BEYOND MEAT INC

In addition to the other information set forth in this report, you should carefully consider the factors discussed in Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” in our 2023 10-K, as updated and supplemented below and in our subsequent filings. These risks could materially harm our business, operating results and financial condition. Additional factors and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently consider immaterial also may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or future results.

Risk Factors

Risks Related to Our Lease Obligations, Indebtedness, Financial Position and Need for Additional Capital

If the build out of our Campus Headquarters is delayed or incurs cost overruns, does not operate in accordance with our expectations, or has occupancy rates that are lower than anticipated, our business or financial condition or results of operations may be adversely affected.

In 2021, we entered into a lease agreement for an initial term of 12 years to develop and house our Campus Headquarters. The Campus Headquarters is being built out by the Landlord, who delivered Phase 1-A of the Campus Headquarters to us in the third quarter of 2022 and Phase 1-B of the Campus Headquarters to us in the second quarter of 2023. We currently do not have firm timing on the delivery of the rest of the Campus Headquarters. If we cannot complete development of the Campus Headquarters for any reason or within the approved budget, or if there are significant cost overruns and/or delays in the development of the Campus Headquarters, our cash flows, financial condition, or results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. In addition, we may not be able to build out or occupy the rest of the Campus Headquarters and are considering subleasing, assigning or otherwise transferring the unoccupied part but may be unable to enter into such an agreement, which could have an adverse effect on our operating and financial results. An agreement to sublease, assign or otherwise transfer the unoccupied part of the Campus Headquarters would be subject to certain risks and uncertainties. For example, the agreement may not be completed on terms advantageous to us because the rental rate we receive under the agreement may not fully cover the rental rate we pay under the Campus Lease for the same space or our subtenants may fail to make lease payments, which may result in impairment charges for right-of-use assets and prepaid lease costs and could have a negative impact on our financial condition and results of operations.

In addition, if the Landlord has not received invoices and other required documentation relating to the build out of the Campus Headquarters by September 30, 2024, we may lose the ability to use the improvement allowance given under the Campus Lease to pay for such costs. Our inability to use the improvement allowance to build out the rest of the Campus Headquarters may limit us from further developing and occupying, or subleasing, assigning, or otherwise transferring the rest of the Campus Headquarters. Further, there could be unanticipated difficulties in initiating and maintaining operations at the Campus Headquarters, including, but not limited to, IT system interruptions, other infrastructure support problems or the Campus Headquarters may prove less conducive to our operations than currently anticipated. These risks could all result in operational inefficiencies or similar difficulties that could prove difficult or impossible to remedy and could have an adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations.

We may require additional financing to achieve our goals, and a failure to obtain this necessary capital when needed on acceptable terms, or at all, may force us to delay, limit, reduce or terminate our product manufacturing and development, and other operations.

Since our inception, substantially all of our resources have been dedicated to the development of our three core plant-based product platforms of beef, pork and poultry, including purchases of property, plant and equipment, principally to support the development and production of our products, the build-out and equipping of our former Manhattan Beach Project Innovation Center and our Innovation Center within our Campus Headquarters, and the purchase, build-out and equipping of manufacturing facilities in the U.S. and abroad. We have and believe that we will continue to expend resources as we expand into additional markets we may choose to pursue. These expenditures are expected to include costs associated with research and development, manufacturing and supply, as well as marketing and selling existing and new products. In addition, other unanticipated costs may arise.

As of June 29, 2024, we had cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash of $158.0 million.

Our operating plan may change because of factors currently unknown to us, and we may need to seek additional funds sooner than planned, through public or private equity or debt financings or other sources, including strategic collaborations. For example, on March 18, 2024, we filed the 2024 Shelf Registration Statement, which the SEC declared effective on April 12, 2024 and which replaced the 2023 Shelf Registration Statement. The 2024 Shelf Registration Statement allows us to sell, from time to time and at our discretion, Company securities having an aggregate offering price of up to $250.0 million including up to $200.0 million in shares of common stock that may be sold pursuant to the Equity Distribution Agreement under the ATM Program. Such financing and other potential financings may result in dilution to stockholders, reduction in the market price of our common stock, imposition of debt covenants and repayment obligations, or other restrictions that may adversely affect our business. In addition, we may seek additional capital due to favorable market conditions or strategic considerations even if we believe we have sufficient funds for our current or future operating plans. However, the capital markets may experience extreme volatility and disruption, including high interest rates in certain geographic regions and higher borrowing costs, which could make it more difficult for us to raise capital. If we cannot access the capital markets upon favorable terms or at all, it may impact our ability to achieve our goals.

