Backblaze Inc

Previous wording

We incurrednet losses of $59.7 million and $51.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. As of December 31, 2023, we had an accumulated deficit of $147.5 million. We cannot guarantee that net losses in future periods will be similar to those from prior periods. We intend to continue scaling our business to increase our customer base and to meet the increasingly complex needs of our customers. We have invested, and expect to continue to invest, in our sales and marketing organization to sell our cloud services around the world and in our development organization to deliver additional features and capabilities of our cloud services to address our customers’ evolving needs. We also expect to continue to make significant investments in our data center infrastructure and technical operations organization as we further scale our business. As a result of our continuing investments to scale our business in each of these areas, we do not expect to be profitable for the foreseeable future. We cannot assure you that we will achieve profitability in the future or that, if we do become profitable, we will sustain profitability.

Current wording

We incurrednet losses of $48.5 million and $59.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. Following our 17 plus years of operations, we had an accumulated deficit of $196.0 million as of December 31, 2024. We cannot guarantee that net losses in future periods will be similar to those from prior periods. We intend to continue scaling our business to increase our customer base and to meet the increasingly complex needs of our customers. We have invested, and expect to continue to invest, in our sales and marketing organization to sell our cloud services around the world and in our development organization to deliver additional features and capabilities of our cloud services to address our customers’ evolving needs. We also expect to continue to make significant investments in our data center infrastructure and technical operations organization as we further scale our business. As a result of our continuing investments to scale our business in each of these areas, we do not expect to be profitable for the foreseeable future. We cannot assure you that we will achieve profitability in the future or that, if we do become profitable, we will sustain profitability.

Previous wording

The markets in which we operate are highly competitive, with relatively low barriers to entry for certain applications and services. Some of our competitors include cloud-based services such as those offered by Amazon.com, Inc. through Amazon Web Services, Alphabet Inc. through Google Cloud Platform, and Microsoft Corporation through Azure, and on-premises offerings such as those offered by EMC/Dell and NetApp. Many of our competitors and potential competitors are larger and have greater name and brand recognition; much longer operating histories; larger marketing budgets for the development, promotion and sale of their products or services; broader service offerings and capabilities; and significantly greater resources than we do. In addition, many of our competitors have established marketing and distribution relationships with channel partners, consultants, system integrators, and resellers. Our competitors may also be able to respond more quickly and effectively to new or changing opportunities, technologies, standards, or customer requirements, including offering multiple types of storage solutions with various price points, feature sets and performance levels. Competition may intensify in the future and may also include new market entrants, including storage offerings by some of our partners. Our competitors could offer their products or services at a lower price or in some combination with other services or applications that we do not offer, which could result in pricing pressures on our business. In the third quarter of 2023, we also announced price increases to our Computer Backup and B2 Cloud Storage offerings, which took effect in the fourth quarter of 2023. While there was some incremental decline in the rate at which customers increase storage with us during the fourth quarter of 2023, we did not experience any material impact on customer retention as of December 31, 2023. However, we may have not yet realized the full impact of the price increases, which could cause us to lose existing customers who do not wish to renew their subscriptions at the higher prices, reduce the number of new customers that buy our products, or decrease the amount of data that customers store with us or subscriptions they purchase from us. Increased competition generally could result in reduced sales, increased customer churn, lower margins, losses, or the failure of our cloud services to achieve or maintain widespread market acceptance, any of which could harm our business.

Current wording

The markets in which we operate are highly competitive, with relatively low barriers to entry for certain applications and services. Some of our competitors include cloud-based services such as those offered by Amazon.com, Inc. through Amazon Web Services, Alphabet Inc. through Google Cloud Platform, and Microsoft Corporation through Azure, and on-premises offerings such as those offered by EMC/Dell and NetApp. Many of our competitors and potential competitors are larger and have greater name and brand recognition; longer operating histories; larger budgets for the development, promotion and sale of their products or services; broader service offerings and capabilities; and significantly greater resources than we do. In addition, many of our competitors have established marketing and distribution relationships with channel partners, consultants, system integrators, and resellers. Our competitors may also be able to respond more quickly and effectively to new or changing opportunities, technologies, standards, or customer requirements, including offering multiple types of storage solutions with various price points, feature sets and performance levels. Competition may intensify in the future, particularly as we seek to move up-market and may also include new market entrants, including storage offerings by some of our partners. Our competitors could offer their products or services at a lower price or in some combination with other services or applications that we do not offer, which could result in pricing pressures on our business. We have raised prices in the past, including price increases which took effect in the fourth quarter of 2023. While we believe that these price increases resulted in increased revenue without a material negative impact on our business, any future price increases by us, or reductions in prices by our competitors, could have a material adverse effect on our business, including potential loss of customers who do not wish to renew their subscriptions at the higher prices, reduction in the number of new customers, or a decrease in the amount of data that existing (or new) customers store with us or subscriptions they purchase from us. Increased competition generally could result in reduced sales, increased customer churn, lower margins, losses, or the failure of our cloud services to achieve or maintain widespread market acceptance, any of which could harm our business.

Previous wording

Our brand, reputation, and ability to manage our systems; attract, retain, and serve our customers; and interface with our partners, are dependent upon the reliable performance of our platform, including our underlying technical infrastructure, as well as the systems and infrastructure of various third parties, including third-party hosted data centers that we use and internet access and infrastructure used by us and our customers and partners. Our customers rely on our platform to store and access their data, including financial records, business information, personal information, documents, media, and other important content. There are various reasons that our platform, or the systems that are used to access or support our platform, could experience a disruption in service, some of which are entirely outside of our control. For example, our facilities as well as the data centers that we use are vulnerable to damage or interruption from human error, intentional bad acts, extreme weather, earthquakes, floods, fires, war or other military conflict, including the conflicts between Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas, which may further escalate and could directly or indirectly involve other countries, including the United States, terrorist attacks, cybersecurity attacks or the risk of potential cybersecurity attacks, power losses, hardware failures, systems failures, telecommunications failures, and similar events, any of which could disrupt our service, destroy user content, or prevent us from being able to continuously back up or record changes in our users’ content. For example, a third party vendor that operated one of our multiple data center locations, filed for bankruptcy under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code in 2022. This bankruptcy matter was resolved without disruption to our normal operations, but future bankruptcies or similar events affecting our third-party hosted data center providers could result in disruptions to our Company, access to customer data may become unavailable or customer data could be lost, and it may take a significant period of time to achieve full resumption of our cloud services. Also, in response to the Russian attack on Ukraine that began in February 2022, the United States and many other countries began imposing sanctions on Russia and certain parts of Ukraine, including restrictions on the import and export of goods and services to those regions. These restrictions have also been expanded to other countries, including Belarus. Although we do not have a significant number of customers located in those regions, such actions have had some immaterial impact on our business. It is difficult to predict how long the conflict may last, how the conflict could escalate, and how the sanctions may evolve, which could cause a greater adverse impact on our business and operations. While we maintain incident response plans that include defined processes, roles, communications, responsibilities and procedures for re…

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Current wording

Bankruptcy Code in 2022. This bankruptcy matter was resolved without disruption to our normal operations, but future bankruptcies or similar events affecting our third-party hosted data center providers could result in disruptions to our Company, access to customer data may become unavailable or customer data could be lost, and it may take a significant period of time to achieve full resumption of our cloud services. Also, in response to the Russian attack on Ukraine that began in February 2022, the United States and many other countries began imposing sanctions on Russia and certain parts of Ukraine, including restrictions on the import and export of goods and services to those regions. These restrictions have also been expanded to other countries, including Belarus. Although we do not have a significant number of customers located in those regions, such actions have had some immaterial impact on our business. It is difficult to predict how long the conflict may last, how the conflict could escalate, and how the sanctions may evolve, which could cause a greater adverse impact on our business and operations. While we maintain incident response plans that include defined processes, roles, communications, responsibilities and procedures for responding to cybersecurity incidents and other events that impact our operations, and such plans are tested and evaluated on a regular basis, our disaster recovery planning cannot account for all eventualities and even if we anticipate an incident, our disaster recovery plans may not be sufficient to timely and effectively address the issue. Moreover, our platform and technical infrastructure may not be adequately designed with sufficient reliability and redundancy to avoid delays or outages or other issues that could be harmful to our business. If our platform is unavailable when users attempt to access it, or if it does not perform as quickly as they expect, or if data is lost, users may not use our platform as often in the future, or at all.

Previous wording

The promotion of our brand may require us to make substantial expenditures, particularly if our markets become more competitive and we expand into new markets or offer new products or services, or additional features. Expenditures intended to maintain and enhance our brand may not be cost-effective or effective at all. If we do not successfully maintain and enhance our brand, we may have reduced pricing power relative to our competitors, we could lose customers, we could fail to attract potential new customers or retain our existing customers, or our blog and thought leadership in our industry may decline in popularity, all of which could materially and adversely affect our business.

