DOCUSIGN, INC.

Previous wording

•Any decrease in adoption of our eSignature product, without a corresponding increase in our other products.

Current wording

•Any decrease in adoption or sales of our eSignature product, without corresponding increases in our other solutions in our IAM platform.

Previous wording

•Our products and solutions not evolving to meet the needs of our customers or failing to achieve market acceptance.

Current wording

•Our IAM platform failing to achieve market acceptance or to meet our customers’ evolving needs.

Previous wording

•Our systems and security measures being compromised or subject to data breaches, cyberattacks, or other malicious activity.

Current wording

•Our systems and security measures being compromised or subject to data breaches, cyberattacks, or other malicious activity, and any harm to our business or reputation caused by malicious actors attempting to exploit our technology, platform or brand to defraud others.

Previous wording

•An over-estimation of the size of our total addressable market.

Current wording

•An over-estimation of our market opportunity.

Previous wording

•Any interruption or delay in performance from our technical operations infrastructure, co-located data centers and third-party cloud providers.

Current wording

•Any interruption or delay in performance from our technical infrastructure, including third-party cloud providers.

Previous wording

•The implementation of AI in our business and challenges with properly governing its use.

Current wording

•The implementation of AI in our business, and the legal, regulatory, reputational and business risks relating to its use.

Previous wording

We derive a majority of our revenue from our eSignature product, and slower or declining adoption of our eSignature product, without a corresponding increase in the use of our other products and solutions, could cause our operating results to suffer.

Current wording

We derive a majority of our revenue from our eSignature product, and slower or declining adoption or sales of our eSignature product, without corresponding increases in the use of our other products and solutions in our IAM platform, could cause our operating results to suffer.

Previous wording

Sales of subscriptions to our eSignature product account for substantially all of our subscription revenue and are the source of substantially all of our professional services revenue. Although we continue to add to our suite of products and solutions for automating the agreement process, we expect that we will be substantially dependent on our eSignature product to generate revenue for the foreseeable future. As a result, our operating results could suffer due to:

Current wording

Sales of subscriptions to our eSignature product account for substantially all of our subscription revenue and are the source of substantially all of our professional services revenue. Although we continue to add to our suite of other products and solutions in our IAM platform for automating the agreement process, we expect that we will be substantially dependent on our eSignature product to generate revenue for the foreseeable future. As a result, our operating results could suffer due to:

Previous wording

▪macro- and micro-economic factors, including inflation, volatile interest rates, increased debt and equity market volatility, actual or perceived instability in the global banking sector, and the impact of regional or global conflicts or other public health crises.

Current wording

▪macro- and micro-economic factors, including inflation, changes in interest rates or foreign exchange rates, increased debt and equity market volatility, tariffs and trade policy changes, geopolitical conflict or public health crises.

Previous wording

Moreover, a majority of our subscription contracts are for one year. Our customers have no obligation to renew their subscriptions and we cannot guarantee that our customers will renew their subscriptions with us for a similar or greater contract period or on the same or more favorable terms. Our renewal and expansion rates may decline or fluctuate as a result of a number of factors, including customer spending levels, customer dissatisfaction, decreases in the number of users with our customers, changes in the type and size of our customers, pricing, competitive conditions, customer attrition and general economic and global market conditions, including as a result of inflation, volatile interest rates, actual or perceived instability in the global banking sector, increased debt and equity market volatility and the impact of regional or global conflicts or other public health crises. If our customers do not renew their subscriptions for our products and solutions or if they reduce their subscription amounts at the time of renewal, our revenue will decline, and our business will suffer.

Current wording

Moreover, a majority of our subscription contracts are for one year. Our customers have no obligation to renew their subscriptions and we cannot guarantee that our customers will renew their subscriptions with us for a similar or greater contract period or on the same or more favorable terms. Our renewal and expansion rates may decline or fluctuate as a result of a number of factors, including customer spending levels, customer dissatisfaction, decreases in the number of users with our customers, changes in the type and size of our customers, pricing, competitive conditions, customer attrition and general economic and global market conditions, including as a result of inflation, changes in interest rates, increased debt and equity market volatility, tariffs and trade policy changes, geopolitical conflicts or public health crises. If our customers do not renew their subscriptions for our products and solutions or if they reduce their subscription amounts at the time of renewal, our revenue will decline, and our business will suffer.

Previous wording

If our products, solutions and functionalities do not evolve to meet the needs of our customers or fail to achieve sufficient market acceptance, our financial results and competitive position will suffer.

Current wording

If our IAM platform, products and solutions do not evolve to meet the needs of our customers or fail to achieve sufficient market acceptance, our financial results and competitive position will suffer.

Previous wording

We spend substantial amounts of time and money to research, develop and enhance our existing products, add new offerings, incorporate additional functionality, and solve new use cases to meet our customers’ rapidly evolving demands. Maintaining adequate research and development resources, such as the appropriate personnel and development technology, to meet the demands of our customers and potential customers is essential to our business. If we are unable to develop products and solutions internally due to a lack of research and development resources, we may be forced to rely on acquisitions to expand into certain markets or technologies, which can be costly. When we develop or acquire new or enhanced products and solutions, we typically incur expenses and expend resources upfront to develop, market, promote and sell them. As a result, when we introduce new or enhanced products and solutions, they must achieve high levels of market acceptance to justify the amount of our investment in developing or acquiring them and bringing them to market.

