise additional capital beyond the proceeds of this offering to fund our existing operations, develop our products and/or expand our operations. |
| The COVID-19 pandemic has had and could continue to have an adverse impact on our business, operations, and the markets and communities in which we, our partners, and customers operate. |
Implications of Being an Emerging Growth Company and a Smaller Reporting Company
As a company with less than $1.07 billion in revenue during our last fiscal year, we qualify as an emerging growth company, as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or the JOBS Act. For as long as we are an emerging growth company, we will not be required to comply with certain requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies, including the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended, or the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and may also take advantage of the reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements and the exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. In addition, as an emerging growth company, we may take advantage of certain reduced reporting obligations, including a requirement to have only two years of audited consolidated financial statements and only two years of related managements discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations disclosure in this prospectus. We may choose to take advantage of some but not all of these reduced reporting obligations. We have taken advantage of many of these reduced reporting obligations in this prospectus and intend to do so in future filings. As a result, the information that we provide stockholders may be different than what you might get from other public companies in which you hold equity. In addition, the JOBS Act provides that an emerging growth company can delay adopting new or revised accounting standards until those standards apply to private companies. We have elected to avail ourselves of this exemption, and, as a result, our operating results and financial statements may not be comparable to the operating results and financial statements of companies who have adopted the new or revised accounting standards.
We will remain an emerging growth company until the earlier of (1) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following the fifth anniversary of the completion of this offering, (b) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.07 billion or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer as defined in Rule 12b-2 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt during the prior three-year period.
We are also a smaller reporting company, as defined in the Exchange Act. We may continue to be a smaller reporting company even after we are no longer an emerging growth company. We may take advantage of certain of the scaled disclosures available to smaller reporting companies and will be able to take advantage of these scaled disclosures for so long as our voting and non-voting common stock held by non-affiliates is less than $250.0 million measured on the last business day of our second fiscal quarter, or our annual revenue is less than $100.0 million during the most recently completed fiscal year and our voting and non-voting common stock held by non-affiliates is less than $700.0 million measured on the last business day of our second fiscal quarter.
8
Corporate Information
We were incorporated under the laws of the state of Delaware in December 2014 under the name Cytoville, Inc. In August 2015, we changed our name to Cytek Biosciences, Inc. Our principal executive offices are located at 46107 Landing Pkwy, Fremont, California 94538. Our telephone number is (877) 922-9835. Our website is www.cytekbio.com. Information contained on, or that can be accessed through, our website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus, and you should not consider information on our website to be part of this prospectus.
Unless the context indicates otherwise, as used in this prospectus, the terms Company, Cytek, Registrant, we, us and our refer to Cytek Biosciences, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and its direct and indirect subsidiaries, taken as a whole.
Cytek, SpectroFlo, DxP Athena and QBsure are registered trademarks in the United States. SpectroFlo is also a registered trademark in Australia, the European Union, China and Canada. FSP, Full Spectrum Profiling, Northern Lights, cFluor, Complexity and Similarity have pending trademark applications in the United States. All other service marks, trademarks and tradenames appearing in this prospectus are the property of their respective owners. We do not intend our use or display of other companies trade names, trademarks or service marks to imply a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of us by, these other companies. Solely for convenience, the trademarks and tradenames referred to in this prospectus appear without the ® and symbols, but those references are not intended to indicate, in any way, that we will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, our rights, or the right of the applicable licensor to these trademarks and tradenames.
9
The Offering
Common stock offered by us |
shares | |
Underwriters option to purchase additional shares of common stock |
We have granted the underwriters an option exercisable for a period of 30 days after the date of this prospectus to purchase up to an additional shares of our common stock from us at the initial public offering price per share less the underwriting discounts and commissions. | |
Common stock to be outstanding after this offering |
shares (or shares if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares of common stock in full). | |
Use of proceeds |
We estimate that the net proceeds from the sale of our common stock in this offering will be approximately $ million (or approximately $ million if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares in full), based on the assumed initial public offering price of $ per share, the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. | |
We intend to use the net proceeds from this offering, together with our existing cash and cash equivalents, to continue funding commercial expansion, marketing initiatives, research and development efforts, manufacturing and activities and the remainder for capital expenditures, strategic investments, working capital and other general corporate purposes. See the section titled Use of Proceeds for additional information. | ||
Directed share program |
At our request, the underwriters have reserved five percent of the shares of common stock to be issued by the company and offered by this prospectus for sale, at the initial public offering price, to directors, officers, employees, business associates and other persons related to the company. If purchased by our directors and officers, these shares will be subject to a 180-day lock-up restriction. The number of shares of common stock available for sale to the general public will be reduced to the extent these individuals purchase such reserved shares. Any reserved shares that are not so purchased will be offered by the underwriters to the general public on the same basis as the other shares offered by this prospectus. |
10
Risk factors |
See Risk Factors for additional information and a discussion of factors you should carefully consider before deciding to invest in our common stock. | |
Proposed trading symbol on the Nasdaq Global Select Market |
CTKB |
The number of shares of our common stock that will be outstanding after this offering is based on 89,285,416 shares of our common stock (including shares of our redeemable convertible preferred stock on an as-converted basis) outstanding as of March 31, 2021, and excludes:
| 4,919,979 shares of our common stock issuable upon the exercise of options to purchase shares of our common stock issued under our 2015 Equity Incentive Plan and outstanding as of March 31, 2021, with a weighted-average exercise price of $1.72 per share; |
| 355,500 shares of our common stock issuable upon exercise of stock options granted after March 31, 2021, with a weighted-average exercise price of $7.69 per share; |
| 4,543,014 shares of our common stock reserved for future issuance under our 2015 Equity Incentive Plan as of March 31, 2021, which shares will cease to be available for issuance at the time our 2021 Equity Incentive Plan becomes effective in connection with this offering; |
| shares of our common stock reserved for future issuance under our 2021 Equity Incentive Plan, which includes an annual evergreen increase and will become effective upon the execution of the underwriting agreement for this offering; and |
| shares of our common stock reserved for future issuance under our 2021 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, which includes an annual evergreen increase and will become effective upon the execution of the underwriting agreement for this offering. |
Unless otherwise indicated, the information in this prospectus reflects and assumes the following:
| a -for- stock split of our common stock to be effected on 2021; |
| the automatic conversion of all outstanding shares of our redeemable convertible preferred stock outstanding as of March 31, 2021 into 65,453,173 shares of our common stock immediately upon the closing of this offering; |
| no exercise of the outstanding options described above; |
| no exercise of the underwriters option to purchase up to an additional shares of our common stock; and |
| the filing and effectiveness of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation in Delaware and the adoption of our amended and restated bylaws upon the closing of this offering. |
11
Summary Consolidated Financial Data
The following tables set forth a summary of our historical consolidated financial data as of, and for the periods ended on, the dates indicated. The consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss) data for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020, are derived from our audited consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus. The consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss) data for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2021 and the balance sheet data as of March 31, 2021 are derived from our unaudited interim consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus. Our interim consolidated financial statements were prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (U.S. GAAP), on the same basis as our audited consolidated financial statements and, in our opinion, reflect all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments, that are necessary for the fair presentation of our interim consolidated financial statements as of and for the periods presented. Our historical results are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for any period in the future, and results for the three months ended March 31, 2021 are not necessarily indicative of results for the full year ending December 31, 2021. You should read this data together with our consolidated financial statements and related notes appearing elsewhere in this prospectus and the information in Selected Consolidated Financial Data and Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations. The consolidated financial data in this section are not intended to replace our consolidated financial statements and the related notes and are qualified in their entirety by the consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus.
Year ended December 31, |
Three months ended March 31, |
|||||||||||||||
2019 | 2020 | 2020 | 2021 | |||||||||||||
(in thousands, except share and per share data) | ||||||||||||||||
Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss) Data: |
||||||||||||||||
Revenue, net |
||||||||||||||||
Product |
$ | 50,172 | $ | 85,283 | $ | 16,064 | $ | 22,700 | ||||||||
Service |
7,711 | 7,556 | 1,924 | 1,572 | ||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Total revenue, net |
57,883 | 92,839 | 17,988 | 24,272 | ||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Cost of sales(1) |
||||||||||||||||
Product |
22,894 | 32,277 | 7,192 | 7,308 | ||||||||||||
Service |
6,315 | 8,852 | 2,421 | 2,478 | ||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Total cost of sales |
29,209 | 41,129 | 9,613 | 9,786 | ||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Gross profit |
28,674 | 51,710 | 8,375 | 14,486 | ||||||||||||
Operating costs and expenses: |
||||||||||||||||
Research and development(1) |
8,931 | 13,693 | 3,016 | 5,094 | ||||||||||||
Sales and marketing(1) |
10,241 | 14,988 | 3,531 | 4,277 | ||||||||||||
General and administrative(1) |
6,739 | 9,370 | 2,538 | 3,983 | ||||||||||||
Litigation settlement |
20,019 | | | | ||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Total operating expenses |
45,930 | 38,051 | 9,085 | 13,354 | ||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Income (loss) from operations |
(17,256 | ) | 13,659 | (710 | ) | 1,132 | ||||||||||
Interest expense |
(1 | ) | (333 | ) | | (375 | ) | |||||||||
Interest income |
711 | 110 | 86 | 10 | ||||||||||||
Other income (expense), net |
252 | 994 | (37 | ) | (615 | ) | ||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Total other income (expense), net |
962 | 771 | 49 | (980 | ) | |||||||||||
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes |
533 | (4,981 | ) | 178 | 50 | |||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Net income (loss) |
$ | (16,827 | ) | $ | 19,411 | $ | (839 | ) | $ | 102 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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Year ended December 31, |
Three months ended March 31, |
|||||||||||||||
2019 | 2020 | 2020 | 2021 | |||||||||||||
(in thousands, except share and per share data) | ||||||||||||||||
Foreign currency translation adjustment, net of tax |
$ | (25 | ) | $ | 212 | $ | (77 | ) | $ | 202 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Net comprehensive income (loss) |
$ | (16,852 | ) | $ | 19,623 | $ | (916 | ) | $ | 304 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders per share, basic(2) |
$ | (0.80 | ) | $ | 0.15 | $ | (0.04 | ) | $ | | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders per share, diluted(2) |
$ | (0.80 | ) | $ | 0.13 | $ | (0.04 | ) | $ | | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Weighted average number of shares used in computing net income (loss) per share, basic(2) |
20,950,082 | 21,845,666 | 21,341,420 | 23,668,744 | ||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Weighted average number of shares used in computing net income per share, diluted(2) |
20,950,082 | 24,457,061 | 21,341,420 | 26,882,696 | ||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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Pro forma net income (loss) per share attributable to common stockholders basic (unaudited)(3) |
$ | 0.25 | $ | | ||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||
Pro forma net income (loss) per share attributable to common stockholders, diluted (unaudited)(3) |
$ | 0.25 | $ | | ||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||
Pro forma weighted-average common shares outstandingbasic (unaudited)(3) |
76,494,539 | 89,121,917 | ||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||
Pro forma weighted-average common shares outstandingdiluted (unaudited)(3) |
79,105,934 | 92,275,869 | ||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||
Other financial and operating data (unaudited) : |
||||||||||||||||
Adjusted EBITDA(4) |
$ | 3,341 | $ | 14,873 | $ | (500 | ) | $ | 1,755 |
(1) | Includes stock-based compensation as follows: |
Year ended December 31, |
Three months ended March 31, |
|||||||||||||||
2019 | 2020 | 2020 | 2021 | |||||||||||||
(in thousands) | ||||||||||||||||
Cost of sales |
$ | 90 | $ | 232 | $ | 29 | $ | 112 | ||||||||
Research and development |
58 | 109 | 20 | 119 | ||||||||||||
Sales and marketing |
67 | 183 | 31 | 130 | ||||||||||||
General and administrative |
54 | 87 | 25 | 95 | ||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Total stock-based compensation expense |
$ | 269 | $ | 611 | $ | 105 | $ | 456 | ||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(2) | See Note 2 to our audited consolidated financial statements and Note 2 to our interim consolidated financial statements, appearing elsewhere in this prospectus, for details on the calculation of our basic and diluted net income (loss) per share attributable to common stockholders. |
(3) | The unaudited pro forma basic and diluted weighted-average common shares outstanding used in the calculation of unaudited pro forma basic and diluted net income (loss) per share attributable to common stockholders has been prepared to give effect, upon a qualified initial public offering, to the automatic conversion of all outstanding shares of our redeemable convertible preferred stock into shares of our common stock as if the proposed initial public offering had occurred on January 1, 2020. |
(4) | Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure that we define as net income (loss) adjusted for interest expense, interest income, other income (expense), net, provision for (benefit from) income taxes, |
13
depreciation and amortization, legal settlement expenses and stock-based compensation expenses. See the section titled Selected Consolidated Financial Data for a reconciliation between Adjusted EBITDA and net income (loss), the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure, and a discussion about the limitations of Adjusted EBITDA. |
As of March 31, 2021 | ||||||||||||
Actual | Pro Forma(1) | Pro Forma As Adjusted(2)(3) |
||||||||||
(in thousands) | ||||||||||||
Interim Consolidated Balance Sheet Data: |
||||||||||||
Cash and cash equivalents |
$ | 168,584 | $ | 168,584 | ||||||||
Working capital(4) |
184,773 | 184,773 | ||||||||||
Total assets |
224,264 | 224,264 | ||||||||||
Legal settlement liability, net of current portion |
10,840 | 10,840 | ||||||||||
Total liabilities |
44,702 | 44,702 | ||||||||||
Redeemable convertible preferred stock |
194,319 | | ||||||||||
Additional paid-in capital |
7,142 | 201,396 | ||||||||||
Accumulated deficit |
(22,505 | ) | (22,505 | ) | ||||||||
Total stockholders equity (deficit) |
(14,757 | ) | 179,562 |
(1) | The pro forma consolidated balance sheet data gives effect to (i) the conversion of 65,453,173 shares of our redeemable convertible preferred stock outstanding as of March 31, 2021 into an equal number of shares of our common stock upon the closing of this offering and the related reclassification of the carrying value of our redeemable convertible preferred stock to permanent equity in connection with the closing of this offering, and (ii) the filing and effectiveness of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation upon the closing of this offering; and |
(2) | The pro forma as adjusted consolidated balance sheet data further reflects our receipt of net proceeds from the sale of shares of common stock at the assumed initial public offering price of $ per share, the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. |
(3) | Each $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price of $ per share, the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase (decrease) the amount of cash and cash equivalents, working capital, total assets and total stockholders equity by $ million, assuming the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same and after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. We may also increase (decrease) the number of shares we are offering. An increase (decrease) of 1,000,000 in the number of shares we are offering would increase (decrease) the amount of cash and cash equivalents, working capital, total assets and total stockholders equity by $ million, assuming the assumed initial public offering price per share, the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same and after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. The pro forma as adjusted information is illustrative only and will be adjusted based on the actual initial public offering price and other terms of this offering determined at pricing. |
(4) | We define working capital as current assets less current liabilities. See Note 5 to our interim consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus for further details regarding our current assets and current liabilities. |
14
The following tables reconcile the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure to each of these non-GAAP financial measures.
Year ended December 31, |
Three months ended March 31, |
|||||||||||||||
2019 | 2020 | 2020 | 2021 | |||||||||||||
(in thousands) | ||||||||||||||||
Adjusted EBITDA |
||||||||||||||||
Net income (loss) |
$ | (16,827 | ) | $ | 19,411 | $ | (839 | ) | $ | 102 | ||||||
Depreciation and amortization |
309 | 603 | 105 | 167 | ||||||||||||
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes |
533 | (4,981 | ) | 178 | 50 | |||||||||||
Interest income |
(711 | ) | (110 | ) | (86 | ) | (10 | ) | ||||||||
Interest expense |
1 | 333 | | 375 | ||||||||||||
Other (income) expense, net(1) |
(252 | ) | (994 | ) | 37 | 615 | ||||||||||
Litigation settlement(2) |
20,019 | | | | ||||||||||||
Stock-based compensation(3) |
269 | 611 | 105 | 456 | ||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Adjusted EBITDA |
$ | 3,341 | $ | 14,873 | $ | (500 | ) | $ | 1,755 | |||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1) | Represents the foreign exchange gains and losses for the remeasurement of non-functional monetary balances. |
(2) | Represents the litigation settlement expense related to the settlement agreement entered into with Becton, Dickinson and Company on October 6, 2020. See Note 15 to our audited consolidated financial statements appearing elsewhere in this prospectus for details on our litigation settlement expense. |
(3) | Represents stock-based compensation expense related to option awards. See Note 12 to our audited consolidated financial statements and Note 12 to our interim consolidated financial statements appearing elsewhere in this prospectus for details on our stock-based compensation expense. |
15
Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks described below, as well as all of the other information contained in this prospectus, including our consolidated financial statements and related notes, before investing in our common stock. While we believe that the risks and uncertainties described below are the material risks currently facing us, additional risks that we do not yet know of or that we currently think are immaterial may also arise and materially affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. If any of the following risks materialize, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects could be materially and adversely affected. In that case, the trading price of our common stock could decline, and you may lose some or all of your investment.
Risks Related to Our Business and Strategy
We have a limited operating history and only recently launched our commercial products, which may make it difficult to evaluate the prospects for our future viability and predict our future performance. We have limited experience marketing and selling our products.
We have a limited operating history and may encounter unforeseen expenses, difficulties, complications, delays and other known and unknown obstacles. We launched our first core commercial product, the Aurora system, in June 2017. Our limited commercial and operating history makes it difficult to evaluate our current business and predict our future performance. Although we have experienced significant revenue growth in recent periods, any assessment of our future revenue, profitability or prediction about our future success or viability is subject to significant uncertainty. We have encountered in the past, and will encounter in the future, risks and uncertainties frequently experienced by growing companies with limited operating histories in emerging and rapidly changing industries, including scaling up our infrastructure and headcount. If our assumptions regarding these risks and uncertainties, which we use to plan and operate our business, are incorrect or change, or if we do not address these risks successfully, our results of operations could differ materially from our expectations, and our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.
We are highly dependent on a limited number of product offerings. Our revenue has been primarily generated from sale of our core Aurora and Northern Lights systems, which require a substantial sales cycle and are prone to quarterly fluctuations in revenue.
Our Aurora system was commercially launched in June 2017 and our Northern Lights system was commercially launched in October 2018. Sales of the Aurora and Northern Lights systems together accounted for 91% of our revenue for the periods presented. We expect that, for at least the foreseeable future, sales of our Aurora and Northern Lights systems will continue to account for a substantial portion of our revenue. The sales cycle for our flow cytometer instruments is slow and can take up to six months or longer to complete. As a result of this lengthy and unpredictable sales cycle, we will be prone to quarterly fluctuations in our revenue as sales of the Aurora and Northern Lights systems are expected to continue to comprise a significant component of our revenue. Additionally, we experience seasonality in our business, with revenue in the fourth quarter typically being higher as a result of higher sales volume due to marketing campaign closing activity. Quarterly fluctuations may make it difficult for us to predict our future operating results. Consequently, comparisons of our operating results on a period-to-period basis may not be meaningful. Investors should not rely on our past results as an indication of our future performance.
As a result of variability and unpredictability, we may also fail to meet the expectations of industry or financial analysts or investors for any period. If our revenue or operating results fall short of the expectations of analysts or investors or any guidance we may provide, or if the guidance we provide falls short of the expectations of analysts or investors, the price of our common stock could decline substantially. Such a stock price decline could occur even when we have met or exceeded any previously publicly stated guidance we may have provided.
16
We currently rely on single source suppliers and, in some cases, sole source suppliers, for certain components and materials used in our systems and may not be able to find replacements or immediately transition to alternative suppliers, which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We have sourced and will continue to source certain components of the Aurora and Northern Lights systems from a limited number of suppliers and, in some cases, sole source suppliers. Key components in our products that are supplied by sole or single source suppliers include certain lasers, semiconductors and mechanical components that are used in our optical, electrical and fluidic subassemblies. We do not currently have long-term supply contracts with the sole and single source suppliers of these key components, and there are no minimum purchase or payment requirements. Additionally, we believe we are not a major customer to most of our suppliers. Our suppliers may therefore give other customers needs higher priority than ours, and we may not be able to obtain adequate supply in a timely manner or on commercially reasonable terms. While we are in the process of qualifying additional sources of supply, qualifications can take 12 to 24 months and, in some cases, longer. If we were to lose one or more of our sole or single source suppliers, it would take significant time and effort to qualify alternative suppliers, if available. Moreover, in the event that we transition to a new supplier, particularly from any of our single source suppliers, doing so could be time-consuming and expensive, may result in interruptions in our ability to supply our products to the market and could affect the performance of our products, resulting in increased costs and negative customer perception.
Although we believe that we have stable relationships with our existing suppliers, we cannot assure you that we will be able to secure a stable supply of components materials going forward. In the event that any adverse developments occur with our suppliers, in particular for those products that are sole-sourced, or if any of our suppliers modifies any of the components they supply to us, our ability to supply our products may be temporarily or permanently interrupted. Obtaining substitute components could be difficult, time and resource-consuming and costly. Also, there can be no assurance that we will be able to secure a supply of alternative components at reasonable prices without experiencing interruptions in our business operations. In addition, quarantines, shelter-in-place and similar government orders related to the COVID-19 pandemic or other infectious disease outbreaks, or the perception that such orders, shutdowns or other restrictions on the conduct of business operations could occur, could impact the suppliers upon which we rely, or the availability or cost of materials, which could disrupt the supply chain for our products.
In addition, we cannot assure you that our suppliers have obtained and will be able to obtain or maintain all licenses, permits and approvals necessary for their operations or comply with all applicable laws and regulations, and failure to do so by them may lead to interruption in their business operations, which in turn may result in shortages of components supplied to us.
Supply interruptions have in the past arisen and could arise in the future from effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, shortages of raw materials, labor disputes or weather conditions affecting products or shipments, transportation disruptions, adjustments to our inventory levels or other factors within and beyond our control, and such supply interruption risk is increased by the limited number of suppliers for certain of the components we use in our products. Our failure to maintain a continued supply of components that meets our quality control requirements for any reason, including changes to or termination of our agreements with key suppliers, or to enter into new agreements with other suppliers, particularly in the case of single or sole source suppliers, could result in the loss of access to important components and materials used in our products and impact our ability to manufacture and sell our products. Any delay or interruption in the supply of our materials could delay or suspend sales of our products and increase the costs of manufacturing our products, which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our results of operations will be harmed if we are unable to accurately forecast customer demand for our products and manage our inventory.
To ensure adequate supply of our instruments and other products, we must forecast the inventory needs of our current and prospective customers, and manufacture our products based on our estimates of future demand.
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Our ability to accurately forecast demand for our products could be negatively affected by many factors, many of which are beyond our control, including our failure to accurately manage our expansion strategy, product introductions by competitors, an increase or decrease in customer demand for our products or for products of our competitors, our failure to accurately forecast market acceptance of new products, changes in general market conditions, including as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, seasonal demands, regulatory matters or weakening of general economic conditions.
We seek to maintain sufficient levels of inventory of our instruments and other products to protect ourselves from supply interruptions. We rely in part on our support organizations and distributors to supply forecasts of anticipated product orders in their respective territories. If we fail to accurately estimate customer demand for our products, our inventory forecasts may be inaccurate, resulting in shortages or excesses of inventory. Inventory levels in excess of customer demand may result in inventory write-downs or write-offs, which would cause our gross margin to be adversely affected and negatively impact our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations. Conversely, if we underestimate customer demand for our products, we may not be able to deliver products in a timely manner or at all, and this could result in reduced revenue and damage to our reputation and customer relationships. In addition, if we experience a significant increase in demand, we may not have adequate manufacturing capacity to meet such demand, and additional supplies may not be available when required on terms that are acceptable to us, or at all, or suppliers may not be able to allocate sufficient capacity to meet our increased requirements, all of which would negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. If we are unable to meet customer demand, we could lose our existing customers or lose our ability to acquire new customers, which would also negatively impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We have limited experience manufacturing our products and if we are unable to manufacture our products in high-quality commercial quantities successfully and consistently to meet demand, our growth will be limited.
We have limited experience manufacturing our products. We currently manufacture our instruments and reagents at our manufacturing facilities in Fremont, California, and Wuxi, China. To manufacture our products in the quantities that we believe will be required to meet the currently anticipated market demand beyond the next several years, we will need to increase manufacturing capacity, which will involve significant challenges and may require additional quality controls and regulatory approvals. We may not successfully complete any required increase to existing manufacturing capacity in a timely manner, or at all.
If there is a disruption to our manufacturing operations, we will have no other means of producing our products until we resolve such issues with our manufacturing facilities, develop alternative manufacturing facilities, or contract with third-party manufacturers capable of producing our products. Additionally, any damage to or destruction of our manufacturing facilities or equipment may significantly impair our ability to manufacture products on a timely basis. There may also be unforeseen occurrences that increase our costs, such as increased prices of the components of our products, changes to labor costs or less favorable terms with third-party suppliers. There can be no assurance that we will not encounter such problems in the future.
If we are unable to manufacture products consistently and in sufficient quantities to meet anticipated customer demand, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects would be harmed. As we continue to scale the commercial production of our products and increase our manufacturing capacity, we may encounter quality issues that could result in product defects, errors or recalls. Manufacturing delays related to quality control could negatively impact our ability to bring our products to market, harm our reputation and decrease our revenue. Any defects, errors or recalls could be expensive and generate negative publicity, which could impair our ability to market or sell our products, and adversely affect our results of operations.
In addition, the introduction of new products may require the development of new manufacturing sites, processes or procedures as well as new suppliers. Developing new processes and negotiating supply agreements can be very time consuming, and any unexpected difficulty in doing so could delay the introduction of a product.
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Our future success is dependent upon our ability to increase penetration in our existing markets and expand into adjacent markets.
Our customer base includes academic and government institutions, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, clinical research organizations and clinical laboratories focused on cell analysis. Approximately 49% and 42% of our revenue came from sales to academic and government-owned institutions and 51% and 58% of our revenue came from sales to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, distributors and CROs in the year ended December 31, 2020 and the three months ended March 31, 2021, respectively. Our success will depend upon our ability to increase our market penetration. We cannot guarantee that we will be able to further penetrate our existing markets or that these markets will be able to sustain our current and future product and service offerings. Any failure to increase penetration in our existing markets would adversely affect our ability to improve our operating results.
Our success will also depend on our ability to further expand into adjacent markets, such as immunotherapy, immuno-oncology, bio-processing, infectious diseases and immune-deficiencies, as well as areas outside of healthcare, such as marine biology and alternative biofuels and other environmental fields. For example, in the United States, our products are currently labeled and promoted, and are, and in the near-future are expected to continue to be, sold primarily to academic and research institutions and biopharmaceutical companies as research use only products for non-diagnostic and non-clinical purposes, and are not currently designed, or intended to be used, for clinical diagnostic tests. We plan to continue generating supporting publications and data, as well as pursue any required regulatory approvals for clinical use for our products in the United States. Our ability to penetrate the clinical markets in the United States will depend in part on our ability to receive 510(k) clearance, de novo classification, or approval of a pre-market approval application from the FDA. Our failure to further expand in adjacent markets and attract new customers could adversely affect our ability to improve our operating results.
Our business is dependent on adoption of our products by academic and government institutions, clinical research organizations, pharmaceutical companies and clinical laboratories for their research and development activities focused on cell analysis. If academic and government institutions, clinical research organizations, pharmaceutical companies and clinical laboratories are unwilling to change current practices to adopt our products, it will negatively affect our business, financial condition, prospects and results of operations.
Our primary strategy to grow our revenue is to take a stepwise approach to market our products across key stakeholders in flow cytometry and cell analysis, such as academic and government institutions, clinical research organizations, pharmaceutical companies and clinical laboratories. While the number of customers using our products has increased in recent years, many academic and government institutions, clinical research organizations, pharmaceutical companies and clinical laboratories have not yet adopted our products, and such institutions and companies may choose not to adopt our products for a number of reasons, including:
| inadequate recruiting or training of talented sales force in existing and new markets to facilitate outreach and further adoption and awareness of our products; |
| lack of experience with our products for cell analysis; |
| perceived inadequacy of evidence supporting benefits or cost-effectiveness of our products over existing alternatives; |
| liability risks generally associated with the use of new products and processes; |
| the training required to use new products; |
| a decrease or delay in the research and development activities using our products as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; |
| competing products and alternatives; and |
| introduction of other novel alternative products for cell analysis. |
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We believe that educating notable industry KOLs, representatives of academic and government institutions, clinical research organizations, pharmaceutical companies and clinical laboratories, about the merits and benefits of our products for flow cytometry and cell analysis is one of key elements of increasing the adoption of our products. If these institutions and companies do not adopt our products for any reason, including those listed above, our ability to execute our growth strategy will be impaired, and it will negatively affect our business, financial condition, prospects and results of operations.