Current wording

The promotion of our brand may require us to make substantial expenditures, particularly as our markets become more competitive and we expand into new markets or offer new products or services, or additional features. Expenditures intended to maintain and enhance our brand may not be cost-effective or effective at all. If we do not successfully maintain and enhance our brand, we may have reduced pricing power relative to our competitors, we could lose customers, we could fail to attract potential new customers or retain our existing customers, or our blog and thought leadership in our industry may decline in popularity, all of which could materially and adversely affect our business.

Previous wording

Our customers rely on our solutions to store their files, which may include confidential or personally identifiable information, critical business information, photos, and other meaningful content. To manage and maintain such data, we are highly dependent on internal and external information technology systems and infrastructure, including the internet, to securely process, transmit, and store critical information. Although we take measures to protect our systems and sensitive information from unauthorized access or disclosure, third parties may be able to circumvent our security by deploying viruses, worms, and other malicious software programs that are designed to attack or attempt to infiltrate our systems and networks, including distributed denial of service (DDoS) or phishing attacks, that can undermine the availability and performance of our systems and cloud services, resulting in the blocking of our services by ISPs or governments, fraudulently steal data, or otherwise cause damage to our reputation. For example, in December 2021, an industry-wide zero-day vulnerability was discovered in the Apache Log4j logging library commonly used by many companies throughout the world that could permit attackers to take control of vulnerable servers. Although we were not aware of any unauthorized access to our systems due to the Log4j vulnerability, out of an abundance of caution and because Log4j was leveraged widely in our environment, we decided it was in our customers’ best interest to take our systems offline for a short period of time until we could apply the security patch. In addition, we regularly encounter attempts to create false or undesirable user accounts, which can disrupt our systems, impair system performance and impact analytics. Moreover, cybersecurity attacks evolve rapidly and are expected to continue to accelerate in both frequency and sophistication, and bad actors may utilize new methods not recognized because they are designed to circumvent controls, avoid detection, and remove or obfuscate forensic evidence. Although we have taken, and continue to take, various actions to prevent and mitigate potential cybersecurity attacks, it is very difficult to successfully identify, stop, or resolve such attacks, or implement adequate preventative measures and we will continue to incur costs in our efforts to protect against and respond to cyber-attacks and potential cyber-attacks. Also, the use of generative artificial intelligence, or other societal or political developments resulting in periods of increased political tensions and military conflicts, could result in a greater likelihood of cybersecurity incidents that could either directly or indirectly impact our operations. In addition, employee or consultant error, malfeasance, or other errors in the storage, use, or transmission of customer data could result in a breach. For example, in late March 2021, it was discovered that a Backblaze marketing campaign leveraging the Facebook a…

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Current wording

Our customers rely on our solutions to store or use their files, which may include confidential or personally identifiable information, critical business information, photos, and other meaningful content. To manage and maintain such data, we are highly dependent on internal and external information technology systems and infrastructure, including the internet, to securely process, transmit, and store critical information. Although we take measures to protect our systems and sensitive information from unauthorized access or disclosure, third parties may be able to circumvent our security by deploying viruses, worms, and other malicious software programs that are designed to attack or attempt to infiltrate our systems and networks, including distributed denial of service (DDoS) or phishing attacks, that can undermine the availability and performance of our systems and cloud services, lead to the blocking of our services by ISPs or governments, fraudulently steal data, or otherwise cause damage to our reputation and negatively impact us and our customers. For example, in December 2021, an industry-wide zero-day vulnerability was discovered in the Apache Log4j logging library commonly used by many companies throughout the world that could permit attackers to take control of vulnerable servers. Although we were not aware of any unauthorized access to our systems due to the Log4j vulnerability, out of an abundance of caution and because Log4j was leveraged widely in our environment, we decided it was in our customers’ best interest to take our systems offline for a short period of time until we could apply the security patch. In addition, we regularly encounter attempts to create false or undesirable user accounts and various types of DDoS attacks, which can disrupt our systems, impair system performance and impact analytics. Moreover, cybersecurity attacks evolve rapidly and are expected to continue to accelerate in both frequency and sophistication, and bad actors may utilize new methods not recognized because they are designed to circumvent controls, avoid detection, and remove or obfuscate forensic evidence. Although we have taken, and continue to take, various actions to prevent and mitigate potential cybersecurity attacks, it is very difficult to successfully identify, stop, or resolve such attacks, or implement adequate preventative measures and we will continue to incur costs in our efforts to protect against and respond to cyber-attacks and potential cyber-attacks. Also, the use of generative artificial intelligence, or other societal or political developments resulting in periods of increased political tensions and military conflicts, could result in a greater likelihood of cybersecurity incidents that could either directly or indirectly impact our operations. In addition, employee or consultant error, malfeasance, or other errors in the storage, use, or transmission of customer data could result in a breach. Even if a breach is detected, the…

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Previous wording

We generate substantially all of our revenue from the sale of our cloud services either on a consumption or subscription model. To grow, we must continue to attract a large number of customers on a cost-effective basis. While there was no material impact on customer retention as of December 31, 2023, our recent price increase for Computer Backup and B2 Cloud Storage could make it more difficult to attract new customers and retain existing customers, or cause existing customers to reduce the amount of data that they store with us or subscriptions they purchase from us, thus negatively impacting our revenue and business. We have historically used, and plan to increase our use of, a variety of advertising and marketing programs to promote our cloud services. Our sales and marketing investments intended to accelerate the scaling of our business including any expansion of existing programs and new programs to promote our cloud services, may not be successful or provide a reasonable return on investment within a desired timeframe. Significant increases in the pricing of one or more of our advertising channels would increase our advertising and marketing costs or cause us to choose less expensive and perhaps less effective channels. We may also need to expand into channels with significantly higher costs, which could adversely affect our operating results. We may also incur advertising and marketing expenses significantly in advance of the time we anticipate recognizing any revenue generated by such expenses, and we may only at a later date, or never, experience an increase in revenue or brand awareness as a result of such expenditures. If we are unable to maintain effective advertising and marketing programs, our ability to attract new customers could be adversely affected, our advertising and marketing expenses could increase substantially, and our operating results may suffer.

Current wording

We generate substantially all of our revenue from the sale of our cloud services either on a consumption or subscription model. To grow, we must continue to attract a large number of customers on a cost-effective basis. Any price increases could make it more difficult to attract new customers and retain existing customers, or cause existing customers to reduce the amount of data that they store with us, thus negatively impacting our revenue and business. We have historically used, and plan to increase our use of, a variety of advertising and marketing programs to promote our cloud services. Our sales and marketing investments intended to accelerate the scaling of our business, including any expansion of existing programs and new programs to promote our cloud services, may not be successful or provide a reasonable return on investment within a desired timeframe. Significant increases in the pricing of one or more of our advertising channels would increase our advertising and marketing costs or cause us to choose less expensive and perhaps less effective channels. We may also need to expand into channels with significantly higher costs, which could adversely affect our operating results. We may also incur increased sales and marketing expenses and engineering and operating expenses, including infrastructure expenditures, significantly in advance of the time we anticipate recognizing any revenue generated by such expenses, and we may only at a later date, or never, experience an increase in revenue or other benefits as a result of such expenditures. If we are unable to achieve effective advertising and marketing programs or successfully expand our solution offerings and operations, our ability to attract new customers could be adversely affected, our advertising and marketing expenses could increase substantially, and our operating results may suffer.

Previous wording

A portion of our potential customers locate our website through search engines, such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo!. In 2023 we modernized our website to help improve the user experience and increase traffic through search engine optimization to accelerate lead generation, although such efforts may not be as successful as anticipated to increase web traffic and improve the user experience. Our ability to maintain the number of visitors directed to our website is not entirely within our control. If search engine companies modify their search algorithms in a manner that reduces the prominence of our listing, or if our competitors’ search engine optimization efforts are more successful than ours, fewer potential customers may click through to our website. In addition, the cost of purchased listings has increased in the past and may increase in the future. A decrease in website traffic or an increase in promoted search result costs could adversely affect our customer acquisition efforts and our operating results. In addition, we also rely on our blog and word of mouth to drive additional customers. To the extent our blog does not continue to attract readers or if our reputation is harmed, these additional means of attracting customers may no longer provide significant numbers of customers in the future.

Current wording

A portion of our potential customers locate our website through search engines, such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo!. In 2023 we modernized our website to help improve the user experience and increase traffic through search engine optimization to accelerate lead generation, although such efforts may not be as successful as anticipated to increase web traffic and improve the user experience. Our ability to maintain the number of visitors directed to our website is not entirely within our control. If search engine companies modify their search algorithms in a manner that reduces the prominence of our listing, or if our competitors’ search engine optimization efforts are more successful than ours, or if AI results replace traffic from search engines, fewer potential customers may click through to our website. In addition, the cost of purchased listings has increased in the past and may increase in the future. A decrease in website traffic or an increase in promoted search result costs could adversely affect our customer acquisition efforts and our operating results. In addition, we also rely on our blog and word of mouth to drive additional customers. To the extent our blog does not continue to attract readers or if our reputation is harmed, these additional means of attracting customers may no longer provide significant numbers of customers in the future.