Current wording

We spend substantial amounts of time and money to research, develop and enhance our existing products, add new offerings, incorporate additional functionality, and solve new use cases to meet our customers’ rapidly evolving demands. Maintaining adequate research and development resources, such as the appropriate personnel and development technology, to meet the demands of our customers and potential customers is essential to our business. If we are unable to develop products and solutions internally due to a lack of research and development resources, we may be forced to rely on acquisitions to expand into certain markets or technologies, which can be costly. When we develop or acquire new or enhanced products and solutions, we typically incur expenses and expend resources upfront to develop, market, promote and sell them. For example, in April 2024, we launched our new IAM platform. When we introduce new or enhanced products and solutions, they must achieve high levels of market acceptance to justify the amount of our investment in developing or acquiring them and bringing them to market.

Previous wording

New products, solutions or enhancements to our existing products and solutions could also fail to attain sufficient market acceptance for many reasons, including:

Current wording

Our platform, products, solutions or enhancements to our existing products and solutions could also fail to attain sufficient market acceptance for many reasons, including:

Previous wording

▪defects, errors or failures in our products and solutions;

Current wording

▪defects, errors or failures in our platform, products and solutions;

Previous wording

▪negative customer perception of our sales-directed strategies, including the pricing of new products or enhancements; and

Current wording

▪negative customer perception of our IAM platform or new products and solutions;

Previous wording

For example, we have made, and intend to continue making, significant investments in developing products that incorporate AI, and while we believe that such new products will drive future growth of our business, the development of such new features involves significant risks and costs, and there is no guarantee that any such offerings will ultimately be successful. If the release of these or other new and enhanced products, solutions or functionalities do not meet customer needs or if our customers do not accept them, our business, operating results and financial condition would be harmed. The adverse effect on our financial results may be particularly acute because of the significant research, development, marketing, sales and other expenses we will have incurred.

Current wording

For example, we have made, and intend to continue making, significant investments in our platform and developing products that incorporate AI, and while we believe that these investments will drive future growth of our business, the development of such new features involves significant risks and costs, and there is no guarantee that any such offerings will ultimately be successful. If the release of these or other new and enhanced products, solutions or functionalities as part of our platform do not meet customer needs or if our customers do not accept them, our business, operating results and financial condition would be harmed. The adverse effect on our financial results may be particularly acute because of the significant research, development, marketing, sales and other expenses we will have incurred.

Previous wording

Our products and solutions address a market that is evolving and highly competitive. We have customers in a wide variety of industries, including real estate, financial services, insurance, manufacturing, and healthcare and life sciences. We intend to continue to expand our sales efforts internationally, where many countries may have less familiarity with and acceptance of e-signature products. It is difficult to predict customer demand for our products and solutions, customer retention and expansion rates, the size and growth rate of the market for agreement automation, the entry of competitive products or the success of existing competitive products. We expect that we will continue to need intensive sales efforts to educate prospective customers, particularly enterprise and commercial customers and international customers, about the uses and benefits of our products and solutions. Additionally, we face competition from different companies depending on the product or solution. For example, our primary global e-signature competitor is currently Adobe Sign. We also face competition from a select number of vendors that focus on specific industries, geographies or product areas such as contract lifecycle management and advanced contract analytics. As we attempt to sell our products and solutions to new and existing customers, we must convince them that our products and solutions are superior to the solutions that their organizations have used in the past.

Current wording

Our products and solutions address a market that is evolving and highly competitive. We have customers in a wide variety of industries, including real estate, financial services, insurance, manufacturing, and healthcare and life sciences. We intend to continue to expand our sales efforts internationally, where many countries may have less familiarity with and acceptance of e-signature products. It is difficult to predict customer demand for our products and solutions, customer retention and expansion rates, the size and growth rate of the market for agreement automation, the entry of competitive products or the success of existing competitive products. We expect that we will continue to need intensive sales efforts to educate prospective customers, particularly enterprise and commercial customers and international customers, about the uses and benefits of our products and solutions. Additionally, we face competition from different companies depending on the product or solution. For example, our primary global e-signature competitor is currently Adobe Sign. We also face competition from a select number of vendors that focus on specific industries, geographies or product areas such as contract lifecycle management and advanced contract analytics. As we attempt to sell our products and solutions to new and existing customers, we must convince them that our products and solutions are superior to other solutions available to their organizations.

Previous wording

Our systems and security measures have been, and may in the future be, compromised or subject to data breaches, cyberattacks, or other malicious activity, which could result in customers reducing or stopping their use of our products, our reputation being harmed, and significant liabilities and adverse effects on our operating results and financial condition.

Current wording

Our systems and security measures have been, and may in the future be, compromised or subject to data breaches, cyberattacks, or other malicious activity, and third parties have attempted and may continue to attempt to exploit our platform or brand to defraud others, which could result in customers reducing or stopping their use of our products, our reputation being harmed, and significant liabilities and adverse effects on our operating results and financial condition.

Previous wording

Our operations involve the storage and transmission of customer data, personal data and other sensitive information, and our corporate environment contains important company data and/or business records, employee data and data from partner, vendor or other relationships, as well as a wide variety of our own internal company, partner and employee information. Our employees, service providers and third parties often work on a remote or hybrid arrangement basis, which may involve relying on less secure systems and may increase the risk of cybersecurity related incidents. We cannot guarantee these private work environments and electronic connections to our work environment have the same robust security measures as those deployed in our physical offices. We also rely on third-party and public-cloud infrastructure, and we depend in part on third-party security measures to protect against unauthorized access, cyberattacks and the mishandling of customer data. Our ability to monitor our third-party service providers’ data security is limited and any breach of our providers’ security measures may result in unauthorized access to, or misuse, loss or destruction of, our and our customers’ data.