Our business currently depends significantly on research and development spending by academic and government-owned institutions, a reduction in which could limit demand for our solutions and adversely affect our business and operating results.
Approximately 49% and 42% of our revenue came from sales to academic and government-owned institutions in the year ended December 31, 2020 and the three months ended March 31, 2021, respectively. Much of their funding was, in turn, provided by various state, federal and foreign government agencies. In the near term, we expect that a large portion of our revenue will continue to be derived from sales to academic and government-owned institutions. As a result, the demand for our solutions may depend upon the research and development budgets of these customers, which are impacted by factors beyond our control, such as:
| decreases in government funding of research and development, including as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; |
| changes to programs that provide funding to research laboratories, hospitals and related institutions, including changes in the amount of funds allocated to different areas of research or changes that have the effect of increasing the length of the funding process; |
| macroeconomic conditions and the political climate; |
| scientists and customers opinions of the utility of new products or services; |
| changes in the regulatory environment; |
| differences in budgetary cycles; |
| competitor product offerings or pricing; |
| market-driven pressures to consolidate operations and reduce costs; and |
| market acceptance of relatively new technologies, such as ours. |
In addition, various state, federal and foreign agencies that provide grants and other funding may be subject to stringent budgetary constraints that could result in spending reductions, reduced grant making, reduced allocations or budget cutbacks, which could jeopardize the ability of these customers, or the customers to whom they provide funding, to purchase our solutions. For example, congressional appropriations to the National Institutes of Health (the NIH) have generally increased year-over-year in recent years, but the NIH also experiences occasional year-over-year decreases in appropriations. There is no guarantee that NIH appropriations will not decrease or halt in the future. A decrease in the amount or halt of, or delay in the approval of, appropriations to NIH or other similar United States or foreign organizations, such as the Medical Research Council in the United Kingdom, could result in fewer grants benefiting life sciences research. These reductions or delays could also result in a decrease in the aggregate amount of grants awarded for life sciences research or the redirection of existing funding to other projects or priorities, any of which in turn could cause our customers and potential customers to reduce or delay purchases of our solutions. Our operating results may fluctuate substantially due to any such reductions and delays. Any decrease in our customers budgets or expenditures, or in the size, scope or frequency of their capital or operating expenditures, could materially and adversely affect our business, operating results and financial condition.
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We rely on distributors for sales of our products in certain geographies outside of the United States. If we are unable to secure additional distributors or maintain good relationships with our existing distributors, or if such distributors do not perform adequately or effectively, our business could suffer.
In addition to selling our products through our direct sales force and support organizations in North America, Europe, China, and several countries in the Asia-Pacific region, we sell our products through third-party distributors in certain regions of Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa. If current or future distributors do not perform adequately or effectively or fail to obtain or maintain any required regulatory approvals, we may not realize long-term international revenue growth and our business, operating results and financial condition may be harmed. We have limited control over our distributors, which may not commit the necessary resources to market our products to the level of our expectations.
We intend to continue to grow our business internationally and to do so we may choose to partner with additional distributors to maximize the commercial opportunity for our products. There is no guarantee that we will be successful in attracting or retaining desirable sales and distribution partners or that we will be able to enter into such arrangements on favorable terms, which could affect our ability to expand into or further penetrate certain geographies and adversely impact our business, operating results and financial condition.
International operations and expansion of our international business exposes us to business, regulatory, political, operational, financial and economic risks associated with doing business outside of the United States.
We currently have significant international operations and our business strategy incorporates further international expansion. We currently maintain relationships with distributors and suppliers outside of the United States and may in the future enter into new distributor and supplier relationships outside of the United States. In addition, we currently have manufacturing operations in both the United States and China. Doing business internationally involves a number of risks, including:
| multiple, conflicting and changing laws and regulations such as privacy regulations, tax laws, export and import restrictions, tariffs, economic sanctions and embargoes, employment laws, regulatory requirements and other governmental approvals, permits and licenses; |
| failure by us or our distributors to obtain approvals to conduct our business in various countries; |
| differing intellectual property rights; |
| complexities and difficulties in obtaining intellectual property protection, enforcing our intellectual property and defending against third party intellectual property claims; |
| difficulties in staffing and managing foreign operations; |
| logistics and regulations associated with shipping systems and parts and components for our products, as well as transportation delays; |
| travel restrictions that limit the ability of marketing, presales, sales, services and support teams to service customers, including those resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic; |
| financial risks, such as longer payment cycles, difficulty collecting accounts receivable, the impact of local and regional financial crises on demand and payment for our products and exposure to foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations; |
| international trade disputes that could result in tariffs and other protective measures; |
| natural disasters, political and economic instability, including wars, terrorism and political unrest, outbreak of disease, boycotts, curtailment of trade and other business restrictions; and |
| regulatory and compliance risks that relate to maintaining accurate information and control over sales and distributors activities that may fall within the purview of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (the FCPA), its books and records provisions, or its anti-bribery provisions. |
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Any of these factors could significantly harm our future international expansion and operations and, consequently, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. In addition, certain international markets are subject to significant political and economic uncertainty, including, for example, the effect of the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union. Significant political and economic developments in international markets in which we currently or intend to operate, or the perception that any of them could occur, creates further challenges for operating in these markets in addition to creating instability in global economic conditions.
The market for cell analysis technologies and life sciences tools, including flow cytometry, is highly competitive, and if we cannot compete successfully with our competitors, we may be unable to increase or sustain our revenue, or achieve and sustain profitability.
We face significant competition in the cell analysis and life sciences tools markets. We currently compete with both established and early stage life sciences technology companies that design, manufacture and market conventional flow cytometry (CFCs), spectral flow cytometry and mass cytometry instruments, consumables and software for cell analysis and/or provide services related to the same. An increasing number of applications for cell analysis, and more particularly flow cytometry, is leading to more companies offering competitive products and services. Our competitors include Agilent Technologies, Beckman Coulter (Danaher Corporation), Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD), Bio-Rad Laboratories, Fluidigm Corporation, Miltenyi Biotec, Sony Biotechnology (Sony Corporation), and Thermo Fisher Scientific. Our target customers may also elect to develop their workflows using other technologies rather than implementing our platform or existing customers may decide to stop using our platform. In addition, there are many large, established companies in the life sciences tools market that could develop instruments or other products that will compete with us in the future. These large, established companies have substantially greater financial and other resources than us, including larger research and development staff or more established marketing and sales forces.
Our competitors and potential competitors may enjoy a number of competitive advantages over us, including:
| longer operating histories; |
| larger customer bases; |
| greater brand recognition and market penetration; |
| greater financial resources and capabilities; |
| greater technological and research and development resources; |
| larger intellectual property portfolios; |
| better system reliability and robustness; |
| greater selling and marketing capabilities; and |
| better established, larger scale and lower cost manufacturing capabilities. |
In addition, competitors may be acquired by, receive investments from or enter into other commercial relationships with larger, well-established and well-financed companies. Our competitors and potential competitors may be able to respond more quickly to changes in customer requirements, devote greater resources to the development, promotion and sale of their products and services than we can, secure key components from suppliers on more favorable terms, adopt more aggressive pricing policies or sell their products or offer services competitive with our products at prices and margins designed to win significant levels of market share. We may not be able to compete effectively against these organizations. If we are unable to compete successfully against current and future competitors, we may be unable to increase market adoption and sales of our products, which could negatively impact our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
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Our future success depends on our ability to develop and successfully introduce new and enhanced products that meet the needs of our customers.
Our current products include instruments, consumables and services to advance high-content and high-sensitivity cell analysis by utilizing our full spectrum profiling (FSP) technology. We cannot assure you that the market for our current products will continue to generate significant or consistent demand. Demand for our current products could be significantly diminished by competitive technologies or products that replace them or render them obsolete or less desirable. Accordingly, we must continue to invest in research and development to develop competitive products and enabling services. Restrictions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic have had a negative impact on the work on some of our research and development programs due to the inability of some personnel being able to work in our applicable regional facilities.
Our future success depends on our ability to anticipate our customers needs and develop new products and enhance current products and services to address those needs. Introduction of new products and product enhancements will require that we effectively transfer production processes from research and development to manufacturing and coordinate our efforts with those of our suppliers to achieve the desired level of production. If we fail to transfer production processes effectively, develop product enhancements or introduce new products or enabling services in sufficient quantities to meet the needs of our customers, or effectively coordinate with our suppliers, our net sales may be reduced and our business would be harmed.
The commercial success of all of our products and services will depend upon their acceptance by the life sciences and biopharmaceutical industries. Some of the products and services that we are developing are based upon new technologies or approaches. As a result, there can be no assurance that these new products and services, even if successfully developed and introduced, will be accepted by customers. If customers do not adopt our new products, services and technologies, our results of operations may suffer and, as a result, the market price of our common stock may decline.
If we are unable to successfully develop new products, adapt to rapid and significant technological change, respond to introductions of new products by competitors, make strategic and operational decisions to prioritize certain markets, technology offerings or partnerships, and develop and capitalize on markets, technologies or partnerships, our business could suffer.
We currently sell our products primarily in the cell analysis market, which is characterized by significant enhancements and evolving industry and regulatory standards. As a result, our customers needs are rapidly evolving. If we do not appropriately innovate and offer our customers comprehensive solutions and otherwise invest in new technologies, our offerings may become less desirable in the markets we serve, and our customers could move to new technologies offered by our competitors or make products themselves. Without the timely introduction of new instruments, consumables, software, services and enhancements, our offerings may become less competitive over time, in which case our competitive position and operating results could suffer. Accordingly, we focus significant efforts and resources on the development and identification of new products and applications to further drive adoption of our platform. To the extent we fail to timely introduce new and innovative products, offer enhancements to our existing products, adequately predict our customers needs or fail to obtain desired levels of market acceptance, our business may suffer and our operating results could be adversely affected.
We believe our products have potential applications across a wide range of markets and we have targeted certain markets in which we believe our technology has significant advantages, or for which we believe we have a higher probability of success or revenue opportunity. For example, we are committed to developing our platforms applications within the clinical market, and in particular, within disease detection, diagnosis, and treatment monitoring. We seek to maintain a process of prioritization and resource allocation among our programs to maintain a balance between advancing near-term opportunities and exploring additional markets and use cases for our technology. However, due to the significant resources required for the development of products
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or services for new markets, we must make decisions on which markets to pursue and the amount of resources to allocate to each. Our decisions concerning the allocation of research, development, collaboration, management and financial resources toward particular markets, products or services may not lead to the development of any viable products or services and may divert resources away from better opportunities. Similarly, our potential decisions to delay, terminate or collaborate with third parties in respect of certain markets may subsequently also prove to be suboptimal and could cause us to miss valuable opportunities. In particular, if we are unable to accelerate adoption of our FSP solutions, it could slow or stop our business growth and negatively impact our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
New product development involves a lengthy and complex process and we may be unable to develop or commercialize products on a timely basis, or at all.
Products from our research and development programs will take time and considerable resources to develop, and may include improvements or changes to our current products, and we may not be able to complete development and commercialization of new or enhanced products on a timely basis, or at all. There can be no assurance that our research and development efforts will produce commercially viable products and solutions and before we can commercialize any new products, we will need to expend significant funds to, for example:
| conduct substantial research and development; |
| obtain necessary regulatory approval; |
| further develop and scale our laboratory, engineering and manufacturing processes to accommodate different products; |
| source and enter into agreements with new suppliers; and |
| further develop and scale our infrastructure. |
Our product development processes involve a high degree of risk, and these efforts may be delayed or fail for many reasons, including failure of the product to perform as expected and failure to reliably demonstrate the advantages of the product.
Even if we are successful in developing new products, it will require us to make significant additional investments in marketing and selling resources to commercialize any such products. As a result, we may be unsuccessful in commercializing new products that we develop, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Our FSP systems are complex in design and may contain defects that are not detected until deployed by our customers, which could increase our costs and reduce our net sales. If our products do not perform as expected or the reliability of the technology on which our products and services are based is questioned, our operating results, reputation and business will suffer.
Our success depends on our ability to provide reliable, high quality products that enable high-content and high-sensitivity cell analysis through flexible, efficient and cost-effective solutions. Our FSP systems are complex in design and involve a highly complex and precise manufacturing process. As a result of the technological complexity of our systems, changes in our or our suppliers manufacturing processes or the inadvertent use of defective materials by us or our suppliers could result in an adverse effect on our ability to achieve acceptable manufacturing yields and product reliability. To the extent that we do not achieve and maintain our projected yields or product reliability, our business, operating results, financial condition and customer relationships would be adversely affected. We provide warranties on a majority of our product sales, and reserves for estimated warranty costs are recorded during the period of sale. The determination of such reserves requires us to make estimates of failure rates and expected costs to repair or replace the products under warranty. We typically establish warranty reserves based on historical warranty costs for each product line. If
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actual repair and replacement costs differ significantly from our estimates, adjustments to cost of sales may be required in future periods which could have an adverse effect on our results of operations.
Our customers may discover defects in our products after the products have been fully installed and operated. In addition, some of our products include components from other vendors, which may contain defects. As a result, should problems occur, it may be difficult to identify the source of the problem. If we are unable to identify and fix defects or other problems, we could experience, among other things:
| loss of customers or orders; |
| increased costs of warranty expenses; |
| damage to our brand reputation; |
| failure to attract new customers; |
| diversion of development, engineering and manufacturing resources; |
| regulatory actions by governmental authorities; and |
| legal actions by our customers. |
We believe that customers in our target markets are likely to be particularly sensitive to product defects and errors. Our reputation and the public image of our products, services and technologies may be impaired if our products or services fail to perform as expected. If our products do not perform, or are perceived to not have performed, as expected or favorably in comparison to competitive products, our operating results, reputation, and business will suffer, and we may also be subject to legal claims arising from product limitations, errors, or inaccuracies. Any of the foregoing could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Although our products are tested prior to shipment, defects or errors could nonetheless occur. Our operating results depend on our ability to execute and, when necessary, improve our quality management strategy and systems and our ability to effectively train and maintain our employee base with respect to quality management. A failure of our quality control systems could result in problems with facility operations or preparation or provision of products. In each case, such problems could arise for a variety of reasons, including equipment malfunction, failure to follow specific protocols and procedures, problems with raw materials or environmental factors and damage to, or loss of, manufacturing operations.
We provide a one-year assurance-type warranty on our instruments. Existing and future warranties place us at the risk of incurring future repair and/or replacement costs. At the time revenue is recognized, we establish an accrual for estimated warranty expenses based on historical data and trends of product reliability and costs of repairing and replacing defective products. We exercise judgment in estimating the expected product warranty costs, using data such as the actual and projected product failure rates, estimated repair costs, freight, material, labor and overhead costs. While we believe that historical experience provides a reliable basis for estimating such warranty cost, unforeseen quality issues or component failure rates could result in future costs in excess of such estimates, or alternatively, improved quality and reliability in our products and consumables could result in actual expenses that are below those currently estimated. As of March 31, 2021, we had accrued approximately $1.2 million in expenses relating to product warranty accruals. Substantial amounts of warranty claims could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Even after any underlying concerns or problems are resolved, any lingering concerns in our target markets regarding our technology or any manufacturing defects or performance errors in our products or services could continue to result in lost revenue, delayed market acceptance, damage to our reputation and claims against us.
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Shipping is a critical part of our business and any changes in our shipping arrangements or damages or losses sustained during shipping could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
We currently rely on third-party vendors for our shipping. If we are not able to negotiate acceptable pricing and other terms with these entities or they experience performance problems or other difficulties, it could negatively impact our operating results and our customers experience. Additionally, our manufacturing operations in Fremont, California, and Wuxi, China require global shipping services which are subject to certain factors outside of our control, such as delays passing through customs and disruptions to global shipping routes. We have also experienced shipping delays and difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic and may again experience such delays or difficulties due to future quarantines, shelter-in-place and similar government orders related to the COVID-19 pandemic or other infectious disease outbreaks or natural disasters. Moreover, there is no guarantee that our systems will not become damaged or lost in transit, and we have experienced, and expect to continue to experience, delivery difficulties. If a system is damaged in transit, it may result in a substantial delay in the fulfillment of the customers order, and depending on the type and extent of the damage and whether the incident is covered by insurance, it may result in customer dissatisfaction and a substantial financial loss for us. If our products are not delivered in a timely fashion or are lost during the delivery process, our customers could also become dissatisfied and cease using our products or services, which would adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
If we are unable to successfully expand our commercial operations, including hiring additional qualified sales representatives, technical applications specialists and customer support staff, our business may be adversely affected.
Our future sales will depend, in large part, on our ability to develop and substantially expand our sales infrastructure, particularly as we enter into new markets, rollout new solutions and applications and manage inbound interest from new customers. We distribute our products through our direct sales force and support organizations located in North America, Europe, China, and several countries in the Asia-Pacific region, and through distributors or sales agents in several European, Latin American, Middle Eastern, and Asia-Pacific countries. Our sales and marketing efforts are targeted at academic and governmental institutions, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, clinical research organizations and clinical laboratories focused on cell analysis. To continue driving adoption of our solutions and to support our global brand, we will need to further expand our sales infrastructure by hiring additional, highly qualified and reputable sales representatives, technical applications specialists and customer support staff, in addition to increasing advertising efforts.
Identifying and recruiting qualified personnel with sufficient industry experience and training them requires significant time, expense and attention. We have limited experience in training our personnel to successfully market and sell our products. If we provide inadequate training, fail to increase our sales and marketing capabilities or fail to develop broad brand awareness in a cost-effective manner, our business may be harmed. In addition, if our efforts to expand do not generate a corresponding increase in revenue or result in a decrease in our operating margin, our financial results will be adversely impacted. If we are unable to hire, develop and retain talented sales personnel or if new sales personnel are unable to achieve desired productivity levels in a reasonable period of time, we may not be able to realize the expected benefits of this investment or increase our revenue.
Additionally, our technical applications specialists work closely with researchers and clinicians to optimize and implement new panels and applications to meet their specific needs. Hiring these highly skilled specialists is competitive due to the limited number of people available with the necessary scientific and technical backgrounds and ability to understand our products at a technical level, and training such individuals requires significant time, expense and attention. Furthermore, we face intense competition in the labor market for such highly skilled specialists from competitors in our industry as well as competition from companies in other industries. To effectively support current and potential customers, we will need to hire, maintain, train and grow
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the number of our technical application specialists and customer support staff. If we are unable to maintain, attract, train or retain the number of qualified support personnel that our business needs, our business and prospects will suffer.
If we are unable to expand or leverage the number of peer-reviewed articles published using data generated by our products or otherwise increase brand awareness, the demand for our products and our business may be adversely affected.
We rely on a significant base of peer-reviewed publications to showcase and validate the importance and application of our technology in academic and clinical research settings. To date, there have been more than 210 peer-reviewed articles published, including many published in prominent journals, using data generated by our technology across a wide range of key scientific research areas, including immunology and inflammation, infectious diseases, immuno-oncology, oncology and others. We believe that expanding the base of these publications, and otherwise developing and maintaining awareness of our brand in a cost-effective manner is critical to achieving broad acceptance of our solutions and attracting new customers. Such publications and other brand promotion activities may not generate customer awareness or increase revenue and, even if they do, any increase in revenue may not offset the costs and expenses we incur in building our brand. If we fail to successfully promote, maintain and protect our brand, we may fail to attract or retain the customers necessary to realize a sufficient return on our brand-building efforts, or to achieve the widespread brand awareness that is critical for broad customer adoption of our solutions.
We are highly dependent on our senior management team and key personnel and our business could be harmed if we are unable to attract and retain personnel necessary for our success.
We are highly dependent on our senior management team and key personnel. Our success will depend on our ability to retain senior management and to attract and retain qualified personnel in the future, including sales, marketing, scientific and technical professionals, and to integrate current and additional personnel in all departments. The loss of members of our senior management, sales, marketing, scientific and technical professionals could result in lower than expected sales and delays in product development. If we are not successful in attracting and retaining highly qualified personnel, it would have a negative impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Competition for skilled personnel in our market is intense and may limit our ability to hire and retain highly qualified personnel on acceptable terms, or at all. To induce valuable employees to remain at our company, in addition to salary and cash incentives, we have issued, and will in the future issue, equity awards that vest over time. The value to employees of equity awards that vest over time may be significantly affected by movements in our stock price that are beyond our control and may at any time be insufficient to counteract more lucrative offers from other companies. Despite our efforts to retain valuable employees, they may terminate their employment with us on short notice. Our employment arrangements with our employees provide for at-will employment, which means that any of our employees could leave our employment at any time, with or without notice.
Many of the other cell analysis technology companies that we compete against for qualified personnel have greater financial and other resources, different risk profiles and a longer history in the industry than we do. They may also provide more diverse opportunities, better chances for career advancement and higher compensation. Some of these characteristics are more appealing to high quality candidates than what we can offer. Further, if we hire employees from competitors or other companies, their former employers may attempt to assert that these employees or we have breached legal obligations, resulting in a diversion of our time and resources and, potentially, damages.
In addition, job candidates and existing employees often consider the value of the equity awards they receive in connection with their employment. If the perceived benefits of our stock awards decline, either because we are a public company or for other reasons, it may harm our ability to recruit and retain highly skilled
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employees. Many of our employees have become or will soon become vested in a substantial amount of their equity awards. Our employees may be more likely to leave us if the equity they own have significantly appreciated in value relative to the original purchase prices of the shares, or if the exercise prices of the options that they hold are significantly below the market price of our common stock, particularly after the expiration of the lock-up agreements described herein.
Our future success also depends on our ability to continue to attract and retain additional executive officers and other key employees as we expand our business and operations. If we fail to attract new personnel or fail to retain and motivate our current personnel, it will negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We have increased the size of our organization and expect to further increase it in the future, and we may experience difficulties in managing our growth. If we are unable to manage the anticipated growth of our business, our future revenue and operating results may be harmed.
As of March 31, 2021, we had 390 full-time employees. As our sales and marketing strategies develop and as we transition into operating as a public company, we expect to need additional managerial, operational, sales, marketing, financial and other personnel. Future growth would impose significant added responsibilities on members of management, including:
| identifying, recruiting, integrating, maintaining and motivating additional employees; |
| managing our internal development efforts effectively, while complying with our contractual obligations to contractors and other third parties; and |
| improving our operational, financial and management controls, reporting systems and procedures. |
Since our inception, we have experienced growth and anticipate further growth in our business operations both inside and outside the United States. This future growth could strain our organizational, administrative and operational infrastructure, including quality control, operational, finance, customer service and sales organization management. We expect to continue to increase our headcount and to hire more specialized personnel in the future as we grow our business. We will need to continue to hire, train and manage additional qualified scientists, engineers, technical personnel and sales and marketing staff and improve and maintain our products to properly manage our growth. Rapid expansion in personnel could mean that less experienced people develop, market and sell our products, which could result in inefficiencies and unanticipated costs, reduced quality and disruptions to our operations. If our new hires perform poorly, if we are unsuccessful in hiring, training, managing and integrating these new employees or if we are not successful in retaining our employees, our business may be harmed. We may not be able to maintain the quality or expected turnaround times of our products, or satisfy customer demand as it grows. Our ability to manage our growth properly will require us to continue to improve our operational, financial and management controls, as well as our reporting systems and procedures. The time and resources required to implement these new systems and procedures is uncertain, and failure to complete this in a timely, efficient and effective manner could adversely affect our operations.
We have identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting. If we are unable to remediate this material weakness, or if we identify additional material weaknesses in the future or otherwise fail to maintain an effective system of internal controls, we may not be able to accurately or timely report our financial condition or results of operations.
Prior to the completion of this offering, we have been a private company with limited accounting personnel to adequately execute our accounting processes to address our internal control over financial reporting. In connection with our financial statement close process for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020, we identified material weaknesses associated with our control environment and control activities components of the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations (COSO) framework related to (i) the lack of sufficient qualified
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personnel within its accounting and IT function, and (ii) establishing policies and procedures to identify, select and apply GAAP in order to ensure that transactions were being appropriately recorded; and the design of appropriate control activities over information technology systems and financial and reporting processes necessary to ensure the accuracy of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements.
A material weakness is a deficiency or combination of deficiencies in internal control over financial reporting such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of its financial statements would not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. These deficiencies could result in additional material misstatements to our consolidated financial statements that could not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.
We cannot be certain that the measures we have taken to date, and actions we may take in the future, will be sufficient to remediate the control deficiencies that led to our material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting or that they will prevent or avoid potential future material weaknesses. In addition, neither our management nor an independent registered public accounting firm has performed an evaluation of our internal control over financial reporting because no such evaluation has been previously required. If we are unable to successfully remediate our existing or any future material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting, or identify any additional material weaknesses, the accuracy and timing of our financial reporting may be negatively impacted, we may be unable to maintain compliance with securities law requirements regarding timely filing of periodic reports in addition to applicable stock exchange listing requirements, investors may lose confidence in our financial reporting, and our stock price may decline as a result.
We may need to raise additional capital beyond the proceeds of this offering to fund our existing operations, develop our products and/or expand our operations.
Based on our current planned operations, we expect that our existing cash and anticipated net proceeds from this offering will enable us to fund our operating expenses for at least 12 months from the date hereof. However, if our available cash balances, net proceeds from this offering and anticipated cash flow from operations are insufficient to satisfy our liquidity requirements or otherwise, we may seek to issue equity or convertible debt securities, enter into a credit facility or another form of third-party funding, seek other debt financing or enter into collaborations or licensing arrangements.
We may consider raising additional capital in the future to expand our business, to pursue strategic investments, to take advantage of financing opportunities or for other reasons, including to further scale up our manufacturing of our products, to increase our sales and marketing efforts to drive market adoption of our products and address competitive developments, and to finance capital expenditures and general and administrative expenses.
Our present and future funding requirements will depend on many factors, some of which are beyond our control, including:
| our ability to achieve and maintain revenue growth; |
| the cost of expanding our operations, including our sales and marketing efforts; |
| our rate of progress in launching and commercializing new products, and the cost of the sales and marketing activities associated with, establishing adoption of our products; |
| our rate of progress in, and cost of research and development activities associated with, products in research and development; |
| the effect of competing technological and market developments; |
| the potential cost of and delays in product development as a result of any regulatory oversight applicable to our products; |
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| the costs associated with any product recall that may occur; |
| costs related to domestic and international expansion; |
| the costs of attaining, defending and enforcing our intellectual property rights; and |
| the terms and timing of any other collaborative, licensing and other arrangements that we may establish. |
Additional funding may not be available on acceptable terms, or at all. If we do raise additional capital through public or private equity offerings, the ownership interest of our existing stockholders will be diluted, and the terms of these securities may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect our existing stockholders rights. If we raise additional capital through debt financing, we may be subject to covenants limiting or restricting our ability to take specific actions, such as incurring additional debt, making capital expenditures or declaring dividends. If we raise additional funds through other third-party funding, collaborations agreements, strategic alliances, licensing arrangements or marketing and distribution arrangements, we may have to relinquish valuable rights to our technologies, future revenue streams, research programs or products or grant licenses on terms that may not be favorable to us.
In addition, our ability to raise additional funds may be adversely impacted by potential worsening global economic conditions and the disruptions to, and volatility in, the credit and financial markets in the United States and worldwide resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, any resurgence, and actions taken to slow its spread, including severely diminished liquidity and credit availability, declines in consumer confidence, declines in economic growth, increases in unemployment rates, and uncertainty about economic stability. If the equity and credit markets deteriorate, it may make any necessary debt or equity financing more difficult, more costly and more dilutive. If we are unable to raise additional capital in sufficient amounts or on terms acceptable to us, we may have to significantly delay, scale back or discontinue the development, manufacturing or commercialization of our products, or other research and development initiatives. If this were to occur, our ability to grow and support our business and to respond to market challenges could be significantly limited, which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our operating results may fluctuate significantly, which makes our future operating results difficult to predict and could cause our operating results to fall below expectations or any guidance we may provide.