Previous wording

In addition, because we offer our Computer Backup cloud service at a fixed price, the amount of data our customers back up affects our costs and gross margins. Subject to certain limitations, we also offer free egress for our B2 Cloud Storage customers. To the extent current or future customers back up unusually large amounts of data, use an excessive amount of egress or growth in the amount of data backed up per customer outpaces decreases in storage costs, our costs and gross margins and infrastructure could be adversely affected.

Current wording

In addition, because we offer our Computer Backup cloud service at a fixed price, the amount of data our customers back up affects our costs and gross margins. Subject to certain limitations, we also offer up to three times free egress for our B2 Cloud Storage customers. To the extent current or future customers back up unusually large amounts of data, use an excessive amount of egress or growth in the amount of data backed up per customer outpaces decreases in storage costs, our costs and gross margins and infrastructure could be adversely affected.

Previous wording

Our industry is marked by rapid technological developments and new and enhanced applications and cloud services. If we are unable to provide enhancements and new features for our existing services or new services that achieve market acceptance or that keep pace with rapid technological developments, our business could be adversely affected. In addition, because our cloud services are designed to operate on a variety of systems, we will need to continuously modify and enhance our cloud services to keep pace with changes in internet-related hardware, operating systems, and other software, communication, browser, and database technologies, including the systems of our partners, vendors, and competitors. We also have limited internal resources and thus need to selectively prioritize features and other development and infrastructure projects, and de-prioritize other such projects. Although we seek to prioritize the projects that we believe are the most important and de-prioritize projects of lesser importance based on the information available to us at any given time, there is no guarantee that our prioritization efforts will achieve the desired market adoption or infrastructure improvements and we may not be successful in either developing these modifications and enhancements or in bringing them to market in a timely fashion. In addition, any failure of our cloud services to operate effectively and on a timely basis with network platforms and technologies could reduce the demand for our cloud services, result in customer dissatisfaction and adversely affect our business. Furthermore, future enhancements, features or offerings may increase our research and development expenses and infrastructure costs, which could adversely impact our pricing advantage, undermine our ease of use, make it more difficult to attract and retain customers, and harm our results of operations.

Current wording

Our industry is marked by rapid technological developments and new and enhanced applications and cloud services. If we are unable to provide enhancements and new features for our existing services or new services that achieve market acceptance or that keep pace with rapid technological developments, our business could be adversely affected. We have recently launched various new product features and other changes, including Event Notification and Live Read. We cannot be certain whether such features and other changes will achieve a desired level of market adoption and return on investment. In addition, because our cloud services are designed to operate on a variety of systems, we will need to continuously modify and enhance our cloud services to keep pace with changes in internet-related hardware, operating systems, and other software, communication, browser, and database technologies, including the systems of our partners, vendors, and competitors. We also have limited internal resources and thus need to selectively prioritize features and other development and infrastructure projects, and de-prioritize other such projects. Although we seek to prioritize the projects that we believe are the most important and de-prioritize projects of lesser importance based on the information available to us at any given time, there is no guarantee that our prioritization efforts will achieve the desired market adoption or infrastructure improvements and we may not be successful in either developing these modifications and enhancements or in bringing them to market in a timely fashion. In addition, any failure of our cloud services to operate effectively and on a timely basis with network platforms and technologies could reduce the demand for our cloud services, result in customer dissatisfaction and adversely affect our business. Furthermore, any enhancements, new features or offerings generally require upfront investments before any potential return on investment, and may increase our research and development expenses and infrastructure costs, which could adversely impact our pricing advantage, undermine our ease of use, make it more difficult to attract and retain customers, and harm our results of operations.

Previous wording

We have recently experienced, and continue to experience, a period of rapid growth. For example, our headcount grew from 188 employees as of December 31, 2020, to 381 employees as of December 31, 2023. Also, in just the last two years the amount of storage deployed by us has increased significantly. The number of customers and customer requests on our network has also increased rapidly in recent years. Our growth may not be sustainable. In 2023, we initiated measures to reduce headcount to pursue greater cost efficiency and align strategic initiatives. These measures were completed during the first nine months of 2023. Nevertheless, in the long term, we expect to continue to expand our operations and to increase our headcount, network, and product offerings significantly. Our growth has placed, and future growth will continue to place, a significant strain on our management, corporate culture, quality of our cloud services, and administrative, operational, security, and financial infrastructure. Our headcount needs may also fluctuate on a quarterly and annual basis and we may seek, and have sought by way of the recent restructuring measures, to “right size” our workforce from time to time due to changing business needs and other conditions, and it may be difficult to effectively manage our workforce on a timely basis in response to such changes. It is also important that we successfully leverage our existing employee base and any headcount growth, particularly as our business grows and the corresponding demands on our business increase. Our success will depend in part on our ability to manage this growth effectively, which will require that we, among other things, continue to improve our administrative, operational, financial, and management systems and controls. If we fail to manage our growth, the quality of our services may suffer, which could negatively affect our brand and reputation and harm our ability to retain and attract customers and employees.

Current wording

We have recently experienced, and continue to experience, a period of rapid growth. The amount of data stored with us and the storage infrastructure deployed by us has increased significantly. The number of customer requests on our network has also increased rapidly in recent years. Our growth may not be sustainable. In 2023 and 2024, we initiated measures to reduce headcount and took other actions to pursue greater cost efficiency and align strategic initiatives. Nevertheless, in the long term, we expect to continue to expand our operations and to increase our headcount, network, and product offerings significantly. Our growth has placed, and future growth may continue to place, a significant strain on our management, corporate culture, quality of our cloud services, and administrative, operational, security, and financial infrastructure. Our headcount needs may also fluctuate on a quarterly and annual basis and we may seek, and have sought by way of the recent restructuring measures, to “right size” our workforce from time to time due to changing business needs and other conditions. It may also be difficult to effectively manage our workforce on a timely basis in response to such changes. It is also important that we successfully leverage our existing employee base and any headcount growth, particularly as our business grows and the corresponding demands on our business increase. Our success will depend in part on our ability to manage this growth effectively, which will require that we, among other things, continue to improve our administrative, operational, financial, and management systems and controls. If we fail to manage our growth, the quality of our services may suffer, which could negatively affect our brand and reputation and harm our ability to retain and attract customers and employees.

Previous wording

We must continue to effectively manage our data center capacity, servers and equipment, and locations. The costs of building out and maintaining our data centers, including the purchase and leasing of equipment, constitute a significant portion of our capital and operating expenses. To manage our data center capacity and the associated capital expenditures, we continuously evaluate our short and long-term data center capacity requirements. However, because our customer retention and the amount of data that they store with us may increase, decline or fluctuate as a result of a number of factors, it is difficult to accurately predict our capacity needs over time. If we underestimate the data center capacity needed to address increases in volume usage, or there is not enough capacity at the data centers at commercially acceptable rates, or at all, we may be unable to increase our data center capacity in an expedient and cost-effective manner, which could result in materially adverse effects on our business and our results of operations. For example, if we are not able to obtain data center capacity on a timely basis, the ability for customers to upload or download data could be negatively impacted. As a result, we might be unable to attract new customers or retain existing customers and could cause existing customers to reduce the amount of data that they store with us. In such a scenario, we may also be required to enter into leases or other agreements for data centers, servers and other equipment that are more expensive than they otherwise would be. It can also take time to add data center capacity, whether at existing data center locations or new locations, and therefore, we may also not be able to expand our data center capacity to address customer needs on a timely basis. In addition, many of our data center sites are subject to multi-year leases. If our capacity needs are reduced, or if we decide to close a data center, we may nonetheless be committed to perform our obligations under the applicable leases including, among other things, paying the base rent for the balance of the lease term and continuing to pay for any servers or other equipment. If we overestimate our data center capacity requirements, and therefore secure excess data center capacity and servers or other equipment, then our capital expenditures could be materially increased and our operating margins could be materially reduced.