Our future capital requirements may vary materially from those currently planned and will depend on many factors, including, among others:

•demand in the plant-based meat category and for our products;

•our rate of revenue generation;

•the results of our review of our global operations and the successful implementation of our ongoing cost-reduction initiatives;

•timing to adjust our supply chain and cost structure in response to material fluctuations in product demand;

•the number and characteristics of any additional products or manufacturing processes we develop or acquire to serve new or existing markets;

•our investment in and build out of our Campus Headquarters, including the timing and success of subleasing, assigning or otherwise transferring any excess space we may have at our Campus Headquarters;

•the success of, and expenses associated with, our marketing initiatives;

•our investment in manufacturing and facilities to optimize our manufacturing and production capacity, including underutilization fees, termination fees and exit costs;

•our investments in real property and joint ventures;

•the costs required to fund domestic and international operations and growth;

•the scope, progress, results and costs of researching and developing future products or improvements to existing products or manufacturing processes;

•any lawsuits related to our products or commenced against us, including the class actions brought against us or the derivative actions brought against certain of our current and former directors and officers;

•variations in product selling prices and costs;

•the timing and success of changes to our pricing architecture within certain channels including the recent price increases of certain of our products in our U.S. retail and foodservice channels, and the mix of products sold;

•the level of trade and promotional spending to support our products appropriately;

•the expenses associated with our sales force; our management of accounts receivable, inventory, accounts payable and other working capital accounts;

•the impact of foreign currency exchange fluctuations on our cash balances;

•the costs involved in preparing, filing, prosecuting, maintaining, defending and enforcing intellectual property claims, including litigation costs and the outcome of such litigation; and

•the timing, receipt and amount of sales of, or royalties on, any future approved products, if any.

•delay, limit, reduce or terminate our manufacturing, research and development activities; or

•delay, limit, reduce or terminate our establishment of sales and marketing capabilities or other activities that may be necessary to generate revenue and achieve profitability.

Risks Related to Regulatory and Legal Compliance Matters, Litigation and Legal Proceedings

Any changes in, or changes in the interpretation of, applicable laws, regulations or policies of the FDA or U.S. Department of Agriculture (the “USDA”), state regulators or similar foreign regulatory authorities that relate to the use of the word “meat” or other similar words in connection with plant-based meat products could adversely affect our business, prospects, results of operations or financial condition.

The FDA and the USDA, state regulators or similar foreign regulatory authorities, such as Health Canada or the CFIA, or authorities of the U.K., the EU or the EU member states, or China, including the State Administration for Market Regulation and its local counterpart agencies, could take action to impact our ability to use the term “meat” or similar words (such as “beef,” “burger” or “sausage,” including the Beyond Meat logo of the Caped Longhorn superhero) to describe or advertise our products. In addition, a food may be deemed misbranded if its labeling is false or misleading in any particular way, and the FDA, CFIA, EU member state authorities or other regulators could interpret the use of the term “meat” or any similar phrase(s) to describe our plant-based meat products as false or misleading or likely to create an erroneous impression regarding their composition.

For example, in 2018, the state of Missouri passed a law prohibiting any person engaged in advertising, offering for sale, or sale of food products from misrepresenting a product as meat that is not derived from harvested production livestock or poultry. The state of Missouri Department of Agriculture has clarified its interpretation that products which include prominent disclosure that the product is “made from plants,” or comparable disclosure such as through the use of the phrase “plant-based,” are not misrepresented under the Missouri law. Additional states, including Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming, have subsequently passed similar laws, and legislation that would impose specific requirements on the naming of plant-based meat products has been introduced, but not enacted, in other states. The United States Congress considered (but did not pass) federal legislation, called the Real MEAT Act, that could require changes to our product labeling and marketing, including identifying products as “imitation” meat products, and that would give USDA certain oversight over the labeling of plant-based meat products. If similar bills gain traction and ultimately become law, we could be required to identify our products as “imitation” on our product labels. Further, the FDA has announced that it is developing guidance on naming plant-based meat alternatives that could impact our naming expectations. Canadian Food and Drug Regulations also provide requirements for “simulated meat” products, including requirements around composition and naming.

In Europe, the Agriculture Committee of the European Parliament proposed in May 2019 to reserve the use of “meat” and meat-related terms and names for products that are manufactured from the edible parts of animals. In October 2020, the European Parliament rejected the adoption of this provision. In the absence of European Union legislation, member states remain free to establish national restrictions on meat-related names. In June 2020, France adopted a law prohibiting names to indicate foodstuffs of animal origin to describe, market or promote foodstuffs containing vegetable proteins. In October 2021, France published a draft implementing decree (the “Contested Decree”) to define, for example, the sanctions in case of non-compliance with the new law, and the Contested Decree went into effect in 2022. We do not believe that the Contested Decree complied with the laws of the EU, in particular the principle of free movement of goods. In July 2022, at the request of a trade association, the French High Administrative Court partially suspended the execution of the Contested Decree. The Company filed an application for annulment against the Contested Decree and intervened in favor of the trade association in their pending case against the Contested Decree. Several plant-based companies filed voluntary intervention in support of the Company’s case on April 20, 2023. On July 12, 2023, the French High Administrative Court decided to refer the case to the Court of Justice of the European Union ("CJEU"). The CJEU is asked to decide on the lawfulness of the Contested Decree banning “meaty” names for plant-based protein under EU law. The procedure before the CJEU started on August 22, 2023, and the Company filed its submission on October 31, 2023. On January 15, 2024, the CJEU closed the written procedure. The period to request an oral hearing closed on February 5, 2024.