Our quarterly and annual operating results may fluctuate significantly, which makes it difficult for us to predict our future operating results. These fluctuations may occur due to a variety of factors, many of which are outside of our control, including, but not limited to:
| the level of demand for any of our products, which may vary significantly; |
| the timing and cost of, and level of investment in, research, development, manufacturing, regulatory approval and commercialization activities relating to our products, which may change from time to time; |
| the size, seasonality and customer mix of the cell analysis market; |
| sales and marketing efforts and expenses; |
| the rate at which we grow our sales force and the speed at which newly-hired salespeople become effective; |
| changes in the productivity of our sales force; |
| the effectiveness of our distribution partners in selling our products; |
| positive or negative coverage in the media or publications of our products or competitive products; |
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| the cost of manufacturing our products, which may vary depending on the quantity of production and the terms of our arrangements with our suppliers; |
| the degree of competition in our industry and any change in the competitive landscape of our industry, including the introduction of new products or enhancements or technologies by us or others in the cell analysis market and competition-related pricing pressures; |
| changes in governmental regulations or in the status of our regulatory approvals or applications; |
| future accounting pronouncements or changes in our accounting policies; |
| disruptions to our business and operations or to the business and operations of our suppliers, distributors, and other third parties with whom we conduct business resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic or other widespread health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic; |
| future global financial crises and economic downturns, including those caused by widespread public health crises; and |
| general market conditions and other factors, including factors unrelated to our operating performance or the operating performance of our competitors. |
The cumulative effects of factors discussed above could result in large fluctuations and unpredictability in our quarterly and annual operating results. As a result, comparing our operating results on a period-to-period basis may not be meaningful. Investors should not rely on our past results as an indication of our future performance. This variability and unpredictability could also result in our failing to meet the expectations of industry or financial analysts or investors for any period. If our revenue or operating results fall below the expectations of analysts or investors or below any guidance we may provide, or if the guidance we provide is below the expectations of analysts or investors, the price of our common stock could decline substantially. Such a stock price decline could occur even when we have met any previously publicly stated guidance we may provide.
The sizes of the markets for our products may be smaller than we estimate.
Within the life sciences technology market, flow cytometry technologies currently provide solutions largely within cell proliferation, cell counting, cell identification, cell quality control and single-cell applications, representing an initial total addressable market (TAM) of nearly $8 billion. However, we believe that the enhanced capabilities of our FSP platform has the potential to capture an increasingly greater share of the broader cell analysis TAM, which according to MarketsandMarkets Research Private Ltd. is expected to grow from roughly $16 billion in 2019 to approximately $23 billion by 2024, approximately $5 billion of which represents revenue from hospitals and diagnostic laboratories and $1.5 billion of which comes from the United States. Our Northern Lights system has been approved for clinical use in the European Union and China. In the United States, our products are currently labeled and promoted, and are, and in the near-future are expected to continue to be, sold primarily to academic and research institutions and biopharmaceutical companies as research use only products for non-diagnostic and non-clinical purposes, and are not currently designed, or intended to be used, for clinical diagnostic tests. We plan to continue generating supporting publications and data, as well as pursue any required regulatory approvals for clinical use for our products in the United States. Our ability to penetrate the clinical markets in the United States will depend in part on our ability to receive 510(k) clearance, de novo classification, or approval of a pre-market approval application from the FDA. Further, we believe our differentiated platform will enable us to expand the use of cell analysis into new markets, well beyond current applications addressed by prior flow cytometry technologies and other cell analysis technologies. While we believe our assumptions and the data underlying our estimates are reasonable, we have not independently verified the accuracy of the third-party data on which we have based our assumptions and estimates, and these assumptions and estimates may not be correct and significantly different than actual market sizes, and the conditions supporting our assumptions or estimates may change at any time, including as a result of factors outside our control, thereby reducing the predictive accuracy of these underlying factors. If the actual number of
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customers who would benefit from our products, the price at which we can sell products or the annual addressable market for our products is smaller than we have estimated, it may impair our sales growth and have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
In addition, our growth strategy involves launching new solutions and expanding sales of existing solutions into new markets and geographies in which we have limited experience. For example, we intend to develop our platforms applications within the clinical market, and in particular, within disease detection, diagnosis, and treatment monitoring. Sales of new or existing solutions into new market opportunities may take several years to develop and mature, and we cannot be certain that these market opportunities will develop as we expect. As a result, the sizes of the annual total addressable market for new markets and new products are even more difficult to predict.
If we were to be sued for product liability, we could face substantial liabilities that exceed our resources, limit sales of our existing products and limit commercialization of any products that we may develop.
The marketing, sale and use of our products could lead to the filing of product liability claims where someone may allege that our products identified inaccurate or incomplete information or otherwise failed to perform as designed. We may also be subject to liability for errors in, a misunderstanding of or inappropriate reliance upon, the information we provide in the ordinary course of our business activities. A product liability claim could result in substantial damages and be costly and time-consuming for us to defend. If we cannot successfully defend ourselves against product liability claims, we will incur substantial liabilities and reputational harm. In addition, regardless of merit or eventual outcome, product liability claims may result in:
| substantial litigation costs; |
| distraction of managements attention from our primary business; |
| the inability to commercialize our products or new products; |
| decreased demand for our products; |
| damage to our business reputation; |
| product recalls or withdrawals from the market; |
| loss of sales; or |
| termination of existing agreements by our partners and potential partners failing to partner with us. |
We maintain product liability insurance, but this insurance may not fully protect us from the financial impact of defending against product liability claims. Any product liability claim brought against us, with or without merit, could increase our insurance rates or prevent us from securing insurance coverage in the future.
While we may attempt to manage our product liability exposure by proactively recalling or withdrawing from the market any defective products, any recall or market withdrawal of our products may delay the supply of those products to our customers and may impact our reputation. We may not be successful in initiating appropriate market recall or market withdrawal efforts that may be required in the future and these efforts may not have the intended effect of preventing product malfunctions and the accompanying product liability that may result. Such recalls and withdrawals may also harm our reputation with customers, which could negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Litigation and other legal proceedings may harm our business.
We have been, and may become, involved in legal proceedings relating to patent and other intellectual property matters, product liability claims, employee claims, tort or contract claims, federal or state regulatory
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investigations, securities class actions and other legal proceedings or investigations, which could have a negative impact on our reputation, business and financial condition and divert the attention of our management from the operation of our business. Litigation is inherently unpredictable and can result in excessive or unanticipated verdicts and/or injunctive relief that affect how we operate our business. We could incur judgments or enter into settlements of claims for monetary damages or for agreements to change the way we operate our business, or both. There may be an increase in the scope of these matters or there may be additional lawsuits, claims, proceedings or investigations in the future, which could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations. Adverse publicity about regulatory or legal action against us could damage our reputation and brand image, undermine our customers confidence and reduce long-term demand for our products, even if the regulatory or legal action is unfounded or not material to our operations.
A pandemic, epidemic or outbreak of an infectious disease in the United States or worldwide could adversely affect our business. The COVID-19 pandemic has had and could continue to have an adverse impact on our business, operations, and the markets and communities in which we, our partners, and customers operate.
If a pandemic, epidemic or outbreak of an infectious disease occurs in the United States or worldwide, our business may be adversely affected. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused general business disruption worldwide beginning in January 2020. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we temporarily closed our headquarters and other offices, and our non-essential employees and contractors continue to work remotely. We have also implemented travel restrictions and other significant changes in how we operate our business. The operations of our partners and customers have likewise been altered. While the duration and extent of the COVID-19 pandemic depends on future developments and potential resurgences that cannot be accurately predicted at this time, such as the extent and effectiveness of containment actions and available vaccines, the pandemic has had an adverse effect on the global economy and the ultimate societal and economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic remains unknown. The potential impact and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global economy and our business are difficult to assess or predict. Potential impacts, some of which we have already experienced, include:
| our customer prospects and our existing customers may experience slowdowns in their businesses, and our academic institution customers may experience decreases in government funding of research and development, which in turn may result in reduced demand for our products, lengthening of sales cycles, loss of customers, difficulties in collections, and inaccurate inventory forecasting; |
| interruption of or delays in receiving supplies from the third parties we rely on to manufacture components to our products, which may impair our ability sell our products; |
| interruption of or delays in installation of our products for our customers; |
| interruption of or delays in the shipments of purchased products to customers or to our distribution partners; |
| decreased employee productivity and morale, with increased employee attrition and risk of a cyberattack resulting from our employees working from home; |
| disruptions and significant costs to our growth planning, such as for facilities and international expansion; |
| costs in fully returning to work from our facilities around the world, including changes to the workplace, such as space planning, food service, and amenities; |
| legal liability for safe workplace claims; |
| loss of critical vendors or third-party partners, which may go out of business; and |
| continued cancellation of in-person marketing events, including industry conferences, and prolonged delays in our ability to reschedule or conduct in-person marketing events and other sales and marketing activities. |
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The impact of any of the foregoing, individually or collectively, could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. Moreover, to the extent the COVID-19 pandemic adversely affects our business, financial condition, and results of operations, it may also have the effect of heightening many of the other risks described in this Risk Factors section.
If our security measures, or those maintained on our behalf, are compromised now, or in the future, or the security, confidentiality, integrity or availability of our information technology, software, services, networks, communications or data is compromised, limited or fails, this could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
In the ordinary course of our business, we may collect, use, store, safeguard, disclose, share, transfer, secure and otherwise process (collectively, Process or Processing) proprietary, confidential and sensitive data, including personal data (such as key-coded data, health information and other special categories of personal data), intellectual property, trade secrets and proprietary business information owned or controlled by ourselves, our customers and other parties (collectively Sensitive Information).
We may use third-party service providers and subprocessors to help us operate our business and engage in Processing on our behalf. We may also share Sensitive Information with our partners or other third parties in conjunction with our business. We manage and maintain our data utilizing a combination of on-site systems and cloud-based data centers. We utilize external security and infrastructure vendors to manage parts of our data centers. This data encompasses a wide variety of Sensitive Information, including research and development information, commercial information and business and financial information.
Cybersecurity incidents compromising the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of Sensitive Information or our systems could result from cyber-attacks, computer malware, viruses, social engineering (including phishing), ransomware, supply chain attacks, credential stuffing, efforts by individuals or groups of hackers and sophisticated organizations, including state-sponsored organizations, errors or malfeasance of our personnel, and security vulnerabilities in the software or systems on which we rely. Such incidents are prevalent and continue to increase. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a significant portion of our workforce works remotely and this has increased the risk to our information technology assets and data. If we, our service providers, partners or other relevant third parties have experienced, or in the future experience, any security incident(s) that result in any data loss, deletion or destruction; unauthorized access, acquisition, disclosure or exposure of Sensitive Information; or compromise related to the security, confidentiality, integrity or availability of our (or their) information technology, software, services, communications or data (any, a Security Breach), it may result in a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations, including the diversion of funds to address the breach, and interruptions, delays, or outages in our operations.
We may be required to expend significant resources, fundamentally change our business activities and practices, or modify our operations or information technology in an effort to protect against Security Breaches and to mitigate, detect, and remediate actual and potential vulnerabilities. Various data privacy and security laws, regulations and standards, as well as policies, contracts and other obligations, that apply to the Processing of personal data both by us and on our behalf (collectively, Data Protection Requirements) may require us to implement specific security measures or use industry-standard or reasonable measures to protect against Security Breaches. Even if we were to take and have taken security measures designed to protect against Security Breaches, there can be no assurance that such security measures or those of our service providers, partners and other third parties will be effective in protecting against all Security Breaches and material adverse effects that may arise from such Security Breaches.
Applicable Data Protection Requirements may require us to notify relevant stakeholders of Security Breaches, including affected individuals, partners, collaborators, customers, regulators, law enforcement agencies, credit reporting agencies and others. Such disclosures are costly, and the disclosures or the failure to comply with such requirements could lead to material adverse effects on our business, financial condition and
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results of operations. There can be no assurance that any limitations or exclusions of liability in our contracts would be enforceable or adequate or would otherwise protect us from liabilities or damages if we fail to comply with Data Protection Requirements related to information security or Security Breaches.
Any Security Breach could result in legal claims or proceedings, and liability under federal, state or foreign Data Protection Requirements. We cannot be sure that our insurance coverage, if any, will be adequate or otherwise protect us from or adequately mitigate liabilities or damages with respect to claims, costs, expenses, litigation, fines, penalties, business loss, data loss, regulatory actions or other material adverse effects arising out of our Processing operations, privacy and security practices, or Security Breaches we may experience. The successful assertion of one or more large claims against us that exceeds our available insurance coverage, or results in changes to our insurance policies (including premium increases or the imposition of large excess or deductible or co-insurance requirements), could have material adverse effects on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Actual or perceived Security Breaches or vulnerabilities, and concerns regarding data privacy, security or Processing may cause some of our actual or prospective customers, collaborators, and/or partners to stop using our products or services or working with us. This discontinuance, or failure to meet the expectations of such third parties, could result in material harm to our operations, financial performance or reputation and affect our ability to grow and operate our business.
Business disruptions could seriously harm our future revenue and financial condition and increase our costs and expenses.
Our operations (including our manufacturing operations) and the operations of our distribution partners could be subject to earthquakes, power shortages, telecommunications failures, water shortages, floods, hurricanes, typhoons, fires, extreme weather conditions, medical epidemics and pandemics, including the COVID-19 pandemic, and other natural or man-made disasters or business interruptions, for which we are predominantly self-insured. Our ability to obtain components for our products could be disrupted if the operations of our suppliers were affected by a man-made or natural disaster or other business interruption, including interruptions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, our corporate headquarters is located in Fremont, California, near major earthquake faults and fire zones, and the ultimate impact on us for being located near earthquake faults and fire zones and being consolidated in a certain geographical area is unknown. The occurrence of any of these business disruptions could seriously harm our operations and financial condition and increase our costs and expenses.
We manufacture our products at our manufacturing facilities located in Fremont, California, and Wuxi, China, and we rely on various suppliers in the United States, China and other countries. Should our manufacturing facilities or the facilities of our suppliers be damaged or destroyed by natural or man-made disasters, such as earthquakes, fires or other events, or should events such as political unrest unfold, it could take months to relocate or rebuild, during which time our manufacturing and the operations of our suppliers would cease or be delayed and our products may be unavailable. Moreover, the use of a new facility or new manufacturing, quality control, or environmental control equipment or systems generally requires FDA review and approval. Because of the time required to authorize manufacturing in a new facility under FDA and non-U.S. regulatory requirements, we may not be able to resume production on a timely basis even if we are able to replace production capacity in the event we lose our manufacturing capacity. The inability to perform our manufacturing activities, combined with our limited inventory of materials and components and manufactured products, or the inability of our suppliers to continue their operations, may cause us to be unable to meet customer demand or harm our reputation, and we may be unable to reestablish relationships with such customers in the future. Consequently, a catastrophic event or business interruption at our manufacturing facilities or at our suppliers facilities could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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Our insurance policies are expensive and protect us only from some business risks, which leaves us exposed to significant uninsured liabilities.
We do not carry insurance for all categories of risk that our business may encounter. Although we have general and product liability insurance that we believe is appropriate, this insurance is subject to deductibles and coverage limitations. Our current product liability insurance may not continue to be available to us on acceptable terms, if at all, and, if available, coverage may not be adequate to protect us against any future product liability claims. If we are unable to obtain insurance at an acceptable cost or on acceptable terms or otherwise protect against potential product liability claims, we could be exposed to significant liabilities. A product liability claim, recall or other claim with respect to uninsured liabilities or for amounts in excess of insured liabilities could negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. We do not carry specific hazardous waste insurance coverage, and our property, casualty and general liability insurance policies specifically exclude coverage for damages and fines arising from hazardous waste exposure or contamination. Accordingly, in the event of contamination or injury, we could be held liable for damages or be penalized with fines in an amount exceeding our resources, and our clinical trials or regulatory approvals could be suspended. Although we carry cyber insurance, the coverage may not be sufficient to cover our losses in the event of a Security Breach.
We also expect that operating as a public company will make it more difficult and more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance, and we may be required to accept reduced policy limits and coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain the same or similar coverage. As a result, it may be more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified people to serve on our board of directors, on our board committees or as executive officers. We do not know, however, if we will be able to maintain existing insurance with adequate levels of coverage. Any significant uninsured liability may require us to pay substantial amounts, which would negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We use hazardous biological materials that require considerable expertise for handling, storage and disposal and may result in claims against us. We and third parties with whom we contract must comply with environmental laws and regulations, which can be expensive and restrict how we do business, and could expose us to liability if our use of such hazardous materials cause injury.
Our research and development and manufacturing processes involve the controlled use of hazardous materials, including flammables, toxics, corrosives and biologics. Our research operations produce hazardous biological and chemical waste products, and we largely contract with third parties for the disposal of these products. Federal, state and local laws and regulations govern the use, generation, manufacture, storage, handling and disposal of these materials and wastes. We are subject to periodic inspections by federal, state and local authorities to ensure compliance with applicable laws. Compliance with applicable environmental laws and regulations is expensive, and current or future environmental laws and regulations may restrict our operations. If we do not comply with applicable regulations, we may be subject to fines and penalties. In the event of accidental contamination or injury from these materials or wastes, we could be liable for damages or penalized with fines in an amount exceeding our resources and our operations could be suspended or otherwise adversely affected.
In addition, because our product contains metals and electronic components which are purchased from third-party vendors, we may be required under rules promulgated by the SEC governing disclosure of the use of conflict minerals (tin, tungsten, tantalum and gold) to determine whether those minerals are necessary to the functionality or production of our products and, if so, conduct a country of origin inquiry with respect to all such minerals. If any such minerals may have originated in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, or DRC, or any of its adjoining countries, or covered countries, then we must conduct diligence on the source and chain of custody of those conflict minerals to determine if they originated in one of the covered countries and, if so, whether they financed or benefited armed groups in the covered countries. Disclosures relating to the products that may contain conflict minerals, the country of origin of those minerals and whether they are DRC conflict free must be provided in a Form SD (and accompanying conflict minerals report, if required, to disclose the diligence undertaken by us in sourcing the minerals and our conclusions relating to such diligence). If we are required to
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submit a conflict minerals report, that report must be audited by an independent auditor pursuant to existing government auditing standards. Compliance with this disclosure rule may be very time-consuming for our management and personnel (as well as time-consuming for our suppliers) and could involve the expenditure of significant amounts of money by us and them. Disclosures mandated by this rule, which can be perceived by the market to be negative, may cause customers to refuse to purchase our products. The cost of compliance with the rule could adversely affect our results of operations.
Furthermore, environmental laws and regulations are complex, change frequently and have tended to become more stringent. We cannot predict the impact of such changes and cannot be certain of our future compliance. We do not currently maintain separate environmental liability coverage and any accidental contamination or discharge or any resultant injury from these materials could result in significant cost to us in penalties, damages and suspension of our operations.
We have received funding under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, or the CARES Act.
In June 2020, we executed a note in favor of Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, evidencing an unsecured loan, (PPP loan), in the aggregate principal amount of $2,771,609, which was made pursuant to the Paycheck Protection Program, or the PPP. The PPP was established under the CARES Act, which was enacted on March 27, 2020, and is administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration, or the SBA. We have used all of the proceeds from the loan to retain employees, maintain payroll and make lease and utility payments and expect to repay the PPP loan in the second quarter of 2021. On May 4, 2021, we fully repaid the PPP loan.
The PPP loan application required us to certify, among other things, that the current economic uncertainty made the PPP loan request necessary to support our ongoing operations. In 2020, the SBA, in consultation with the Department of Treasury, issued new guidance requiring borrowers to consider their ability to access other sources of liquidity before certifying in their loan applications that current economic uncertainty makes this loan request necessary to support the ongoing operations. We made the certification in good faith after analyzing our financial situation and access to capital and believe that we satisfied all eligibility criteria for the PPP loan. However, the SBA guidance and criteria are subject to interpretation, including by the new Biden Administration, and if we are found to have been ineligible, we could be subject to significant penalties. If we become subject to penalties, it could result in harm to our business, results of operation and financial condition.
We are subject to foreign currency exchange risk.
A substantial amount of our revenues is derived from international operations, and we anticipate that a significant portion of our sales will continue to come from outside the United States in the future. The revenues we report with respect to our operations outside the United States may be adversely affected by fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates. See the section titled Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations for additional information on the financial impact of exchange rate fluctuations and the ways and extent to which we may attempt to address any impact. Any hedging activities we engage in may only offset a portion of the adverse financial impact resulting from unfavorable changes in foreign currency exchange rates. We cannot predict with any certainty changes in foreign currency exchange rates or the degree to which we can mitigate these risks.
We may acquire other businesses or form other joint ventures or make investments in other companies or technologies that could negatively affect our operating results, dilute our stockholders ownership, increase our debt or cause us to incur significant expense.
Although we currently have no agreements or commitments to complete any such transactions, we may pursue acquisitions of businesses and assets in the future. We also may pursue strategic alliances and additional joint ventures that leverage products and industry experience to expand our offerings or distribution. We have limited experience with acquiring other companies and forming strategic partnerships. We may not be able to
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find suitable partners or acquisition candidates, and we may not be able to complete such transactions on favorable terms, if at all. If we make any acquisitions, we may not be able to integrate these acquisitions successfully into our existing business, and we could assume unknown or contingent liabilities. Any future acquisitions also could result in the incurrence of debt, contingent liabilities or future write-offs of intangible assets or goodwill, any of which could have an adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. In addition, any pursuit of an acquisition and any potential integration of an acquired company also may disrupt ongoing operations and divert management attention and resources that we would otherwise focus on developing our existing business. We may experience losses related to investments in other companies, which could have a negative effect on our results of operations and financial condition. We may not realize the anticipated benefits of any acquisition, technology license, strategic alliance or joint venture.
Risks Related to Government Regulation and Our Industry
Our products may become subject to more onerous regulation by the FDA or other regulatory agencies in the future, which could increase our costs and delay or prevent sales of our products or commercialization of new products and product enhancements, thereby materially and adversely affecting our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Currently, our Northern Lights CLC system is available for clinical use in only China and the European Union. Our Aurora and Northern Lights systems are otherwise available to customers as research-use-only (RUO) products. RUO products are regulated by the FDA as medical devices. Although medical devices are subject to stringent FDA oversight, products that are intended for RUO and are labeled as RUO are exempt from compliance with most FDA requirements, including premarket clearance or approval, manufacturing requirements and others. A product labeled RUO but which is actually intended for clinical diagnostic use may be viewed by the FDA as adulterated and misbranded under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA), and subject to FDA enforcement action. The FDA has indicated that when determining the intended use of a product labeled RUO, the FDA will consider the totality of the circumstances surrounding distribution and use of the product, including how the product is marketed and to whom. The FDA could disagree with our assessment that our products are properly marketed as RUOs, or could conclude that products labeled as RUO are actually intended for clinical diagnostic use, and could take enforcement action against us, including requiring us to stop distribution of our products until we are in compliance with applicable regulations, which would reduce our revenue, increase our costs and adversely affect our business, prospects, results of operations and financial condition. In the event that the FDA requires us to obtain marketing authorization of our RUO products in the future, there can be no assurance that the FDA will grant any clearance or approval requested by us in a timely manner, or at all.
As part of our growth strategy, we plan to seek approval to offer our Aurora and Northern Lights systems for clinical use in the United States and in other countries. In the United States, before we can market a new medical device, or a new use of, new claim for or significant modification to an existing product, we must first receive either clearance under Section 510(k) of the FDCA, or approval of a premarket approval application from the FDA, unless an exemption applies. The process of obtaining approval or clearance from the FDA for new products, or with respect to enhancements or modifications to existing products, could take a significant period of time, require the expenditure of substantial resources, involve rigorous pre-clinical and clinical testing, require changes to products or result in limitations on the indicated uses of products. There can be no assurance that we will receive the required approvals or clearances for any new products or for modifications to our existing products on a timely basis or that any approval or clearance will not be subsequently withdrawn or conditioned upon extensive post-market study requirements. Moreover, even if we receive FDA clearance or approval of new products or modifications to existing products, we will be required to comply with extensive regulations relating to the development, research, clearance, approval, distribution, marketing, advertising and promotion, manufacture, adverse event reporting, recordkeeping, import and export of such products, which may substantially increase our operating costs and have a material impact on our business, profits and results of operations. Failure to comply with applicable regulations could jeopardize our ability to sell our products and result in enforcement
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actions such as: warning letters, fines, injunctions, civil penalties, termination of distribution, recalls or seizures of products, delays in the introduction of products into the market, total or partial suspension of production, refusal to grant future clearances or approvals, withdrawals or suspensions of current approvals, resulting in prohibitions on sales of our products, and in the most serious cases, criminal penalties. Occurrence of any of the foregoing could harm our reputation, business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
We and our suppliers are subject to ongoing regulatory obligations and continued regulatory review, which may result in significant additional expense and subject us to penalties if we fail to comply with applicable regulatory requirements.
Any medical device we market will be subject to continued regulatory review, oversight, requirements, and periodic inspections by the FDA and other domestic and foreign regulatory bodies. In particular, unless exempt, we and our suppliers are required to comply with the FDAs Quality System Regulation (QSR) and other regulations enforced outside the United States which cover the manufacture of our products and the methods and documentation of the design, testing, production, control, quality assurance, labeling, packaging, storage and shipping of medical devices. Regulatory bodies, such as the FDA, enforce the QSR and other regulations through periodic inspections. The failure by us or one of our suppliers to comply with applicable statutes and regulations administered by the FDA and other regulatory bodies, or the failure to timely and adequately respond to any adverse inspectional observations or product safety issues, could result in, among other things, any of the following enforcement actions:
| untitled letters, warning letters, fines, injunctions, consent decrees and civil penalties; |
| unanticipated expenditures to address or defend such actions; |
| customer notifications for repair, replacement or refunds; |
| recall, detention or seizure of our products; |
| operating restrictions or partial suspension or total shutdown of production; |
| refusing or delaying our requests for 510(k) clearance or PMA approval of new products or modified products; |
| withdrawal of 510(k) clearances on PMA approvals that have already been granted; |
| refusal to grant export approval for our products; or |
| criminal prosecution. |
If any of these actions were to occur, our reputation would be harmed and our product sales and profitability would be adversely impacted. Furthermore, our key component suppliers may not currently be or may not continue to be in compliance with all applicable regulatory requirements which could result in our failure to produce our products on a timely basis and in the required quantities, if at all.
Later discovery of previously unknown problems with our products, including manufacturing problems, or failure to comply with regulatory requirements such as the QSR, may result in changes to labeling, restrictions on such products or manufacturing processes, withdrawal of the products from the market, voluntary or mandatory recalls, a requirement to repair, replace or refund the cost of any medical device we manufacture or distribute, fines, suspension of regulatory approvals, product seizures, injunctions or the imposition of civil or criminal penalties which would adversely affect our business, operating results and prospects.
Any government investigation of alleged violations of law could require us to expend significant time and resources in response, and could generate negative publicity. Any failure to comply with ongoing regulatory requirements may significantly and adversely affect our ability to commercialize and generate revenue from our products. If regulatory sanctions are applied or if regulatory clearance or approval is withdrawn, it would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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Our products or any component thereof may be subject to product recalls in the future. A recall of our products, either voluntarily or at the direction of the FDA or another governmental authority, or the discovery of serious safety issues with our products, could have a significant adverse impact on us.
The FDA has the authority to require the recall of commercialized products that are subject to FDA regulation. Manufacturers may, under their own initiative, recall a product if any deficiency is found. For reportable corrections and removals, companies are required to make additional periodic submissions to the FDA after initiating the recall, and often engage with the FDA on their recall strategy prior to initiating the recall. A government-mandated or voluntary recall by us or one of our distributors could occur as a result of an unacceptable health risk, component failures, failures in laboratory processes, malfunctions, manufacturing errors, design or labeling defects, or other deficiencies and issues. Recalls of any of our products would divert managerial and financial resources and adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and reputation. We may also be subject to liability claims, be required to bear other costs or take other actions that may negatively impact our future sales and our ability to generate profits. Companies are also required to maintain certain records of corrections and removals, even if these do not require reporting to the FDA. We may initiate voluntary recalls involving our products. A recall announcement by us could harm our reputation with customers and negatively affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. In addition, the FDA or other agency could take enforcement action for failing to report the recalls when they were conducted.
If we initiate a recall, including a correction or removal, for one of our products, issue a safety alert, or undertake a field action or recall to reduce a health risk, this could lead to increased scrutiny by the FDA, other governmental and regulatory enforcement bodies, and our customers regarding the quality and safety of our products, and to negative publicity, including FDA alerts, press releases, or administrative or judicial actions. Furthermore, the submission of these reports could be used against us by competitors and cause customers to delay purchase decisions or cancel orders, which would harm our reputation.
The misuse or off-label use of our products may harm our reputation in the marketplace, or result in injuries that lead to product liability suits, which could be costly to our business. Moreover, we could be subject to FDA sanctions if we are deemed to have engaged in off-label promotion.
Our promotional materials and training methods must comply with FDA and other applicable laws and regulations, including the prohibition on the promotion of an RUO device or medical device for an indication that has not been approved or cleared by the FDA, referred to as an off-label use. We cannot prevent our customers from using our products for off-label uses, including in laboratory developed tests for clinical use. If the FDA determines that our promotional materials constitute the unlawful promotion of an off-label use, it could subject us to regulatory or enforcement actions, including civil money penalties, criminal fines and penalties, and exclusion from participation in federal health programs, among others. Other federal, state or foreign governmental authorities might also take action if they consider our promotion or training materials to constitute promotion of an off-label use, which could result in significant fines or penalties under other statutory authorities. In that event, our reputation could be damaged and the use of our products in the marketplace could be diminished.