Current wording

We must continue to effectively manage our infrastructure, including capital expenditures to maintain and expand our data center capacity, servers and equipment, and locations. The costs of building out and maintaining our data centers, including the purchase and leasing of equipment, constitute a significant portion of our capital and operating expenses. To manage our data center capacity and the associated capital expenditures, we continuously evaluate our short and long-term data center capacity requirements. However, because our customer retention and the amount of data that they store with us may increase, decline or fluctuate as a result of a number of factors, it is difficult to accurately predict our capacity needs over time. If we underestimate the data center capacity needed to address increases in volume usage, or there is not enough capacity at the data centers at commercially acceptable rates, or at all, we may be unable to increase our data center capacity in an expedient and cost-effective manner, which could result in materially adverse effects on our business and our results of operations. For example, if we are not able to obtain data center capacity on a timely basis, the ability for customers to upload or download data could be negatively impacted. As a result, we might be unable to attract new customers or retain existing customers and could cause existing customers to reduce the amount of data that they store with us. In such a scenario, we may also be required to enter into leases or other agreements for data centers, servers and other equipment that are more expensive than they otherwise would be as a result of the increased demand and competition in the market for data center capacity. It can also take time to add data center capacity, whether at existing data center locations or new locations, and therefore, we may also not be able to expand our data center capacity to address customer needs on a timely basis. In addition, many of our data center sites are subject to multi-year leases. If our capacity needs are reduced, or if we decide to close a data center, we may nonetheless be committed to perform our obligations under the applicable leases including, among other things, paying the base rent for the balance of the lease term and continuing to pay for any servers or other equipment. If we overestimate our data center capacity requirements, and therefore secure excess data center capacity and servers or other equipment, then our capital expenditures could be materially increased and our operating margins could be materially reduced. To the extent we pursue any expansion of our data center footprint, our infrastructure and maintenance costs will increase. In addition, we will generally incur expenses in advance of receiving any increase in customers, revenue or other benefits. Any expansion outside of the United States will also increase the costs of compliance with local laws and regulations. As a result, we may not be…

Excerpt shortened here; the source contains the full paragraph.

Previous wording

It is important for our business that our customers continue to use, and even increase their use of, our cloud services. Many of our customers can terminate their use of our cloud services at will with little-to-no advance notice. Even though some of our customers enter into longer-term multi-year agreements, they generally have no obligation to renew their subscriptions or increase usage. Due to our varied customer base and lack of long-term customer and usage commitments, it can be difficult to accurately predict our customer retention rate on a quarterly basis or long-term basis. Our customer retention and the amount of data that they store with us may decline or fluctuate as a result of a number of factors, including potential customer dissatisfaction with our cloud services and offerings; pricing plans; our customers’ own business conditions; customer decisions to delete unneeded or redundant data; the perception, whether or not accurate, that competitive products provide better options; changes in our brand or reputation; and overall general economic conditions. Our recent price increase for Computer Backup and B2 Cloud Storage could make it more difficult to attract new customers and retain existing customers, or cause existing customers to reduce the amount of data that they store with us or subscriptions they purchase from us. Our future financial performance also depends in part on our ability to continue to increase revenue from our customers through additional paid products, such as Enterprise Control and multi-region selection. Our customers’ decision whether to opt for additional paid products is driven by a number of factors. If our customers do not perceive the value in such additional paid offerings, we may not realize the anticipated benefits of our investments in such additional features, and our financial results could be harmed. If we cannot successfully retain our existing customers and add new customers consistent with historical rates, including maintaining or growing the amount of data that our customers store with us, our revenue and ability to grow may be adversely affected.

Current wording

It is important for our business that our customers continue to use, and even increase their use of, our cloud services. Many of our customers can terminate their use of our cloud services at will with little-to-no advance notice. Even though some of our customers enter into longer-term multi-year agreements, they generally have no obligation to renew their subscriptions or increase usage. Due to our varied customer base and lack of long-term customer and usage commitments, it can be difficult to accurately predict our customer retention rate on a quarterly basis or long-term basis. Our customer retention and the amount of data that they store with us may decline or fluctuate as a result of a number of factors, including potential customer dissatisfaction with our cloud services and offerings; pricing plans; our customers’ own business conditions; customer decisions to delete unneeded or redundant data; the perception, whether or not accurate, that competitive products provide better options; changes in our brand or reputation; and overall general economic conditions. Our recent price increase for Computer Backup and B2 Cloud Storage could make it more difficult to attract new customers and retain existing customers, or cause existing customers to reduce the amount of data that they store with us or subscriptions they purchase from us. Our future financial performance also depends in part on our ability to continue to increase revenue from our customers through new features and additional paid products, such as Event Notifications, Live Read, Enterprise Control and multi-region selection. Our customers’ decision whether to opt for additional paid products is driven by a number of factors. If our customers do not perceive the value in such additional paid offerings, we may not realize the anticipated benefits of our investments in such additional features, and our financial results could be harmed. If we cannot successfully retain our existing customers and add new customers consistent with historical rates, including maintaining or growing the amount of data that our customers store with us, our revenue and ability to grow may be adversely affected.

Previous wording

Historically, most of our customers consisted of small-to-medium sized businesses and individuals. Our growth strategy is in part dependent upon attracting and retaining customers that are larger businesses and organizations. To the extent we target other types of customers or customers with different or specific needs, we may face greater demand for certain service enhancements or features that we do not currently offer, or additional performance, availability, durability, and security requirements. We may face increased competition from some of our competitors that typically target larger businesses and organizations and that may have pre-existing relationships or purchase commitments, that may have more experienced sales personnel or greater budgetary resources available to target larger customers, or that may be able to bundle other services with an offering that is competitive with ours. Certain types of customers may also have longer sales cycles, less predictability or higher volatility in the amount of data they store with us, increased pricing or negotiation leverage, and increased customer education and overall customer engagement needs. In addition, some customers may demand more customization, integration, and support services. Any of these factors could require us to devote greater sales, engineering, marketing, operations, and support services as well as make significant infrastructure changes, which could increase our costs, divert key resources from other current and prospective customers, and otherwise adversely affect our business and operating results. These increased demands and challenges may also be for the benefit of a limited number of customers. Moreover, we cannot assure you that any such efforts will be successful or justify the additional investments in a timely manner, or at all.

Current wording

Historically, most of our customers consisted of small-to-medium sized businesses and individuals. Our growth strategy is in part dependent upon attracting and retaining customers that are larger businesses and organizations. To the extent we target other types of customers or customers with different or specific needs, we may face greater demand for certain service enhancements or features that we do not currently offer, or additional performance, availability, durability, and security requirements. We may also face greater peak demands on our infrastructure from customers using our platform that could temporarily impact the quality of our services, strain our resources, increase our operating costs or require additional capital expenditures. We may face increased competition from some of our competitors that typically target larger businesses and organizations and that may have pre-existing relationships or purchase commitments, that may have more experienced sales personnel or greater budgetary resources available to target larger customers, or that may be able to bundle other services with an offering that is competitive with ours. Certain types of customers may also have longer sales cycles, less predictability or higher volatility in the amount of data they store with us, increased pricing or negotiation leverage, and increased customer education, prolonged contract negotiations and overall customer engagement needs. In addition, some customers may demand more customization, integration, and support services. Any of these factors could require us to devote greater sales, engineering, marketing, operations, and support services as well as make significant infrastructure changes, which could increase our costs, divert key resources from other current and prospective customers, and otherwise adversely affect our business and operating results. These increased demands and challenges may also be for the benefit of a limited number of customers. In addition, the loss of any larger customers will have a greater impact on our financial results than the loss of smaller customers, which could cause our financial results to fluctuate more significantly from period to period. Moreover, we cannot assure you that our efforts to attract and retain customers will be successful or justify the additional investments in a timely manner, or at all.

Previous wording

Our quarterly results of operations may vary significantly in the future. Accordingly, the results of any one quarter should not be relied upon as an indication of future performance. Our quarterly results of operations may fluctuate as a result of a variety of factors, many of which are outside of our control, and as a result may not fully reflect the underlying performance of our business. Fluctuation in quarterly results may negatively impact the trading price of our Class A common stock. Factors that may cause fluctuations in our quarterly results of operations include, without limitation:

Current wording

Our quarterly results of operations may vary significantly in the future. Accordingly, the results of any one quarter should not be relied upon as an indication of future performance. Our quarterly results of operations may fluctuate as a result of a variety of factors, many of which are outside of our control, and as a result may not fully reflect the underlying performance of our business. Fluctuation in quarterly results may negatively impact the trading price of our common stock. Factors that may cause fluctuations in our quarterly results of operations include, without limitation:

Previous wording

For example, in addition to the risks from sanctions and other restrictions discussed elsewhere in these Risk Factors in connection with the Russian attack on Ukraine that began in February 2022, in order to help the people of Ukraine facing a humanitarian crisis, while it is subject to change, we are currently waiving charges for our services for customers based in Ukraine. We are also unable to receive payments from customers in certain regions that are subject to banking or other credit card payment restrictions, including Russia and Belarus. Although we do not have a significant amount of customers located in these regions, such actions will have some impact on our business. The Russian-Ukraine conflict has also caused oil prices to rise and increased the risk of disruption to the supply chain for oil, and the Israel-Hamas conflict may cause similar effects, particularly if those tensions escalate into a wider Middle East conflict, which could result in higher energy costs for our business and data centers, which could negatively impact our results of operations. The hostilities in various places around the world could also escalate further and directly or indirectly involve other countries, including the United States, which could cause a greater impact on us and our customers, partners and supplies.