In parallel to the litigation before the CJEU against the Contested Decree, on August 23, 2023, France published a proposal for a new decree replacing the Contested Decree (“New Decree”). The New Decree has removed some of the Contested Decree’s most open-ended language, but essentially maintains the prohibition on meaty names for plant-based proteins. The New Decree was subject to administrative review procedure by the European Commission (the EU’s executive body) and the EU member states other than France. The six-months standstill period under that procedure ended on February 23, 2024. The Company supported plant-based protein trade associations against the New Decree. On February 26, 2024, the New Decree was adopted. However, on April 10, 2024, the French High Administrative Court decided once again to postpone the applicability of the New Decree. The interim relief judge noted that there were serious doubts as to whether such national measures could be adopted based on EU law, which had already prompted the ongoing CJEU litigation.

In this context, on March 1, 2024, the CJEU requested the French High Administrative Court to provide its view on the impact of the adoption of the New Decree on the litigation against the Contested Decree, and whether it should be declared moot or it should be allowed to proceed. On March 14, 2024, the French High Administrative Court responded to the CJEU's request for information asking it to rule in the current proceedings. On April 15, 2024, the CJEU decided that the litigation against the Contested Decree would proceed, and that an oral hearing was not necessary. The next step in the proceedings is the publication of the opinion of the Advocate General (the advisor to the judges), which is expected on September 5, 2024. Following the opinion, which is not binding on the court, the CJEU will issue its ruling. We expect the ruling of the CJEU approximately three to five months after the Advocate General’s opinion.

The judgment of the CJEU will be determinative as to whether the Contested Decree’s ban on meat names for plant-based foods was lawful, or not, under EU law. The judgment of the CJEU will set a precedent on the naming of plant-based foods for all other EU member states, which will significantly disrupt or facilitate the operations of the Company and the entire plant-based protein industry in France and across the EU.

France has been the first EU member state to adopt such a law, but others are following. On December 16, 2023, an Italian law prohibiting names to indicate foodstuffs of animal origin to describe, market or promote foodstuffs containing vegetable proteins (“Italian Law”) entered into force. The Italian Law requires the Ministry of Agriculture to adopt a decree with the names that may not be used to describe plant-based products by February 16, 2024. However, on January 29, 2024, the European Commission issued a formal letter informing the Italian government that the Italian Law was adopted in violation of EU law, and is thus not applicable or enforceable. On February 28, 2024, the Italian Minister for Agriculture confirmed that the adoption of an implementing decree is currently suspended. We are not aware of any steps taken by the Italian government to adopt the implementing decree, nor have the authorities attempted to enforce the Italian Law.

Separately, on December 5, 2023, Poland published a draft decree banning the use of meaty names to designate plant-based products. We are not aware of any additional developments in the legislative process. In June 2024, a Polish association of breeders requested that the Ministry of Agriculture advance the decree and regulate the use of meaty names.

Should other EU member state regulatory authorities take action with respect to the use of the term “meat” or similar claims, such that we are unable to use those terms with respect to our plant-based products, we could be subject to enforcement action or recall of our products marketed with these terms, we may be required to modify our marketing strategy, or required to identify our products as “imitation” in our product labels, and our business, prospects, results of operations or financial condition could be adversely affected.

From time to time, we may be party to various claims and litigation proceedings. We evaluate these claims and litigation proceedings to assess the likelihood of unfavorable outcomes and to estimate, if possible, the amount of potential losses. Based on these assessments and estimates, we may establish reserves, as appropriate. These assessments and estimates are based on the information available to management at the time and involve a significant amount of management judgment. Actual outcomes or losses may differ materially from our assessments and estimates. For information regarding pending legal proceedings, please see Part II Item 1, Legal Proceedings, and Note 9, Commitments and Contingencies, to the Notes to Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements included elsewhere in this report.

Even when not merited, the defense of these lawsuits may divert our management’s attention, and we may incur significant expenses in defending these lawsuits. The results of litigation and other legal proceedings are inherently uncertain, and adverse judgments or settlements in some of these legal disputes may result in adverse monetary damages, penalties or injunctive relief against us, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, cash flows or results of operations. Any claims or litigation, even if fully indemnified or insured, could damage our reputation and make it more difficult to compete effectively or to obtain adequate insurance in the future.

Furthermore, while we maintain insurance for certain potential liabilities, such insurance does not cover all types and amounts of potential liabilities and is subject to self-insured retentions, various exclusions as well as caps on amounts recoverable. Even if we believe a claim is covered by insurance, insurers may dispute our entitlement to recovery for a variety of potential reasons, which may affect the timing and, if the insurers prevail, the amount of our recovery.