Furthermore, off-label uses of our products may lead to performance issues or produce erroneous results, which could harm our reputation in the marketplace and increase the risk of product liability. Product liability claims are expensive to defend and could divert our managements attention from our primary business and result in substantial damage awards against us. Any of these events could harm our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Changes in tariffs or other government trade policies may materially adversely affect our business and results of operations, including by reducing demand for our products.
The imposition of tariffs and trade restrictions as a result of international trade disputes or changes in trade policies may adversely affect our sales and profitability. For example, in 2018 and 2019, the U.S. government
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imposed and proposed, among other actions, new or higher tariffs on specified imported products originating from China in response to what it characterized as unfair trade practices, and China responded by imposing and proposing new or higher tariffs on specified U.S. products. There can be no assurance that a broader trade agreement will be successfully negotiated between the United States and China to reduce or eliminate these tariffs. These tariffs, and the related geopolitical uncertainty between the United States and China, may cause decreased demand for our products, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations. For example, certain of our foreign customers may respond to the imposition of tariffs or threat of tariffs on products we produce by delaying purchase orders or purchasing products from our competitors. Ongoing international trade disputes and changes in trade policies could also impact economic activity and lead to a general contraction of customer demand. In addition, tariffs on components that we may import from China or other nations will adversely affect our profitability unless we are able to exclude such components from the tariffs or we raise prices for our products, which may result in our products becoming less attractive relative to products offered by our competitors. Future actions or escalations by either the United States or China that affect trade relations may also negatively affect our business, or that of our suppliers or customers, and we cannot provide any assurances as to whether such actions will occur or the form that they may take. To the extent that our sales or profitability are negatively affected by any such tariffs or other trade actions, our business and results of operations may be materially adversely affected.
We are subject to governmental export controls that could impair our ability to compete in international markets due to licensing requirements and subject us to liability if we are not in compliance with applicable laws.
Exports of our products are subject to export controls and sanctions laws and regulations imposed by the U.S. government and administered by the U.S. Departments of State, Commerce, and Treasury. U.S. export control laws may require a license or other authorization to export products to certain destinations and end users. In addition, U.S. economic sanctions laws include restrictions or prohibitions on the sale or supply of certain products and services to U.S. embargoed or sanctioned countries, governments, persons and entities. Obtaining export licenses can be difficult, costly and time-consuming and we may not always be successful in obtaining necessary export licenses, and our failure to obtain required export approval for our products or limitations on our ability to export or sell our products imposed by export control or sanctions laws may harm our revenues and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. Noncompliance with these laws could have negative consequences, including government investigations, penalties and reputational harm.
We are subject to stringent and changing privacy laws, regulations and standards as well as policies, contracts and other obligations related to data privacy and security. Our actual or perceived failure to comply with such obligations could lead to government enforcement actions (that could include fines and penalties), a disruption of our business or commercialization of our products, private litigation, harm to our reputation, or other adverse effects on our business or prospects.
The legislative and regulatory framework relating to the processing of personal data worldwide is rapidly expanding and evolving and is likely to remain uncertain for the foreseeable future. Globally, virtually every jurisdiction in which we operate has established its own data privacy and security frameworks with which we must comply.
In the course of our operations, we Process an increasing volume of personal data, including from our employees and third parties with whom we conduct business. Accordingly, we are, and may increasingly become, subject to various Data Protection Requirements (as defined above), the number and scope of which are changing, subject to differing applications and interpretations, may be inconsistent among jurisdictions, and may conflict with each other.
If we fail, or are perceived to have failed, to address or comply with Data Protection Requirements, this could result in government enforcement actions against us that could include investigations, fines, penalties,
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audits and inspections, additional reporting requirements and/or oversight, temporary or permanent bans on all or some Processing of personal data, orders to destroy or not use personal data, and imprisonment of company officials. Further, individuals or other relevant stakeholders could bring a variety of claims against us for our actual or perceived failure to comply with the Data Protection Requirements. Any of these events could subject us to substantial fines or penalties; have material adverse effects on our reputation, business, or financial condition, and could lead to a loss of actual or prospective customers, collaborators or partners; result in an inability to Process personal data or to operate in certain jurisdictions; limit our ability to develop or commercialize our products; or require us to revise or restructure our operations.
Collectively, European data protection laws (including the European Unions General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR)) are wide-ranging in scope and impose numerous, significant and complex compliance burdens in relation to the Processing of personal data, including, among others: limiting permitted Processing of personal data to only that which is necessary for specified, explicit and legitimate purposes; requiring the establishment of a legal basis for Processing personal data; broadening the definition of personal data to possibly include pseudonymized or key-coded data; creating obligations for controllers and processors to appoint data protection officers in certain circumstances; increasing transparency obligations to data subjects; establishing rights which may be exercised by individuals; establishing limitations on the collection and retention of personal data through data minimization and storage limitation principles; formalizing a heightened and codified standard of data subject consent; establishing obligations to implement certain technical and organizational safeguards to protect the security and confidentiality of personal data; introducing obligations to agree to certain specific contractual terms and to take certain measures when working with third-party processors or joint controllers; and introducing the obligation to provide notice of certain significant personal data breaches to the relevant supervisory authority(ies) and affected individuals.
In addition, the GDPR provides that European Economic Area (EEA) member states may introduce specific requirements related to the Processing of special categories of personal data. This fact may lead to greater divergence on the law that applies to the Processing of such personal data across the EEA, which may increase our costs and overall compliance risk. Such country-specific regulations could also limit our ability to Process relevant personal data in the context of our EEA operations ultimately having an adverse impact on our business, and harming our business and financial condition.
Further, certain European data protection laws restrict transfers of personal data to the United States and most other countries outside Europe unless the parties to the transfer have implemented specific safeguards to protect the transferred personal data. There are mechanisms intended to permit the transfer of personal data outside Europe, but there is uncertainty as to the future of such mechanisms, which have been under consistent scrutiny and challenge. For example, a decision of the Court of Justice of the European Union in July 2020 (known as Schrems II) invalidated the EU-US Privacy Shield Framework, a means that previously permitted transfers of personal data from the EEA to companies in the United States that certified adherence to the Privacy Shield Framework. It is currently unclear what, if any, arrangement may replace the Privacy Shield Framework. Standard contractual clauses approved by the European Commission to permit transfers from the EEA to third countries currently remain, in principle, a basis on which to effect such transfers. However, the standard contractual clauses are also subject to legal challenge and the Court of Justice of the European Union made clear in the Schrems II decision that reliance on the standard contractual clauses alone may not necessarily be sufficient in all circumstances. Use of the standard contractual clauses must now be assessed on a case-by-case basis taking into account the legal regime applicable in the destination country, in particular regarding applicable surveillance laws and relevant rights of individuals with respect to the transferred personal data. At present, there are few, if any, viable alternatives to the standard contractual clauses. If we are unable to implement a valid mechanism for personal data transfers from Europe, we will face increased exposure to regulatory actions, substantial fines and injunctions against Processing personal data from Europe. Inability to export personal data may also: restrict our activities outside Europe; limit our ability to collaborate with partners as well as other service providers, contractors and other companies outside of Europe; and/or require us to increase our Processing capabilities within Europe at significant expense or otherwise cause us to change the geographical
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location or segregation of our relevant systems and operationsany or all of which could adversely affect our operations or financial results.
European data protection laws also provide for more robust regulatory enforcement and greater penalties for noncompliance than previous data protection laws, including, for example, under the GDPR, fines of up to 20 million or 4% of global annual revenue of any noncompliant organization for the preceding financial year, whichever is higher. In addition to administrative fines, a wide variety of other potential enforcement powers are available to competent supervisory authorities in respect of potential and suspected violations of the GDPR, including extensive audit and inspection rights, and powers to order temporary or permanent bans on all or some Processing of personal data carried out by noncompliant actorsincluding permitting authorities to require destruction of improperly gathered or used personal data. The GDPR also confers a private right of action on data subjects and consumer associations to lodge complaints with supervisory authorities, seek judicial remedies, and obtain compensation for damages resulting from violations of the GDPR. There is also uncertainty about compliance with European data protection laws, with the possibilities that data protection authorities located in different EEA member states may interpret the GDPR differently, or requirements of national laws may vary between EEA member states, or guidance on the GDPR and compliance practices may be often updated or otherwise revised. Any of these events will increase the complexity and costs of processing personal data in the EEA or concerning individuals located in the EEA.
Brexit has created uncertainty regarding the regulation of data protection in the United Kingdom. By operation of the so called UK GDPR (the GDPR as it continues to form part of the law of the United Kingdom by virtue of Section 3 of the EU (Withdrawal) Act 2018 as subsequently amended) the GDPR continues to apply in substantially equivalent form to processing operations carried out in the United Kingdom or concerning individuals located in the United Kingdom. So, when we refer to the GDPR in this section, we are also making reference to the UK GDPR in the context of the United Kingdom, unless the context requires otherwise. However, it is possible that either the United Kingdom or the EU, and consequently those further states that make up the remainder of the EEA, could elect to change their approach and create differences in legal requirements and regulation in this area. This could expose us to two parallel regimes, each of which potentially authorizes similar fines and other potentially divergent enforcement actions for certain violations. In addition, uncertainty remains regarding how data transfers to and from the United Kingdom will be regulated. As many of our employees providing services to EEA customers are located in the United Kingdom, changes to how data transfers to and from the United Kingdom are regulated could impact how we provide services to our customers in the EEA. EEA customers may require that our employees who are providing services to them be based in the EEA due to data transfer restrictions, which could increase our costs in providing such services.
Other countries outside of Europe have enacted or are considering enacting similar comprehensive data privacy and security laws and regulations, including similar cross-border data transfer restrictions and laws requiring local data residency, which could increase the cost and complexity of delivering our services and operating our business. For example, Chinas cybersecurity law, which took effect in June 2017, broadly regulates data privacy and security practices and its applicability and scope are evolving and aspects of the law are uncertain. As another example, Canada has enacted the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act and Canadas Anti-Spam Legislation, which broadly regulate the Processing of personal data and imposes compliance obligations and penalties comparable to those of European data privacy and security laws. Complying with these and other similar laws and regulations (to the extent applicable) may cause us to incur substantial operational costs or require us to change our business practices, and could lead to material fines, penalties and liability.
In the United States, various states and the federal government have adopted, or are considering adopting, laws and regulations relating to privacy and data security, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, or HIPAA. This patchwork of legislation and regulation may give rise to conflicts or differing views of personal privacy rights. Certain state laws may be more stringent or broader in scope, or offer greater individual rights, with respect to personal information than federal, foreign or other state laws, and such
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laws may differ from each other, all of which may complicate compliance efforts. For example, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), which increases data privacy and security rights for California residents and imposes numerous obligations on covered businesses, came into effect on January 1, 2020. Among other things, the CCPA gives California residents expanded rights related to their personal information, including the right to access and delete their personal information, and receive detailed information about how their personal information is used and shared. The CCPA also created restrictions on sales of personal information that allow California residents to opt-out of certain sharing of their personal information and may restrict the use of cookies and similar technologies for advertising purposes. The CCPA provides for civil penalties for violations and creates a private right of action for certain data breaches that that is expected to increase data breach litigation. Additionally, a new California ballot initiative, the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) was recently passed in California. The CPRA will restrict use of certain categories of sensitive personal information that we handle, further restrict the use of cross-context behavioral advertising techniques on which our platform relies, establish restrictions on the retention of personal information, expand the types of data breaches subject to the private right of action, and establish the California Privacy Protection Agency to implement and enforce the new law and impose administrative fines. The majority of the CPRAs provisions will go into effect on January 1, 2023, and additional compliance investment and potential business process changes will likely be required. Similar laws have been proposed in other states and at the federal level, reflecting a trend toward more stringent data privacy and security legislation in the United States. New and evolving privacy and data security laws and regulations impose significant compliance and operational requirements that are likely to increase over time, may require us to modify our data Processing practices and policies, divert resources from other initiatives and projects, and could restrict the way products and services involving data are offered, all of which may harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
In addition to government regulation, privacy advocates and industry groups have regularly proposed, and may propose in the future, self-regulatory standards by which we are or may become legally or contractually bound. For example, we are subject to the Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standard, which is a standard designed to protect credit card account data as mandated by payment card industry entities. If we fail to comply with such standards or contractual obligations related to data privacy and security, we may face public and regulatory scrutiny, substantial liability, and fines.
We may also be subject to public statements about our use and disclosure of personal information through our privacy policies, information provided on our website and press statements, and contractual obligations to third parties relating to data privacy and security. Although we endeavor to comply with our public statements, documentation, and contractual obligations, we may at times fail to do so or be alleged to have failed to do so. Moreover, despite our efforts, we may not be successful in achieving compliance if our employees, third-party collaborators, service providers, contractors or consultants fail to comply with our policies, documentation, and contractual obligations. Such failures can subject us to potential foreign, local, state and federal government or legal action, including if our policies and documentation are found to be deceptive, unfair or misrepresentative of our actual practices. Claims that we have violated individuals privacy rights or failed to comply with data privacy and security laws or applicable privacy notices even if we are not found liable, could be expensive and time-consuming to defend and could result in adverse publicity that could harm our business or have other material adverse effects on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Although we take reasonable efforts to comply with all Data Protection Requirements and have invested and continue to invest human and technology resources into data privacy and security compliance efforts, there can be no assurance that our actual or perceived non-compliance with Data Protection Requirements will not subject us to litigation, regulatory actions, fines, civil or criminal penalties, limited ability or inability to operate our business, offer our products and services, negative publicity, and harm to our business. We or our third-party service providers could be adversely affected if legislation or regulations are expanded to require changes in our or our third-party service providers business practices or if governing jurisdictions interpret or implement their legislation or regulations in ways that negatively affect our or our third-party service providers business, results of operations or financial condition. For example, we may find it necessary to establish alternative systems to
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maintain personal data originating from the EEA, which may involve substantial expense and may cause us to divert resources from other aspects of our business, all of which may adversely affect our results from operations. Further, any inability to adequately address privacy and data security concerns in connection with our solutions, or comply with applicable Data Protection Requirements, could result in additional cost and liability to us, and adversely affect our ability to offer our solutions.
Anticipated further evolution of regulations on this topic may substantially increase the penalties to which we could be subject in the event of any non-compliance. Compliance with these laws is challenging, constantly evolving, and time consuming and federal regulators, state attorneys general and plaintiffs attorneys have been and will likely continue to be active in this space. We may incur substantial expense in complying with the new legal obligations to be imposed by new regulations and we may be required to make significant changes to our solutions and expanding business operations, all of which may adversely affect our results of operations.
We are subject to U.S. and certain foreign anti-corruption and anti-money laundering laws and regulations. We can face criminal liability and other serious consequences for violations, which can harm our business.
We are subject to anti-corruption and anti-money laundering laws and regulations, including the FCPA, the U.S. domestic bribery statute contained in 18 U.S.C. § 201, the U.S. Travel Act, the USA PATRIOT Act, and other state and national anti-bribery and anti-money laundering laws in the countries in which we conduct or may in the future conduct activities. Anti-corruption laws are interpreted broadly and prohibit companies and their employees, agents, contractors and other third-party collaborators from authorizing, promising, offering, providing, soliciting or receiving, directly or indirectly, improper payments or anything else of value to or from persons in the public or private sector. The FCPA also requires public companies to make and keep books and records that accurately and fairly reflect the transactions of the corporation and to devise and maintain an adequate system of internal accounting controls.
In addition to selling our products internationally directly through our sales teams, we currently engage third parties outside of the United States, and may engage additional third parties outside of the United States, to sell our products internationally and to obtain necessary permits, licenses, patent registrations and other regulatory approvals. We have direct or indirect interactions with officials and employees of government agencies or government-affiliated hospitals, universities and other organizations. We can be held liable for the corrupt or other illegal activities of our employees, agents, contractors and other third-party collaborators, even if we do not explicitly authorize or have actual knowledge of such activities. Any violations of the laws and regulations described above may result in substantial civil and criminal fines and penalties, imprisonment, the loss of export or import privileges, debarment, tax reassessments, breach of contract and fraud litigation, reputational harm, and other consequences.
If we fail to comply with U.S. federal and state fraud and abuse and other healthcare laws and regulations, including those relating to kickbacks and false claims, we could face substantial penalties and our business operations and financial condition could be harmed.
We are exposed to broadly applicable anti-fraud and abuse, anti-kickback, false claims and other healthcare laws and regulations that may constrain our business, our arrangements and relationships with customers, and how we market, sell and distribute our products. We have a compliance program, code of conduct and associated policies and procedures, but it is not always possible to identify and deter misconduct by our employees and other third parties, and the precautions we take to detect and prevent noncompliance may not be effective in protecting us from governmental investigations for failure to comply with applicable fraud and abuse or other healthcare laws and regulations. The laws that may affect our ability to operate include, among others:
| the Anti-Kickback Statute, which prohibits, among other things, knowingly and willingly soliciting, offering, receiving or paying remuneration, directly or indirectly, overtly or covertly, in cash or in kind, to induce or reward either the referral of a person, or the purchase, order or recommendation of, items |
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or services for which payment may be made, in whole or in part, under a federal healthcare program such as the Medicare and Medicaid programs. The term remuneration has been broadly interpreted to include anything of value, and the government can establish a violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute without proving that a person or entity had actual knowledge of the law or a specific intent to violate. In addition, the government may assert that a claim, including items or services resulting from a violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute, constitutes a false or fraudulent claim for purposes of the FCA. There are a number of statutory exceptions and regulatory safe harbors protecting certain business arrangements from prosecution under the Anti-Kickback Statute; however, those exceptions and safe harbors are drawn narrowly, and there may be limited or no exception or safe harbor for many common business activities. Certain common business activities including, certain reimbursement support programs, educational and research grants or charitable donations, and practices that involve remuneration to those who prescribe, purchase or recommend medical devices, including discounts, providing items or services for free or engaging such people as consultants, advisors or speakers, may be subject to scrutiny if they do not fit squarely within any available exception or safe harbor and would be subject to a facts and circumstances analysis to determine compliance with the Anti-Kickback Statute. Our business may not in all cases meet all of the criteria for statutory exception or regulatory safe harbor protection from anti-kickback liability; |
| the federal civil False Claims Act, or the FCA, which prohibits, among other things, persons or entities from knowingly presenting, or causing to be presented, a false or fraudulent claim for payment of government funds and knowingly making, using or causing to be made or used, a false record or statement to get a false claim paid or to avoid, decrease or conceal an obligation to pay money to the federal government. A claim including items or services resulting from a violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute constitutes a false or fraudulent claim for purposes of the FCA. Actions under the FCA may be brought by the government or as a qui tam action by a private person in the name of the government. These people, sometimes known as relators or, more commonly, as whistleblowers, may share in any monetary recovery. Many medical device manufacturers have been investigated and have reached substantial financial settlements with the federal government under the FCA for a variety of alleged improper activities, including causing false claims to be submitted as a result of the marketing of their products for unapproved and thus non-reimbursable uses and interactions with prescribers and other customers, including those that may have affected their billing or coding practices and submission of claims to the federal government. FCA liability is potentially significant in the healthcare industry because the statute provides for treble damages and mandatory monetary penalties for each false or fraudulent claim or statement. Because of the potential for large monetary exposure, life sciences companies often resolve allegations without admissions of liability for significant and material amounts to avoid the uncertainty of treble damages and per claim penalties that may be awarded in litigation proceedings. Settlements may require companies to enter into corporate integrity agreements with the government, which may impose substantial costs on companies to ensure compliance. Medical device manufacturers and other healthcare companies also are subject to other federal false claims laws, including, among others, federal criminal healthcare fraud and false statement statutes that extend to non-government health benefit programs; |
| HIPAA, which imposes criminal and civil liability for, among other actions, knowingly and willfully executing, or attempting to execute, a scheme to defraud any healthcare benefit program, including private third-party payors, or knowingly and willfully falsifying, concealing or covering up a material fact or making a materially false, fictitious or fraudulent statement or representation, or making or using any false writing or document knowing the same to contain any materially false, fictitious or fraudulent statement or entry in connection with the delivery of or payment for healthcare benefits, items or services. Similar to the federal healthcare Anti-Kickback Statute, a person or entity does not need to have actual knowledge of the statute or specific intent to violate it to have committed a violation; |
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| HIPAA, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, or HITECH Act, and their implementing regulations, also impose obligations, including mandatory contractual terms, on covered entities subject to the rule, such as health plans, healthcare clearinghouses and certain healthcare providers, as well as their business associates that perform certain services for them or on their behalf involving the use or disclosure of individually identifiable health information with respect to safeguarding the privacy, security and transmission of individually identifiable health information; |
| various state laws govern the privacy and security of personal information, including the California Consumer Protection Act, or CCPA, which became effective January 1, 2020, and gives California residents expanded rights to access and delete their personal information, opt out of certain personal information sharing and receive detailed information about how their personal information is used by requiring covered companies to provide new disclosures to California consumers (as that term is broadly defined) and provide such consumers new ways to opt-out of certain sales of personal information. The CCPA provides for civil penalties for violations, as well as a private right of action for data breaches; |
| the federal Physician Payments Sunshine Act, implemented as Open Payments, requires manufacturers of drugs, devices, biologics and medical supplies for which payment is available under Medicare, Medicaid or the Childrens Health Insurance Program to report annually, with certain exceptions to CMS, information related to payments or other transfers of value made to physicians, as defined by such law, and teaching hospitals, and requires applicable manufacturers and group purchasing organizations to report annually to CMS ownership and investment interests held by physicians and their immediate family members. Beginning in 2022, applicable manufacturers also will be required to report such information regarding payments and transfers of value provided, as well as ownership and investment interests held, during the previous year to physician assistants, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, certified nurse anesthetists and certified nurse-midwives; and |
| analogous state and foreign law equivalents of each of the above federal laws, such as anti-kickback and false claims laws which may apply to items or services reimbursed by any third-party payor, including commercial insurers; state laws that require medical device companies to comply with the industrys voluntary compliance guidelines and the applicable compliance guidance promulgated by the federal government or otherwise restrict payments that may be made to healthcare providers and other potential referral sources; state beneficiary inducement laws, which are state laws that require medical device manufacturers to report information related to payments and other transfers of value to physicians and other healthcare providers or marketing expenditures; and state and foreign laws governing the privacy and security of health information in certain circumstances, many of which differ from each other in significant ways and may not have the same effect, thus complicating compliance efforts. |
State and federal regulatory and enforcement agencies continue to actively investigate violations of healthcare laws and regulations, and the U.S. Congress continues to strengthen the arsenal of enforcement tools. Most recently, the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, or the BBA, increased the criminal and civil penalties that can be imposed for violating certain federal health care laws, including the Anti-Kickback Statute. Enforcement agencies also continue to pursue novel theories of liability under these laws. In particular, government agencies have increased regulatory scrutiny and enforcement activity with respect to manufacturer reimbursement support activities, including bringing criminal charges or civil enforcement actions under the Anti-Kickback Statute, FCA and HIPAAs healthcare fraud and privacy provisions.
Because of the breadth of these laws and the narrowness of the statutory exceptions and regulatory safe harbors available under such laws, it is possible that some of our business activities, including certain sales and marketing practices of our products, could be subject to challenge under one or more such laws. If an arrangement were deemed to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute, it may also subject us to violations under other
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fraud and abuse laws such as the federal civil FCA and civil monetary penalties laws. Moreover, such arrangements could be found to violate comparable state fraud and abuse laws.
Achieving and sustaining compliance with applicable federal and state anti-fraud and abuse laws may prove costly. If we or our employees are found to have violated any of the above laws we may be subjected to substantial criminal, civil and administrative penalties, including imprisonment, exclusion from participation in federal healthcare programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, and significant fines, monetary penalties, forfeiture, disgorgement and damages, contractual damages, reputational harm, administrative burdens, diminished profits and future earnings and the curtailment or restructuring of our operations, any of which could adversely affect our ability to operate our business and our financial results. Any action or investigation against us for the violation of these healthcare fraud and abuse laws, even if successfully defended, could result in significant legal expenses and could divert our managements attention from the operation of our business. Companies settling FCA, Anti-Kickback Statute or civil monetary penalties law cases also may enter into a Corporate Integrity Agreement with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, or the OIG, to avoid exclusion from participation (such as loss of coverage for their products) in federal healthcare programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. Corporate Integrity Agreements typically impose substantial costs on companies to ensure compliance. Defending against any such actions can be costly, time-consuming and may require significant personnel resources, and may harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our employees, independent contractors, consultants, commercial partners and vendors may engage in misconduct or other improper activities, including noncompliance with regulatory standards and requirements, which could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We are exposed to the risk that our employees, independent contractors, consultants, commercial partners, distributors and vendors may engage in fraudulent or illegal activity. Misconduct by these parties could include intentional, reckless or negligent conduct or disclosure of unauthorized activities to us that violates: (1) the laws of the FDA and other similar regulatory bodies, including those laws requiring the reporting of true, complete and accurate information to such regulators, (2) manufacturing standards, (3) healthcare fraud and abuse laws in the United States and similar foreign fraudulent misconduct laws, or (4) laws that require the true, complete and accurate reporting of financial information or data. These laws may impact, among other things, future sales, marketing and education programs. In particular, the promotion, sales and marketing of healthcare items and services, as well as certain business arrangements in the healthcare industry, are subject to extensive laws designed to prevent fraud, kickbacks, self-dealing and other abusive practices. These laws and regulations may restrict or prohibit a wide range of pricing, discounting, marketing and promotion, structuring and commissions, certain customer incentive programs and other business arrangements generally.
We have adopted a code of business conduct and ethics that applies to our directors, officers and employees, but it is not always possible to identify and deter misconduct by our employees and other third parties, and the precautions we take to detect and prevent these activities may not be effective in controlling unknown or unmanaged risks or losses or in protecting us from governmental investigations or other actions or lawsuits stemming from a failure to be in compliance with such laws or regulations. If any such actions are instituted against us and we are not successful in defending ourselves or asserting our rights, those actions could result in the imposition of significant fines or other sanctions, including the imposition of civil, criminal and administrative penalties, damages, monetary fines, disgorgement, imprisonment, additional integrity reporting and oversight obligations, possible exclusion from participation in Medicare, Medicaid and other federal healthcare programs, contractual damages, reputational harm, diminished profits and future earnings and curtailment of operations, any of which could adversely affect our ability to operate our business and our results of operations. Whether or not we are successful in defending against any such actions or investigations, we could incur substantial costs, including legal fees and reputational harm, and divert the attention of management in defending ourselves against any of these claims or investigations, which could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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Risks Related to Our Intellectual Property
If we are unable to obtain and maintain patent or other intellectual property protection for any of our current or future products, or if the scope of the patent and other intellectual property protection obtained is not sufficiently broad, our competitors could develop and commercialize products similar or identical to ours, and our ability to successfully commercialize our current or future products may be harmed.
As with other flow cytometry companies, our success depends in large part on our ability to obtain, maintain and solidify a proprietary position for our current and any future products, which will depend upon our success in obtaining effective patent protection in the United States and other countries that cover, and other intellectual property with respect to, such products, their manufacturing processes and their intended methods of use and enforcing those patent claims once granted as well as our other intellectual property. In some cases, we may not be able to obtain issued patent claims or other intellectual property covering our technologies which are sufficient to prevent third parties, such as our competitors, from utilizing our products and negate any competitive advantage we may have. Any failure to obtain or maintain patent and other intellectual property protection with respect to our current and any future products or other aspects of our business could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Changes in either the patent laws or their interpretation in the United States and other countries may diminish our ability to protect our inventions, obtain, maintain and enforce our intellectual property rights and, more generally, could affect the value of our intellectual property or narrow the scope of our patents. Additionally, we cannot predict whether the patent applications we are currently pursuing will issue as patents in any particular jurisdiction or whether the claims of any issued patents will provide sufficient protection from competitors or other third parties.
The patent prosecution process is expensive, time-consuming and complex, and we may not be able to file, prosecute, maintain, enforce or license all necessary or desirable patent applications at a reasonable cost or in a timely manner. It is also possible that we will fail to identify patentable aspects of our research and development output in time to obtain patent protection. Although we enter into non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements with parties who have access to confidential or patentable aspects of our research and development output, such as our employees, corporate collaborators, outside scientific collaborators, suppliers, consultants, advisors and other third parties, any of these parties may breach the agreements and disclose such output before a patent application is filed, thereby jeopardizing our ability to seek and obtain patent protection. In addition, our ability to obtain and maintain valid and enforceable patents depends in part on whether the differences between our inventions and the prior art allow our inventions to be patentable over the prior art. Furthermore, the publication of discoveries in scientific literature often lags behind the actual discoveries, and patent applications in the United States and other jurisdictions are typically not published until 18 months after filing, or in some cases not at all. Therefore, we cannot be certain that we were the first to file for patent protection of such inventions.