Current wording

For example, although we do not have a significant amount of customers located in Ukraine and Russia, the Russian-Ukraine conflict has caused oil prices to rise and increased the risk of disruption to the supply chain for oil. The Israel-Hamas conflict also resulted in some similar effects. The hostilities in various places around the world could also escalate further and directly or indirectly involve other countries, including the United States, which could cause a greater impact on us and our customers, partners and supplies.

Previous wording

To execute our business strategy, we must attract and retain highly qualified personnel. Competition for executive officers, software developers, sales personnel, operational personnel, and other key employees in our industry is intense. In particular, we compete with many other companies for software developers with high levels of experience in designing, developing, and managing cloud-based software, as well as for skilled sales and operations professionals. In addition, we believe that the success of our business and corporate culture depends on employing a diverse workforce, and the competition for such personnel is significant. The market for such talented personnel is particularly competitive in the San Francisco Bay Area, where our headquarters is located. Many of the companies with which we compete for experienced personnel have greater resources than we do and can frequently offer such personnel substantially greater compensation than we can offer. In addition, in 2024 we implemented a new commission structure for our sales team. If our new sales commission program does not effectively incentivize our sales team at appropriate compensation levels, we may not be successful in retaining or hiring qualified sales personnel, obtaining new customers, increasing sales to our existing customer base, or effectively managing compensation levels. In addition, we may be unsuccessful at retaining our key employees, and it may take significant time for new employees to achieve full productivity, either of which would adversely impact our business, results of operations, and financial condition. If we fail to attract new personnel, including accomplished executive talent, or if we fail to retain and motivate our current personnel, our business would be harmed. In addition, if we are unable to hire new employees on a timely basis or reach productive levels in a short time frame, new growth initiatives and other projects may be delayed or otherwise disrupted, which could cause us to miss our performance goals and negatively impact our business.

Current wording

To execute our business strategy, we must attract and retain highly qualified personnel. Competition for executive officers, software developers, sales personnel, operational personnel, and other key employees in our industry is intense. In particular, we compete with many other companies for software developers with high levels of experience in designing, developing, and managing cloud-based software, as well as for skilled sales and operations professionals. In addition, we believe that the success of our business and corporate culture depends on employing a diverse workforce, and the competition for such personnel is significant. The market for such talented personnel is particularly competitive in the San Francisco Bay Area, where our headquarters is located. Many of the companies with which we compete for experienced personnel have greater resources than we do and can frequently offer such personnel substantially greater compensation than we can offer. In addition, in 2024 we implemented a new commission structure for our sales team and expect to periodically optimize our commission structure. If our sales commission program does not effectively incentivize our sales team at appropriate compensation levels, we may not be successful in retaining or hiring qualified sales personnel, obtaining new customers, increasing sales to our existing customer base, or effectively managing compensation levels. We also rely from time to time on hiring employees from foreign countries, which may require immigration requirements. The immigration process can be subject to frequent changes and limitations, and we may experience difficulty in obtaining visas permitting entry for some of our employees that are foreign nationals into the United States, and delays in obtaining visas permitting entry into other key countries, which could negatively impact our ability to strategically locate our personnel. In addition, we may be unsuccessful at retaining our key employees, and it may take significant time for new employees to achieve full productivity, either of which would adversely impact our business, results of operations, and financial condition. If we fail to attract new personnel, including accomplished executive talent, or if we fail to retain and motivate our current personnel, our business would be harmed. In addition, if we are unable to hire new employees on a timely basis or reach productive levels in a short time frame, new growth initiatives and other projects may be delayed or otherwise disrupted, which could cause us to miss our performance goals and negatively impact our business.

Previous wording

We have a culture that encourages employees to be open, collaborate, strive to do the right thing, and develop and launch new and innovative solutions, which we believe is essential to attracting customers and partners and serving the best, long-term interests of our company. As our business grows and becomes more complex, and now that we are a public company, it may become more difficult to maintain this cultural emphasis. Any failure to preserve our culture could negatively affect our ability to retain and recruit personnel, which is critical to our growth, and to effectively focus on and pursue our strategies. If we fail to maintain our company culture, our business and competitive position may be harmed.

Current wording

We have a culture that encourages employees to be open, collaborate, strive to do the right thing, and develop and launch new and innovative solutions, which we believe is essential to attracting customers and partners and serving the best, long-term interests of our company. As our business grows and becomes more complex, it may become more difficult to maintain culture aligned across the Company. Any failure to preserve our culture could negatively affect our ability to retain and recruit personnel, which is critical to our growth, and to effectively focus on and pursue our strategies. If we fail to maintain our company culture, our business and competitive position may be harmed.

Previous wording

As we expand our operations outside the United States, we may be subject to increased business, regulatory and economic risks that could impact our results of operations.

Current wording

Our operations and those of our customers, vendors and suppliers outside the United States, are subject to increased business, regulatory and economic risks that could impact our results of operations.

Previous wording

In 2023, we derived approximately 28% of our revenue from customers outside of the United States. We may also expand our international operations, which mayinclude the establishment of foreign subsidiaries, the opening and expansion of data centers, hiring employees, building out technical infrastructure, and opening offices in foreign jurisdictions. Any new markets or countries into which we attempt to market and sell our cloud services may not be receptive. For example, we may be unable to expand further in some markets if we are unable to satisfy various government- and region-specific requirements. In addition, our ability to manage our business and conduct our operations internationally requires considerable management attention and resources and is subject to the particular challenges and complexities of deploying infrastructure internationally and supporting a rapidly growing business in an environment of multiple languages, cultures, customs, legal and regulatory systems, alternative dispute systems, and commercial markets. International expansion has required, and will continue to require, investment of significant funds and other resources. Growth in our international operations will subject us to new risks and may increase risks that we currently face, including risks associated with:

Current wording

In 2024, we derived approximately 26% of our revenue from customers outside of the United States and have customers in over 175 countries worldwide. In addition to a previously existing data center region based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, we also opened a new data center region in Toronto, Canada and wholly owned subsidiary in Canada in January 2025. We may continue to expand our international operations, which mayinclude the establishment of foreign subsidiaries, the opening and expansion of data centers, hiring employees, building out technical infrastructure, and opening offices in foreign jurisdictions. Any new markets or countries into which we attempt to market and sell our cloud services may not be receptive. For example, we may be unable to expand further in some markets if we are unable to satisfy various government- and region-specific requirements, and the increased costs of compliance with local laws and regulations or standards in other countries may further increase the costs and result in delays, and, as a result, we may not be able to recover the cost of these investments, which could materially adversely affect our business and results of operations. In addition, our ability to manage our business and conduct our operations internationally requires considerable management attention and resources and is subject to the particular challenges and complexities of deploying infrastructure internationally and supporting a rapidly growing business in an environment of multiple languages, cultures, customs, legal and regulatory systems, alternative dispute systems, and commercial markets. International expansion has required, and will continue to require, investment of significant funds and other resources. Growth in our international operations will subject us to new risks and may increase risks that we currently face, including risks associated with:

Previous wording

•compliance with applicable international laws and regulations, including laws and regulations with respect to privacy, data protection, consumer protection, and unsolicited email, and the risk of penalties to our users and individual members of management or employees if our practices are deemed to be out of compliance, and additional laws and regulations in the United States that are applicable to international operations;

Current wording

•compliance with applicable international laws and regulations, including laws and regulations with respect to privacy, data protection, consumer protection, data sovereignty, and unsolicited email, and the risk of penalties to our users and individual members of management or employees if our practices are deemed to be out of compliance, and additional laws and regulations in the United States that are applicable to international operations;

Previous wording

Expanding our international operations and complying with applicable laws and regulations may substantially increase our cost of doing business in international jurisdictions. We may also be unable to keep current with changes in laws and regulations as they develop, and we or our employees, contractors, partners, and agents may fail to maintain compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Any violations could result in enforcement actions, fines, civil and criminal penalties, damages, injunctions, or reputational harm. If we are unable to comply with these laws and regulations or manage the complexity of our global operations successfully, our business, results of operations, and financial condition could be adversely affected.

Current wording

Expanding our international operations and complying with applicable laws and regulations may substantially increase our cost of doing business in international jurisdictions. We may also be unable to keep current with changes in laws and regulations as they develop, and we or our employees, contractors, partners, and agents may fail to maintain compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Any violations could result in enforcement actions, fines, civil and criminal penalties, damages, injunctions, or reputational harm. We also have numerous international partners and suppliers that could result in a direct or indirect impact on our business based on the international risks described above. If we, or our partners and suppliers, are unable to comply with these laws and regulations or manage the complexity of our global operations successfully, our business, results of operations, and financial condition could be adversely affected.