Current wording

Our operations involve the storage and transmission of customer data, personal data and other sensitive or confidential information, and our corporate environment contains important company data and/or business records, employee data and data from partner, vendor or other relationships, as well as a wide variety of our own internal company, partner and employee information. Our employees, service providers and third parties providing services to us often work on a remote or hybrid arrangement basis, which may involve relying on less secure systems and may increase the risk of cybersecurity related incidents. We cannot guarantee these private work environments and electronic connections to our work environment have the same robust security measures as those deployed in our physical offices. We also rely on third-party and public-cloud infrastructure, and we depend in part on third-party security measures on such infrastructure to protect against unauthorized access, cyberattacks and the mishandling of customer data. Our ability to monitor our third-party service providers’ data security is limited and any breach of our providers’ security measures may result in unauthorized access to, or misuse, loss or destruction of, our and our customers’ data.

Previous wording

While we have security measures in place designed to protect our production and development environment and other systems, maintain the integrity of customer, company, partner and employee information, and prevent data loss, misappropriation and other security breaches and incidents, we have faced security incidents in the past that did not have a material impact on our operations. In these cases, upon detection, we took prompt action to prevent any additional unauthorized access, put further security controls in place and worked with law enforcement agencies. These efforts may not completely eliminate potential risks from such incidents. Furthermore, there can be no assurance that there will be no impact to our operations from these or similar incidents in the future. Despite our prevention and response efforts, any security incident or breach, even if immaterial and properly addressed, could result in negative publicity, loss of customers, damage to our reputation and could impair our sales and harm our business.

Current wording

While we have security measures in place designed to protect our production and development environments and other systems, maintain the integrity of customer, company, partner and employee information, and prevent data loss, misappropriation and other security breaches and incidents, we are a frequent target of cyberattacks and have faced security incidents in the past that did not have a material impact on our operations. In these cases, upon detection, we took prompt action to prevent any additional unauthorized access, put further security controls in place and worked with law enforcement agencies, when appropriate. While we have taken and will continue to take steps to address cyberattacks and security incidents, these efforts may not always be entirely successful, and there can be no assurance that there will be no impact to our operations from these or similar incidents in the future. Despite our prevention and response efforts, any security incident or breach, even if immaterial and properly addressed, could result in negative publicity, loss of customers, damage to our reputation and could impair our sales and harm our business.

Previous wording

Like other organizations providing valuable technology and services, we are subject to increasing cyberattacks from malicious third parties using a wide variety of tactics. The frequency and sophistication of such threats continues to increase and often becomes further heightened in connection with geopolitical tensions. In addition, we face increased risk to maintain the performance, reliability, security and availability of our products and technical infrastructure to the satisfaction of our customers. Advances in technology and the increasing sophistication of attackers have led to more frequent and effective cyberattacks, including advanced persistent threats by state-sponsored actors, cyberattacks relying on complex social engineering or “phishing” tactics, ransomware attacks and other methods including credential stuffing and account takeover attacks, denial or degradation of service attacks, malicious code (e.g., viruses and worms), and many other techniques that may lead to the loss, theft or misuse of personal, corporate or financial information, fraudulent payments and identity theft. If bad actors gain improper access to our systems or databases or those of our partners, service providers, and other third parties who have access to our data, they may be able to steal, publish, delete, copy, unlawfully or fraudulently use or modify data, including personal information and/or blackmail us to pay a ransom.

Current wording

Like other organizations providing valuable technology and services, we are subject to increasing cyberattacks from malicious third parties using widely varying and frequently changing tactics, including phishing and fraud campaigns targeting our personnel via email, text, instant messaging and voice calls. The frequency and sophistication of such threats continues to increase and often becomes further heightened in connection with geopolitical tensions. In addition, we face increased risk in our ability to maintain the performance, reliability, security and availability of our products and technical infrastructure to the satisfaction of our customers. Advances in technology and the increasing sophistication of attackers have led to more frequent and effective cyberattacks, including advanced persistent threats by state-sponsored actors, cyberattacks relying on complex social engineering or “phishing” tactics, ransomware attacks and other methods including credential stuffing and account takeover attacks, denial or degradation of service attacks, malicious code (e.g., viruses and worms), and many other techniques that may lead to the loss, theft or misuse of personal, corporate or financial information, fraudulent payments and identity theft. Bad actors, nation-states, and nation-state-supported actors now engage, and are expected to continue to engage, in cyberattacks, including for geopolitical reasons and in connection with global or regional conflicts and operations. During major global or regional conflicts, we and our partners, service providers, or customers may be vulnerable to heightened risk of such cyberattacks. If bad actors gain improper access to our systems or databases or those of our partners, service providers, and other third parties who have access to our data, they may be able to steal, publish, delete, copy, unlawfully or fraudulently use or modify data, including personal information and/or blackmail us to pay a ransom. Additionally, “bad actors” have misused our platform and/or our brand name to attempt to deceive or defraud others, and may continue to do so. If our efforts to prevent these activities, or limit their impact, are unsuccessful, our reputation and brand could be harmed, we could lose customers, and our business and financial condition could be adversely affected.

Previous wording

Despite significant efforts to identify vulnerabilities and create security barriers to such threats, it is virtually impossible for us, our service providers, our partners and our customers to entirely mitigate these risks. Further, we could be forced to expend significant financial and operational resources in response to a security breach, including repairing system damage, increasing security protection costs, investigating and remediating any information security vulnerabilities, complying with data breach notification obligations and applicable laws, and defending against and resolving legal and regulatory claims, all of which could divert resources and the attention of our management and key personnel away from our business operations and materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and operating results. In July 2023, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) also adopted a new cybersecurity rule (effective in December 2023) requiring companies subject to SEC reporting requirements to formally report material cyber security incidents, where failure to report may result in the SEC imposing injunctions, fines and other penalties. Additionally, there can be no assurance that any limitations of liability provisions in our contracts would be enforceable or adequate in the event of a security breach or would otherwise protect us from any such liabilities or damages with respect to any particular claim.

Current wording

Despite significant efforts to identify vulnerabilities and create security barriers to such threats, it is virtually impossible for us, our service providers, our partners and our customers to entirely mitigate these risks. Further, we could be forced to expend significant financial and operational resources in response to a cyberattack or security incident or breach, including repairing system damage, increasing security protection costs, investigating and remediating any information security vulnerabilities, complying with data breach notification obligations and applicable laws, and defending against and resolving legal and regulatory claims, all of which could divert resources and the attention of our management and key personnel away from our business operations and materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and operating results. Additionally, there can be no assurance that any limitations of liability provisions in our contracts would be enforceable or adequate in the event of a security breach or would otherwise protect us from any such liabilities or damages with respect to any particular claim.

Previous wording

We also cannot be sure that our existing general liability insurance coverage, our cybersecurity coverage, and coverage for errors or omissions will continue to be available on acceptable terms or will be available in sufficient amounts to cover one or more large claims, or that insurers will not deny coverage as to any future claim. Security breaches may result in increased costs for such insurance as well. One or more large, successful claims against us in excess of our available insurance coverage, or changes in our insurance policies, including premium increases or large deductible or coinsurance requirements, could have an adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition.

Current wording

We also cannot be sure that our existing general liability insurance coverage, cybersecurity coverage, and coverage for errors or omissions will continue to be available on acceptable terms or will be available in sufficient amounts to cover one or more large claims, or that insurers will not deny coverage as to any future claim. Cyberattacks or security incidents may result in increased costs for such insurance as well. One or more large, successful claims against us in excess of our available insurance coverage, or changes in our insurance policies, including premium increases or large deductible or coinsurance requirements, could have an adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition.

Previous wording

We receive, store and process personal information and other data from and about our customers, employees, partners and service providers. In addition, customers use our products and solutions to obtain and store personal information, health information (including protected health information) and personal financial information. Our handling of data is thus subject to a variety of laws and regulations around the world, including regulation by various government agencies, such as the respective Data Protection Authorities of the United Kingdom and other EU member states who enforce the General Data Protection Regulation, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (the “FTC”), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (the “OCR”), the California Privacy Protection Agency, and other various state, local and foreign agencies and other authorities, such as each U.S. state’s attorney general. Our data handling also is subject to contractual obligations and industry standards.

Current wording

We receive, store and process personal information and other data from and about our customers, employees, partners and service providers. In addition, customers use our products and solutions to obtain and store personal information, health information (including protected health information) and personal financial information. Our handling of data is thus subject to a variety of laws and regulations around the world, including regulation by various government agencies, such as the respective data protection authorities of the United Kingdom and EU member states who enforce the General Data Protection Regulation, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (the “FTC”), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (the “OCR”), the California Privacy Protection Agency, and other various federal, state, local and foreign agencies and other authorities, such as each U.S. state’s attorney general. Our data handling also is subject to contractual obligations and industry standards.

Previous wording

We have internal and publicly posted policies, notices, and other related documentation regarding our collection, data categorization or identification, processing, use, disclosure, deletion and security of information. Although we endeavor to comply with our policies and documentation, we may at times fail to do so or be accused of having failed to do so. The publication of our privacy notices and other related documentation that provide commitments about data privacy and security can subject us to potential actions if they are found to be non-compliant, deceptive, unfair, or otherwise misrepresent our actual practices, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Current wording

We have internal and publicly posted policies, notices, and other related documentation regarding our collection, data categorization or identification, processing, use, disclosure, deletion and security of information. Although we endeavor to comply with our policies and documentation, we may at times fail to do so or be accused of having failed to do so. The publication of our privacy notices and other related documentation that provide commitments about data privacy and security can subject us to potential actions if they are found to be non-compliant, deceptive, unfair, or otherwise misrepresent our actual practices, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations, and subject us to investigations, fines or penalties from regulators or government authorities, or civil litigation.

Previous wording

We are subject to various evolving laws and regulations governing our use of our business data. For more information on these laws and regulations, see the risk factor “We are subject to laws and regulations affecting our business, including those related to e-signature, marketing, advertising, privacy, data protection and information security. Our actual or perceived failure to comply with laws or regulations could harm our business. Complying with laws and regulations, in particular those related to privacy and data protection, could also result in additional costs and liabilities to us or inhibit sales of our software.” If we are not able to comply with these laws or regulations or if we become liable under these evolving laws or regulations, we could be directly harmed, and we may be forced to implement new measures to reduce our exposure to this liability. This may require us to expend substantial resources or to discontinue certain solutions, which would negatively affect our business, operating results and financial condition. In addition, the increased attention focused upon liability issues as a result of lawsuits and legislative proposals could harm our reputation or otherwise impact the growth of our business. Any costs incurred as a result of this potential liability could harm our business and operating results.

Current wording

We are subject to various evolving laws and regulations governing our use of our business data. For more information on these laws and regulations, see the risk factors “We are subject to laws and regulations affecting our business, including those related to e-signature, marketing, advertising, privacy, data protection and information security. Our actual or perceived failure to comply with laws or regulations could harm our business.”and“Complying with laws and regulations, in particular those related to privacy and data protection, could also result in additional costs and liabilities to us or inhibit sales of our software.” If we are not able to comply with these laws or regulations or if we become liable under these evolving laws or regulations, we could be directly harmed, and we may be forced to implement new measures to reduce our exposure to this liability. This may require us to expend substantial resources or to discontinue certain solutions, which would negatively affect our business, operating results and financial condition. In addition, the increased attention focused upon liability issues as a result of lawsuits and legislative proposals could harm our reputation or otherwise impact the growth of our business. Any costs incurred as a result of this potential liability could harm our business and operating results.

Previous wording

If we have overestimated the size of our total addressable market, our future growth rate may be limited.

Current wording

If we have overestimated our market opportunity, our future growth rate may be limited.

Previous wording

We have estimated the size of our total addressable market based on internally generated data and assumptions, as well as data published by third parties, which we have not independently verified. While we believe our market size estimates are reasonable, such information is inherently imprecise and subject to a high degree of uncertainty. If our third-party or internally generated data prove to be inaccurate or we make errors in our assumptions based on that data, our actual market may be more limited than our estimates. In addition, these inaccuracies or errors may cause us to misallocate capital and other critical business resources, which could harm our business. Even if our total addressable market meets our size estimates and experiences growth, we may not continue to grow our share of the market.

Current wording

We have estimated our market size and opportunity based on internally generated data and assumptions, as well as data published by third parties, which we have not independently verified. While we believe our market size estimates are reasonable, such information is inherently imprecise and subject to a high degree of uncertainty. If our third-party or internally generated data prove to be inaccurate or we make errors in our assumptions based on that data, our actual market may be more limited than our estimates. In addition, these inaccuracies or errors may cause us to misallocate capital and other critical business resources, which could harm our business. Even if our market size estimates are correct, we may not continue to grow our share of the market and our business could be harmed.

Previous wording

In addition to third-party data centers and cloud service providers, we also rely on our own technical operations infrastructure to support and serve our increasing customer base. We must maintain sufficient excess capacity in our operations infrastructure to ensure that our products and solutions are accessible within an acceptable load time. Design and mechanical errors, spikes in usage volume and failure to follow system protocols and procedures could cause our systems to fail, resulting in interruptions in our products and solutions. Any interruptions or delays in our service, whether or not caused by our products, whether as a result of third-party error, our own error, natural disasters and the effects of climate change, operational disruptions related to labor shortages, public health crises, or security breaches, whether accidental or willful, could harm our relationships with customers and cause our revenue to decrease and/or our expenses to increase. Also, in the event of damage or interruption, our insurance policies may not adequately compensate us for any losses that we may incur. These factors in turn could further reduce our revenue, subject us to liability and cause us to issue credits or cause customers to fail to renew their subscriptions, any of which could adversely affect our business.

Current wording

Any interruptions or delays in our service, whether or not caused by our products, whether as a result of third-party error, our own error, natural disasters and the effects of climate change, operational disruptions related to labor shortages, public health crises, or security breaches, whether accidental or willful, could harm our relationships with customers and cause our revenue to decrease and/or our expenses to increase. Also, in the event of damage or interruption, our insurance policies may not adequately compensate us for any losses that we may incur. These factors in turn could further reduce our revenue, subject us to liability and cause us to issue credits or cause customers to fail to renew their subscriptions, any of which could adversely affect our business.

Previous wording

We currently use AI-powered tools and services as part of operating our business, and also incorporate AI features and applications into our products and solutions and are making further investments in expanding AI capabilities in our products and solutions. AI technologies can be complex and are presently rapidly evolving, and while we believe that product features powered by next generation AI technologies, such as generative AI, will help drive the future growth of our business, there is no guarantee that such new product features will ultimately be successful, and our competitors and other third parties may incorporate AI into their products more quickly or more successfully than us, all of which could impair our ability to compete effectively and may adversely affect our results of operations. This use of AI in our products and solutions may present new and evolving challenges, including reputational harm, competitive harm, and legal liability, and adversely affect our results of operations.

Current wording

We use AI-powered tools and services as part of operating our business, and also incorporate AI features and applications into our products and solutions and are making further investments in expanding AI capabilities in our products and solutions. AI technologies can be complex and are rapidly evolving, and while we believe that product features powered by next generation AI technologies, such as generative AI, will help drive the future growth of our business, there is no guarantee that such new product features will ultimately be successful. Our competitors and other third parties may incorporate AI into their products more quickly or more successfully than us, all of which could impair our ability to compete effectively and may adversely affect our results of operations. This use of AI in our products and solutions may present new and evolving challenges, including reputational harm, competitive harm, and legal liability, and adversely affect our results of operations. Additionally, AI technology may lower barriers to entry in our industry and we may be unable to effectively compete with the products or services offered by new competitors. AI-related changes to the products and services on offer may affect our customers’ expectations or requirements in ways we cannot adequately anticipate or adapt to, causing our business to lose sales, market share, or the ability to operate profitably and sustainably.

Previous wording

The development and use of AI features and applications present various intellectual property, data privacy, security and reliability risks that may impact our business. We may choose to significantly invest in the development and maintenance of proprietary datasets and training models, and development of appropriate protections, safeguards, and policies for handling the processing of data with our AI features and applications, which may be costly, subject us to legal liability, and negatively impact our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Current wording

The development and use of AI features and applications present various intellectual property, data privacy, security and reliability risks that may impact our business. We may choose to significantly invest in the development and maintenance of proprietary datasets and training models and the development of appropriate protections, safeguards, and policies for handling the processing of data, including transparency of customer data extraction and usage in training models, with our AI features and applications, which may be costly and subject us to legal liability. Furthermore, any integration of third-party AI models with our products and solutions relies on certain safeguards implemented by the third-party developers of the underlying AI models, including those related to the accuracy, bias, and other variables of the data, and these safeguards may be insufficient. These risks could negatively impact our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Previous wording

Existing laws and regulations may be interpreted, or new laws and regulations regarding AI may be adopted and interpreted, in ways which could negatively affect the way we use AI in our products. For example, the European Parliament, the European Commission and Council reached a political agreement on December 8, 2023, regarding the EU Artificial Intelligence Act that, once finalized and entered into force, would prohibit certain AI applications and systems with unacceptable risk and impose additional requirements on the use of other high-risk or limited-risk AI applications or systems. Intellectual property ownership issues, licensing and privacy rights surrounding AI technologies are evolving and have not been fully addressed by U.S. federal or state courts or foreign jurisdictions, which may expose us to claims of intellectual property infringement or misappropriation or privacy rights violations, or result in inquiries by government bodies or agencies. For example, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission initiated multiple AI-related inquiries in 2023 and 2024 and sent requests to technology companies, including DocuSign, seeking additional information about their AI usage and policies. The rapid evolution of AI technologies will require significant resources in research and development in order to develop, test and maintain our platform and products to minimize any potential harmful impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Current wording

Existing laws and regulations may be interpreted, or new laws and regulations regarding AI have been and may in the future be adopted and interpreted, in ways which could negatively affect the way we use AI in our products. For example, the EU Artificial Intelligence Act prohibits certain AI applications and systems with unacceptable risk and imposes additional requirements on the use of other high-risk or limited-risk AI applications or systems, which may require the implementation of additional quality assurance controls and measures to be reviewed and approved by regulatory submissions of our products. Intellectual property ownership issues, licensing and privacy rights surrounding AI technologies are evolving and have not been fully addressed by U.S. federal or state courts or foreign jurisdictions, which may expose us to claims of intellectual property infringement or misappropriation or privacy rights violations, or result in inquiries by government bodies or agencies. For example, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission initiated multiple AI-related inquiries over the past several years and sent requests to technology companies, including Docusign, seeking additional information about their AI usage and policies. The rapid evolution of AI technologies will require significant resources in research and development in order to develop, test and maintain our platform and products to minimize any potential harmful impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Previous wording

The continued use in our business and incorporation of AI-powered features and applications into our products and solutions may subject us to new and evolving regulatory scrutiny, litigation, social or ethical concerns, or other risks that could harm our business, reputation, brand, and our results of operations. For example, if the content, analyses, or recommendations arising from our AI product offerings are, or are alleged to be, inaccurate, deficient, offensive, or biased, or if they have a perceived or actual negative impact on human rights, privacy rights, employment, or in other social contexts, we may experience brand and reputational harm or legal liability, and our business, financial condition, and results of operations may be adversely affected. Additionally, AI technology may involve significant technical complexity, which will require specialized expertise and may increase compensation-related expenses. Competition for specialized personnel in the AI industry is intense, and failing to attract, integrate, or retain such specialized expertise in AI could adversely affect our business and results of operations.

Current wording

The continued use in our business and incorporation of AI-powered features and applications into our products and solutions may subject us to new and evolving regulatory scrutiny, litigation, social or ethical concerns, unforeseen operational failures, potential for biased or incorrect outputs, or other risks that could harm our business, reputation, brand, and our results of operations. For example, if the content, analyses, or recommendations arising from our AI product offerings are, or are alleged to be, inaccurate, deficient, offensive, or biased, or if they have a perceived or actual negative impact on human rights, privacy rights, employment, or in other social contexts, we may experience brand and reputational harm or legal liability, and our business, financial condition, and results of operations may be adversely affected. Additionally, the significant technical complexity of AI technology will require specialized expertise and may increase compensation-related expenses. Competition for specialized personnel in the AI industry is intense, and failing to attract, integrate, or retain such specialized expertise in AI could adversely affect our business and results of operations. There is also the possibility that the AI models we develop may not perform as expected when deployed, which could hinder our product offerings, impact our competitiveness in the market, or lead to financial losses.

Previous wording

Our success and future growth depend upon the continued services of highly skilled personnel, including our management team and other key employees. Changes in our management team resulting from the hiring or departure of executives and key employees from time to time could disrupt our business. In the last 12 months, there have been significant changes to our senior leadership team. For example, in June 2023, Cynthia Gaylor, our Chief Financial Officer, resigned from the Company and Blake Grayson was appointed as our new Chief Financial Officer, and in January 2024, Inhi Cho Suh, our President, Product and Engineering, departed the Company.

Current wording

Our success and future growth depend upon the continued services of highly skilled personnel, including our management team and other key employees. Changes in our management team resulting from the hiring or departure of executives and key employees from time to time could disrupt our business. In the last 12 months, there have been significant changes to our senior leadership team. For example, in August 2024, Steve Shute, our President, Worldwide Field Operations, departed the Company and Paula Hansen was appointed as our President, Chief Revenue Officer.

Previous wording

Our future success, and our ability to achieve our operational and business objectives, depends in large part on the successful recruitment, integration and continued service of senior management and other key personnel. In particular, we are highly dependent on the services of our senior management team, many of whom are essential to the development of our technology, platform, future vision, and strategic direction. Our senior management and key employees are employed on an at-will basis, meaning that we may terminate their employment at any time, with or without cause, and they may resign at any time, with or without cause. If we lose one or more of our senior management or other key employees and are unable to find adequate replacements, or if we fail to attract, integrate, retain and motivate members of our senior management team and key employees or otherwise fail to retain a significant portion of our workforce, our business could be harmed. For example, in September 2022, in response to changing economic conditions and in an effort to reduce our operational costs and improve our organizational efficiency, we authorized a restructuring plan, which included a restructuring and reduction of the current workforce by approximately 9%. The execution of this restructuring plan was substantially completed at the end of fiscal 2023. Additionally, in February 2023, in an effort to support our growth, scale and profitability objectives, we authorized an additional restructuring plan, which included a restructuring and reduction of the current workforce by approximately 10%. The execution of this restructuring plan was substantially completed at the end of the second quarter of fiscal 2024. Further, in February 2024, in an effort to strengthen and support our financial and operational efficiency while continuing to invest in product and related initiatives, we authorized an additional restructuring plan, which included a restructuring and reduction of the current workforce by approximately 6%. We expect this restructuring plan to be completed during the first and second quarters of fiscal 2025. These restructuring plans could negatively impact our ability to attract, integrate, retain and motivate key employees.

Current wording

Our future success, and our ability to achieve our operational and business objectives, depends in large part on the successful recruitment, integration and continued service of senior management and other key personnel. In particular, we are highly dependent on the services of our senior management team, many of whom are essential to the development of our technology, platform, future vision, and strategic direction. Our senior management and key employees are employed on an at-will basis, meaning that we may terminate their employment at any time, with or without cause, and they may resign at any time, with or without cause. If we lose one or more of our senior management or other key employees and are unable to find adequate replacements, or if we fail to attract, integrate, retain and motivate members of our senior management team and key employees or otherwise fail to retain a significant portion of our workforce, our business could be harmed.

Previous wording

We also are dependent on the continued service of our existing software engineers because of the complexity of our products and solutions. In particular, we compete with many other companies for software developers with high levels of experience and skilled sales and operations professionals in a tight U.S. labor market. We also require skilled product development, marketing, sales, finance and operations professionals, and we may not be successful in attracting and retaining the professionals we need, particularly in our principal U.S. locations in the San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle. Additionally, while we currently employ a hybrid model where employees have the flexibility to work from home, changes to our workplace arrangements could impact our ability to maintain our corporate culture or productivity, increase attrition or limit our ability to attract employees if individuals prefer to work full time at home or in the office. Competition for employees in our industry (and especially in our principal U.S. locations) is intense, and many of the companies we compete with for experienced personnel have greater resources than we do. To remain competitive, we may experience increased compensation-related expenses.

Current wording

We also are dependent on the continued service of our existing software engineers because of the complexity of our products and solutions. In particular, we compete with many other companies for software developers with high levels of experience and skilled sales and operations professionals in a tight U.S. labor market. We also require skilled product development, marketing, sales, finance and operations professionals, and we may not be successful in attracting and retaining the professionals we need, particularly in our principal U.S. locations in the San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle. Additionally, while we currently employ a hybrid model where most employees have the flexibility to work from home, changes to our workplace arrangements could impact our ability to maintain our corporate culture or productivity, increase attrition or limit our ability to attract employees if individuals prefer to work full time at home or in the office. Competition for employees in our industry (and especially with expertise in AI technology and at our principal U.S. locations) is intense, and many of the companies we compete with for experienced personnel have greater resources than we do. To remain competitive, we may experience increased compensation-related expenses.

Previous wording

We sell to U.S. federal, state and local, as well as foreign, government agencies and public sector customers, as well as to customers in highly regulated industries such as financial services, pharmaceuticals, insurance, healthcare and life sciences. Sales to such entities are subject to a number of challenges and risks, including those related to our status as a service provider to U.S. state and federal governmental agencies. Selling to such entities can be highly competitive, expensive and time-consuming, often requiring significant upfront time and expense to meet unique compliance requirements, some of which may be statutory or regulatory, without any assurance that these efforts will generate a sale. These longer sale cycles make the timing of future revenue from these entities difficult to predict. Further, government compliance requirements may change, restricting our ability to sell into the government sector until we have met those revised requirements. Failure to meet government contract compliance obligations can create the risk of statutory penalties as well as standard breach of contract risk. Government demand and payment for our offerings are affected by public sector budgetary cycles and funding authorizations, and funding reductions or delays, including as a result of macro-economic factors, including inflation, volatile interest rates, a potential U.S. government shutdown, actual or perceived instability in the global banking sector, regional or global conflicts and public health crises, may adversely affect public sector demand for our products and solutions.

Current wording

We sell to U.S. federal, state and local, as well as foreign, government agencies and public sector customers, as well as to customers in highly regulated industries such as financial services, pharmaceuticals, insurance, healthcare and life sciences. Sales to such entities are subject to a number of challenges and risks, including those related to our status asa service provider to U.S. state and federal governmental agencies. Selling to such entities can be highly competitive, expensive and time-consuming, often requiring significant upfront time and expense to meet unique compliance requirements, some of which may be statutory or regulatory without any assurance that these efforts will generate a sale. These longer sale cycles make the timing of future revenue from these entities difficult to predict.

Previous wording

Our products and solutions seamlessly integrate with hundreds of other software applications, including Google, Microsoft, Oracle, Salesforce, SAP, and ServiceNow. Our growth strategy includes expanding the use of our products and solutions through complementary technology offerings and software integrations, such as third-party APIs. While we have established partnerships with providers of complementary offerings and software integrations, we cannot guarantee that we will be successful in continuing to maintain and scale these partnerships or establishing partnerships with additional providers as we grow. In the future, third-party providers of complementary technology offerings and software integrations may decline to enter into, or may later terminate, relationships with us; change their features or platforms; restrict our access to their applications and platforms; alter the terms governing use of and access to their applications and APIs; or implement other changes that could functionally limit or terminate our ability to use these third-party technology offerings and software integrations with our platform, any of which could negatively impact our offerings and harm our business.

Current wording

Our products and solutions seamlessly integrate with hundreds of other software applications, including Google, Microsoft, Workday, Salesforce, SAP, and ServiceNow. Our growth strategy includes expanding the use of our products and solutions through complementary technology offerings and software integrations, such as third-party APIs. While we have established partnerships with providers of complementary offerings and software integrations, we cannot guarantee that we will be successful in continuing to maintain and scale these partnerships or establishing partnerships with additional providers as we grow. In the future, third-party providers of complementary technology offerings and software integrations may decline to enter into, or may later terminate, relationships with us; change their features or platforms; restrict our access to their applications and platforms; alter the terms governing use of and access to their applications and APIs; or implement other changes that could functionally limit or terminate our ability to use these third-party technology offerings and software integrations with our platform, any of which could negatively impact our offerings and harm our business.

Previous wording

As part of our business strategy, we continually evaluate opportunities to acquire or invest in businesses, products or technologies that we believe could complement or expand our products and solutions, enhance our technical capabilities or otherwise offer growth opportunities. For example, in May 2020, we acquired Seal Software Group Ltd., a provider of contract analytics software, and in July 2020 we acquired Liveoak Technologies, Inc., a provider of a secure agreement-collaboration and identity verification platform. In the future, we may be unable to identify suitable acquisition candidates and, even if we do, we may not be able to complete desired acquisitions on favorable terms, if at all. If we are unable to complete acquisitions, we may not be able to strengthen our competitive position or achieve our goals. Future acquisitions and investments may result in unforeseen operating difficulties and expenditures, including disrupting our ongoing operations, diverting management attention, increasing our expenses, and subjecting us to additional liabilities. An acquisition may also negatively affect our financial results because it may:

Current wording

As part of our business strategy, we continually evaluate opportunities to acquire or invest in businesses, products or technologies that we believe could complement or expand our products and solutions, enhance our technical capabilities or otherwise offer growth opportunities. For example, in May 2024, we acquired Lexion, an AI-powered contract management platform which features intelligent contract repository and agreement workflow automation and reporting. In the future, we may be unable to identify suitable acquisition candidates and, even if we do, we may not be able to complete desired acquisitions on favorable terms, if at all. If we are unable to complete acquisitions, we may not be able to strengthen our competitive position or achieve our goals. Future acquisitions and investments may result in unforeseen operating difficulties and expenditures, including disrupting our ongoing operations, diverting management attention, increasing our expenses, and subjecting us to additional liabilities. An acquisition may also negatively affect our financial results because it may:

Previous wording

Different pricing structures apply to our DocuSign product offerings. For DocuSign eSignature, we price our subscriptions based on the functionality required by our customers and the quantity of Envelopes provisioned. We expect that we may need to change our pricing or pricing structures from time to time, including in connection with the launch of new or enhanced offerings for automating the agreement process or in response to competitive pressures. As new or existing competitors introduce new competitive products or reduce their prices, we may be unable to attract new customers or retain existing customers based on our historical pricing. As we expand internationally, we must also determine the appropriate price to enable us to compete effectively in non-U.S. markets. Moreover, mid- to large-size enterprises may demand substantial price discounts as part of the negotiation of sales contracts. As a result, we may be required or choose to reduce our prices or otherwise change our pricing model, which could adversely affect our business, operating results and financial condition.

Current wording

Different pricing structures apply to our Docusign product offerings. For eSignature, we price our subscriptions based on the functionality required by our customers and the quantity of Envelopes required by our customers. We expect that we may need to change our pricing or pricing structures from time to time, including in connection with the launch of our IAM platform and new or enhanced offerings or in response to competitive pressures. For example, in the second quarter of fiscal 2025, we began to offer our IAM platform on a user-based subscription with transaction-based add-ons. The rollout of our IAM platform and additional pricing model began gradually, starting in the second quarter of fiscal 2025. Additionally, as new or existing competitors introduce new competitive products or reduce their prices, we may be unable to attract new customers or retain existing customers based on our historical pricing. As we expand internationally, we must also determine the appropriate price to enable us to compete effectively in non-U.S. markets. Moreover, mid- to large-size enterprises may demand substantial price discounts as part of the negotiation of sales contracts. As a result, we may be required or choose to reduce our prices or otherwise change our pricing model, which could adversely affect our business, operating results and financial condition.