As of March 31, 2021, we own seven issued U.S. patents and one issued foreign patent. There are 29 pending patent applications, including 13 in the United States and 16 foreign applications. Assuming all maintenance fees are paid, the U.S. issued patents are expected to expire between years 2023 and 2038. Patents covering intellectual property relating to design specific technologies invented by our researchers in Shanghai and Wuxi, China are filed in China and owned by our China subsidiaries, respectively. As of March 31, 2021, our Shanghai subsidiary owns 11 issued patents and has 12 pending patent applications, and our Wuxi subsidiary owns 17 issued patents and has nine pending patent applications.
It is possible that none of our pending patent applications will result in issued patents in a timely fashion or at all, and even if patents are granted, they may not provide a basis for intellectual property protection of commercially viable products or services, may not provide us with any competitive advantages, or may be challenged and invalidated by third parties. It is possible that others will design around our current or future patented technologies. It is possible that in the future the scope, validity and enforceability of our patents,
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licensed patents, patent applications, trademarks, and trademark applications may be challenged at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) or in proceedings before the patent offices of other jurisdictions. We may not be successful in defending any such challenges made against our patents, patent applications, trademarks or trademark applications. Any successful third party challenge to our patents or trademarks could result in the unenforceability or invalidity of such patents or trademarks and increased competition to our business. We may have to challenge the patents, patent applications, trademarks, or trademark applications of third parties. The outcome of patent litigation or other proceeding can be uncertain, and any attempt by us to enforce our patent rights against others or to challenge the patent rights of others may not be successful, or, if successful, may take substantial time and result in substantial cost, and may divert our efforts and attention from other aspects of our business.
Moreover, in some circumstances, we may not have the right to control the preparation, filing and prosecution of patent applications, or to maintain the patents, covering technology that we license from or license to third parties or that we may jointly-own with third parties in the future and are therefore reliant on our licensors or licensees, and may be reliant on future joint-owners, licensors or licensees, to protect certain of our intellectual property used in our business. If our joint-owners, licensors or licensees fail to adequately protect this intellectual property or if we do not have exclusivity for the marketing of our products, whether because our joint-owners or licensors do not grant us exclusivity or they do not enforce the intellectual property against our competitors, our ability to commercialize products could suffer. Therefore, these and any of our patents and applications may not be prosecuted and enforced in a manner consistent with the best interests of our business.
Defects of form in the preparation or filing of our patents or patent applications may exist, or may arise in the future, for example, with respect to proper priority claims, inventorship and the like. If we or any of our current or future joint-owners, licensors or licensees fail to establish, maintain, protect or enforce such patents and other intellectual property rights, such rights may be reduced or eliminated. If any current or future joint-owners, licensors or licensees are not fully cooperative or disagree with us as to the prosecution, maintenance or enforcement of any patent rights, such patent rights could be compromised. If there are material defects in the form, preparation or prosecution of our patents or patent applications, such patents or applications may be invalid and/or unenforceable. Any of these outcomes could impair our ability to prevent competition from third parties, which may impact our ability to commercialize our products and materially harm our business.
The strength of patent rights generally, and particularly the patent position of life sciences companies, involves complex legal and scientific questions and can be uncertain, and has been the subject of much litigation in recent years. This uncertainty includes changes to the patent laws through either legislative action to changes to statutory patent law or court action that may reinterpret existing law or rules in ways affecting the scope or validity of issued patents or the chances that patent applications will result in issued claims and the scope of any such claims. Our current or future patent applications may fail to result in issued patents in the United States or foreign countries with claims that cover our current and any future products. Even if patents do successfully issue from our patent applications, third parties may challenge the validity, enforceability or scope of such patents, which may result in such patents being narrowed, invalidated or held unenforceable. Any successful challenge to our patents could deprive us of the exclusive rights necessary for the successful commercialization of our current and any future products, which may materially harm our business. Furthermore, even if they are unchallenged, our patents may not adequately protect our current and any future products, provide exclusivity for such products or prevent others from designing around the claims of our patents. If the scope of any patent protection we obtain is not sufficiently broad, or if we lose any of our patent protection, our ability to prevent our competitors from commercializing similar or identical technology and products would be adversely affected and would materially harm our business. If the breadth or strength of protection provided by the patents we hold or pursue with respect to our current and any future products is challenged, it could dissuade companies from collaborating with us to develop, or threaten our ability to commercialize, our current and any future products.
Patents have a limited lifespan. In the United States, the natural expiration of a utility patent is generally 20 years after its effective filing date and the natural expiration of a design patent is generally 14 years after its issue
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date, unless the filing date occurred on or after May 13, 2015, in which case the natural expiration of a design patent is generally 15 years after its issue date. However, the actual protection afforded by a patent varies from country to country, and depends upon many factors, including the type of patent, the scope of its coverage, the availability of regulatory-related extensions, the availability of legal remedies in a particular country and the validity and enforceability of the patent. The laws of some foreign countries do not protect our proprietary rights to the same extent as the laws of the United States, and we may encounter significant problems in protecting our proprietary rights in these countries. Various extensions may be available; however, the life of a patent, and the protection it affords, is limited. Without patent protection for our current and any future products and services, we may be open to competition, which may harm our business prospects. Further, if we encounter delays in our development efforts, the period of time during which we could market our current and any future products and services under patent protection would be reduced and, given the amount of time required for the development, testing and regulatory review of planned or future products, patents protecting our current and any future products might expire before or shortly after such products are commercialized. As our patents expire, the scope of our patent protection will be reduced, which may reduce or eliminate any competitive advantage afforded by our patent portfolio. As a result, our patent portfolio may not provide us with sufficient rights to exclude others from commercializing products similar or identical to ours.
Moreover, the coverage claimed in a patent application can be significantly reduced before the patent is issued, and its scope can be reinterpreted after issuance. Even if patent applications we license or own, currently or in the future, issue as patents, they may not issue in a form that will provide us with any meaningful protection, prevent competitors or other third parties from competing with us, or otherwise provide us with any competitive advantage. Any patents that we own now or in the future may be challenged, narrowed, circumvented or invalidated by third parties. Consequently, we do not know whether our current and any future products or other technologies will be protectable or remain protected by valid and enforceable patents. Our competitors or other third parties may be able to circumvent our patents by developing similar or alternative technologies or products in a non-infringing manner which could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Some of our patents and patent applications may in the future be jointly-owned with third parties, including certain universities and public institutions in the United States and China. If we are unable to obtain an exclusive license to any such third-party joint-owners interest in such patents or patent applications, such co-owners may be able to license their rights to other third parties, including our competitors, and our competitors could market competing products and technology. In addition, we may need the cooperation of any such joint-owners patents to enforce such patents against third parties, and such cooperation may not be provided to us. Any of the foregoing could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Additionally, we may find it necessary or prudent to acquire or obtain licenses from third-party intellectual property holders. However, we may be unable to acquire or secure such licenses to any intellectual property rights from third parties that we identify as necessary for our current and any future products. The acquisition or licensing of third-party intellectual property rights is a competitive area, and our competitors may pursue strategies to acquire or license third-party intellectual property rights that we may consider attractive or necessary. Our competitors may have a competitive advantage over us due to their size, capital resources and greater development and commercialization capabilities. In addition, companies that perceive us to be a competitor may be unwilling to assign or license rights to us. We also may be unable to acquire or license third-party intellectual property rights on terms that would allow us to make an appropriate return on our investment or at all. If we are unable to successfully obtain rights to required third-party intellectual property rights or maintain the existing intellectual property rights we have, we may have to abandon development of the relevant products, which could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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Patents covering our current, and any future products, or our technologies could be found invalid or unenforceable if challenged in court or before administrative bodies in the United States or abroad, which could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The issuance of a patent is not conclusive as to its inventorship, scope, validity or enforceability, and our patents may be challenged in the courts, the USPTO or patent offices abroad and may not provide us with adequate proprietary protection or competitive advantage against competitors with similar products. We may be subject to a third-party preissuance submission of prior art to the USPTO or become involved in opposition, derivation, revocation, reexamination, post-grant and inter partes review (IPR), or interference proceedings or other similar proceedings challenging our patent rights. An adverse determination in any such submission, proceeding or litigation could reduce the scope of, or invalidate or render unenforceable, such patent rights, allow third parties to commercialize our current and any future products and compete directly with us, without payment to us, or result in our inability to manufacture or commercialize products without infringing third-party patent rights. Moreover, we may have to participate in post-grant challenge proceedings, such as oppositions in a foreign patent office, that challenge features of patentability with respect to our patents and patent applications. Such challenges may result in loss of patent rights, in loss of exclusivity or in patent claims being narrowed, invalidated or held unenforceable, which could limit our ability to stop others from using or commercializing similar or identical technology and products, or limit the duration of the patent protection of our current and any future products or technologies. Such proceedings also may result in substantial cost and require significant time from our management, even if the eventual outcome is favorable to us.
In addition, if we initiate legal proceedings against a third party to enforce a patent covering our current and any future products, the defendant could counterclaim that such patent is invalid or unenforceable. In patent litigation in the United States, defendant counterclaims alleging invalidity or unenforceability are commonplace. Grounds for a validity challenge could be an alleged failure to meet any of several statutory requirements, including lack of novelty, obviousness or non-enablement. Grounds for an unenforceability assertion could be an allegation that someone connected with prosecution of the patent withheld relevant information from the USPTO or made a misleading statement during prosecution. Defenses of these types of claims, regardless of their merit, would involve substantial litigation expense and would be a substantial diversion of employee resources from our business. Third parties may also raise claims challenging the validity or enforceability of our patents before administrative bodies in the United States or abroad, even outside the context of litigation, including through re-examination, post-grant review, IPR, derivation proceedings and equivalent proceedings in foreign jurisdictions (such as opposition proceedings). Such proceedings could result in the revocation of, cancellation of or amendment to our patents in such a way that they no longer cover or provide meaningful protection of our current and any future products or technologies. The outcome for any particular patent following legal assertions of invalidity and unenforceability is unpredictable. With respect to the validity question, for example, we cannot be certain that there is no invalidating prior art, of which we and the patent examiner were unaware during prosecution. If a defendant or other third-party were to prevail on a legal assertion of invalidity or unenforceability, we would lose at least part, and perhaps all, of the patent protection on our current and any future products and technology. Such a loss of patent protection would harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We rely substantially on our trademarks and trade names. If our trademarks and trade names are not adequately protected, then we may not be able to build name recognition in our markets of interest and our business may be harmed.
We rely substantially upon trademarks to build and maintain the integrity of our brand. Our registered and unregistered trademarks or trade names may be challenged, infringed, circumvented, declared generic or determined to be violating or infringing on other marks. We may not be able to protect our rights to these trademarks and trade names, which we rely upon to build name recognition among potential partners and customers in our markets of interest. At times, competitors or other third parties may adopt trade names or trademarks similar to ours, thereby impeding our ability to build brand identity and possibly leading to market
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confusion and asserting claims against such third parties may be prohibitively expensive. In addition, there could be potential trade name or trademark infringement or dilution claims brought by owners of other trademarks against us. Over the long term, if we are unable to establish name recognition based on our trademarks and trade names, then we may not be able to compete effectively and our business may be adversely affected. Our efforts to enforce or protect our proprietary rights related to trademarks, trade secrets, domain names or other intellectual property may be ineffective, could result in substantial costs and diversion of resources and could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Obtaining and maintaining our intellectual property, including patent, protection depends on compliance with various procedural, document submission, fee payment and other requirements imposed by government agencies, and our intellectual property, including patent, protection could be reduced or eliminated for non-compliance with these requirements.
Periodic maintenance fees, renewal fees, annuity fees and various other government fees on intellectual property registrations and applications will be due to be paid to the applicable government agencies, including with respect to patents and patent applications the USPTO and similar agencies outside of the United States, over the lifetime of our intellectual property registrations and applications, including our patents and patent applications. The various applicable government agencies, including with respect to patents and patent applications the USPTO and similar agencies outside of the United States, require compliance with several procedural, documentary, fee payment and other similar provisions during the application process. In some cases, an inadvertent lapse can be cured by payment of a late fee or by other means in accordance with the applicable rules. There are situations, however, in which non-compliance can result in the abandonment or lapse of the intellectual property registration or application, resulting in a partial or complete loss of intellectual property rights in the relevant jurisdiction. Non-compliance events that could result in abandonment or lapse of an intellectual property registration or application include, but are not limited to, failure to respond to official actions within prescribed time limits, non-payment of fees and failure to properly legalize and submit formal documents. In such an event, potential competitors might be able to enter the market with similar or identical products or technology, which could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We have limited foreign intellectual property rights outside the United States, selected countries in the European Union, Japan and China and may not be able to protect our intellectual property and proprietary rights throughout the world, which could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We have limited intellectual property rights outside the United States, selected countries in the European Union, Japan and China. Filing, prosecuting and defending patents or trademarks on our current and any future products in all countries throughout the world would be prohibitively expensive, and the laws of foreign countries may not protect our rights to the same extent as the laws of the United States. Consequently, we may not be able to prevent third parties from practicing our inventions or utilizing our trademarks in all countries outside the United States, or from selling or importing products made using our inventions in and into the United States or other jurisdictions. Competitors may use our technologies in jurisdictions where we have not obtained patent protection to develop their own products and, further, may export otherwise infringing products to territories where we have patent protection but enforcement is not as strong as that in the United States. These products may compete with our current and any future products, and our patents or other intellectual property rights may not be effective or sufficient to prevent them from competing.
Many companies have encountered significant problems in protecting and defending intellectual property rights in foreign jurisdictions. The legal systems of certain countries, particularly certain developing countries, do not favor the enforcement of patents, trade secrets and other intellectual property protection, which could make it difficult for us to stop the infringement of our patents or marketing of competing products in violation of our intellectual property and proprietary rights generally. Proceedings to enforce our intellectual property and proprietary rights in foreign jurisdictions could result in substantial costs and divert our efforts and attention from other aspects of our business, could put our patents at risk of being invalidated or interpreted narrowly, could put
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our patent applications at risk of not issuing and could provoke third parties to assert claims against us. We may not prevail in any lawsuits that we initiate, and the damages or other remedies awarded, if any, may not be commercially meaningful. Accordingly, our efforts to enforce our intellectual property and proprietary rights around the world may be inadequate to obtain a significant commercial advantage from the intellectual property that we develop or license. In addition, changes in the law and legal decisions by courts in the United States and foreign countries may affect our ability to obtain adequate protection for our technology and the enforcement of our intellectual property.
Changes in U.S. patent law could diminish the value of patents in general, thereby impairing our ability to protect our current and any future products.
Changes in either the patent laws or interpretation of the patent laws in the United States could increase the uncertainties and costs surrounding the prosecution of patent applications and the enforcement or defense of issued patents. Assuming that other requirements for patentability are met, prior to March 2013, in the United States, the first to invent the claimed invention was entitled to the patent, while outside the United States, the first to file a patent application was entitled to the patent. After March 2013, under the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act, or the America Invents Act, enacted in September 2011, the United States transitioned to a first inventor to file system in which, assuming that other requirements for patentability are met, the first inventor to file a patent application will be entitled to the patent on an invention regardless of whether a third-party was the first to invent the claimed invention. A third-party that files a patent application in the USPTO after March 2013, but before us could therefore be awarded a patent covering an invention of ours even if we had made the invention before it was made by such third-party. This will require us to be cognizant of the time from invention to filing of a patent application. Since patent applications in the United States and most other countries are confidential for a period of time after filing or until issuance, we cannot be certain that we were the first to file any patent application related to our current and any future products.
The America Invents Act also includes a number of significant changes that affect the way patent applications will be prosecuted and also may affect patent litigation. These include allowing third-party submission of prior art to the USPTO during patent prosecution and additional procedures to attack the validity of a patent by USPTO administered post-grant proceedings, including post-grant review, IPR and derivation proceedings.
Because of a lower evidentiary standard in USPTO proceedings compared to the evidentiary standard in U.S. federal courts necessary to invalidate a patent claim, a third-party could potentially provide evidence in a USPTO proceeding sufficient for the USPTO to hold a claim invalid even though the same evidence would be insufficient to invalidate the claim if first presented in a district court action. Accordingly, a third-party may attempt to use the USPTO procedures to invalidate our patent claims that would not have been invalidated if first challenged by the third-party as a defendant in a district court action. Therefore, the America Invents Act and its implementation could increase the uncertainties and costs surrounding the prosecution of our patent applications and the enforcement or defense of our issued patents. In addition, future actions by the U.S. Congress, the federal courts and the USPTO could cause the laws and regulations governing patents to change in unpredictable ways. Any of the foregoing could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
In addition, recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings have made and will likely continue to make changes in how the patent laws of the United States are interpreted. In addition to increasing uncertainty with regard to our ability to obtain patents in the future, this combination of events has created uncertainty with respect to the validity and enforceability of patents, once obtained. Depending on future actions by the U.S. Congress, the federal courts, and the USPTO, the laws and regulations governing patents could change in unpredictable ways that could weaken our ability to obtain new patents or to enforce our existing patents and patents that we might obtain in the future. We cannot predict how this and future decisions by the courts, the U.S. Congress or the USPTO may impact the value of our patents. Any similar adverse changes in the patent laws of other jurisdictions could also harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
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Third-party claims of intellectual property infringement, misappropriation or other violation against us, the joint-owners of our intellectual property, or our collaborators may prevent or delay the sale and marketing of our current and any future products.
The flow cytometry industry is highly competitive and dynamic. Due to the focused research and development that is taking place by several companies, including us and our competitors, in this field, the intellectual property landscape is in flux, and it may remain uncertain in the future. As such, we could become subject to significant intellectual property-related litigation and proceedings relating to our or third-party intellectual property and proprietary rights. Such litigation and proceedings may cause us to incur significant expense, including the payment of damages, settlement payments and/or royalty payments. For example, in February 2018, BD filed suit against us and certain of our employees in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California asserting a number of claims against us, including misappropriation of trade secrets and copyright infringement. In October 2020, we entered into a settlement agreement with BD resulting in a dismissal of all claims and a release of all claims between the parties. Pursuant to the settlement agreement with BD, we are required to make certain payments to BD, including royalty payments on sales of certain of our products.
Our commercial success depends in part on our and any potential future collaborators ability to develop, manufacture, market and sell any products that we may develop and use our proprietary technologies without infringing, misappropriating or otherwise violating the patents and other intellectual property or proprietary rights of third parties. It is uncertain whether the issuance of any third-party patent would require us or any potential collaborators to alter our development or commercial strategies, obtain licenses or cease certain activities. The medical device industry is characterized by extensive litigation regarding patents and other intellectual property rights, as well as administrative proceedings for challenging patents, including interference, inter partes or post-grant review, derivation and reexamination proceedings before the USPTO or oppositions and other comparable proceedings in foreign jurisdictions.
Third parties, including our competitors, may currently have patents or obtain patents in the future and claim that the manufacture, use or sale of our current and any future products infringes upon these patents. We have not conducted an extensive search of patents issued or assigned to other parties, including our competitors, and no assurance can be given that patents containing claims covering our current and any future products, components of our current and any future products, technology or methods do not exist, have not been filed or could not be filed or issued. In addition, because patent applications can take many years to issue and because publication schedules for pending applications vary by jurisdiction, there may be applications now pending of which we are unaware and which may result in issued patents which our current or future products infringe. Also, because the claims of published patent applications can change between publication and patent grant, there may be published patent applications that may ultimately issue with claims that we infringe. As the number of competitors in our market grows and the number of patents issued in this area increases, the possibility of patent infringement claims against us escalates, increasing the risk that we will be required to incur significant expenses defending any such claims or lose patent protection for our current or future products.
We may also be subject to claims that current or former employees, collaborators or other third parties have an interest in our patents, trade secrets or other intellectual property as an inventor or co-inventor. For example, we may have inventorship disputes arise from conflicting obligations of employees, consultants or others who are involved in developing our current and any future products. Litigation may be necessary to defend against these and other claims challenging inventorship of our patents, trade secrets or other intellectual property. If we fail in defending any such claims, in addition to paying monetary damages, we may lose valuable intellectual property rights, such as exclusive ownership of, or right to use, intellectual property that is important to our current and any future products. If we were to lose exclusive ownership of such intellectual property, other owners may be able to license their rights to other third parties, including our competitors. We also may be required to obtain and maintain licenses from third parties, including parties involved in any such disputes. Such licenses may not be available on commercially reasonable terms, or at all, or may be non-exclusive. If we are unable to obtain and
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maintain such licenses, we may need to cease the development, manufacture and commercialization of one or more of our current and any future products. The loss of exclusivity or the narrowing of our patent claims could limit our ability to stop others from using or commercializing similar or identical technology and products. Even if we are successful in defending against such claims, litigation could result in substantial costs and be a distraction to management and other employees. Any of the foregoing could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
In the event that any third-party claims that we infringe their patents or that we are otherwise employing their proprietary technology without authorization and initiates litigation against us, even if we believe such claims are without merit, there is no assurance that a court would find in our favor on questions of infringement, validity, enforceability or priority. A court of competent jurisdiction could hold that these third-party patents are valid, enforceable and infringed by our current and any future products, which could harm our ability to commercialize any product we may develop and any other technologies covered by the asserted third-party patents. To successfully challenge the validity of any such U.S. patent in federal court, we would need to overcome a presumption of validity. As this burden is a high one requiring us to present clear and convincing evidence as to the invalidity of any such U.S. patent claim, there is no assurance that a court of competent jurisdiction would invalidate the claims of any such U.S. patent. If we are found to infringe third-party intellectual property rights, including patents, and we are unsuccessful in demonstrating that such patents or other intellectual property rights are invalid or unenforceable, such third parties may be able to block our ability to commercialize the applicable products or technology unless we obtain a license under the applicable patents, or until such patents expire or are finally determined to be held invalid or unenforceable. Such a license may not be available on commercially reasonable terms, or at all. Even if we are able to obtain a license, the license would likely obligate us to pay significant license fees and/or royalties, and the rights granted to us might be non-exclusive, which could result in our competitors gaining access to the same technology. If we are unable to obtain a necessary license to a third-party patent on commercially reasonable terms, or at all, we may be unable to commercialize our current and any future products, or such commercialization efforts may be significantly delayed, which could in turn significantly harm our business.
Defense of infringement claims, regardless of their merit or outcome, would involve substantial litigation expense and would be a substantial diversion of management and other employee resources from our business, and may impact our reputation. In the event of a successful claim of infringement against us, we may be enjoined from further developing or commercializing the infringing products and/or have to pay substantial damages for use of the asserted intellectual property, including treble damages and attorneys fees were we found to willfully infringe such intellectual property. Claims that we have misappropriated the confidential information or trade secrets of third parties could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations. We also might have to redesign our infringing products or technologies, which may be impossible or require substantial time and monetary expenditure.
Engaging in litigation to defend against third-party infringement claims is very expensive, particularly for a company of our size, and time-consuming. In addition, there could be public announcements of the results of hearings, motions or other interim proceedings or developments, and if securities analysts or investors perceive these results to be negative, it could have a substantial negative impact on our common stock price. Such litigation or proceedings could substantially increase our operating losses and reduce the resources available for development activities or any future sales, marketing or distribution activities. We may not have sufficient financial or other resources to conduct such litigation or proceedings adequately. Some of our competitors may be able to sustain the costs of litigation or administrative proceedings more effectively than we can because of greater financial resources and more mature and developed intellectual property portfolios. Uncertainties resulting from the initiation and continuation of patent litigation or other proceedings against us could impair our ability to compete in the marketplace. The occurrence of any of the foregoing could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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We may become involved in lawsuits to protect or enforce our patents and other intellectual property rights, which could be expensive, time-consuming and unsuccessful.
Competitors may infringe our patents, or the patents of any future licensing partners, or we may be required to defend against claims of infringement. In an infringement proceeding, a court may decide that our patent is invalid or unenforceable, or may refuse to stop the other party from using the technology at issue on the grounds that our patents do not cover such technology. An adverse result in any litigation proceeding could put one or more of our patents at risk of being invalidated or interpreted narrowly. Furthermore, because of the substantial amount of discovery required in connection with intellectual property litigation, there is a risk that some of our confidential information could be compromised by disclosure during litigation.
Even if resolved in our favor, litigation or other legal proceedings relating to intellectual property claims may cause us to incur significant expenses and could distract our management and other personnel from their normal responsibilities. In addition, there could be public announcements of the results of hearings, motions or other interim proceedings or developments, and if securities analysts or investors perceive these results to be negative, it could have a substantial negative impact on our common stock price. Such litigation or proceedings could substantially increase our operating losses and reduce the resources available for development activities or any future sales, marketing or distribution activities. We may not have sufficient financial or other resources to conduct such litigation or proceedings adequately. Some of our competitors may be able to sustain the costs of such litigation or proceedings more effectively than we can because of their greater financial resources and more mature and developed intellectual property portfolios. Uncertainties resulting from the initiation and continuation of patent litigation or other proceedings could harm our ability to compete in the marketplace. Any of the foregoing could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Further, many countries have compulsory licensing laws under which a patent owner may be compelled to grant licenses to third parties. In addition, many countries limit the enforceability of patents against government agencies or government contractors. In these countries, the patent owner may have limited remedies, which could materially diminish the value of such patent. If we are forced to grant a license to third parties with respect to any patents relevant to our business, our competitive position may be impaired, and our business, financial condition and results of operations may be harmed.
We may be subject to claims that our employees, consultants or advisors have wrongfully used or disclosed alleged trade secrets of their current or former employers or claims asserting ownership of what we regard as our own intellectual property. Such claims could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
As is common in the life sciences industry, our employees, consultants and advisors may be currently or previously employed or engaged at universities or other life sciences companies, including our competitors and potential competitors. Although we try to ensure that our employees, consultants and advisors do not use the proprietary information or know-how of others in their work for us, we may in the future become subject to claims that we or these people have, inadvertently or otherwise, used or disclosed intellectual property, including trade secrets or other proprietary information, of their current or former employer. Also, we may in the future be subject to claims that these people are violating non-compete agreements with their former employers. Litigation may be necessary to defend against these claims. If we fail in defending any such claims, in addition to paying monetary damages, we may lose valuable intellectual property rights or personnel, which could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations. Even if we are successful in defending against such claims, litigation could result in substantial costs and be a distraction to management.
In addition, while it is our policy to require our employees and contractors who may be involved in the conception or development of intellectual property to execute agreements assigning such intellectual property to us, we may be unsuccessful in executing such an agreement with each party who, in fact, conceives or develops intellectual property that we regard as our own. The assignment of intellectual property rights may not be self-
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executing, or the assignment agreements may be breached, and we may be forced to bring claims against third parties, or defend claims that they may bring against us, to determine the ownership of what we regard as our intellectual property. Such claims could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
If we are unable to protect the confidentiality of our trade secrets, our business and competitive position would be harmed.
In addition to seeking patent protection for our current and any future products, we also rely upon unpatented trade secrets, know-how and continuing technological innovation to develop and maintain a competitive position, especially where we do not believe patent protection is appropriate or obtainable. Trade secrets and know-how can be difficult to protect. We seek to protect such proprietary information, in part, through non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements with our employees, collaborators, contractors, advisors, consultants and other third parties and invention assignment agreements with our employees. We also have agreements with our consultants that require them to assign to us any inventions created as a result of their working with us. The confidentiality agreements are designed to protect our proprietary information and, in the case of agreements or clauses containing invention assignment, to grant us ownership of technologies that are developed through a relationship with employees or third parties.
We cannot guarantee that we have entered into such agreements with each party that has or may have had access to our trade secrets or proprietary information. Additionally, despite these efforts, any of these parties may breach the agreements and disclose our proprietary information, including our trade secrets, and we may not be able to obtain adequate remedies for such breaches. Enforcing a claim that a party illegally disclosed or misappropriated a trade secret is difficult, expensive and time-consuming, and the outcome is unpredictable. In addition, some courts inside and outside the United States are less willing or unwilling to protect trade secrets. If any of our trade secrets were to be lawfully obtained or independently developed by a competitor or other third-party, we would have no right to prevent them from using that technology or information to compete with us. If any of our trade secrets were to be disclosed to, or independently developed by, a competitor or other third-party, our competitive position would be materially and adversely harmed. Furthermore, we expect these trade secrets, know-how and proprietary information to over time be disseminated within the industry through independent development, the publication of journal articles describing the methodology and the movement of personnel from academic to scientific industry positions.
We also seek to preserve the integrity and confidentiality of our data and trade secrets by maintaining physical security of our premises and physical and electronic security of our information technology systems. While we have confidence in these people, organizations and systems, agreements or security measures may be breached, and we may not have adequate remedies for any breach. In addition, our trade secrets may otherwise become known, or be independently discovered by, competitors. To the extent that our employees, consultants, contractors or collaborators use intellectual property owned by others in their work for us, disputes may arise as to the rights in related or resulting know-how and inventions, which could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Failure of a key information technology system, process, or site could have an adverse effect on our business.
We rely extensively on information technology systems to conduct our business. These systems affect, among other things, ordering and managing materials from suppliers, shipping products, processing transactions, complying with regulatory, legal or tax requirements, data security and other processes necessary to manage our business. Our systems and the data contained on them may be subject to computer viruses, ransomware or other malware, attacks by computer hackers, social engineering (including phishing), supply chain attacks, credential stuffing, efforts by individuals or groups of hackers and sophisticated organizations, including state-sponsored organizations, errors or malfeasance of our personnel, and security vulnerabilities in the software or systems on which we rely, and failures during the process of upgrading or replacing software, databases or components thereof. If the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of our systems or our data is compromised due to these, or
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any number of causes, ranging from catastrophic events and power outages to security breaches, and our business continuity plans do not effectively compensate on a timely basis, we may experience interruptions in our operations, including corruption of our data or release of our confidential information, which could have an adverse effect on our business. Furthermore, any breach in our information technology systems could lead to the unauthorized access, disclosure and use of non-public information, which may be protected by applicable laws. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has generally increased the risk of cybersecurity intrusions. For example, there has been an increase in phishing and spam emails as well as social engineering attempts from hackers hoping to use the COVID-19 pandemic to their advantage. Any such access, disclosure, or other loss of information could require substantial expenditures to remedy and could result in legal claims or proceedings, liability under laws that protect the privacy of personal information and damage to our reputation.
Our use of open source software could compromise our ability to offer our services and subject us to possible litigation.
We use open source software in connection with the software integrated in our instruments. Companies that incorporate open source software into their products have, from time to time, faced claims challenging their use of open source software and compliance with open source license terms. As a result, we could be subject to lawsuits by parties claiming ownership of what we believe to be open source software or claiming noncompliance with open source licensing terms. Some open source software licenses require users who distribute software containing open source software to publicly disclose all or part of the source code to the licensees software that incorporates, links or uses such open source software, and make available to third parties for no cost, any derivative works of the open source code created by the licensee, which could include the licensees own valuable proprietary code. While we monitor our use of open source software and try to ensure that none is used in a manner that would require us to disclose our proprietary source code or that would otherwise breach the terms of an open source agreement, such use could inadvertently occur, or could be claimed to have occurred, in part because open source license terms are often ambiguous. There is little legal precedent in this area and any actual or claimed requirement to disclose our proprietary source code or pay damages for breach of contract could harm our business and could help third parties, including our competitors, develop products and services that are similar to or better than ours. Any of the foregoing could harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Risks Related to This Offering and Ownership of Our Common Stock
Our stock price may be volatile, and the value of our common stock may decline.
The market price of our common stock may be highly volatile and may fluctuate or decline substantially as a result of a variety of factors, some of which are beyond our control, including limited trading volume. In addition to the factors discussed in this Risk Factors section and elsewhere in this prospectus, these factors including:
| the degree and rate of market adoption of our products; |
| variance in our financial performance from expectations of securities analysts or investors; |
| actual or anticipated fluctuations in our financial condition and results of operations, including as a result of anticipated or unanticipated demand based on seasonal factors; |
| changes in our projected operating and financial results; |
| developments or disputes concerning our intellectual property or other proprietary rights; |
| significant lawsuits, including patent or stockholder litigation; |
| negative publicity associated with issues related to our products; |
| changes in senior management or key personnel; |
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| future sales of our common stock or other securities, by us or our stockholders, as well as the anticipation of lock-up releases; |
| the trading volume of our common stock; |
| our ability to obtain and maintain regulatory approvals for our products; |
| changes in laws or regulations applicable to our products; |
| adverse developments concerning any of our third-party distribution partners and suppliers, including our single and sole-source suppliers; |
| announcements by us or our competitors of significant business developments, acquisitions, or new offerings; |
| our inability to engage additional distribution partners and establish collaborations, if needed; |
| performance or news releases by other companies in our industry including about adverse developments related to safety, effectiveness, accuracy and usability of their products, reputational concerns, regulatory compliance, and product recalls; |
| general economic, regulatory and market conditions, including economic recessions or slowdowns and the COVID-19 pandemic; and |
| other events or factors, many of which are beyond our control. |
Broad market and industry fluctuations, as well as general economic, pandemic, political, regulatory, and market conditions, may negatively impact the market price of our common stock. In addition, given the relatively small expected public float of shares of our common stock on the Nasdaq Global Select Market (the Nasdaq), the trading market for our shares may be subject to increased volatility. In the past, securities class action litigation has often been brought against companies that have experienced volatility or following a decline in the market price of its securities. This risk is especially relevant for us, because life sciences companies have experienced significant stock price volatility in recent years. If we face such litigation, it could result in substantial costs and a diversion of managements attention and resources, which could harm our business.
There has been no prior market for our common stock. An active market may not develop or be sustainable and investors may not be able to resell their shares at or above the initial public offering price.
There has been no public market for our common stock prior to this offering. The initial public offering price for our common stock will be determined through negotiations between the underwriters and us and may vary from the market price of our common stock following this offering. If you purchase shares of our common stock in this offering, you may not be able to resell those shares at or above the initial public offering price, if at all. An active or liquid market in our common stock may not develop after this offering or, if it does develop, it may not be sustainable. As a result of these and other factors, you may be unable to resell your shares of our common stock at or above the initial public offering price. Further, an inactive market may also impair our ability to raise capital by selling shares of our common stock and may impair our ability to enter into strategic partnerships or acquire companies or products by using our shares of common stock as consideration.
You will experience immediate and substantial dilution in the net tangible book value of the shares of common stock you purchase in this offering.
The initial public offering price of our common stock will be substantially higher than the pro forma net tangible book value per share of our common stock immediately after this offering. If you purchase shares of our common stock in this offering, you will suffer immediate dilution of $ per share, or $ per share if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares in full, representing the difference between our pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share after giving effect to the sale of common stock in this
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offering and the assumed initial public offering price of $ per share, the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus. To the extent outstanding options are exercised, there will be further dilution to new investors. As a result of the dilution to investors purchasing shares in this offering, investors may receive significantly less than the purchase price paid in this offering, if anything, in the event of our liquidation. For a further description of the dilution that you will experience immediately after this offering, see the section titled Dilution.
We will have broad discretion in the use of the net proceeds from this offering and may invest or spend the proceeds in ways with which you do not agree and in ways that may not yield a return.
We will have broad discretion over the use of the net proceeds from this offering. Investors may not agree with our decisions, and our use of the net proceeds may not yield any return on your investment. We currently intend to use the net proceeds from this offering to fund manufacturing activities, sales and marketing activities, including the hiring and training of additional sales and marketing personnel, and the remainder for working capital and general corporate purposes, including research and development activities. In addition, a portion of the net proceeds may also be used to acquire assets or complementary businesses. Our failure to apply the net proceeds from this offering effectively could impair our ability to pursue our growth strategy or could require us to raise additional capital. In addition, pending their use, the net proceeds of this offering may be placed in investments that do not produce income or that may lose value. If we do not invest or apply the net proceeds from this offering in ways that enhance stockholder value, we may fail to achieve expected financial results, which could cause our stock price to decline.
Future sales and issuances of our common stock in the public market could cause the market price of our common stock to decline.
Sales and issuances of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public market following the closing of this offering, or the perception that these sales might occur, could depress the market price of our common stock and could impair our ability to raise capital through the sale of additional equity securities. We are unable to predict the effect that such sales and issuances may have on the prevailing market price of our common stock.
Based on shares of common stock outstanding as of March 31, 2021, upon the closing of this offering, we will have outstanding a total of shares of common stock. Of these shares, only the shares of common stock sold in this offering, plus any shares sold upon exercise of the underwriters option to purchase additional shares, will be freely tradable without restriction in the public market immediately following this offering.
In addition, all of our executive officers and directors and the holders of substantially all of our equity securities are subject to lock-up agreements that restrict their ability to transfer shares of our common stock, stock options and other securities convertible into, exchangeable for, or exercisable for our common stock during the period ending on, and including, the 180th day after the date of this prospectus, subject to specified exceptions. Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, Piper Sandler & Co. and Cowen and Company, LLC may, in their discretion, permit our stockholders who are subject to these lock-up agreements to sell shares prior to the expiration of the lock-up agreements. Upon the expiration of the lock-up period, of such shares will be eligible for sale as described in the section of this prospectus titled Shares Eligible for Future Sale.
As of March 31, 2021, there were 4,919,979 shares of common stock subject to outstanding stock options. We intend to register all of the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of outstanding stock options, and upon exercise or settlement of any options or other equity incentives we may grant in the future, for public resale under the Securities Act. Accordingly, these shares will be able to be freely sold in the public market upon issuance as permitted by any applicable vesting requirements, subject to the lock-up agreements described above. These shares of common will become eligible for sale in the public market to the extent such stock options are exercised, subject to the lock-up agreements described above and compliance with applicable securities laws.
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After this offering, the holders of shares of our common stock will be entitled to rights with respect to the registration of their shares under the Securities Act, subject to the 180-day lock-up agreements described above. See the section titled Description of Capital StockRegistration Rights. Registration of these shares under the Securities Act would result in the shares becoming freely tradable without restriction under the Securities Act, except for shares held by affiliates, as defined in Rule 144 under the Securities Act. Any sales of securities by these stockholders could have an adverse effect on the trading price of our common stock.
Concentration of ownership of our common stock among our executive officers, directors and principal stockholders may prevent new investors from influencing significant corporate decisions.
Based on the number of shares of common stock outstanding as of March 31, 2021 and including (i) the shares to be sold in this offering and (ii) 65,453,173 shares of common stock issuable upon the automatic conversion of our redeemable convertible preferred stock outstanding as of March 31, 2021 into an equal number of shares of our common stock upon the closing of this offering, upon the closing of this offering, our executive officers, directors and current beneficial owners of 5% or more of our common stock will, in the aggregate, beneficially own approximately % of our common stock (assuming no exercise of the underwriters option to purchase an additional shares of common stock). These stockholders, acting together, will be able to significantly influence all matters requiring stockholder approval, including the election and removal of directors and any merger or other significant corporate transactions. The interests of this group of stockholders may not coincide with the interests of other stockholders.
Some of these persons or entities may have interests different than those of investors purchasing shares in this offering. For example, because many of these stockholders purchased their shares at prices substantially below the price at which shares are being sold in this offering and have held their shares for a longer period, they may be more interested in selling our company to an acquirer than other investors, or they may want us to pursue strategies that deviate from the interests of other stockholders.
We do not intend to pay dividends for the foreseeable future and, as a result, your ability to achieve a return on your investment will depend on appreciation in the price of our common stock.
We have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our capital stock, and we do not intend to pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. Any determination to pay dividends in the future will be at the discretion of our board of directors and may be restricted by the terms of any then-current debt instruments. Accordingly, investors must rely on sales of their common stock after price appreciation, which may never occur, as the only way to realize any future gains on their investments.
We are an emerging growth company and a smaller reporting company and our compliance with the reduced reporting and disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies and smaller reporting companies could make our common stock less attractive to investors.
We are an emerging growth company, as defined in the JOBS Act, and we expect to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies, including the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved and extended adoption period for accounting pronouncements.
We are also a smaller reporting company, as defined in the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act). We may continue to be a smaller reporting company even after we are no longer an emerging growth company. We may take advantage of certain of the scaled disclosures available to smaller reporting companies and will be able to take advantage of these scaled disclosures for so long as our voting and
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non-voting common stock held by non-affiliates is less than $250.0 million measured on the last business day of our second fiscal quarter, or our annual revenue is less than $100.0 million during the most recently completed fiscal year and our voting and non-voting common stock held by non-affiliates is less than $700.0 million measured on the last business day of our second fiscal quarter.
Investors may find our common stock less attractive as a result of our reliance on these exemptions. If some investors find our common stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our common stock and our stock price may be more volatile.
Our disclosure controls and procedures may not prevent or detect all errors or acts of fraud.
Upon the closing of this offering, we will become subject to the periodic reporting requirements of the Exchange Act. We designed our disclosure controls and procedures to provide reasonable assurance that information we must disclose in reports we file or submit under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to management, and recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the rules and forms of the SEC. We believe that any disclosure controls and procedures, no matter how well-conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met.
These inherent limitations include the realities that judgments in decision-making can be faulty, and that breakdowns can occur because of simple error or mistake. Additionally, controls can be circumvented by the individual acts of some persons, by collusion of two or more people or by an unauthorized override of the controls. Accordingly, because of the inherent limitations in our control system, misstatements due to error or fraud may occur and not be detected.
Anti-takeover provisions under our charter documents and Delaware law could delay or prevent a change of control which could limit the market price of our common stock and may prevent or frustrate attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws, upon the closing of this offering, will contain provisions that could delay or prevent a change of control of our company or changes in our board of directors that our stockholders might consider favorable. Some of these provisions include:
| a board of directors divided into three classes serving staggered three-year terms, such that not all members of the board will be elected at one time; |
| a prohibition on stockholder action through written consent, which requires that all stockholder actions be taken at a meeting of our stockholders; |
| a requirement that special meetings of stockholders be called only by the chairman of the board of directors, the chief executive officer, the president, or by a majority of the total number of authorized directors; |
| advance notice requirements for stockholder proposals and nominations for election to our board of directors; |
| a requirement that no member of our board of directors may be removed from office by our stockholders except for cause and, in addition to any other vote required by law, upon the approval of not less than two-thirds of all outstanding shares of our voting stock then entitled to vote in the election of directors; |
| a requirement of approval of not less than two-thirds of all outstanding shares of our voting stock to amend any bylaws by stockholder action or to amend specific provisions of our certificate of incorporation; and |
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| the authority of the board of directors to issue redeemable convertible preferred stock on terms determined by the board of directors without stockholder approval and which redeemable convertible preferred stock may include rights superior to the rights of the holders of common stock. |
In addition, because we are incorporated in Delaware, we are governed by the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporate Law, which may prohibit certain business antitakeover provisions and other provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws could make it more difficult for stockholders or potential acquirors to obtain control of our board of directors or initiate actions that are opposed by the then-current board of directors and could also delay or impede a merger, tender offer, or proxy contest involving our company. These provisions could also discourage proxy contests and make it more difficult for you and other stockholders to elect directors of your choosing or cause us to take other corporate actions you desire. Any delay or prevention of a change of control transaction or changes in our board of directors could cause the market price of our common stock to decline.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws upon the closing of this offering will provide that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will be the exclusive forum for substantially all disputes between us and our stockholders, which could limit our stockholders ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers or employees.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws will provide that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will be the sole and exclusive forum for the following types of actions or proceedings under Delaware statutory or common law: (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, (ii) any action or proceeding asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any of our current or former directors, officers, or other employees to us or our stockholders, (iii) any action or proceeding asserting a claim against us or any of our current or former directors, officers, or other employees, arising out of or pursuant to any provision of the Delaware General Corporation Law, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or our amended and restated bylaws, (iv) any action or proceeding to interpret, apply, enforce, or determine the validity of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or our amended and restated bylaws, (v) any action or proceeding as to which the Delaware General Corporation Law confers jurisdiction to the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware and (vi) any action asserting a claim against us or any of our directors, officers, or other employees governed by the internal affairs doctrine, in all cases to the fullest extent permitted by law and subject to the courts having personal jurisdiction over the indispensable parties named as defendants.
These provisions would not apply to suits brought to enforce a duty or liability created by the Exchange Act. Furthermore, Section 22 of the Securities Act creates concurrent jurisdiction for federal and state courts over all such Securities Act actions. Accordingly, both state and federal courts have jurisdiction to entertain such claims. To prevent having to litigate claims in multiple jurisdictions and the threat of inconsistent or contrary rulings by different courts, among other considerations, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws will further provide that the federal district courts of the United States of America will be the exclusive forum for resolving any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act. While the Delaware courts have determined that such choice of forum provisions are facially valid, a stockholder may nevertheless seek to bring a claim in a venue other than those designated in the exclusive forum provisions. In such instance, we would expect to vigorously assert the validity and enforceability of the exclusive forum provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws. This may require significant additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions and the provisions may not be enforced by a court in those other jurisdictions.
These exclusive forum provisions may limit a stockholders ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers, or other employees and may discourage these types of lawsuits. Furthermore, the enforceability of similar choice of forum provisions in other companies certificates of incorporation or bylaws has been challenged in legal proceedings, and it is possible that a court
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could find these types of provisions to be inapplicable or unenforceable. If a court were to find either exclusive forum provision contained in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or amended and restated bylaws to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur further significant additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions, all of which could seriously harm our business.
General Risk Factors
As a result of being a public company, we are obligated to develop and maintain proper and effective internal control over financial reporting, and any failure to maintain the adequacy of these internal controls may adversely affect investor confidence in our company and, as a result, the value of our common stock.
We will be required, pursuant to Section 404 of the SarbanesOxley Act, to furnish a report by management on, among other things, the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2022, which is the year covered by the second annual report following the completion of our initial public offering. This assessment will need to include disclosure of any material weaknesses identified by our management in our internal control over financial reporting. In addition, our independent registered public accounting firm will be required to attest to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting in our first annual report required to be filed with the SEC following the date we are no longer an emerging growth company if we are not a non-accelerated filer at such time.
If we are unable to conclude that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, or if our independent registered public accounting firm determines we have a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting, we could lose investor confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports, the market price of our common stock could decline, and we could be subject to sanctions or investigations by the SEC or other regulatory authorities. Failure to remedy any material weakness or significant deficiency in our internal control over financial reporting, or to implement or maintain other effective control systems required of public companies, could also restrict our future access to the capital markets.
If our estimates or judgments relating to our critical accounting policies are based on assumptions that change or prove to be incorrect, our operating results could fall below our publicly announced guidance or the expectations of securities analysts and investors, resulting in a decline in the market price of our common stock.
The preparation of our consolidated financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in our consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets, liabilities, equity, revenue and expenses that are not readily apparent from other sources. For example, in connection with the revenue accounting standard, Accounting Standards Codification, or ASC, Topic 606, management makes judgments and assumptions based on our interpretation of the new standard. The revenue standard is principle-based and interpretation of those principles may vary from company to company based on their unique circumstances. It is possible that interpretation, industry practice and guidance may evolve as we apply the standard. If our assumptions underlying our estimates and judgments relating to our critical accounting policies change or if actual circumstances differ from our assumptions, estimates or judgments, our operating results may be adversely affected and could fall below our publicly announced guidance or the expectations of securities analysts and investors, resulting in a decline in the market price of our common stock.
We could be subject to securities class action litigation.
In the past, securities class action litigation has often been brought against companies following a decline in the market price of its securities. This risk is especially relevant for us because life sciences companies have
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experienced significant stock price volatility in recent years. If we face such litigation, it could result in substantial costs and a diversion of managements attention and resources, which could harm our business.
We will incur increased costs as a result of operating as a public company, and our management will be required to devote substantial time to compliance with our public company responsibilities and corporate governance practices.
As a public company, we will incur significant legal, accounting, and other expenses that we did not incur as a private company. We expect such expenses to further increase after we are no longer an emerging growth company. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, the listing requirements of Nasdaq and other applicable securities rules and regulations impose various requirements on public companies. Furthermore, the senior members of our management team do not have significant experience with operating a public company. As a result, our management and other personnel will have to devote a substantial amount of time to compliance with these requirements. Moreover, these rules and regulations will increase our legal and financial compliance costs and will make some activities more time-consuming and costly. We cannot predict or estimate the amount of additional costs we will incur as a public company or the timing of such costs, which could negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our failure to meet Nasdaqs continued listing requirements could result in a delisting of our common stock.
If, after listing, we fail to satisfy the continued listing requirements of Nasdaq, such as the corporate governance requirements or the minimum closing bid price requirement, Nasdaq may take steps to delist our common stock. Such a delisting would likely have a negative effect on the price of our common stock and would impair your ability to sell or purchase our common stock when you wish to do so. In the event of a delisting, we can provide no assurance that any action taken by us to restore compliance with listing requirements would allow our common stock to become listed again, stabilize the market price or improve the liquidity of our common stock, prevent our common stock from dropping below the Nasdaq minimum bid price requirement or prevent future non-compliance with the listing requirements of Nasdaq.
If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or publish unfavorable or inaccurate research about our business, our common stock price and trading volume could decline.
Our stock price and trading volume will be heavily influenced by the way analysts and investors interpret our financial information and other disclosures. If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or reports about our business, delay publishing reports about our business or publish negative reports about our business, regardless of accuracy, our common stock price and trading volume could decline.
The trading market for our common stock will depend, in part, on the research and reports that securities or industry analysts publish about us or our business. We do not have any control over these analysts. We expect that only a limited number of analysts will cover our company following our initial public offering. If the number of analysts that cover us declines, demand for our common stock could decrease and our common stock price and trading volume may decline. Even if our common stock is actively covered by analysts, we do not have any control over the analysts or the measures that analysts or investors may rely upon to forecast our future results. Over-reliance by analysts or investors on any particular metric to forecast our future results may result in forecasts that differ significantly from our own.
Regardless of accuracy, unfavorable interpretations of our financial information and other public disclosures could have a negative impact on our stock price. If our financial performance fails to meet analyst estimates, for any of the reasons discussed above or otherwise, or one or more of the analysts who cover us downgrade our common stock or change their opinion of our common stock, our stock price would likely decline.
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Our ability to use our net operating losses (NOLs) to offset future taxable income may be subject to certain limitations.
As of December 31, 2020, we had no federal NOL carryforwards and state NOL carryforwards of approximately $2.2 million. Certain state NOLs will begin to expire in the calendar year 2028, unless previously utilized. Certain NOL carryforwards subject to expiration could expire unused and be unavailable to offset future income tax liabilities.
Under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, or the Tax Act, as modified by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act, federal NOLs incurred in taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017 may be carried forward indefinitely, but the deductibility of such federal NOLs in taxable years beginning after December 31, 2020 is limited to 80% of taxable income in such years. There is variation in how states have responded and may continue to respond to the Tax Act and CARES Act. In addition, for state income tax purposes, there may be periods during which the use of NOLs is suspended or otherwise limited, such as recent California legislation limiting the usability of NOLs for tax years beginning in 2020 and before 2023.
Separately, under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code) if a corporation undergoes an ownership change, which is generally defined as a greater than 50% change, by value, in its equity ownership over a three-year period, the corporations ability to use its pre-change NOL carryforwards and other pre-change tax attributes to offset its post-change income or taxes may be limited. Similar rules may apply under state tax laws. We determined that an ownership change occurred on September 7, 2018 and October 23, 2020. As of March 31, 2021, we had not experienced an ownership change subsequent to the ownership change on October 23, 2020. In addition, we may in the future experience ownership changes, either as a result of this offering or other changes in our stock ownership (some of which are not in our control). If an ownership change occurs, our ability to utilize our NOL carryforwards and other tax attributes to reduce future tax liabilities may be limited.
Changes in our effective tax rate or tax liability may have an adverse effect on our results of operations.
Our effective tax rate could increase due to several factors, including:
| changes in the relative amounts of income before taxes in the various jurisdictions in which we operate that have differing statutory tax rates; |
| changes in tax laws, tax treaties, and regulations or the interpretation of them; |
| changes to our assessment about our ability to realize our deferred tax assets that are based on estimates of our future results, the prudence and feasibility of possible tax planning strategies, and the economic and political environments in which we do business; |
| the outcome of current and future tax audits, examinations, or administrative appeals; and |
| limitations or adverse findings regarding our ability to do business in some jurisdictions. |
Additionally, a tax authority may disagree with tax positions that we have taken, which could result in increased tax liabilities. For example, a tax authority could assert that we are subject to tax in a jurisdiction where we believe we have not established a taxable connection, often referred to as a permanent establishment under international tax treaties, and such an assertion, if successful, could increase our expected tax liability in one or more jurisdictions.
Changes in tax law and regulations may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The rules dealing with U.S. federal, state and local income taxation are constantly under review by the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Treasury Department and other governmental bodies. Changes to tax laws
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(which changes may have retroactive application) could adversely affect us or holders of our common stock. In recent years, many such changes have been made and changes are likely to continue to occur in the future. Future changes in tax laws could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flow. We urge investors to consult with their legal and tax advisers regarding the implication of potential changes in tax laws on an investment in our common stock.
Changes and uncertainties in the tax system in the countries in which we have operations, could materially adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations, and reduce net returns to our shareholders.
We conduct business globally and file income tax returns in multiple jurisdictions. Our consolidated effective income tax rate could be materially adversely affected by several factors, including: changing tax laws, regulations and treaties, or the interpretation thereof; tax policy initiatives and reforms under consideration; the practices of tax authorities in jurisdictions in which we operate; the resolution of issues arising from tax audits or examinations and any related interest or penalties. We are unable to predict what tax reform may be proposed or enacted in the future or what effect such changes would have on our business, but such changes, to the extent they are brought into tax legislation, regulations, policies or practices in jurisdictions in which we operate, could increase the estimated tax liability that we have expensed to date and paid or accrued on our statement of financial position, and otherwise affect our financial position, future results of operations, cash flows in a particular period and overall or effective tax rates in the future in countries where we have operations, reduce post-tax returns to our shareholders and increase the complexity, burden and cost of tax compliance.
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SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus contains forward-looking statements about us and our industry that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this prospectus, including statements regarding our future results of operations, financial condition, business strategy and plans and objectives of management for future operations, are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements because they contain words such as anticipate, believe, contemplate, continue, could, estimate, expect, intend, may, plan, potential, predict, project, should, target, will or would, or the negative of these words or other similar terms or expressions.
We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties, factors and assumptions described in the section titled Risk Factors and elsewhere in this prospectus, regarding, among other things:
| our expected future growth; |
| the size and growth potential of the markets for our products, and our ability to serve those markets; |
| our ability to accurately forecast demand for our products; |
| our expectations regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our sales, business, financial condition and results of operations; |
| the rate and degree of market acceptance of our products; |
| the expected future growth of our sales and marketing organization; |
| the performance of, and our reliance on, third parties in connection with the commercialization of our products, including single-source suppliers and, in some cases, sole source suppliers; |
| our ability to accurately forecast and manufacture appropriate quantities of our products to meet commercial demand; |
| regulatory developments in the United States and foreign countries; |
| our ability to retain regulatory approval for our products or obtain regulatory approval for new products in the United States and in any foreign countries in which we make seek to do business; |
| our research and development for existing products and any future products; |
| the development, regulatory approval and commercialization of competing products; |
| our ability to retain and hire senior management and key personnel; |
| our expectations regarding the period during which we qualify as an emerging growth company under the JOBS Act; |
| our ability to develop and maintain our corporate infrastructure, including our ability to remediate our existing material weakness and to design and maintain an effective system of internal controls; |
| our financial performance and capital requirements; |
| our expectations regarding our ability to obtain and maintain intellectual property protection for our products, as well as our ability to operate our business without infringing the intellectual property rights of others; and |
| our use of the net proceeds from this offering. |
These risks are not exhaustive. Other sections of this prospectus may include additional factors that could harm our business and financial performance. We operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing
69
environment where new risk factors may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for our management to predict all risk factors, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in, or implied by, any forward-looking statements.
You should not rely on forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. We have based the forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus primarily on our current expectations and projections about future events and trends that we believe may affect our business, financial condition and operating results. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this prospectus. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements made in this prospectus to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this prospectus or to reflect new information or the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law. We may not actually achieve the plans, intentions or expectations disclosed in our forward-looking statements, and you should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. Our forward-looking statements do not reflect the potential impact of any future acquisitions, mergers, dispositions, joint ventures or investments.
In addition, statements that we believe and similar statements reflect our beliefs and opinions on the relevant subject. These statements are based on information available to us as of the date of this prospectus. While we believe that information provides a reasonable basis for these statements, that information may be limited or incomplete. Our statements should not be read to indicate that we have conducted an exhaustive inquiry into, or review of, all relevant information. These statements are inherently uncertain, and investors are cautioned not to unduly rely on these statements.
You should read this prospectus and the documents that we reference in this prospectus and have filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part with the understanding that our actual future results, levels of activity, performance and achievements may be different from what we expect. We qualify all of our forward-looking statements by these cautionary statements.
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MARKET, INDUSTRY AND OTHER DATA
Certain market, industry and competitive data included in this prospectus were obtained from our own internal estimates and research, as well as from publicly available information, reports of governmental agencies and industry publications and surveys. In some cases, we do not expressly refer to the sources from which this data is derived. All of the market and industry data used in this prospectus is inherently subject to uncertainties and involve a number of assumptions and limitations, and you are cautioned not to give undue weight to such information.
The industry in which we operate is subject to a high degree of uncertainty and risk due to a variety of factors, including those described in the section titled Risk Factors. These and other factors could cause results to differ materially from those expressed in these publications and reports.
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We estimate that we will receive net proceeds from this offering of approximately $ million (or approximately $ million if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares in full) based on the assumed initial public offering price of $ per share of common stock, the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.
Each $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price of $ per share, the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase (decrease) the net proceeds to us from this offering by approximately $ million, assuming the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same, and after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. We may also increase or decrease the number of shares we are offering. Similarly, each increase (decrease) of 1,000,000 shares in the number of shares of common stock offered by us would increase (decrease) the net proceeds to us from this offering by approximately $ million, assuming the assumed initial public offering price of $ per share, the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same, and after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.
We currently intend to use the net proceeds from this offering, together with our existing cash and cash equivalents, as follows:
| approximately $ million to $ million to fund manufacturing activities; |
| approximately $ million to $ million to establish our commercial activities and to fund marketing initiatives; and |
| the remaining amounts for working capital and general corporate purposes. |
We may use a portion of the net proceeds for strategic investments in complementary businesses, services, products or technologies. However, we do not have agreements or commitments to enter into any such acquisitions or investments at this time.
We estimate, based on our current operating plan, that our existing cash and cash equivalents, together with the estimated net proceeds from this offering, will be sufficient to fund our operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements for at least the next 12 months. We have based this estimate on assumptions that may prove to be wrong, and we could use our available capital resources sooner than we expect.
We cannot predict with certainty all of the particular uses for the proceeds of this offering or the amounts that we will actually spend on the uses set forth above. Accordingly, our management will have broad discretion in applying the net proceeds of this offering. The timing and amount of our actual expenditures will be based on many factors, including cash flows from operations and the anticipated growth of our business. Pending their application, we intend to invest the net proceeds in short-term, interest-bearing, investment-grade investments, certificates of deposit or guaranteed obligations of the U.S. government.
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We have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our capital stock and we do not currently intend to pay any cash dividends on our capital stock for the foreseeable future. We currently intend to retain all available funds and any future earnings to support operations and to finance the growth and development of our business. Any future determination to pay dividends will be made at the discretion of our board of directors, subject to applicable laws and will depend upon, among other factors, our results of operations, financial condition, contractual restrictions and capital requirements.
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The following table sets forth our cash and cash equivalents and our capitalization as of March 31, 2021 on:
| an actual basis; |
| a pro forma basis to give effect to (i) the conversion of 65,453,173 shares of our redeemable convertible preferred stock outstanding as of March 31, 2021 into an equal number of shares of our common stock upon the closing of this offering and the related reclassification of the carrying value of our redeemable convertible preferred stock to permanent equity in connection with the closing of this offering, and (ii) the filing and effectiveness of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation upon the closing of this offering; and |
| a pro forma as adjusted basis, giving effect to (i) the pro forma adjustments set forth above and (ii) the issuance and sale of shares of common stock in this offering at the assumed initial public offering price of $ per share, the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. |
You should read this information in conjunction with our interim consolidated financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus, the information set forth in the sections titled Selected Consolidated Financial Data and Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and other financial information contained elsewhere in this prospectus.
As of March 31, 2021 | ||||||||||||
Actual | Pro Forma | Pro Forma As Adjusted (1) |
||||||||||
(unaudited) | ||||||||||||
(in thousands, except share and per share data) |
||||||||||||
Cash and cash equivalents |
$ | 168,584 | $ | 168,584 | $ | | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
Redeemable convertible preferred stock, $0.001 par value per share: 65,453,176 shares authorized, actual, no shares pro forma and pro forma as adjusted; 65,453,173 shares issued and outstanding, actual; no shares issued and outstanding, pro forma and pro forma as adjusted |
$ | 194,319 | $ | | $ | | ||||||
Stockholders (deficit) equity: |
||||||||||||
Preferred stock, $0.001 par value per share: no shares authorized, issued and outstanding, actual; shares authorized no shares issued or outstanding, pro forma and pro forma as adjusted |
||||||||||||
Common stock, $0.001 par value per share: 115,000,000 shares authorized, 23,832,243 shares issued and outstanding, actual; shares authorized, shares issued and outstanding, pro forma; shares authorized, shares issued and outstanding, pro forma as adjusted |
24 | 89 | ||||||||||
Additional paid-in capital |
7,142 | 201,396 | ||||||||||
Accumulated deficit |
(22,505 | ) | (22,505 | ) | ||||||||
Accumulated other comprehensive income |
267 | 267 | | |||||||||
Noncontrolling interest in consolidated subsidiary |
315 | 315 | ||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
Total stockholders (deficit) equity |
(14,757 | ) | 179,562 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
Total capitalization |
$ |
179,562 |
|
$ |
179,562 |
|
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|
|
|
|
|
|
(1) | Each $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price of $ per share of common stock, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would |
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increase (decrease) the pro forma as adjusted amount of each of cash and cash equivalents, additional paid-in capital, total stockholders equity and total capitalization by approximately $ million, assuming that the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same and after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. We may also increase or decrease the number of shares we are offering. Similarly, each increase (decrease) of 1,000,000 shares in the number of shares offered by us at the assumed initial public offering price per share would increase (decrease) the pro forma as adjusted amount of each of our cash and cash equivalents, additional paid-in capital, total stockholders equity and total capitalization by approximately $ million, assuming the assumed initial public offering price of $ per share of common stock remains the same, and after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses. |
The number of shares of our common stock to be outstanding after this offering as reflected in the table above is based on 89,285,416 shares of our common stock (including shares of our redeemable convertible preferred stock on an as-converted basis) outstanding as of March 31, 2021, and excludes:
| 4,919,979 shares of our common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding stock options as of March 31, 2021, with a weighted-average exercise price of $1.72 per share; |
| 355,500 shares of our common stock issuable upon exercise of outstanding stock options granted subsequent to March 31, 2021, with a weighted-average exercise price of $7.69 per share; |
| 4,543,014 shares of our common stock reserved for future issuance under our 2015 Equity Incentive Plan as of March 31, 2021, which shares will cease to be available for issuance at the time our 2021 Equity Incentive Plan becomes effective in connection with this offering; |
| shares of our common stock reserved for future issuance under our 2021 Equity Incentive Plan, which includes an annual evergreen increase and will become effective upon the execution of the underwriting agreement for this offering; and |
| shares of our common stock reserved for future issuance under our 2021 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, which includes an annual evergreen increase and will become effective upon the execution of the underwriting agreement for this offering. |
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If you invest in our common stock in this offering, your ownership interest will be immediately diluted to the extent of the difference between the initial public offering price per share and the pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share of our common stock immediately after the completion of this offering.
As of March 31, 2021, we had a historical net tangible book deficit of approximately $15.4 million, or $(0.65) per share of common stock based on 23,832,243 shares of common stock outstanding as of such date. Our historical net tangible book deficit per share represents the amount of our total tangible assets less our total liabilities and redeemable convertible preferred stock, which is not included within permanent equity, divided by the number of shares of our common stock outstanding as of March 31, 2021.
As of March 31, 2021, our pro forma net tangible book value was $178.9 million, or $2.00 per share of common stock. Pro forma net tangible book value per share represents our total tangible assets less our total liabilities, divided by the number of shares of common stock outstanding as of March 31, 2021, after giving effect to the conversion of all outstanding shares of redeemable convertible preferred stock into 65,453,173 shares of common stock upon the closing of this offering.
After giving further effect to the receipt of the net proceeds from our sale of shares of common stock in this offering at an assumed initial public offering price of $ per share, the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, and after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, our pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value as of March 31, 2021 would have been $ million, or $ per share of common stock. This amount represents an immediate increase in pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value of $ per share to our existing stockholders and an immediate dilution in pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share of $ per share to new investors purchasing shares of common stock in this offering.
The following table illustrates this dilution on a per share basis to investors in this offering:
Assumed initial public offering price per share |
$ | |||||||
Historical net tangible book value (deficit) per share as of March 31, 2021 |
$ | (0.65 | ) | |||||
Pro forma increase in historical net tangible book value per as of March 31, 2021 |
2.65 | |||||||
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|
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Pro forma net tangible book value per share as of March 31, 2021 |
2.00 | |||||||
Increase in pro forma net tangible book value per share attributed to investors purchasing shares in this offering |
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|
|
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Pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering |
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|
|
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Dilution per share to investors in this offering |
$ | |||||||
|
|
Each $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price of $ per share, the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase (decrease) the pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering by $ , and dilution in pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share to new investors by $ , assuming that the number of shares of common stock offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same and after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. We may also increase or decrease the number of shares we are offering. Similarly, each increase (decrease) of 1,000,000 shares in the number of shares of common stock offered by us would increase (decrease) our pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering by $ per share and decrease (increase) the dilution in pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share to investors participating in this offering by $ per share, assuming that the assumed initial public offering price remains the same, and after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.
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If the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares in full, the pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value after the offering would be $ per share, the increase in pro forma net tangible book value per share to existing stockholders would be $ per share and the dilution per share to new investors would be $ per share, in each case assuming an initial public offering price of $ per share, the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus.
The following table summarizes, on the pro forma as adjusted basis described above, as of March 31, 2021, the differences between the number of shares of common stock purchased from us by our existing stockholders and common stock by new investors purchasing shares in this offering, the total consideration paid to us in cash and the average price per share paid by existing stockholders for shares of common stock issued prior to this offering and the price to be paid by new investors for shares of common stock in this offering. The calculation below is based on the assumed initial public offering price of $ per share, the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.
Shares Purchased | Total Consideration | Weighted- Average Price Per Share |
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Number | Percent | Amount | Percent | |||||||||||||||||
Existing stockholders |
% | $ | % | $ | ||||||||||||||||
New investors |
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Total |
100 | % | $ | 100 | % | |||||||||||||||
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|
|
The outstanding share information in the table above is based on 89,285,416 shares of our common stock (including shares of our redeemable convertible preferred stock on an as-converted basis) outstanding as of March 31, 2021, and excludes:
| 4,919,979 shares of our common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding stock options as of March 31, 2021, with a weighted-average exercise price of $1.72 per share; |
| 355,500 shares of our common stock issuable upon exercise of outstanding stock options granted subsequent to March 31, 2021, with a weighted-average exercise price of $7.69 per share. |
| 4,543,014 shares of our common stock reserved for future issuance under our 2015 Equity Incentive Plan as of March 31, 2021, which shares will cease to be available for issuance at the time our 2021 Equity Incentive Plan becomes effective in connection with this offering; |
| shares of our common stock reserved for future issuance under our 2021 Equity Incentive Plan, which includes an annual evergreen increase and will become effective upon the execution of the underwriting agreement for this offering; and |
| shares of our common stock reserved for future issuance under our 2021 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, which includes an annual evergreen increase and will become effective upon the execution of the underwriting agreement for this offering. |
If the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares in full, our existing stockholders would own % and the investors purchasing shares of our common stock in this offering would own % of the total number of shares of our common stock outstanding immediately after the closing of this offering.
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SELECTED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA
The following tables set forth our selected consolidated financial data as of, and for the periods ended on, the dates indicated. The selected consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss) data for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020, and the selected consolidated balance sheet data as of December 31, 2019 and 2020, are derived from our audited consolidated financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus. The selected consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss) data for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2021, and the selected consolidated balance sheet data as of March 31, 2021 are derived from our unaudited interim consolidated financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus. Our interim consolidated financial statements were prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP, on the same basis as our audited consolidated financial statements and, in our opinion, reflect all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments, that are necessary for the fair presentation of our interim consolidated financial statements as of and for the periods presented. Our historical results are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for any period in the future, and results for the three months ended March 31, 2021 are not necessarily indicative of results for the full year ending December 31, 2021. You should read these data together with our consolidated financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus and the information in the section titled Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations. The selected consolidated financial data in this section are not intended to replace our consolidated financial statements and the related notes and are qualified in their entirety by the consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus.
Year ended December 31, |
Three months ended March 31, |
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2019 | 2020 | 2020 | 2021 | |||||||||||||
(in thousands, except per share data) | ||||||||||||||||
Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss) Data: |
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Revenue, net |
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Product |
$ | 50,172 | $ | 85,283 | $ | 16,064 | $ | 22,700 | ||||||||
Service |
7,711 | 7,556 | 1,924 | 1,572 | ||||||||||||
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Total revenue, net |
57,883 | 92,839 | 17,988 | 24,272 | ||||||||||||
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Cost of sales(1) |
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Product |
22,894 | 32,277 | 7,192 | 7,308 | ||||||||||||
Service |
6,315 | 8,852 | 2,421 | 2,478 | ||||||||||||
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Total cost of sales |
29,209 | 41,129 | 9,613 | 9,786 | ||||||||||||
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Gross profit |
28,674 | 51,710 | 8,375 | 14,486 | ||||||||||||
Operating costs and expenses: |
||||||||||||||||
Research and development(1) |
8,931 | 13,693 | 3,016 | 5,094 | ||||||||||||
Sales and marketing(1) |
10,241 | 14,988 | 3,531 | 4,277 | ||||||||||||
General and administrative(1) |
6,739 | 9,370 | 2,538 | 3,983 | ||||||||||||
Litigation settlement |
20,019 | | | | ||||||||||||
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Total operating expenses |
45,930 | 38,051 | 9,085 | 13,354 | ||||||||||||
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Income (loss) from operations |
(17,256 | ) | 13,659 | (710 | ) | 1,132 | ||||||||||
Interest expense |
(1 | ) | (333 | ) | | (375 | ) | |||||||||
Interest income |
711 | 110 | 86 | 10 | ||||||||||||
Other income (expense), net |
252 | 994 | (37 | ) | (615 | ) | ||||||||||
|
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|
|
|
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|
|
|||||||||
Total other income (expense), net |
962 | 771 | 49 | (980 | ) | |||||||||||
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes |
533 | (4,981 | ) | 178 | 50 | |||||||||||
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Net income (loss) |
$ | (16,827 | ) | $ | 19,411 | $ | (839 | ) | $ | 102 | ||||||
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Year ended December 31, |
Three months ended March 31, |
|||||||||||||||
2019 | 2020 | 2020 | 2021 | |||||||||||||
(in thousands, except per share data) | ||||||||||||||||
Foreign currency translation adjustment, net of tax |
(25 | ) | 212 | (77 | ) | 202 | ||||||||||
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|||||||||
Net comprehensive income (loss) |
$ | (16,852 | ) | $ | 19,623 | $ | (916 | ) | $ | 304 | ||||||
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Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders per share, basic(2) |
$ | (0.80 | ) | $ | 0.15 | $ | (0.04 | ) | $ | |||||||
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Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders per share, diluted(2) |
$ | (0.80) | $ | 0.13 | $ | (0.04 | ) | $ | ||||||||
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Weighted average number of shares used in computing net income (loss) per share, basic(2) |
20,950,082 | 21,845,666 | 21,341,420 | 23,668,744 | ||||||||||||
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|
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Weighted average number of shares used in computing net income per share, diluted(2) |
20,950,082 | 24,457,061 | 21,341,420 | 26,822,696 | ||||||||||||
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|
|
|
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|||||||||
Pro forma net income (loss) per share attributable to common stockholdersbasic (unaudited)(3) |
$ | 0.25 | $ | |||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||
Pro forma net income (loss) per share attributable to common stockholders, diluted (unaudited)(3) |
$ | 0.25 | $ | |||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||
Pro forma weighted-average common shares outstandingbasic (unaudited)(3) |
76,494,539 | 89,121,917 | ||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||
Pro forma weighted-average common shares outstandingdiluted (unaudited)(3) |
79,105,934 | 92,275,869 | ||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||
Other financial and operating data (unaudited): |
||||||||||||||||
Adjusted EBITDA(4) |
$ | 3,341 | $ | 14,873 | $ | (500 | ) | $ | 1,755 |
(1) | Includes stock-based compensation as follows: |
Year ended December 31, |
Three months ended March 31, |
|||||||||||||||
2019 | 2020 | 2020 | 2021 | |||||||||||||
(in thousands) | ||||||||||||||||
Cost of sales |
$ | 90 | $ | 232 | $ | 29 | $ | 112 | ||||||||
Research and development |
58 | 109 | 20 | 119 | ||||||||||||
Sales and marketing |
67 | 183 | 31 | 130 | ||||||||||||
General and administrative |
54 | 87 | 25 | 95 | ||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Total stock-based compensation expense |
$ | 269 | $ | 611 | $ | 105 | $ | 456 | ||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(2) | See Note 2 to our audited consolidated financial statements and Note 2 to our interim consolidated financial statements, appearing elsewhere in this prospectus, for details on the calculation of our basic and diluted net income (loss) per share attributable to common stockholders. |
(3) | The unaudited pro forma basic and diluted weighted-average common shares outstanding used in the calculation of unaudited pro forma basic and diluted net income (loss) per share attributable to common stockholders has been prepared to give effect, upon a qualified initial public offering, to the automatic conversion of all outstanding shares of our redeemable convertible preferred stock into shares of our common stock as if the proposed initial public offering had occurred. |
(4) | Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure that we define as net income (loss) adjusted for interest expense, interest income, other income (expense), net, provision for income taxes, depreciation and amortization, litigation settlement and stock-based compensation expenses. |
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Management uses Adjusted EBITDA to evaluate the financial performance of our business and the effectiveness of our business strategies. We present Adjusted EBITDA because we believe it is frequently used by analysts, investors and other interested parties to evaluate companies in our industry and it facilitates comparisons on a consistent basis across reporting periods. Further, we believe it is helpful in highlighting trends in our operating results because it excludes items that are not indicative of our core operating performance. |
Adjusted EBITDA has limitations as an analytical tool and you should not consider it in isolation, or as a substitute for analysis of our results as reported under GAAP. We may in the future incur expenses similar to the adjustments in the presentation of Adjusted EBITDA. In particular, we expect to incur meaningful stock-based compensation expense in the future. Other limitations include that Adjusted EBITDA does not reflect: |
| All expenditures or future requirements for capital expenditures or contractual commitments; |
| Changes in our working capital needs; |
| Provision for income taxes, which may be a necessary element of our costs and ability to operate; |
| The costs of replacing assets being depreciated, which will often have to be replaced in the future; |
| The non-cash component of employee compensation expense; and |
| The impact of earnings or charges resulting from matters we consider not to be reflective, on a recurring basis, of our ongoing operations. |
In addition, Adjusted EBITDA may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies in our industry or across different industries.
The following tables reconcile the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure to each of these non-GAAP financial measures.
Year ended December 31, |
Three months ended March 31, |
|||||||||||||||
2019 | 2020 | 2020 | 2021 | |||||||||||||
(in thousands) | ||||||||||||||||
Adjusted EBITDA |
||||||||||||||||
Net income (loss) |
$ | (16,827 | ) | $ | 19,411 | $ | (839 | ) | $ | 102 | ||||||
Depreciation and amortization |
309 | 603 | 105 | 167 | ||||||||||||
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes |
533 | (4,981 | ) | 178 | 50 | |||||||||||
Interest income |
(711 | ) | (110 | ) | (86 | ) | (10 | ) | ||||||||
Interest expense |
1 | 333 | | 375 | ||||||||||||
Other (income) expense, net(1) |
(252 | ) | (994 | ) | 37 | 615 | ||||||||||
Litigation settlement(2) |
20,019 | | | | ||||||||||||
Stock-based compensation(3) |
269 | 611 | 105 | 456 | ||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Adjusted EBITDA |
$ | 3,341 | $ | 14,873 | $ | (500 | ) | $ | 1,755 | |||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1) | Represents the foreign exchange gains and losses for the remeasurement of non-functional monetary balances. |
(2) | Represents the litigation settlement expense related to the settlement agreement entered into with Becton, Dickinson and Company on October 6, 2020. See Note 15 to our audited consolidated financial statements appearing elsewhere in this prospectus for details on our litigation settlement expense. |
(3) | Represents stock-based compensation expense related to option awards. See Note 12 to our audited consolidated financial statements and Note 12 to our interim consolidated financial statements appearing elsewhere in this prospectus for details on our stock-based compensation expense. |
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As of December 31, | As of March 31, | |||||||||||
2019 | 2020 | 2021 | ||||||||||
(in thousands) | ||||||||||||
Consolidated Balance Sheet Data: |
||||||||||||
Cash and cash equivalents |
$ | 30,122 | $ | 165,231 | $ | 168,584 | ||||||
Working capital(1) |
46,726 | 182,086 | 184,773 | |||||||||
Total assets |
70,361 | 219,979 | 224,264 | |||||||||
Legal settlement liabilities, net of current portion |
14,429 | 10,959 | 10,840 | |||||||||
Total liabilities |
37,409 | 41,688 | 44,702 | |||||||||
Redeemable convertible preferred stock |
74,653 | 194,319 | 194,319 | |||||||||
Accumulated deficit |
(42,018 | ) | (22,607 | ) | (22,505 | ) | ||||||
Total stockholders deficit |
(41,701 | ) | (16,028 | ) | (14,757 | ) |
(1) | We define working capital as current assets less current liabilities. See Note 5 to our audited consolidated financial statements and Note 5 to the interim consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus for further details regarding our current assets and current liabilities. |
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MANAGEMENTS DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
You should read the following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations together with the section titled Selected Consolidated Financial Data and our consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus. This discussion and other parts of this prospectus contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from those discussed in or implied by these forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed in the section titled Risk Factors. Please also see the section titled Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.
Overview
We are a leading cell analysis solutions company advancing the next generation of cell analysis tools by leveraging novel technical approaches. Our goal is to become the premier cell analysis company through continued innovation that facilitates scientific advances in biomedical research and clinical applications. We believe our core instruments, the Aurora and Northern Lights systems, are the first full spectrum flow cytometers able to deliver high-resolution, high-content and high-sensitivity cell analysis by utilizing the full spectrum of fluorescence signatures from multiple lasers to distinguish fluorescent tags on single cells (Full Spectrum Profiling or FSP). Our novel approach harnesses the power of information within the entire spectrum of a fluorescent signal to achieve a higher level of multiplexing with exquisite sensitivity. Our patented FSP technology optimizes sensitivity and accuracy through its novel optical and electronic designs that utilize an innovative method of light detection and distribution. Our FSP platform includes instruments, reagents, software and services to provide a comprehensive and integrated suite of solutions for our customers. Since our first U.S. commercial launch in mid-2017, we have sold and deployed over 750 instrumentsprimarily comprised of our Aurora and Northern Lights systemsto over 620 customers around the world, including the largest pharmaceutical companies, over 125 biopharma companies, leading academic research centers, and clinical research organizations (CROs). In June 2021, we began shipping the Aurora cell sorter (Aurora CS), which uses our FSP technology to further broaden our potential applications across cell analysis.
We believe the combination of our people and our global reach across the United States, Europe and Asia will enable us to continue to execute on our growth strategies, stay ahead of competition and remain at the forefront of innovation in cell analysis. Our leadership team has extensive track records in the life sciences and technology sectors. As of March 31, 2021, we employed a multidisciplinary group of over 390 employees, with more than 110 advanced degrees, including over 70 PhDs and MDs, with expertise across optics, electronics, fluidics, computer sciences, chemistry, biology, and medical sciences. Our worldwide commercial team of more than 120 employees and our research and development team of more than 100 employees have significant expertise, industry experience and collaborative relationships with key opinion leaders (KOLs), industry leaders, innovators and potential customers.
We have a long history of providing high-quality and efficient customer service and our product development efforts reflect our deep understanding of our customers needs. One of our key differentiators is our customer-facing technical team, which collaborates closely with our customers to identify and find solutions for unmet needs across the market. We collaborate closely with KOLs, generating relevant data and publications to demonstrate not only the feasibility, but also the quality of our FSP approach. We plan to continue executing on our strategy to accelerate our growth by driving adoption of our FSP solutions, inspiring innovation, investing in integrated workflow solutions and driving application development and adoption in clinical markets.
We manufacture our instruments in our facilities in Fremont, California and in Wuxi, China. We have designed our operating model to be capital efficient and to scale efficiently as our product volumes grow.
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Our total revenue increased by 60% to $92.8 million in the year ended December 31, 2020 as compared to $57.9 million in the prior year and by 35% to $24.3 million in the three months ended March 31, 2021 as compared to $18.0 million in the three months ended March 31, 2020, primarily due to sales of our Aurora and Northern Lights systems.
To date, we have adopted a direct sales model in North America, Europe and China, and sell our products through third-party distributors in Asia (ex-China), certain regions of Europe, South America, the Middle East, and Africa. Revenue from direct sales represented 83% of total revenue for the year ended December 31, 2020 and 82% of total revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2021. Revenue from distributors represented 17% of total revenue for the year ended December 31, 2020 and 18% of total revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2021.
We focus a substantial portion of our resources on developing new products and solutions to meet our customers needs. Our research and development efforts focus on developing new and complementary instruments, reagents and reagent kits, and continued operating software development. We incurred research and development expenses of $8.9 million and $13.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020, respectively, and $3.0 million and $5.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2021, respectively. We intend to continue to make significant investments in research and development in the future.
We expect to continue to invest in our commercial infrastructure through hiring additional employees with strong scientific and technical backgrounds to support growth in sales of our Aurora and Northern Lights instruments as well as our planned expansion of reagents offerings and panel design capabilities. We also plan to continue to invest in sales, marketing and business development across the globe to drive commercialization of our products. We incurred sales and marketing expenses of $10.2 million and $15.0 million for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020, respectively, and $3.5 million and $4.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2021, respectively.
Since our inception in 2014, we have financed our operations primarily through private placements of our redeemable convertible preferred stock, revenue from the sale of our products and services and proceeds from a loan under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
We have incurred net losses in each year except for the year ended December 31, 2020 and for the three months ended March 31, 2021 when we are in a net income position. Our net loss was $16.8 million and our net income was $19.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020, respectively. Our net loss was $839,000 and our net income was $102,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2021, respectively. The change from net loss for the year ended December 31, 2019 to net income for the year ended December 31, 2020 and for the three months ended March 31, 2021 compared to the three months ended March 31, 2020 resulted primarily from increased revenue driven by a continued demand for our Aurora and Northern Lights systems.
We expect our expenses will increase substantially in connection with our on-going activities, as we:
| attract, hire and retain qualified personnel; |
| invest in processes, commercial infrastructure; and supporting functions to scale our business and introduce new products and services; |
| support our research and development efforts; |
| continue to expand geographically; |
| protect and defend our intellectual property; and |
| make strategic investments in complementary businesses, services, products or technologies. |
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Key factors affecting our results of operations and future performance
We believe that our financial performance has been, and in the foreseeable future will continue to be, primarily driven by multiple factors as described below, each of which presents growth opportunities for our business. These factors also pose important challenges that we must successfully address to sustain our growth and improve our results of operations. Our ability to successfully address these challenges is subject to various risk and uncertainties, including those described under the heading Risk Factors included elsewhere in this prospectus.
Global customer adoption
Our financial performance has largely been driven by our ability to increase the adoption of our FSP platform, a key factor on which our future success depends. We plan to drive global customer adoption through business development efforts, direct sales and marketing and third-party distributions. We are investing in our direct sales organization and commercial support functions and developing third-party distributor relationships to support global expansion and drive revenue growth. As part of this effort, we increased our direct sales force by 72% in the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the year ended December 31, 2019 and by 36% in the three months ended March 31, 2021 compared to the three months ended March 31, 2020. We intend to continue increasing our workforce in line with our growth.
Recurring revenues
We believe our expanding installed base of instruments to new and existing customers will provide us with greater leverage to drive pull-through for reagent and service revenue, which are recurring by nature. Furthermore, as we develop and identify new applications and products, we expect to further increase pull-through across our installed base. We expect recurring revenue on an absolute basis to increase and become an increasingly important contributor to our revenue as our installed base expands.
Revenue mix and gross margin
Our revenue is primarily derived from sales of our instruments and services with our core instruments recognizing higher gross margins than our services. While there have been fluctuations in the mix between sales of our instruments and services, revenue generated from sales of our core instruments accounted for 87% and 92% of our total revenue for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020, respectively, and for 89% and 94% of our total revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2021, respectively. Instrument sales as a percentage of total revenue have increased sequentially in each of the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020 and the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2021.
Although we expect sales of our core instruments to continue to represent the largest percentage of our revenue in the future, we expect reagent sales to increase as a percentage of our total revenue and our gross margins to experience a corresponding improvement as we grow our installed base and increase our focus on commercializing reagents. We also expect a higher gross margin on our core instruments as we increase manufacturing efficiency, instrument reliability and training for personnel using our instruments, which we expect to lead to a reduction in warranty claims. Our sales in certain regions, particularly outside of the United States, are realized through third-party distribution partners that typically receive discounted prices, thus resulting in lower gross margins than those recognized by our direct sales organization. Furthermore, our gross margins and instrument selling prices may fluctuate in the future as we continue to grow our volume of third-party distribution partners in geographies outside of the United States, introduce new products and reduce our production costs as a result of variability in the timing of new product introductions.
In the near term, we expect the continued optimization of our manufacturing processes related to our instruments and the expansion of product manufacturing distribution facilities to have the greatest impact on our gross margin. In addition to the impact of competing products entering the market, the future gross margin
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profiles of our instruments, services and reagents will depend on the outcome of any royalties we are required to pay and the royalty rates and products to which such royalties apply.
Expansion into new markets
We focus our research and development efforts on the greatest value-additive FSP products to meet the growing and unmet needs of the research and clinical markets. We work closely with researchers and clinicians to optimize and implement new panels and applications to meet their specific needs. We also gain valuable insight on potential new products, new applications and enhancements to existing products, as well as biomarker combinations that would be beneficial in different fields, through collaborations with our customers, academic laboratories, KOLs and industry partners. We plan to continue to invest in new product development and enhancements to support our expansion into new markets.
Our Northern Lights system obtained clinical certification in China in 2019 and received CE Marking under the European Union In Vitro Diagnostic Medical Devices Directive in September 2020. With these achievements, our Northern Lights system is available for clinical diagnostic use in hospitals, laboratories, and clinics in China and the European Union.
Key business metrics
We regularly review the following key business metrics to evaluate our business, measure our performance, identify trends affecting our business, formulate financial projections and make strategic decisions. We believe that the following metrics are representative of our current business; however, we anticipate these will change or may be substituted for additional or different metrics as our business grows.
Year ended | Three months ended | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(in thousands) |
December 31, 2019 |
December 31, 2020 |
March 31, 2020 |
June 30, 2020 |
September 30, 2020 |
December 31, 2020 |
March 31, 2021 |
|||||||||||||||||||||
Sales channel mix |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Direct sales channel |
$ | 51,385 | $ | 77,106 | $ | 16,030 | $ | 16,007 | $ | 21,200 | $ | 23,870 | $ | 19,862 | ||||||||||||||
Distributor channel |
6,498 | 15,733 | 1,958 | 3,129 | 3,896 | 6,749 | 4,410 | |||||||||||||||||||||
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|
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Total revenue, net |
$ | 57,883 | $ | 92,839 | $ | 17,988 | $ | 19,136 | $ | 25,096 | $ | 30,619 | $ | 24,272 | ||||||||||||||
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Customer mix |
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Academia and government |
$ | 31,576 | $ | 45,674 | $ | 11,549 | $ | 9,363 | $ | 10,589 | $ | 14,172 | $ | 10,116 | ||||||||||||||
Biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, distributor and CRO |
26,307 | 47,165 | 6,439 | 9,773 | 14,507 | 16,447 | 14,156 | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Total revenue, net |
$ | 57,883 | $ | 92,839 | $ | 17,988 | $ | 19,136 | $ | 25,096 | $ | 30,619 | $ | 24,272 | ||||||||||||||
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Distributors typically sell to end customers identified in other customer categories.
The table below sets forth our cumulative instruments shipped as of the dates presented:
(in thousands) |
December 31, | March 31, 2020 |
June 30, 2020 |
September 30, 2020 |
December 31, 2020 |
March 31, 2021 |
||||||||||||||||||||||
2019 | 2020 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Instruments shipped: |
303 | 657 | 376 | 447 | 548 | 657 | 751 | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Totals |
303 | 657 | 376 | 447 | 548 | 657 | 751 |
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COVID-19 update
The global COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve rapidly and we intend to continue to monitor it closely. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and various resulting government directives, we took proactive measures to protect the health and safety of our employees, contractors, customers and visiting vendors and suppliers. We continue to monitor the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business, as well as our customers and suppliers business. Some of the measures we have taken are as follows:
| As an essential business under the criteria set forth in executive orders issued by the State of California, we have continued operations during the COVID-19 pandemic within the applicable safety guidelines. In early March 2020, we promptly instituted protocols to have most of our personnel work remotely. Certain employees engaged in research and development and manufacturing operations have continued to work on-site at our facility in Fremont, California. Our employees in Wuxi and Shanghai, China returned to normal activities in March 2020 to undertake research and development and manufacturing operations due to the lifting of local restrictions in the country. In the United States, we have implemented social distancing and other protective measures in an effort to protect the health and safety of our personnel working on-site. We have also restricted business travel and have limited access to our facilities to vendors, suppliers and partners who are critical to our business operations. While these arrangements have not to date materially affected our ability to maintain our business operations, including the operation of financial reporting systems, internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures, given the considerable uncertainty around the duration and extent of the pandemic, the related financial and operational impact cannot be reasonably estimated. |
| Our production, shipping and customer service functions remain operational to maintain a continuous supply of products and services to our customers and for our internal research and development activities. We are communicating regularly with our suppliers so that our supply chain remains intact, and we have not yet experienced any material supply issues. Our customer service teams around the world are operating remotely and remain available to assist our customers and partners as needed. |
| Initially, as a result of travel restrictions and shelter-in-place orders, we experienced some delay in our ability to ship and install our FSP systems, as well as train customers in certain geographies. In March 2020, we began developing, and continue to develop, remote learning capabilities to help our customers and partners operate and reduce the number of required customer/partner on-site visits for our field application scientists and field support engineers to comply with travel restrictions and country-specific quarantine requirements. |
| We are actively reviewing and managing costs to navigate the current environment. To date, the COVID-19 pandemic has not had a material adverse effect on our business or results of operations. |
Potential impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, some of which we have already experienced, include those described throughout the Risk Factors section, including A pandemic, epidemic or outbreak of an infectious disease in the United States or worldwide could adversely affect our business. The Covid-19 pandemic has had and could continue to have an adverse impact on our business, operations, and the markets and communities in which we, our partners, and customers operate.
Components of our results of operations
Total revenue, net
We currently generate our total revenue, net from product revenue and service revenue.
Product. Our product revenue primarily consists of sales of our Aurora and Northern Lights systems, instrument accessories, such as loaders and, to a lesser extent, consumables, such as reagents. We offer multiple versions of our Aurora and Northern Lights systems with different price points based on the number of lasers integrated in the systems. We also derive revenue from sales of our conventional flow cytometry system, which
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is available for sale in China. We recognize product revenue when control of the instrument is transferred to the customer.
Service. Our service revenue primarily consists of post-warranty service contracts, installations and repairs which are recognized over time. Post-warranty service contracts are recognized ratably over the term of the contract and installations and repair services are recognized as they are delivered to the customer.
We expect our revenue to increase in absolute dollars as we expand our sales organization and sales territories, broaden our customer base, and expand awareness of our products with new and existing customers. Our revenue was $57.9 million and $92.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020, respectively, and $18.0 million and $24.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2021, respectively.
Total cost of sales, gross profit and gross margin
Our total cost of sales is comprised of product cost of sales and service cost of sales.
Product. Cost of sales associated with our products primarily consist of manufacturing-related costs incurred in the production process, inventory write-downs, warranty costs, third party royalty costs, personnel and related costs, costs of component materials, overhead, packaging and delivery and depreciation expense.
Service. Cost of sales associated with our services primarily consists of personnel and related costs, expenses related to product replacements, product updates and qualification validation of our products and depreciation expense.
We expect our total cost of sales to increase in absolute dollars in future periods, corresponding to our anticipated growth in revenue and employee headcount to support our manufacturing, operations, field service team and support organizations.
Gross profit is calculated as revenue less total cost of sales. Gross margin is gross profit expressed as a percentage of revenue. Our gross profit in future periods will depend on a variety of factors, including market conditions that may impact our pricing, sales mix changes among our instruments and service agreements, product mix changes between established products and new products, excess and obsolete inventories, our cost structure for manufacturing operations relative to volume and product warranty obligations.
Operating expenses
Our operating expenses are primarily comprised of research and development, sales and marketing, and general and administrative expenses, depreciation and amortization, and related overhead.
Research and development. Our research and development expenses primarily consist of salaries, benefits, stock-based compensation costs for employees in our research and development department, independent contractor costs, laboratory supplies, equipment maintenance and materials expenses.
We plan to continue to invest in our research and development efforts, including hiring additional employees to enhance existing products and develop new products. We expect research and development expense will increase in absolute dollars in future periods and vary from period to period as a percentage of revenue due to our continuing investment in product development.
Sales and marketing. Our sales and marketing expenses consist primarily of salaries, benefits, and stock-based compensation costs for employees in our sales and marketing department, sales commissions, marketing material costs, travel expenses and costs related to trade shows, trainings and various workshops. We expect our sales and marketing expense to increase in absolute dollars as we expand our commercial sales, marketing, and
87
business development teams, increase our presence globally and increase marketing activities to drive awareness and adoption of our platform. While these expenses may vary from period to period as a percentage of revenue, we expect these expenses to increase as a percentage of sales in the short-term as we continue to grow our commercial organization to support anticipated growth of the business.
General and administrative. Our general and administrative expenses primarily consist of salaries, benefits, and stock-based compensation costs for employees in our executive, accounting and finance, legal and human resource functions, as well as professional services fees, such as consulting, audit, tax, legal, general corporate costs and allocated overhead expenses. We expect our operating expenses to increase when we become a public company following this offering. In particular, we expect our accounting, legal, personnel-related expenses and directors and officers insurance costs reported within general and administrative expense to increase as we establish more comprehensive compliance and governance functions, maintain IT costs, review internal controls over financial reporting in accordance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and prepare and distribute periodic reports as required by the rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. As a result, our historical results of operations may not be indicative of our results of operations in future periods.
We expect these expenses to vary from period to period as a percentage of revenue.
Other income (expense), net
Interest expense. Interest expense consists primarily of accretion of the present value of the litigation settlement liability. See Note 15 included in the notes to our audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus for further details regarding the settlement.
Interest income. Our interest income consists primarily of interest earned on our cash and cash equivalents which are invested in cash deposits and in money market funds.
Other income (expense), net. Our other income (expense), net consists primarily of foreign exchange gains and losses.
Income taxes
Our provision for (benefit from) income taxes consists primarily of provision for federal taxes, local taxes and state minimum taxes in the United States as well as foreign taxes. As we plan to expand the scale and scope of our international business activities, any changes in the United States and foreign taxation of such activities may increase our overall provision for income taxes in the future.
Results of operations
Comparison of the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2021
The results of operations presented below should be reviewed in conjunction with the unaudited interim consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus.
88
The following table sets forth our interim consolidated results of operations and comprehensive income (loss) data for the periods presented:
Three months ended March 31, |
||||||||
2020 | 2021 | |||||||
(in thousands) | ||||||||
Revenue, net: |
||||||||
Product |
$ | 16,064 | $ | 22,700 | ||||
Service |
1,924 | 1,572 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Total revenue, net |
17,988 | 24,272 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Cost of sales: |
| | ||||||
Product |
7,192 | 7,308 | ||||||
Service |
2,421 | 2,478 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Total cost of sales |
9,613 | 9,786 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Gross profit |
8,375 | 14,486 | ||||||
Operating expenses: |
| | ||||||
Research and development |
3,016 | 5,094 | ||||||
Sales and marketing |
3,531 | 4,277 | ||||||
General and administrative |
2,538 | 3,983 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Total operating expenses |
9,085 | 13,354 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Income (loss) from operations |
(710 | ) | 1,132 | |||||
Other income (expense): |
||||||||
Interest expense |
| (375 | ) | |||||
Interest income |
86 | 10 | ||||||
Other income (expense), net |
(37 | ) | (615 | ) | ||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Total other income (expense), net |
49 | (980 | ) | |||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Loss before income taxes |
(661 | ) | 152 | |||||
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes |
178 | 50 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Net loss |
$ | (839 | ) | $ | 102 | |||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Foreign currency translation adjustment, net of tax |
(77 | ) | 202 | |||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Net comprehensive income (loss) |
$ | (916 | ) | $ | 304 | |||
|
|
|
|
Total revenue, net
Three months ended March 31, |
Change | |||||||||||||||
2020 | 2021 | Amount | % | |||||||||||||
(in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||||
Revenue, net |
||||||||||||||||
Product |
$ | 16,064 | $ | 22,700 | $ | 6,636 | 41 | % | ||||||||
Service |
1,924 | 1,572 | (352 | ) | (18 | )% | ||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Total revenue, net |
$ | 17,988 | $ | 24,272 | $ | 6,284 | 35 | % |
Total revenue, net increased by $6.3 million, or 35%, for the three months ended March 31, 2021 as compared to the three months ended March 31, 2020. The increase in revenue was primarily driven by an increase in product revenue due to the continued adoption of our Aurora and Northern Lights systems and an increase in the average selling price due to mixed product sales and higher unit sales of our core instruments, partially offset by a decrease in service revenue related to non-Cytek instrument service contracts.
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Product revenue increased by $6.6 million, or 41%, to $22.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 as compared to the three months ended March 31, 2020. The increase was primarily driven by an increase in our instrument sales due to higher unit sales of our Aurora and Northern Lights systems and an increase in the average selling price due to mixed product sales and higher unit sales of our core instruments
Service revenue decreased by $352,000, or 18%, to $1.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 as compared to the three months ended March 31, 2020. The decrease of $352,000 was driven by reduced service contract revenue associated with non-Cytek instruments. While we have historically performed maintenance services and support functions for non-Cytek instruments, we ceased sales of service contracts for non-Cytek instruments as of January 1, 2021 while continuing to honor pre-existing multi-year service contracts. We perform on-demand professional services to support non-Cytek instruments provided that resources are available. As a result of our decision to no longer service non-Cytek instruments, revenue associated with service contracts for non-Cytek instruments decreased in the three months ended March 31, 2021. Our strategy was to shift resources in the anticipation of the increasing demand for our Aurora and Northern Lights instruments, and to allow us to fully support our instruments when they come out of warranty.
Total cost of sales, gross profit and gross margin
Three months ended March 31, |
Change | |||||||||||||||
2020 | 2021 | Amount | % | |||||||||||||
(in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||||
Cost of sales: |
||||||||||||||||
Product |
$ | 7,192 | $ | 7,308 | $ | 116 | 2% | |||||||||
Service |
2,421 | 2,478 | 57 | 2% | ||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Total cost of sales |
$ | 9,613 | $ | 9,786 | $ | 173 | 2% | |||||||||
Gross profit |
$ | 8,375 | $ | 14,486 | $ | 6,111 | 73% | |||||||||
Gross margin |
47% | 60% |
Three months ended March 31, |
Change | |||||||||||||||
2020 | 2021 | Amount | % | |||||||||||||
(in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||||
Product: |
||||||||||||||||
Revenue |
$ | 16,064 | $ | 22,700 | $ | 6,636 | 41% | |||||||||
Cost of sales |
7,192 | 7,308 | 116 | 2% | ||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Gross profit |
$ | 8,872 | $ | 15,392 | $ | 6,520 | 73% | |||||||||
Gross margin |
55% | 68% | ||||||||||||||
Service: |
||||||||||||||||
Revenue |
$ | 1,924 | $ | 1,572 | $ | (352) | (18)% | |||||||||
Cost of sales |
2,421 | 2,478 | 57 | 2% | ||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Gross profit |
$ | (497) | $ | (906) | $ | (409) | 82% | |||||||||
Gross margin |
(26)% | (58)% |
Total cost of sales increased by $173,000, or 2%, for the three months ended March 31, 2021 as compared to the three months ended March 31, 2020 primarily due to an increase in adoption of our Aurora and Northern Lights systems.
Gross profit margin improved by 1,300 basis points from 47% and 60% as a percent of total revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2021, respectively. The increase is primarily due to an increase of core instruments delivered to the end-customers and an improved product mix for the three months ended March 31, 2021.
90
While we have seen a significant increase in total gross profit margin, the gross profit margin of our service revenue has decreased from (26)% in the three months ended March 31, 2020 to (58)% in the three months ended March 31, 2021 resulting from our decision to exit the non-Cytek instrument services market. As a result, our revenue associated with service contracts for non-Cytek instruments will decrease as we shift resources to fully support our instruments when they come out of warranty.
Operating expenses
Research and development
Three months ended March 31, |
Change | |||||||||||||||
2020 | 2021 | Amount | % | |||||||||||||
(in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||||
Research and development |
$ | 3,016 | $ | 5,094 | $ | 2,078 | 69 | % |
Research and development expenses were $5.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 as compared to $3.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2020. The increase of $2.1 million in research and development expenses was primarily due to an increase in headcount and personnel-related expenses of $895,000, an increase in stock-based compensation of $100,000 and a $1.1 million increase in engineering expenses related to cell sorter and reagents developments of $891,000 and other costs related to research and development projects of $192,000.
We expect our research and development expense to increase in absolute dollars as we continue to develop new products and enhance existing instruments and technologies.
Sales and marketing
Three months ended March 31, |
Change | |||||||||||||||
2020 | 2021 | Amount | % | |||||||||||||
(in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||||
Sales and marketing |
$ | 3,531 | $ | 4,277 | $ | 746 | 21 | % |
Sales and marketing expenses were $4.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 as compared to $3.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2020. The increase of $746,000 was due to an increase in headcount and personnel-related expenses of $1.0 million partially offset by a reduction of $300,000 in travel expenses as business travel, trade shows and other events were impacted by restrictions imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The increase in personnel-related costs was primarily due to increased commissions from increased sales and an increase in salary-related costs, including an increase of $98,000 in stock-based compensation.
We expect our sales and marketing expenses to increase in absolute dollars as we hire additional sales and marketing personnel, expand our sales support infrastructure and invest in our brand and product awareness to further penetrate the United States and the international markets.
General and administrative
Three months ended March 31, |
Change | |||||||||||||||
2020 | 2021 | Amount | % | |||||||||||||
(in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||||
General and administrative |
$ | 2,538 | $ | 3,983 | $ | 1,445 | 57 | % |
91
General and administrative expenses were $4.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 as compared to $2.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2020. The increase of $1.4 million in general and administrative expenses was primarily due to an increase in general corporate, headcount and personnel-related costs, professional fees relating to our financial audits and other services relating to our public offering securities and legal, consulting and IT services to support the growth of our overall operations. The increase in personnel-related costs includes an increase of $69,000 in stock-based compensation.
We expect to continue to incur additional general and administrative expenses as a result of operating as a public company, including expenses related to compliance with the rules and regulations of the SEC and the Nasdaq Stock Market, additional insurance costs, investor relations activities and other administrative and professional services. As a result, we expect general and administrative expenses to increase in absolute dollars in future periods.
Interest expense
Three months ended March 31, |
Change | |||||||||||||||
2020 | 2021 | Amount | % | |||||||||||||
(in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||||
Interest expense |
$ | | $ | (375 | ) | $ | (375 | ) | n/m |
Interest expense was $375,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2021 due to the accretion of the present value discount related to the settlement agreement entered into with Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD). See Note 15 included in the notes to our unaudited interim consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus for further details regarding the settlement.
Interest income
Three months ended March 31, |
Change | |||||||||||||||
2020 | 2021 | Amount | % | |||||||||||||
(in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||||
Interest income |
$ | 86 | $ | 10 | $ | (76 | ) | (89 | )% |
Interest income was $10,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2021 as compared to $86,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2020. The decrease of $76,000 in interest income was the result of lower interest earned on our cash and short-term deposits due to a decline in interest rates in the three months ended March 31, 2021 as compared to three months ended March 31, 2020.
Other expense, net
Three months ended March 31, |
Change | |||||||||||||||
2020 | 2021 | Amount | % | |||||||||||||
(in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||||
Other income expense, net |
$ | (37 | ) | $ | (615 | ) | $ | (578 | ) | n/m |
Other expense, net was $615,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2021 as compared to an expense of $37,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2020. The increase of $578,000 was the result of the gain recognized on the investment in Cytek Japan Kabushiki Kaisha (Cytek Japan) of $40,000 offset by the net impact of foreign exchange gains and losses during the three months ended March 31, 2021.
Comparison of the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020
The results of operations presented below should be reviewed in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus.
92
The following table sets forth our consolidated results of operations data for the periods presented:
Year ended December 31, |
||||||||
2019 | 2020 | |||||||
(in thousands) | ||||||||
Revenue, net: |
||||||||
Product |
$ | 50,172 | $ | 85,283 | ||||
Service |
7,711 | 7,556 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Total revenue, net |
57,883 | 92,839 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Cost of sales: |
||||||||
Product |
22,894 | 32,277 | ||||||
Service |
6,315 | 8,852 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Total cost of sales |
29,209 | 41,129 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Gross profit |
28,674 | 51,710 | ||||||
Operating expenses: |
||||||||
Research and development |
8,931 | 13,693 | ||||||
Sales and marketing |
10,241 | 14,988 | ||||||
General and administrative |
6,739 | 9,370 | ||||||
Litigation settlement |
20,019 | | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Total operating expenses |
45,930 | 38,051 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Income (loss) from operations |
(17,256 | ) | 13,659 | |||||
Other income (expense): |
||||||||
Interest expense |
(1 | ) | (333 | ) | ||||
Interest income |
711 | 110 | ||||||
Other income (expense), net |
252 | 994 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Total other Income (expense), net |
962 | 771 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Income (loss) before income taxes |
(16,294 | ) | 14,430 | |||||
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes |
533 | (4,981 | ) | |||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Net income (loss) |
$ | (16,827 | ) | $ | 19,411 | |||
Foreign currency translation adjustment, net of tax |
(25 | ) | 212 | |||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Net comprehensive income (loss) |
$ | (16,852 | ) | $ | 19,623 | |||
|
|
|
|
Total revenue, net
Year ended December 31, |
Change | |||||||||||||||
2019 | 2020 | Amount | % | |||||||||||||
(in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||||
Revenue, net |
||||||||||||||||
Product |
$ | 50,172 | $ | 85,283 | $ | 35,111 | 70 | % | ||||||||
Service |
7,711 | 7,556 | (155 | ) | (2 | )% | ||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Total revenue, net |
$ | 57,883 | $ | 92,839 | $ | 34,956 | 60 | % |
Total revenue, net increased by $35.0 million, or 60%, for the year ended December 31, 2020 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2019. The increase in revenue was primarily driven by an increase in product revenue due to the continued adoption of our Aurora and Northern Lights systems and an increase in the average selling price due to mixed product sales and higher unit sales of our core instruments, partially offset by a decrease in service revenue related to non-Cytek instrument service contracts.
93
Product revenue increased by $35.1 million, or 70%, to $85.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2019. The increase was primarily driven by an increase of $33.4 million in our instrument sales due to higher unit sales of our Aurora and Northern Lights systems, and an increase of $1.7 million in our refurbished instruments sales.
Service revenue decreased by $155,000, or 2%, to $7.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2019. The decrease was primarily driven by reduced service contract revenue of $292,000 associated with non-Cytek instruments, partially offset with higher professional services revenue of $137,000. While we have historically performed maintenance services and support functions for non-Cytek instruments, we ceased sales of service contracts for non-Cytek instruments as of January 1, 2021 while continuing to honor the pre-existing multi-year service contracts. We perform on demand professional services to support non-Cytek instruments provided that resources are available. Consistent with our expectation, revenue associated with service contracts for non-Cytek instruments decreased in 2020. Our strategy was to shift resources in the anticipation of the increasing demand for our Aurora and Northern Lights instruments, and to allow us to fully support our instruments when they come out of warranty.
Total cost of sales, gross profit and gross margin
Year ended December 31, |
Change | |||||||||||||||
2019 | 2020 | Amount | % | |||||||||||||
(in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||||
Cost of sales: |
||||||||||||||||
Product |
$ | 22,894 | $ | 32,277 | $ | 9,383 | 41 | % | ||||||||
Service |
6,315 | 8,852 | 2,537 | 40 | % | |||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Total cost of sales |
$ | 29,209 | $ | 41,129 | $ | 11,920 | 41 | % | ||||||||
Gross profit |
$ | 28,674 | $ | 51,710 | $ | 23,036 | 80 | % | ||||||||
Gross margin |
50 | % | 56 | % |
Year ended December 31, |
Change | |||||||||||||||
2019 | 2020 | Amount | % | |||||||||||||
(in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||||
Product: |
||||||||||||||||
Revenue |
$ | 50,172 | $ | 85,283 | $ | 35,111 | 70 | % | ||||||||
Cost of sales |
22,894 | 32,277 | 9,383 | 41 | % | |||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Gross profit |
$ | 27,278 | $ | 53,006 | $ | 25,728 | 94 | % | ||||||||
Gross margin |
54 | % | 62 | % | ||||||||||||
Service: |
||||||||||||||||
Revenue |
$ | 7,711 | $ | 7,556 | $ | (155) | (2 | )% | ||||||||
Cost of sales |
6,315 | 8,852 | 2,537 | 40 | % | |||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Gross profit |
$ | 1,396 | $ | (1,296 | ) | $ | (2,692 | ) | (193 | )% | ||||||
Gross margin |
18 | % | (17 | )% |
As we continued to scale our business, total cost of sales increased by $11.9 million, or 41%, for the year ended December 31, 2020 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2019 due to increased adoption of our Aurora and Northern Lights systems consisting primarily of an increase of material costs of $8.7 million and an increase in headcount and personnel-related expenses of $3.2 million. The increase in personnel-related costs was primarily due to increased salary-related costs, including an increase of $141,000 in stock-based compensation.
94
Gross profit margin improved by 600 basis points from 50% and 56% as a percent of total revenue for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020, respectively. The increase is primarily due to an increase of core instruments delivered to the end-customers.
While we have seen a significant increase in total gross profit margin, the gross profit margin of our service revenue has decreased from 18% to (17)% resulting from our decision to exit the non-Cytek instrument services market. These results are consistent with our expectation that revenue associated with service contracts for non-Cytek instruments will decrease as we shift resources to fully support our instruments when they come out of warranty.
Operating expenses
Research and development
Year ended December 31, |
Change | |||||||||||||||
2019 | 2020 | Amount | % | |||||||||||||
(in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||||
Research and development |
$ | 8,931 | $ | 13,693 | $ | 4,762 | 53 | % |
Research and development expenses were $13.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 as compared to $8.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. The increase of $4.8 million in research and development expenses was primarily due to an increase in headcount and personnel-related expenses of $3.6 million, an increase in stock-based compensation of $51,000 and a $1.2 million increase in other costs, including testing and qualification materials, engineering expenses and other costs related to research and development projects.
We expect our research and development expense to increase in absolute dollars as we continue to develop new products and enhance existing instruments and technologies.
Sales and marketing
Year ended December 31, |
Change | |||||||||||||||
2019 | 2020 | Amount | % | |||||||||||||
(in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||||
Sales and marketing |
$ | 10,241 | $ | 14,988 | $ | 4,747 | 46 | % |
Sales and marketing expenses were $15.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 as compared to $10.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. The increase of $4.7 million was due to an increase in headcount and personnel-related expenses of $4.8 million, an increase in professional services of $200,000 and an increase in marketing and advertising of $200,000, partially offset by a reduction of $450,000 in travel expenses as business travel, trade shows and other events were impacted by restrictions imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The increase in personnel-related costs was primarily due to increased commissions from increased sales and an increase in salary-related costs, including an increase of $116,000 in stock-based compensation.
We expect our sales and marketing expenses to increase in absolute dollars as we hire additional sales and marketing personnel, expand our sales support infrastructure and invest in our brand and product awareness to further penetrate the United States and the international markets.
95
General and administrative
Year ended December 31, |
Change | |||||||||||||||
2019 | 2020 | Amount | % | |||||||||||||
(in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||||
General and administrative |
$ | 6,739 | $ | 9,370 | $ | 2,631 | 39 | % |
General and administrative expenses were $9.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 as compared to $6.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. The increase of $2.7 million in general and administrative expenses was primarily due to an increase in general corporate, headcount and personnel-related costs, business expenses, professional fees and other expenses related to legal, accounting, consulting, and IT services to support the growth of our overall operations. The increase in personnel-related costs includes an increase of $33,000 in stock-based compensation.
We expect to continue to incur additional general and administrative expenses as a result of operating as a public company, including expenses related to compliance with the rules and regulations of the SEC, and the Nasdaq Stock Market, additional insurance costs, investor relations activities and other administrative and professional services. As a result, we expect general and administrative expenses to increase in absolute dollars in future periods.
Litigation settlement
Year ended December 31, |
Change | |||||||||||||||
2019 | 2020 | Amount | % | |||||||||||||
(in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||||
Litigation settlement |
$ | 20,019 | $ | | $ | (20,019 | ) | (100 | )% |
Litigation settlement expenses were nil for the year ended December 31, 2020, compared to $20.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. The change was driven by the expenses related to the settlement agreement with BD. See Note 15 included in the notes to our audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus for further details regarding the settlement.
Interest expense
Year ended December 31, |
Change | |||||||||||||||
2019 | 2020 | Amount | % |