Previous wording

Our operations and financial performance depend in part on worldwide economic conditions and the impact these conditions have on levels of spending on cloud storage solutions. Our business depends on the overall demand for these products and on the economic health and general willingness of our current and prospective customers to purchase our cloud services. Some of our paying customers may view use of cloud storage services as a discretionary purchase and may reduce their discretionary spending on our cloud services during an economic downturn. Weak economic conditions, whether due to the banking and financial crises, a return of pandemic conditions, inflation, uncertainty relating to the hostilities with Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas, and the potential escalation of geopolitical tensions that could also directly or indirectly involve other countries, including the United States, could cause a reduction in spending on products and solutions storage. Inflation has increased significantly over levels from the last few years in the United States amid a slowing economy and there are numerous indicators suggesting a potential economic recession in the United States and other regions of the world. Any such conditions could reduce sales, lengthen sales cycles, increase customer churn, and lower demand for our cloud services, which could adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition. We also have been, and may in the future be, subject to increased energy costs, particularly with respect to our data center operations in Europe and elsewhere, which could adversely affect our expenses and business.

Current wording

Our operations and financial performance depend in part on worldwide economic conditions and the impact these conditions have on levels of spending on cloud storage solutions. Our business depends on the overall demand for these products and on the economic health and general willingness of our current and prospective customers to purchase our cloud services. Some of our paying customers may view use of cloud storage services as a discretionary purchase and may reduce their discretionary spending on our cloud services during an economic downturn. Weak economic conditions, whether due to the banking and financial crises, a return of pandemic conditions, inflation, uncertainty relating to the hostilities with Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas, and the potential escalation of geopolitical tensions that could also directly or indirectly involve other countries, including the United States, could cause a reduction in spending on products and solutions storage. Inflation has increased significantly over levels from the last few years in the United States amid a slowing economy and there are numerous indicators suggesting a potential economic recession in the United States and other regions of the world. Any such conditions could reduce sales, lengthen sales cycles, increase customer churn, and lower demand for our cloud services, which could adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition. We also have been, and may in the future be, subject to increased energy costs, particularly with respect to our data center operations in Europe and elsewhere, which could adversely affect our expenses and business. In addition, the change in administration as a result of the 2024 U.S. presidential election could lead to changes in economic conditions or economic uncertainties in the United States and globally. It is presently unclear exactly what actions the U.S. will implement, and if implemented, how these actions may impact our business. However, changes to global trade dynamics, including the imposition of tariffs, trade restrictions or retaliatory actions, could have a material adverse impact on our business and results of operations.

Previous wording

We may need additional financing to operate or grow our business. Our ability to obtain additional financing, if and when required, will depend on investor and lender demand, our operating performance, the condition of the capital markets, and other factors. For example, we often use leases to finance the equipment we use to provide our cloud-based services, and we have a revolving credit agreement with City National Bank. In addition, the stock market has recently experienced significant volatility, including with respect to technology stocks, due to high inflation, various economic headwinds and other factors. In the event of a failure of any financial institutions where we maintain deposits, we may lose timely access to our funds at such institutions and incur significant losses to the extent our funds exceed the $250,000 limit insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. In addition, we use City National Bank, a subsidiary of RBC, for our banking needs. While we and our bank have not been directly affected by the failures of certain banks, the banking industry overall has experienced disruption, greater uncertainty, and tightened lending standards. This may result in reduced access to capital, increased costs of capital, and reduced opportunities to invest with investment grade securities, which could also lower investment yields and investment income. Any such impact could have a material adverse effect upon our liquidity and business. Without additional access to this kind of capital on commercially reasonable terms, or at all, we may not be able to respond to increased demand for our cloud services on a timely or cost-effective basis. We cannot guarantee that additional financing will be available to us on favorable terms when required, or at all. If we raise additional funds through the issuance of equity, equity-linked, or debt securities, those securities may have rights, preferences, or privileges senior to the rights of our Class A common stock, and our existing stockholders may experience dilution. If we are unable to obtain adequate financing or financing on terms satisfactory to us when we require it, our ability to continue to support the operation or growth of our business could be significantly impaired and our operating results may be harmed.

Current wording

We may need additional financing to operate or grow our business. Our ability to obtain additional financing, if and when required, will depend on investor and lender demand, our operating performance, the condition of the capital markets, and other factors. For example, we often use leases to finance the equipment we use to provide our cloud-based services. In addition, the stock market has recently experienced significant volatility, including with respect to technology stocks, due to high inflation, various economic headwinds and other factors. In the event of a failure of any financial institutions where we maintain deposits, we may lose timely access to our funds at such institutions and incur significant losses to the extent our funds exceed the $250,000 limit insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. In addition, we use one or more commercial banks for our banking needs. While we and the banks we have used to date have not been directly affected by the failures of certain banks in 2023, the banking industry overall has experienced disruption, greater uncertainty, and tightened lending standards. This may result in reduced access to capital, increased costs of capital, and reduced opportunities to invest with investment grade securities, which could also lower investment yields and investment income. Any such impact could have a material adverse effect upon our liquidity and business. In addition, in December 2024, we terminated our loan and security agreement with City National Bank, which included a revolving line of credit. While that line of credit was limited due to a requirement to fully collateralize any loan amounts by cash, we do not currently have a replacement line of credit or other equivalent arrangement. Without additional access to these kinds of capital on commercially reasonable terms, or at all, we may not be able to respond to increased demand for our cloud services on a timely or cost-effective basis. We cannot guarantee that additional financing will be available to us on favorable terms when required, or at all. If we raise additional funds through the issuance of equity, equity-linked, or debt securities, those securities may have rights, preferences, or privileges senior to the rights of our Class A common stock, and our existing stockholders may experience dilution. If we are unable to obtain adequate financing or financing on terms satisfactory to us when we require it, our ability to continue to support the operation or growth of our business could be significantly impaired and our operating results may be harmed.

Previous wording

We are an emerging growth company, and for as long as we continue to be an emerging growth company, we may choose to take advantage of exemptions from various reporting requirements applicable to other public companies but not to “emerging growth companies,” including: not being required to have our independent registered public accounting firm audit our internal control over financial reporting under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended (the Sarbanes Oxley Act), reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. Under the JOBS Act, emerging growth companies can also delay adopting new or revised accounting standards until such time as those standards apply to private companies. We have elected to avail ourselves of this accommodation allowing for delayed adoption of new or revised accounting standards, and therefore, we will not be subject to the same new or revised accounting standards as other public companies that are not emerging growth companies. We could be an emerging growth company for up to five years following the completion of our IPO or until we reach certain thresholds. Investors may find our Class A common stock less attractive due to our election to rely on these exemptions and there may be a less active trading market for our Class A common stock and the market price of our Class A common stock may be more volatile.

Current wording

We are an emerging growth company, and for as long as we continue to be an emerging growth company, we may choose to take advantage of exemptions from various reporting requirements applicable to other public companies but not to “emerging growth companies,” including: not being required to have our independent registered public accounting firm audit our internal control over financial reporting under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended (the Sarbanes Oxley Act), reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. Under the JOBS Act, emerging growth companies can also delay adopting new or revised accounting standards until such time as those standards apply to private companies. We have elected to avail ourselves of this accommodation allowing for delayed adoption of new or revised accounting standards, and therefore, we will not be subject to the same new or revised accounting standards as other public companies that are not emerging growth companies. We could be an emerging growth company for up to five years following the completion of our IPO or until we reach certain thresholds. Investors may find our common stock less attractive due to our election to rely on these exemptions and there may be a less active trading market for our common stock and the market price of our common stock may be more volatile.

Previous wording

Certain estimates and information contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including general expectations concerning our industry and the market in which we operate, market opportunity, and market size, are subject to significant uncertainty and are based on assumptions and estimates that may not prove to be accurate. Moreover, much of this information is based on information provided by third-party providers. Although we believe the information from such third-party sources is reliable, we have not independently verified the accuracy or completeness of the data contained in such third-party sources or the methodologies for collecting such data, and such information may also not prove to be accurate. If there are any limitations or errors with respect to such data or methodologies, our business opportunities may be limited, which could negatively affect our shares of Class A common stock. Even if the markets in which we compete meet the size estimates and growth forecasted in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, our business could fail to grow at similar rates, if at all.

Current wording

Certain estimates and information contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including general expectations concerning our industry and the market in which we operate, market opportunity, and market size, are subject to significant uncertainty and are based on assumptions and estimates that may not prove to be accurate. Moreover, much of this information is based on information provided by third-party providers. Although we believe the information from such third-party sources is reliable, we have not independently verified the accuracy or completeness of the data contained in such third-party sources or the methodologies for collecting such data, and such information may also not prove to be accurate. If there are any limitations or errors with respect to such data or methodologies, our business opportunities may be limited, which could negatively affect our shares of common stock. Even if the markets in which we compete meet the size estimates and growth forecasted in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, our business could fail to grow at similar rates, if at all.

Previous wording

We may become subject to legal proceedings, investigations, and claims that arise in the ordinary course of business. For example, we may be subject to claims brought by customers, vendors or other third parties in connection with various types of disputes, including relating to commercial or contract matters, violation of securities laws, intellectual property laws or other laws, or privacy or other data breaches, or employment claims made by our current or former employees. Litigation can often be expensive, even when there is a successful outcome, and can divert management’s attention and resources, which could harm our business and financial condition. Any adverse outcome could also result in significant monetary damages or other types of unfavorable relief, which could harm our business as well as our reputation. Although we may have various insurance policies, insurance might not cover such claims or provide sufficient payments to cover all the costs to resolve one or more such claims, and might not continue to be available on terms acceptable to us, including premium increases or the imposition of large deductible or co-insurance requirements. In addition, we may also be subject to subpoena requests from third parties as well as governmental agencies from time to time that require us to provide certain information relating to matters targeted against other third parties, which can be time consuming.

Current wording

We are and may become subject to legal proceedings, investigations, and claims that arise in the ordinary course of business. For example, we are and may be subject to claims brought by customers, vendors or other third parties in connection with various types of disputes, including relating to commercial or contract matters, violation of securities laws, intellectual property laws or other laws, or privacy or other data breaches, or employment claims made by our current or former employees. Litigation can often be expensive, even when there is a successful outcome, and can divert management’s attention and resources, which could harm our business and financial condition. Any adverse outcome could also result in significant monetary damages or other types of unfavorable relief, which could harm our business as well as our reputation. Although we may have various insurance policies, insurance might not cover such claims or provide sufficient payments to cover all the costs to resolve one or more such claims, and might not continue to be available on terms acceptable to us, including premium increases or the imposition of large deductible or co-insurance requirements. In addition, we are also and may also be subject to subpoena requests from third parties as well as governmental agencies from time to time that require us to provide certain information relating to matters targeted against other third parties, which can be time consuming.

Previous wording

We also rely on key components for our platform, including hard drives and semiconductors, which come from limited sources of supply. For example, the 2011 Thailand floods decreased hard drive supply globally due to related manufacturing stoppages. A similar decrease in hard drive availability could negatively impact our operations. Various events, including a pandemic or fluctuating demands in the cryptocurrency mining markets have impacted, and could impact in the future, our ability to source components in a timely and cost-effective manner from third-party suppliers. For example, for a limited period of time starting in April 2020, we acquired additional hard drives and related infrastructure through finance lease agreements in order to minimize the impact of potential supply chain disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The additional leased hard drives resulted in a higher balance of capital equipment and related lease liability, an increase in cash used in financing activities from principal payments, as well as a higher ongoing interest and depreciation expense related to these lease agreements. The semiconductor industry also experienced a global chip shortage due to the COVID-19 pandemic and various other factors. Current or future supply chain interruptions that could be exacerbated by global political tensions, such as the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas hostilities, or tensions between Taiwan and China, particularly if those tensions escalate into an armed conflict or directly or indirectly involve other countries, including the United States, that could disrupt the global supply chain and result in the implementation of trade barriers, including boycotts or the use of economic sanctions and export control restrictions, any of which could negatively impact our ability to acquire hard drives and semiconductors. In addition, our business could be harmed in the event of any industry consolidations, acquisitions or other restructuring events. For example, in September 2023, Toshiba Corp., one of our hard drive suppliers, announced the completion of a buy-out by various private equity firms and others. Also, in October 2023, Western Digital, another one of our hard drive suppliers, announced that it would spin-out its hard drive and other selected businesses into a separate company. Although the Toshiba buyout and Western Digital spin-out have not resulted in any material impact to our business to date, such industry consolidations, acquisitions or other restructuring events of third party vendors or partners may increase the likelihood of changes at such vendors and partners that could adversely affect our business. Any shortage of key components, including hard drives, could materially and adversely affect our ability to provide our cloud services, as well as negatively impact our financial results by increasing our costs, lease liabilities, interest and depreciation expenses, and inventory levels. Shortages or pricing fluctuations co…

Excerpt shortened here; the source contains the full paragraph.

Current wording

We also rely on key components for our platform, including hard drives and semiconductors, which come from limited sources of supply. Any decrease in hard drive availability could negatively impact our operations. Various events, including without limitation, periodic semiconductor industry shortages, a pandemic or fluctuating demands in AI, could impact our ability to source components in a timely and cost-effective manner from third-party suppliers. From time to time, we may also seek to mitigate the impact of potential supply chain disruptions by acquiring additional hard drives and related infrastructure, which can result in a higher balance of capital equipment and related lease liability, an increase in cash used in financing activities from principal payments, as well as a higher ongoing interest and depreciation expense related to any additional lease agreements. Current or future supply chain interruptions could be triggered or exacerbated by global political tensions, such as the imposition, or threat of potential imposition, of tariffs or other trade restrictions, hostilities or tensions such as the Russia-Ukraine, Israel-Hamas and China-Taiwan conflicts, particularly if those tensions escalate into an armed conflict or directly or indirectly involve other countries, which may include the implementation of trade barriers, including boycotts or the use of economic sanctions and export control restrictions, any of which could negatively impact our ability to acquire hard drives and semiconductors. In addition, our business could be harmed in the event of any industry consolidations, acquisitions, other restructuring events or bankruptcies. For example, in September 2023, Toshiba Corp., one of our hard drive suppliers, announced the completion of a buy-out by various private equity firms and others. Also, in October 2023, Western Digital, another one of our hard drive suppliers, announced that it would spin-out its hard drive and other selected businesses into a separate company. Although the Toshiba buyout and Western Digital spin-out have not resulted in any material impact to our business to date, such industry consolidations, acquisitions or other restructuring events of third party vendors or partners may increase the likelihood of closure or other changes at such vendors and partners that could adversely affect our business. Also, a third party vendor that operated one of our multiple data center locations filed for bankruptcy under Chapter 11 under the United States Bankruptcy Code in 2022. This bankruptcy matter was resolved without disruption to normal operations, but future bankruptcies or similar actions affecting our third-party hosted data center providers could result in disruptions to the company, and access to customer data may become unavailable or customer data could be lost, and it may take a significant period of time to achieve full resumption of our cloud services. Any shortage of key components, including hard drive…

Excerpt shortened here; the source contains the full paragraph.

Previous wording

We rely on third-party software to provide many essential financial and operational services to support our business, including HubSpot, NetSuite, PagerDuty, and Zendesk. Some of these vendors are less established and have shorter operating histories than traditional software vendors. Moreover, many of these vendors provide their services to us via a cloud-based model instead of software that is installed on our premises. As a result, we depend upon these vendors to provide us with services that are always available and are free of errors or defects that could cause disruptions in our business processes. Any failure by these vendors to do so, or any disruption in our ability to access the internet, would materially and adversely affect our ability to manage our operations, disrupt the delivery of our cloud services to customers, and affect other areas such as our ability to timely provide required financial reporting.

Current wording

We rely on third-party software to provide many essential financial and operational services to support our business, including HubSpot, NetSuite, FireHydrant, and Zendesk. Some of these vendors are less established and have shorter operating histories than traditional software vendors. Moreover, many of these vendors provide their services to us via a cloud-based model instead of software that is installed on our premises. As a result, we depend upon these vendors to provide us with services that are always available and are free of errors or defects that could cause disruptions in our business processes. Any failure by these vendors to do so, or any disruption in our ability to access the internet, would materially and adversely affect our ability to manage our operations, disrupt the delivery of our cloud services to customers, and affect other areas such as our ability to timely provide required financial reporting.

Previous wording

We are an emerging growth company, and any decision on our part to comply only with certain reduced reporting and disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies could make our Class A common stock less attractive to investors.

Current wording

We are an emerging growth company, which provides, among other things, reduced disclosure requirements, and any decision on our part to comply only with reduced reporting and disclosure requirements applicable to such companies could make our Common Stock less attractive to investors.

Previous wording

As of June 30, 2023, we qualified as a “smaller reporting company,” as defined in the Exchange Act. For as long as we continue to be a smaller reporting company, we may choose to take advantage of exemptions from various reporting requirements applicable to other public companies that are not smaller reporting companies, including, but not limited to, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements and only being required to provide two years of audited financial statements in annual reports.

Current wording

As of June 30, 2024, we continued to qualify as an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the securities law. For as long as we continue to be an emerging growth company, we have taken, and may continue to take, advantage of exemptions from various reporting requirements applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies. These exemptions include, but are not limited to, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, reduced certain financial disclosure requirements and exemption from the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. By taking advantage of some or all of the reduced disclosure requirements available to emerging growth companies, investors may find our common stock less attractive, which may result in a less active trading market for our common stock and greater stock price volatility.

Previous wording

We have identified material weaknesses in our internal controls over financial reporting, and the failure to achieve and maintain effective internal controls over financial reporting could harm our business and negatively impact the value of our Class A common stock.

Current wording

The failure to maintain effective internal controls over financial reporting could harm our business and negatively impact the value of our common stock.

Previous wording

We have identified material weaknesses in our internal controls over financial reporting, and if we are not able to effectively remediate our material weaknesses or are otherwise unable to maintain an effective system of internal controls over financial reporting, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results or timely file our periodic reports. As a result, investors may lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports, and the market price of our Class A common stock may be materially impacted.

Current wording

We have previously identified material weaknesses in our internal controls over financial reporting, which we remediated. However, if we are not able to maintain an effective system of internal controls over financial reporting, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results or timely file our periodic reports. As a result, investors may lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports, and the market price of our common stock may be materially impacted.

Previous wording

Our independent registered public accounting firm is not required to formally attest to the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting until after we are no longer an “emerging growth company” as defined in the JOBS Act. At such time, our independent registered public accounting firm may issue a report that is adverse in the event it is not satisfied with the level at which our internal controls over financial reporting is documented, designed, or operating. Any failure to maintain effective disclosure controls and internal controls over financial reporting could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition and could cause a decline in the trading price of our Class A common stock.

Current wording

Our independent registered public accounting firm is not required to attest to the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting until after we are no longer an “emerging growth company” as defined in the JOBS Act. At such time, our independent registered public accounting firm may issue a report that is adverse in the event it is not satisfied with the level at which our internal controls over financial reporting is documented, designed, or operating. Any failure to maintain effective disclosure controls and internal controls over financial reporting could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition and could cause a decline in the trading price of our Class A common stock.

Previous wording

If we fail to maintain an effective system of disclosure controls and internal control over financial reporting, we may be unable to produce timely and accurate financial statements or comply with applicable regulations, which could negatively impact the price of our Class A common stock.

Current wording

If we fail to maintain an effective system of disclosure controls and internal control over financial reporting, we may be unable to produce timely and accurate financial statements or comply with applicable regulations, which could negatively impact the price of our common stock.

Previous wording

As a public company, we are subject to the reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act), the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and the rules and regulations of the Nasdaq Global Market. We expect that the requirements of these rules and regulations will continue to increase our legal, accounting, and financial compliance costs, make some activities more difficult, time-consuming, and costly, and place significant strain on our personnel, systems, and resources.

Current wording

As a public company, we are subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, as amended (the Exchange Act), the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and the rules and regulations of the Nasdaq Global Market. We expect that the requirements of these rules and regulations will continue to increase our legal, accounting, and financial compliance costs, make some activities more difficult, time-consuming, and costly, and place significant strain on our personnel, systems, and resources.

Previous wording

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires, among other things, that we maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls over financial reporting. We are continuing to develop and refine our disclosure controls and other procedures and internal controls over financial reporting and expect that we will need to continue to expend significant resources, including accounting-related costs, and significant management oversight, to meet such requirements. However, our current controls and any new controls that we develop may not be adequate, and weaknesses in our disclosure controls may be discovered in the future. Additionally, we have identified material weaknesses in our internal controls over financial reporting, and such weaknesses may be discovered in the future. See “—We have identified material weaknesses in our internal controls over financial reporting, and the failure to achieve and maintain effective internal controls over financial reporting could harm our business and negatively impact the value of our Class A common stock.” Any failure to develop or maintain effective controls or any difficulties encountered in their implementation or improvement could harm our results of operations or cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations and may result in a restatement of our financial statements for prior periods. Any failure to implement and maintain effective internal controls over financial reporting also could adversely affect the results of periodic management evaluations and annual independent registered public accounting firm attestation reports regarding the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting that we will eventually be required to include in our periodic reports that will be filed with the SEC. Ineffective disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls over financial reporting could also cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial and other information, which would likely have a negative effect on the trading price of our Class A common stock.

Current wording

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires, among other things, that we maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls over financial reporting. We are continuing to develop and refine our disclosure controls and other procedures and internal controls over financial reporting and expect that we will need to continue to expend significant resources, including accounting-related costs, and significant management oversight, to meet such requirements. However, our current controls and any new controls that we develop may not be adequate, and weaknesses in our disclosure controls may be discovered in the future. We have previously identified material weaknesses in our internal controls over financial reporting, which we subsequently remediated; however, new material weaknesses may be discovered in the future. Any failure to develop or maintain effective controls or any difficulties encountered in their implementation or improvement could harm our results of operations or cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations and may result in a restatement of our financial statements for prior periods. Any failure to implement and maintain effective internal controls over financial reporting also could adversely affect the results of periodic management evaluations and annual independent registered public accounting firm attestation reports regarding the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting that we will eventually be required to include in our periodic reports that will be filed with the SEC. Ineffective disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls over financial reporting could also cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial and other information, which would likely have a negative effect on the trading price of our common stock.

Previous wording

As of December 31, 2023 we had net operating loss carryforwards for U.S. federal income tax purposes of $91.4 million available to offset future U.S. federal taxable income. Also, as of December 31, 2023, we had net operating loss carryforwards for state income tax purposes of $66.0 million available to offset future state taxable income. If not utilized, the federal and state tax credit carryforwards will begin to expire in 2027.

Current wording

As of December 31, 2024, we had net operating loss carryforwards for U.S. federal income tax purposes of $123.3 million available to offset future U.S. federal taxable income. Also, as of December 31, 2024, we had net operating loss carryforwards for state income tax purposes of $95.6 million available to offset future state taxable income. If not utilized, the federal and state tax credit carryforwards will begin to expire in 2027.

Previous wording

Utilization of our net operating loss carryforwards and other tax attributes, such as research and development tax credits, may be subject to annual limitations, or could be subject to other limitations on utilization or benefit due to the ownership change limitations provided by Sections 382 and 383 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code), and other similar provisions. Under Sections 382 and 383 of the Code, if a corporation undergoes an “ownership change,” our ability to use pre-change net operating loss carryforwards and other pre-change attributes, such as research tax credits, to offset post-change income may be limited. Similar rules may apply under state tax laws. We have performed a Section 382 analysis through December 31, 2022. At this time, we have not finalized a study through December 31, 2023 to assess whether such an ownership change has occurred, or whether there have been multiple ownership changes since our formation. We may experience ownership changes in the future as a result of subsequent changes in our stock ownership, some of which may be outside our control. Accordingly, our ability to utilize the aforementioned carryforwards may be limited.

Current wording

Utilization of our net operating loss carryforwards and other tax attributes, such as research and development tax credits, may be subject to annual limitations, or could be subject to other limitations on utilization or benefit due to the ownership change limitations provided by Sections 382 and 383 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code), and other similar provisions. Under Sections 382 and 383 of the Code, if a corporation undergoes an “ownership change,” our ability to use pre-change net operating loss carryforwards and other pre-change attributes, such as research tax credits, to offset post-change income may be limited. Similar rules may apply under state tax laws. We have performed a Section 382 analysis through December 31, 2024. We may experience ownership changes in the future as a result of subsequent changes in our stock ownership, some of which may be outside our control. Accordingly, our ability to utilize the aforementioned carryforwards may be limited.

Previous wording

Changes in tax laws could materially affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Current wording

Changes in tax laws and related matters could materially affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Previous wording

The rules dealing with U.S. federal, state and local income taxation are constantly under review by persons involved in the legislative process and by the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Treasury Department. Changes to tax laws (which changes may have retroactive application) could adversely affect us or holders of our common stock. For example, under Section 174 of the Code, in taxable years beginning after December 31, 2021, expenses that are incurred for research and development in the U.S. will be capitalized and amortized, which may have an adverse effect on our cash flow. In recent years, many such changes have been made, and changes are likely to continue to occur in the future. It cannot be predicted whether, when, in what form or with what effective dates tax laws, regulations and rulings may be enacted, promulgated or issued, which could result in an increase in our or our shareholders’ tax liability or require changes in the manner in which we operate in order to minimize or mitigate any adverse effects of changes in tax law.

Current wording

International tax laws also undergo frequent change. Changes to tax laws (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. It cannot be predicted whether, when, in what form or with what effective dates tax laws, regulations and rulings may be enacted, promulgated or issued, which could result in an increase in our or our stockholders’ tax liability or require changes in the manner in which we operate in order to minimize or mitigate any adverse effects of changes in tax law. Any significant increase in our future effective tax rate could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows.