Risk Factors Dashboard
Once a year, publicly traded companies issue a comprehensive report of their business, called a 10-K. A component mandated in the 10-K is the ‘Risk Factors’ section, where companies disclose any major potential risks that they may face. This dashboard highlights all major changes and additions in new 10K reports, allowing investors to quickly identify new potential risks and opportunities.
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Risk Factors - ME
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$ME Risk Factor changes from 00/05/27/22/2022 to 00/05/25/23/2023
Item 1A. Risk Factors Investing in our securities involves risks. Risk Factors Investing in our securities involves risks. Before you make a decision to buy our securities, in addition to the risks and uncertainties discussed above under “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements,” you should carefully consider the specific risks set forth herein. If any of these risks actually occur, it may materially harm our business, financial condition, liquidity, and results of operations. As a result, the market price of our securities could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment.Additionally, the risks and uncertainties described in this Form 10-K are not the only risks and uncertainties that we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently believe to be immaterial may become material and adversely affect our business. Unless the context indicates otherwise, references in this “Risk Factors” section to the “Company,” “we,” “us,” “our,” and similar terms refer to 23andMe Holding Co., a Delaware corporation formerly known as VG Acquisition Corp., and its consolidated subsidiaries. Summary of Principal Risk Factors •The market for personal genetics products and services has experienced a recent overall decline. If this trend continues or worsens, it could adversely affect our business and results of operations. •If our competitors receive further FDA marketing approval for in vitro diagnostic products, our business could be adversely affected. •The telehealth market is immature and volatile, and if it does not develop, if it encounters negative publicity, or if the use of telehealth solutions does not continue to increase, then the growth of our business and our results of operation could be adversely affected. •The telehealth market is immature and volatile, and if it does not develop, if it encounters negative publicity, or if the increased use of telehealth solutions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic does not continue after the pandemic, then the growth of our business and our results of operation will be harmed. •We rely on key sole suppliers to manufacture and perform services used by customers who purchase our PGS, which could adversely affect our ability to meet customer demand. •If we are not able to maintain and enhance our brand, our ability to expand our customer base may be impaired and our business and operating results may be harmed. 28 Table of Contents •If our efforts to attract new customers and patients and engage existing customers and patients with enhanced products and services are unsuccessful or if such efforts are more costly than we expect, our business may be harmed. •If our efforts to attract new customers and patients and engage existing customers and patients with enhanced products and services are unsuccessful or if such efforts are more costly than we expect, our business may be harmed. •Revenue derived from our kit sales is dependent on seasonal holiday demand and the timing of Amazon Prime Day, which could lead to significant quarterly fluctuations in revenue and results of operations. •Our pricing strategies may not meet customers’ price expectations or may adversely affect our revenue. •We depend on a number of other companies to perform functions critical to our ability to operate our platform and generate revenue from patients. •If we are unable to attract and retain high quality healthcare providers for our patients, our business, financial condition, and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected. •If the number of our customers consenting to participate in our research programs declines or fails to grow, our revenue may be adversely affected, and our database may become less effective. •Our focus on using our genetics-powered platform to discover targets with therapeutic potential may not result in the discovery of commercially viable drug targets for us or our collaborators. 39 Table of Contents •Our focus on using our genetics-powered platform to discover targets with therapeutic potential may not result in the discovery of commercially viable drug targets for us or our collaborators. •Media reports on consumer data privacy and security concerns and the use of genetic information may decrease the overall consumer demand for personal genetic products and services, including ours. Some countries prohibit or restrict genetic testing being sold in those countries. •We do not have any experience in successful drug development or commercialization and our failure to execute on successful drug development or commercialization would adversely affect our business and results of operations. •If we fail to succeed in our drug development efforts, or to develop and commercialize additional products and services, our ability to expand our business and achieve our strategic objectives would be impaired. •Our Therapeutics business faces substantial competition, which may result in others discovering, developing, or commercializing drugs before or more successfully than we can. •We cannot give any assurance that any of our drugs will receive regulatory approval, which is necessary before they can be commercialized. •Failure to adequately design a trial, or incorrect assumptions about the design of the trial, could adversely affect our ability to initiate the trial, enroll patients, complete the trial, or obtain regulatory approval. •We will need additional capital, and we cannot be sure that additional financing will be available on acceptable terms or at all. •We may need additional capital, and we cannot be sure that additional financing will be available at acceptable terms or at all. •We depend on the continued services and performance of our highly qualified key personnel, and we may not be able to attract or retain qualified scientists and other specialized individuals in the future due to the competition for qualified personnel among life science and technology businesses. •Economic uncertainty or downturns, particularly affecting the markets and industries in which we operate, and on discretionary consumer spending could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. •Economic uncertainty or downturns, particularly affecting the markets and industries in which we operate, could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. •If we, GSK, and any future collaborators are unable to successfully complete clinical development, obtain regulatory approval for, or commercialize any drugs, or experience delays in doing so, our business may be materially harmed. •If we, GSK and any future collaborators are unable to successfully complete clinical development, obtain regulatory approval for, or commercialize any drugs, or experience delays in doing so, our business may be materially harmed. •GSK and any other potential drug discovery collaborators will have significant discretion in determining when to make announcements, if any, about the status of our collaborations, which may cause the price of our Class A common stock to decline as a result of announcements of unexpected clinical trial results or data relative to our research and development programs. •GSK and any other potential drug discovery collaborators will have significant discretion in determining when to make announcements, if any, about the status of our collaborations. •Following the expiration of the discovery period under the GSK Agreement in July 2023, we intend to establish other collaborations, and, if we are not able to obtain new collaboration partners, or to negotiate commercially reasonable terms, we may be required to modify our therapeutics development strategies and goals. •Our collaborators may not achieve projected discovery and development milestones and other anticipated key events in the expected timelines or at all, which could have an adverse impact on our business. •Our products and services are subject to extensive regulation and compliance with existing or future regulations could result in unanticipated expenses, or limit our ability to offer our products and services. •We will face legal, reputational, and financial risks if we fail to protect our customer and patient data from security breaches or cyberattacks. •We will face legal, reputational, and financial damage if we fail to protect our customer and patient data from security breaches or cyberattacks. •Our ability to meet demand in the Amazon retail channel is dependent upon Amazon’s stocking policies. •If we are unable to protect our intellectual property (“IP”), the value of our brands and other intangible assets may be diminished, we may be unable to prevent others from using our inventions and competing with us, we may be unable to prevent others from learning our company secrets, and our business may be adversely affected. 29 Table of Contents •We may be subject to claims challenging the inventorship or ownership of our patents and other IP. 40 Table of Contents •We may be subject to claims challenging the inventorship or ownership of our patents and other intellectual property. •If any IP rights are invalidated, lost, or expire we will no longer be able to prevent others from using that IP, which could adversely affect business. •The IP rights we rely upon to protect our products and services may not be adequate, which could enable others to use our technology and reduce our ability to compete. •The industry is subject to rapidly changing technology which could make the products and services we are commercializing or developing obsolete unless we continue to develop or utilize new technologies and pursue new market opportunities. •Our quarterly operating results may fluctuate in the future. •Our quarterly operating results may fluctuate in the future. As a result, we may fail to meet or exceed the expectations of research analysts or investors, which could cause our stock price to decline. •We have incurred significant losses since inception, we expect to incur losses in the future, and we may not be able to generate sufficient revenue to achieve and maintain profitability. •We have incurred and will continue to incur significant costs as a result of being a public company. •We have incurred and will continue to incur increased costs as a result of being a public company. •If we fail to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting or experience material weaknesses in the future, our ability to produce timely and accurate financial statements could be impaired, which may adversely affect our business. If our remediation of this material weakness is not effective, or if we fail to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting in the future, our ability to produce accurate and timely consolidated financial statements could be impaired. •We are subject to changing law and regulations regarding regulatory matters, data privacy, corporate governance, and public disclosure that have increased our costs and the risk of non-compliance, which can be significant for serious breaches such as privacy breaches. •We are subject to changing law and regulations regarding regulatory matters, corporate governance, and public disclosure that have increased our costs and the risk of non-compliance. •We may face additional risks as a result of the dual class structure of our common stock, such as an increased concentration of voting control in the holders of our outstanding Class B common stock, including our Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder. Risks Related to Our Business Consumer and Research Services Business Risks The market for personal genetics products and services has experienced a recent overall decline, which corresponds with the recent and significant decreases in our revenues. Risks Related to Our Business Consumer and Research Services Business Risks The market for personal genetics products and services has experienced a recent overall decline, which corresponds with the recent and significant decreases in our revenues. If this trend continues or worsens, it could adversely affect our business and results of operations. Our revenue model has historically been derived principally from customers who purchase our PGS services. For the fiscal years ended March 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, PGS revenue accounted for 68%, 75%, and 81% of revenues, respectively. For the fiscal years ended March 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, PGS revenue accounted for 75%, 81% and 89% of revenues, respectively. There is no assurance that our business model will be successful or that it will generate increased revenues or become profitable as a result of marketing our current PGS services or any future products or services. We may be forced to make significant changes to our anticipated pricing, sales and revenue model to compete with our competitors’ offerings, and even if such changes are implemented, there is no guarantee that they will be successful. If the current market trend continues or worsens, or we are unable to adjust our approach to meet market demands, our revenues and results of operations will be adversely affected. We operate in highly competitive markets, and competition in the personal genetics and telehealth markets present an ongoing threat to the success of our business. 41 Table of Contents We operate in highly competitive markets, and competition in the personal genetics and telehealth markets present an ongoing threat to the success of our business. With respect to our PGS business, the market continues to see new entrants with offerings similar to our PGS services. With respect to our PGS business, the number of companies entering the market with offerings similar to our PGS services continues to increase. We believe that our ability to compete depends upon many factors both within and beyond our control, including the following: •the size of our customer base; •the timing and market acceptance of products and services, including the developments and enhancements to those products and services, offered by us or our competitors; •customer service and support efforts; •selling and marketing efforts; •ease of use, performance, price and reliability of solutions developed either by us or our competitors; and •our brand strength relative to our competitors. We also face competition from other companies attempting to capitalize on the same, or similar, opportunities as it is, including from existing diagnostic, laboratory services and other companies entering the personal genetics market with new offerings such as direct access and/or consumer self-pay tests and genetic interpretation services. Some of our current and potential competitors have 30 Table of Contents longer operating histories and greater financial, technical, marketing, and other resources than we do. Some of our current and potential competitors have longer operating histories and greater financial, technical, marketing and other resources than we do. These factors may allow our competitors to respond more quickly or efficiently than it can to new or emerging technologies. These competitors may engage in more extensive research and development efforts, undertake more far-reaching marketing campaigns and adopt more aggressive pricing policies, which may allow them to build larger customer bases than we have. Our competitors may develop products or services that are similar to our products and services or that achieve greater market acceptance than our products and services. This could attract customers away from our services and reduce our market share. Similarly, the markets for healthcare are intensely competitive, subject to rapid change, and significantly affected by new product and technological introductions and other market activities of industry participants. We compete directly not only with other established telehealth providers but also traditional healthcare providers and pharmacies. Our current competitors include traditional healthcare providers expanding into the telehealth market and incumbent telehealth providers, as well as new entrants into our market that are focused on direct-to-consumer healthcare. Our current competitors include traditional healthcare providers expanding into the telehealth market, incumbent telehealth providers, as well as new entrants into our market that are focused on direct-to-consumer healthcare. Our competitors include enterprise-focused companies that may enter the direct-to-consumer healthcare industry, as well as direct-to-consumer healthcare providers. Many of our current and potential competitors may have greater name and brand recognition, longer operating histories, and significantly greater resources than we do, and may be able to offer products and services similar to those offered on our platform at more attractive prices than we can. Many of our current and potential competitors may have greater name and brand recognition, longer operating histories, significantly greater resources than we do, and may be able to offer products and services similar to those offered on our platform at more attractive prices than we can. Additionally, we believe that the COVID-19 pandemic introduced many new users to telehealth and further reinforced its benefits to potential competitors. Additionally, we believe that the COVID-19 pandemic has introduced many new users to telehealth and further reinforced its benefits to potential competitors. We believe that this may drive additional industry consolidation or collaboration involving competitors that may create competitors with greater resources and access to potential patients. We believe this may drive additional industry consolidation or collaboration involving competitors that may create competitors with greater resources and access to potential patients. The COVID-19 pandemic has also caused various traditional healthcare providers to pursue telehealth options that can be paired with their in-person capabilities. The COVID-19 pandemic may also cause various traditional healthcare providers to evaluate and eventually pursue telehealth options that can be paired with their in-person capabilities. These industry changes could better position our competitors to serve certain segments of our current or future markets, which could create additional price pressure. In light of these factors, even if our offerings are more effective than those of our competitors, current or potential patients may accept competitive solutions in lieu of purchasing from us. If our competitors receive further FDA marketing approval for in vitro diagnostic products, our business could be adversely affected. We were the first direct-to-consumer genetic testing company to include FDA-authorized genetic health risk, carrier status and pharmacogenetic reports. Our competitors had previously released products that were not cleared or approved by the FDA and required partnership with independent physicians, but in August 2020, one of our competitors received premarket notification, also called 510(k) clearance, for their saliva collection kit and one of their genetic health risk reports, and in December 2020 another competitor received a 510(k) clearance for one of their health risk reports. Following these FDA clearances, our competitors can now market those cleared reports directly to consumers rather than relying on clinician network partners. If our competitors receive further FDA clearance or approval, our business could be adversely affected. If our competitors receive further FDA approvals, our business could be adversely affected. The sizes of the markets and forecasts of market growth for the demand of our products and services, including our research services and other key potential success factors are based on a number of complex assumptions and estimates, and may be inaccurate. We estimate annual total addressable markets and forecasts of market growth for our products and services. We estimate annual total addressable markets and forecasts of market growth for our PGS. We have also developed a standard set of key performance indicators in order to enable us to assess the performance of our business in and across multiple markets, and to forecast future revenue. These estimates, forecasts and key performance indicators are based on a number of complex assumptions, internal and third-party estimates and other business data, including assumptions and estimates relating to our ability to generate revenue from the development of new workflows. While we believe that our assumptions and the data underlying our estimates and key performance indicators are reasonable, there are inherent challenges in measuring or forecasting such information. While we believe our assumptions and the data underlying our estimates and key performance indicators are reasonable, there are inherent challenges in measuring or forecasting such information. As a result, these assumptions and estimates may not be correct and the conditions supporting our assumptions or estimates may change at any time, thereby reducing the predictive accuracy of these underlying factors and indicators. Consequently, our estimates of the annual total addressable market and our forecasts of market growth and future revenue from our products and services, including our research services, may prove to be incorrect, and our key business metrics may not reflect our actual performance. For example, if the annual total addressable market or the potential market growth for our products and services is smaller than we have estimated or if the key business metrics we utilize to forecast revenue are inaccurate, it may impair our sales growth and have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. The telehealth market is immature and volatile, and if it does not develop, if it encounters negative publicity, or if the use of telehealth solutions does not continue to increase, then the growth of our business and our results of operation could be adversely affected. The telehealth market is immature and volatile, and if it does not develop, if it encounters negative publicity, or if the increased use of telehealth solutions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic does not continue after the pandemic, then the growth of our business and our results of operation will be harmed. The telehealth market is relatively new and unproven, and it is uncertain whether it will achieve and sustain high levels of demand, consumer acceptance, and market adoption. The COVID-19 pandemic increased utilization of telehealth services, but it is uncertain 31 Table of Contents whether such increase in demand will continue. The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has increased utilization of telehealth services, but it is uncertain whether such increase in demand will continue. The success of our telehealth business will depend to a substantial extent on the willingness of our patients to use, and to increase the frequency and extent of their utilization of, our solution, as well as on our ability to demonstrate the value of telehealth to patients. The success of our telehealth business will depend to a substantial extent on the willingness of our patients and members to use, and to increase the frequency and extent of their utilization of, our solution, as well as on our ability to demonstrate the value of telehealth to patients. Negative publicity concerning our telehealth services, or the telehealth market as a whole, could limit market acceptance of our solution. If our patients do not perceive the benefits of our services, then our market may develop more slowly than we expect or not at all. If our telehealth patients and members do not perceive the benefits of our services, then our market may develop more slowly than we expect or not at all. Similarly, individual and healthcare industry concerns or negative publicity regarding quality, efficacy, or patient confidentiality and privacy in the context of telehealth could limit market acceptance of our healthcare services. Similarly, individual and healthcare industry concerns or negative publicity regarding patient confidentiality and privacy in the context of telehealth could limit market acceptance of our healthcare services. Further, to the extent our telehealth services or related medication prescription services involve or may in the future involve controlled substances, the Drug Enforcement Administration is considering rulemaking that may negatively impact our clinicians’ ability to prescribe such controlled substances to patients. If any of these events occurs, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. We rely on key sole suppliers to manufacture and perform services used by customers who purchase our PGS. •We rely on key sole suppliers to manufacture and perform services used by customers who purchase our PGS, which could adversely affect our ability to meet customer demand. Our reliance on limited contracted manufacturing and supply chain capacity could adversely affect our ability to meet customer demand. We do not have manufacturing capabilities and do not plan to develop such capacity in the foreseeable future. Accordingly, we rely on third-party suppliers to provide materials (such as our saliva collection kits, bead chips, reagents or other materials and equipment used in our laboratory operations) and services (such as our laboratory processing services). Currently, we rely on a sole supplier to manufacture our saliva collection kits used by customers who purchase our PGS. Change in the supplier or design of certain of the materials which we rely on, in particular the bead chip and saliva collection kit, could result in a requirement that we seek additional premarket review from the FDA before making such a change. We also are required to validate any new laboratory or laboratories in accordance with FDA standards prior to utilizing their services for our U.S. customers. We cannot be certain that we will be able to secure alternative laboratory processing services, materials and equipment, and bring such alternative materials and equipment on line and revalidate them without experiencing interruptions in our workflow, or that any alternative materials will meet our quality control and performance requirements of our contracted laboratory. Although we maintain relationships with suppliers with the objective of ensuring that we have adequate supply for the delivery of our services, increases in demand for such items can result in shortages and higher costs. Our suppliers may not be able to meet our delivery schedules, we may lose a significant or sole supplier, a supplier may not be able to meet performance and quality specifications and we may not be able to purchase such items at a competitive cost. Further, we may experience shortages in certain items as a result of limited availability, increased demand, pandemics or other outbreaks of contagious diseases, weather conditions and natural disasters, as well as other factors outside of our control. Further, we may experience shortages in certain items as a result of limited availability, increased demand, pandemics (such as the COVID-19 pandemic) or other outbreaks of contagious diseases, weather conditions and natural disasters, as well as other factors outside of our control. Our freight costs may increase due to factors such as limited carrier availability, increased fuel costs, increased compliance costs associated with new or changing government regulations, pandemics or other outbreaks of contagious diseases and inflation. Our freight costs may increase due to factors such as limited carrier availability, increased fuel costs, increased compliance costs associated with new or changing government regulations, pandemics (such as the COVID-19 pandemic) or other outbreaks of contagious diseases and inflation. Higher prices for natural gas, propane, electricity and fuel also may increase our production and delivery costs. The prices charged for our products may not reflect changes in our packaging material, freight, tariff and energy costs at the time they occur, or at all. In order for other parties to perform manufacturing and participate in our supply chain, we sometimes must transfer technology to the other party, which can be time consuming and may not be successfully accomplished without considerable cost and expense, or at all. We will have to depend on these other parties to perform effectively on a timely basis and to comply with regulatory requirements. If for any reason they are unable to do so, and as a result we are unable to manufacture and supply sufficient quantities of our products on acceptable terms, or if we should encounter delays or other difficulties with the third parties on which we rely for our supply chain, our business, prospects, operating results, and financial condition may be materially harmed. Our business significantly depends upon the strength of our brands, and if we are not able to maintain and enhance our brand, our ability to expand our customer base may be impaired and our business and operating results may be harmed. Our business significantly depends upon the strength of our brand, and if we are not able to maintain and enhance our brand, our ability to expand our customer base may be impaired and our business and operating results may be harmed. We believe that the brand identity that we have developed has significantly contributed to the success of our business. We also believe that maintaining and enhancing the “23andMe” and “Lemonaid” brands are a significant factor in expanding our customer base and current and future business opportunities. We also believe that maintaining and enhancing the “23andMe” brand is a significant factor in expanding our customer base and current and future business opportunities. Maintaining and enhancing our brands may require us to make substantial investments and these investments may not be successful. Maintaining and enhancing our brand may require us to make substantial investments and these investments may not be successful. If we fail to promote and maintain the “23andMe” and “Lemonaid” brands, or if we incur excessive expenses in this effort, our business, operating results and financial condition may be materially and adversely affected. If we fail to promote and maintain the “23andMe” brand, or if we incur excessive expenses in this effort, our business, operating results and financial condition may be materially and adversely affected. We anticipate that, as our market becomes increasingly competitive, maintaining and enhancing our brands may become increasingly difficult and expensive. We anticipate that, as our market becomes increasingly competitive, maintaining and enhancing our brand may become increasingly difficult and expensive. We have a limited history introducing new products and services to our customers and patients. If our efforts to attract new customers and patients and engage existing customers and patients with enhanced products and services are unsuccessful or if such efforts are more costly than we expect, our business may be harmed. 32 Table of Contents Our success depends on our ability to attract new customers and patients and engage existing customers and patients in a cost-effective manner. Our success depends on our ability to attract new customers and patients and engage existing customers and patients in a cost-effective manner. To acquire and engage customers and patients, we must, among other things, promote and sustain our platform and provide high-quality products, user experiences, and service. If customers do not perceive our PGS to be reliable and of high quality, if we fail to introduce new and improved products and services, or if we introduce new products or services that are not favorably received by the market, we may not be able to attract or retain customers and patients. If customers do not perceive our PGS and PGS reports to be reliable and of high quality, if we fail to introduce new and improved products and services, or if we introduce new products or services that are not favorably received by the market, we may not be able to attract or retain customers and patients. For example, the increased growth of our subscription service, 23andMe+, depends upon how compelling this offering is to our customers. Many of our 23andMe+ subscribers may initially access the subscription service for a discount. While we strive to demonstrate the value of our subscription service to our customers, and encourage eligible customers to become paid subscribers of 23andMe+, these customers may not convert to a fully paid subscription to 23andMe+ after they take advantage of our promotions. Moreover, if we are unable to keep existing customers engaged, including by their participation in research and responses to questionnaires, our ability to grow our database and discover new insights about the relationship between genetics and disease will be compromised. If we are unable to attract new customers or engage existing customers, including as subscribers of 23andMe+, our revenue and our operating results may grow slower than expected or decline. Our telehealth business provides patients with access to telehealth-based consultations with healthcare providers and prescription medication services. In order to attract new telehealth patients and members and grow our telehealth business, we need to continue expanding the scope of our products and services and enter into new categories that will provide access to consultation and treatment of additional conditions. It is uncertain whether any such offerings will achieve and sustain high levels of demand and market adoption. Unless we are able to attract new telehealth patients and members and retain existing patients, our business, financial condition, and results of operations may be harmed. Our marketing efforts currently include various initiatives and consist primarily of digital marketing on a variety of social media channels, such as Facebook, search engine optimization on websites, such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo!, various branding strategies, and mobile “push” notifications and email. During the fiscal years ended March 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, we incurred $120. During the fiscal years ended March 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, we spent $100. 0 million, $100.5 million, $183. 3 million, and $43.3 million, $43. 2 million of sales and marketing expenses, representing 40%, 37%, and 18% of our revenue, respectively.5 million on sales and marketing, representing 37%, 18% and 36% of our revenue, respectively. We anticipate that sales and marketing expenses will continue to represent a significant percentage of our overall operating costs for the foreseeable future. We have historically acquired a significant number of our users through digital advertising on platforms and websites owned by Facebook and Google, which may terminate their agreements with us at any time. Our investments in sales and marketing may not effectively reach potential customers and/or patients, potential customers and/or patients may decide not to buy our products or services, or customer or patient spend for our products and services may not yield the intended return on investment, any of which could negatively affect our financial results. Many factors, some of which are beyond our control, may reduce our ability to acquire, maintain and further engage with customers and patients, including those described in this “Risk Factors” section and the following: •system updates to app stores and advertising platforms such as Facebook and Google, including adjustments to algorithms that may decrease user engagement or negatively affect our ability to reach a broad audience; •consumers opting out of the collection of certain personal information, including opting out of cookies, for marketing purposes; •consumers opting out of the receipt of promotional emails or text messages; •federal and state laws governing the use of personal information, including healthcare or genetic data, in marketing to potential or existing customers and patients, and the regulation of the use of discounts, promotions, and other marketing strategies in the healthcare industry; •changes in advertising platforms’ pricing, which could result in higher advertising costs; •changes in digital advertising platforms’ policies, such as those of Facebook and Google, that may delay or prevent us from advertising through these channels, which could result in reduced traffic to and sales on our platform, or that may increase the cost of advertising through these channels; •changes in search algorithms by search engines; •inability of our email marketing messages to reach the intended recipients’ inbox; •ineffectiveness of our marketing efforts and other spend to continue to acquire new customers and patients and maintain and increase engagement with existing customers and patients; •decline in popularity of, or governmental restrictions on, social media platforms where we advertise; •the development of new search engines or social media sites that reduce traffic on existing search engines and social media sites; and 33 Table of Contents •consumer behavior changes as a result of macroeconomic pressures in the United States and the global economy, such as rising interest rates, inflation, and recession fears. 45 Table of Contents Many factors, some of which are beyond our control, may reduce our ability to acquire, maintain and further engage with customers and patients, including those described in this “Risk Factors” section and the following: •system updates to app stores and advertising platforms such as Facebook and Google, including adjustments to algorithms that may decrease user engagement or negatively affect our ability to reach a broad audience; •consumers opting out of the collection of certain personal information, including opting out of cookies, for marketing purposes; •consumers opting out of the receipt of promotional emails or text messages; •federal and state laws governing the use of personal information, including healthcare data, in marketing to potential or existing customers and patients, and the regulation of the use of discounts, promotions, and other marketing strategies in the healthcare industry; •changes in advertising platforms’ pricing, which could result in higher advertising costs; •changes in digital advertising platforms’ policies, such as those of Facebook and Google, that may delay or prevent us from advertising through these channels, which could result in reduced traffic to and sales on our platform, or that may increase the cost of advertising through these channels; •changes in search algorithms by search engines; •inability of our email marketing messages to reach the intended recipients’ inbox; •ineffectiveness of our marketing efforts and other spend to continue to acquire new customers and patients and maintain and increase engagement with existing customers and patients; •decline in popularity of, or governmental restrictions on, social media platforms where we advertise; •the development of new search engines or social media sites that reduce traffic on existing search engines and social media sites; and •consumer behavior changes as a result of COVID-19. In addition, we believe that many of our new customers and patients originate from word-of-mouth and other non-paid referrals from existing customers and patients, including purchases of kits for gift-giving, so we must ensure that our existing customers and patients remain loyal and continue to derive value from our service in order to continue receiving those referrals. If our efforts to satisfy our existing customers and patients are not successful, we may not be able to attract new customers and patients. Further, if our customer base does not continue to grow, we may be required to incur significantly higher marketing expenses than we currently anticipate in order to attract new customers and patients. A significant decline in our customer base would have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Revenue derived from our kit sales is dependent on seasonal holiday demand and the timing of Amazon Prime Day, which could lead to significant quarterly fluctuations in revenue and results of operations. Our kit sales are dependent on seasonal holiday demand, as well as the timing of Amazon Prime Day, which has varied in recent years. We generate a significant amount of our PGS revenue during the fourth quarter of our fiscal year, due to seasonal holiday demand and to the fact that kits that are ordered during the holiday season (which occurs during the third quarter of our fiscal year) are recognized as revenue when the customer sends in their kit to the laboratory to be processed and genetic reports are delivered to the customer, which typically for holiday purchases tends to occur in the fourth fiscal quarter. For example, in fiscal 2023, 2022, and 2021, fourth quarter PGS revenue represented 35%, 36%, and 39% of our total PGS revenue, respectively. For example, in fiscal 2022, 2021 and 2020, fourth quarter PGS revenue represented 36%, 39% and 31% of our total PGS revenue, respectively. Our promotional activity is also higher in the third fiscal quarter, which may reduce gross margin during this period. Purchasing patterns of kit sales are also aligned with other gift-giving and family-oriented holidays such as Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. This seasonality causes our operating results to vary considerably from quarter to quarter. Additionally, any decrease in sales or profitability during the fourth quarter of the fiscal year could have a disproportionately adverse effect on our results of operations, which could, in turn, cause the value of our Class A common stock to fluctuate or decrease. This seasonality also could become more pronounced and may cause our operating results to fluctuate more widely. We also may experience an increase in lab processing times and costs associated with shipping orders due to freight surcharges due to peak capacity constraints and additional long-zone shipments necessary to ensure timely delivery for the holiday season. Such delays could lead to an inability to meet advertised estimated lab processing times, resulting in customer dissatisfaction or reputational damage. If too many customers access our website within a short period of time, we may experience system interruptions that make our website unavailable or prevent us from efficiently fulfilling orders, which may reduce the volume of kits sold. Also, third-party delivery and direct ship vendors may be unable to deliver merchandise on a timely basis. Our ability to meet demand in the Amazon retail channel is dependent upon Amazon’s stocking policies. We offer for sale both the Health + Ancestry Service kit and the Ancestry Service kit through Amazon in the U. We offer for sale both the Health + Ancestry Service kit and the Ancestry + Traits Service kit through Amazon in the US, Canada and the U. S., Canada, and the U., Canada, the U. K. Demand for our PGS kits through Amazon varies considerably based upon seasonal holiday and other gift-giving and family-oriented holiday demand, as well as the timing of Amazon Prime Day. Amazon’s stocking policies restrict the total number of PGS kits available for shipment to Amazon customers. These policies, including the inventory cap, change frequently, and as a result, our inventory available for shipment through Amazon fluctuates. We may not be able to accurately predict the mix of Health + Ancestry Service kits and Ancestry Service kits to effectively meet demand for each service type by Amazon customers. We may not be able to accurately predict the mix of Health + Ancestry Service kits and Ancestry + Traits Service kits to effectively meet demand for each service type by Amazon customers. We also may experience an increase in costs associated with expedited shipping or use of intermediaries to enable additional stock being made available through Amazon. We have limited operating experience abroad and may be subject to increased business and economic risks that could impact our financial results. 47 Table of Contents We have limited operating experience abroad and may be subject to increased business and economic risks that could impact our financial results. Our PGS is available in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and in certain other markets globally, and our telehealth services are available in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.K. We plan to continue to pursue international expansion of our business operations and we may expand our offering in existing international markets or enter new international markets where we have limited or no experience in marketing, selling and deploying our product and services. If we fail to deploy or manage our operations in these countries successfully, our business and operations may suffer. In addition, we are subject to a variety of risks inherent in doing business internationally, including: •policies, social and/or economic instability; 34 Table of Contents •risks related to governmental regulations in foreign jurisdictions and unexpected changes in regulatory requirements and enforcement; •fluctuations in currency exchange rates; •higher levels of credit risk and payment fraud; •enhanced difficulties of integrating any foreign acquisitions; •burdens of complying with a variety of foreign laws; •reduced protection for IP rights in some countries; •difficulties in staffing and managing global operations and the increased travel, infrastructure and legal compliance costs associated with multiple international locations and subsidiaries; •different regulations and practices with respect to employee/employer relationships, existence of workers’ councils and labor unions, and other challenges caused by distance, language, and cultural differences, making it harder to do business in certain international jurisdictions; •compliance with statutory equity requirements; and •management of tax consequences and compliance. In addition, we are subject to a variety of risks inherent in doing business internationally, including: •policies, social and/or economic instability; •risks related to governmental regulations in foreign jurisdictions and unexpected changes in regulatory requirements and enforcement; •fluctuations in currency exchange rates; •higher levels of credit risk and payment fraud; •enhanced difficulties of integrating any foreign acquisitions; •burdens of complying with a variety of foreign laws; •reduced protection for intellectual property rights in some countries; •difficulties in staffing and managing global operations and the increased travel, infrastructure and legal compliance costs associated with multiple international locations and subsidiaries; •different regulations and practices with respect to employee/employer relationships, existence of workers’ councils and labor unions, and other challenges caused by distance, language, and cultural differences, making it harder to do business in certain international jurisdictions; •compliance with statutory equity requirements; and •management of tax consequences and compliance. If we are unable to manage the complexity of global operations successfully, our financial performance and operating results could suffer. Our pricing strategies may not meet customers’ price expectations or may adversely affect our revenues. Our pricing strategies have had, and may continue to have, a significant impact on our revenue. From time to time, we offer discounted prices as a means of attracting customers. Such offers and discounts, however, may reduce our revenue and margins. In addition, our competitors’ pricing and marketing strategies are beyond our control and can significantly affect the results of our pricing strategies. If our pricing strategies, which may evolve over time, fail to meet our customers’ price expectations or fail to result in increased margins, or if we are unable to compete effectively with our competitors if they engage in aggressive pricing strategies or other competitive activities, it could have a material adverse effect on our business. We depend on our relationships with the PMCs, which we do not own, to provide telehealth consultation services, and our business could be adversely affected if those relationships were disrupted. In certain jurisdictions, the corporate practice of medicine doctrine generally prohibits non-physicians from practicing medicine, including by employing physicians to provide clinical services, directing the clinical practice of physicians, or holding an ownership interest in an entity that employs or contracts with physicians. Some states have similar doctrines with respect to other professional licensure categories, including behavioral health services and providers. Other practices, such as professionals splitting their professional fees with a non-professional, are also prohibited in some jurisdictions. Many states also limit the extent to which nurse practitioners can practice independently and require that they practice under the supervision of or in collaboration with a supervising physician. Through our platform, our patients gain access to one or more licensed healthcare providers for telehealth consultations. These providers are employed by or contracted with PMCs, which are independent professional entities owned by licensed physicians and that engage licensed healthcare professionals to provide telehealth consultations and related services, including applicable physician supervision of nurse practitioners. These providers are employed by or contracted with PMCs, which are professional entities owned by licensed physicians and that engage licensed healthcare professionals, to provide telehealth consultations and related services, including applicable physician supervision of nurse practitioners. We enter into certain contractual arrangements with the PMCs and their provider owners, including an administrative services agreement, with each PMC for the exclusive provision by us of non-clinical services and support for the PMCs. While we expect that these relationships with the PMCs will continue, we cannot guarantee that they will. We believe that our arrangements with the PMCs have been structured to comply with applicable law and allow the healthcare providers the ability to maintain exclusive authority regarding the provision of clinical healthcare services (including consults that may lead to the writing of prescriptions), but there can be no assurance that government entities or courts would find our approach to be consistent with their interpretation of, and enforcement activities or initiatives related to, these laws and the corporate practice of medicine doctrine or similar prohibitions. If our arrangements are deemed to be inconsistent with any applicable government entity’s interpretation of a law or regulation prohibiting the corporate practice of medicine, a fee-splitting law, or similar regulatory prohibitions, we would need to restructure the arrangements with the PMCs to create a compliant arrangement or terminate the arrangement, and we could face fines or other penalties in connection with such arrangements. A material change in our relationships with the PMCs, whether resulting from a dispute, a change in government regulation, or enforcement patterns, a determination of non-compliance, or the loss of these agreements or business relationships, could impair our ability to provide products and services to our patients and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. Violations of the prohibition on corporate practice of medicine doctrine, fee-splitting, or similar laws may impose penalties (e.g., fines or license suspension) on healthcare providers, which could discourage professionals from entering into arrangements with the PMCs and using our platform and could result in lawsuits by providers 35 Table of Contents against the PMCs and us. These laws and regulations are subject to change and enforcement based upon political, regulatory, and other influences. More restrictive treatment of healthcare professionals’ relationships with non-professionals, such as our Company, in the healthcare services delivery context could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. We depend on a number of other companies to perform functions critical to our ability to operate our platform and generate revenue from patients. We depend on the PMCs and their providers and our Affiliated Pharmacies to deliver quality healthcare consultations and pharmacy services through our platform. Any interruption in the availability of a sufficient number of providers or supply from our Affiliated Pharmacies could materially and adversely affect our ability to satisfy our patients and ensure they receive consultation services and prescription medication. If we were to lose our relationship with one or more of the PMCs, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to ensure access to a sufficient network of providers. If we were to lose our relationship with one of the PMCs, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to ensure access to a sufficient network of providers. Similarly, if we were to lose our relationship with one or more of our Affiliated Pharmacies, or are unable to obtain access for patients to pharmaceutical products through such pharmacies, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to find, perform due diligence on, and engage with one or more replacement partners in a timely manner. Similarly, if we were to lose our relationship with one of our Affiliated Pharmacies, or are unable to obtain access for patients to low-cost pharmaceutical products through such pharmacies, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to find, perform due diligence on, and engage with one or more replacement partners in a timely manner. Our ability to service the needs of our customers could be materially impaired or interrupted in the event that our relationship with a PMC or Affiliated Pharmacy is terminated or otherwise impaired, which can happen due to a variety of circumstances, including, but not limited to, noncompliance on the part of the third-party entity. Our ability to service customer requirements could be materially impaired or interrupted in the event that our relationship with a PMC or Affiliated Pharmacy is terminated or otherwise impaired, which can happen due to a variety of circumstances, including, but not limited to, noncompliance on the part of the third-party entity. We also depend on cloud infrastructure providers, payment processors, and various others that allow our platform to function effectively and serve the needs of our patients. Difficulties with our significant partners and suppliers, regardless of the reason, could have a material adverse effect on our business. If we are unable to attract and retain high quality healthcare providers for our patients, our business, financial condition, and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected. Our success is dependent upon our continued ability to maintain and expand a network of qualified telehealth providers. Our success is dependent upon our continued ability to maintain a network of qualified telehealth providers. If we are unable to recruit and retain board-certified and other qualified physicians, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals, it would adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations and ability to grow. If we are unable to recruit and retain board-certified physicians, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals, it would adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations and ability to grow. In any particular market, providers could demand higher payments or take other actions that could result in higher medical costs, less attractive service for our patients, or difficulty meeting regulatory or accreditation requirements. The failure to maintain or to secure new cost-effective provider contracts may result in a loss of or inability to grow our membership base, higher costs, less attractive service for our patients, and/or difficulty in meeting regulatory or accreditation requirements, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. Any significant disruption in service on our website, mobile applications, or in our computer or logistics systems, whether due to a failure with our information technology systems or that of a third-party vendor, could harm our reputation and may result in a loss of customers. Customers purchase our PGS and access its services through our website or our mobile applications. We also provide our telehealth services to patients and members through our website and mobile applications. Our reputation and ability to attract, retain and serve our customers, patients, and members is dependent upon the reliable performance of our website, mobile applications, network infrastructure and content delivery processes. Interruptions in any of these systems, whether due to system failures, computer viruses or physical or electronic break-ins, could affect the security or availability of our website or mobile applications, including our databases, and prevent our customers, patients, and members from accessing and using our services. Our systems and operations are also vulnerable to damage or interruption from fire, flood, power loss, telecommunications failure, terrorist attacks, acts of war, electronic and physical break-ins, earthquake and similar events. For example, our headquarters are located in the San Francisco Bay Area which over the past several years has been subject to planned power outages to reduce the risk of wildfire, and these power outages can last for several days, which may limit or curtail certain operations. In the event of any catastrophic failure involving our website, we may be unable to serve our web traffic. In addition, our Lemonaid pharmacy fulfillment business is processed from a single location, which operations would be materially disrupted in the event any of these events were to occur at such facility. The occurrence of any of the foregoing risks could result in damage to our systems or could cause them to fail completely, and our insurance may not cover such risks or may be insufficient to compensate us for losses that may occur. Additionally, our PGS business model is dependent on our ability to deliver kits to customers and have kits processed and returned to us. This requires coordination between our logistics providers and third-party shipping services. Operational disruptions may be caused by factors outside of our control such as hostilities, political unrest, terrorist attacks, natural disasters, pandemics and public health emergencies, affecting the geographies where our operations and customers are located. Operational disruptions may be caused by factors outside of our control such as hostilities, political unrest, terrorist attacks, natural disasters, pandemics (such as COVID-19) and public health emergencies, such as COVID-19, affecting the geographies where our operations and customers are located. We may not be effective at preventing or mitigating the effects of such disruptions, particularly in the case of a catastrophic event. In addition, operational disruptions may occur during the holiday season, causing delays or failures in deliveries of PGS kits. Any such disruption may result in lost revenues, a 36 Table of Contents loss of customers and reputational damage, which would have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. Any such disruption may result in lost revenues, a loss of customers and reputational damage, which would have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. If we are unable to deliver a rewarding experience on mobile devices, whether through our mobile website or our mobile application, we may be unable to attract and retain customers and patients. We believe that current and prospective customers and patients are increasingly interested in accessing our PGS and telehealth offerings through mobile devices. We maintain mobile websites and mobile applications for our PGS and telehealth offerings. Developing and supporting a mobile website and mobile application across multiple operating systems and devices requires substantial time and resources. Notwithstanding our efforts to develop mobile solutions, our mobile solutions may fail to meet the needs of our customers and patients or consistently provide rewarding customer and patient experiences. As a result, our ability to attract new customers and patients could be impaired and customers and patients we meet through our mobile websites or mobile applications may not choose to use our offerings at the same rate as customers and patients we meet through our websites. As new mobile devices and mobile operating systems are released, we may encounter problems in developing or supporting our mobile websites or mobile applications for them. Our ability to offer commercially successful mobile websites and mobile applications could also be harmed by factors outside of our control, such as: •increased costs to develop, distribute, or maintain our mobile websites or mobile applications; •changes to the terms of service or requirements of a mobile application store that requires us to change our mobile application development or features in an adverse manner; and •changes in mobile operating systems, such as Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android, that disproportionately affect us, degrade the functionality of our mobile websites or mobile applications, require that we make costly upgrades to our technology offerings, or give preferential treatment to competitors’ websites or mobile applications. If our customers or patients experience difficulty accessing or using, or if they elect not to use, our mobile websites or mobile applications, our business and results of operations may be adversely affected. Use of social media and email may adversely affect our reputation or subject us to fines or other penalties. We use social media and email as part of our approach to marketing. As laws and regulations rapidly evolve to govern the use of these channels, the failure by us, our employees or third parties acting on our behalf or at our direction to abide by applicable laws and regulations in the use of these channels could adversely affect our reputation or subject us to fines, other penalties, or lawsuits. Although we continue to update our practices as these laws change over time, we may be subject to lawsuits or investigations alleging our failure to comply with such laws. In addition, our employees or third parties acting on our behalf or at our direction may knowingly or inadvertently use social media, including through advertisements, in ways that could lead to the loss or infringement of IP, as well as the public disclosure of proprietary, confidential, or sensitive personal information of our business, employees, customers, patients, members, or others. In addition, our employees or third parties acting on our behalf or at our direction may knowingly or inadvertently use social media, including through advertisements, in ways that could lead to the loss or infringement of intellectual property, as well as the public disclosure of proprietary, confidential, or sensitive personal information of our business, employees, customers, patients, members, or others. Any such inappropriate use of social media and emails could also cause reputational damage. Our customers may engage with us online through social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter, by providing feedback and public commentary about all aspects of our business. Our customers may engage with us online through social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, by providing feedback and public commentary about all aspects of our business. Information concerning us, whether accurate or not, may be posted on social media platforms at any time and may have a disproportionately adverse impact on our brand, reputation, or business. The harm may be immediate without affording us an opportunity for redress or correction and could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, and prospects. Our success depends, in large part, on our ability to extend our presence in the personal genetics market, provide customers with a high level of service at a competitive price, achieve sufficient sales volume to realize economies of scale, and create innovative new features, products, and services to offer to our customers. Our failure to achieve any of these outcomes would adversely affect our business. Our success depends, in large part, on our ability to extend our presence in the personal genetics market, provide customers with a high level of service at a competitive price, achieve sufficient sales volume to realize economies of scale, and create innovative new features, products and services to offer to our customers. The growth and expansion of our business and service offerings places a continuous significant strain on our management, operational, and financial resources. We are required to manage multiple relationships with various strategic suppliers, customers, and other third parties, and regulatory agencies and advisors. To effectively manage our growth, we must continue to implement and improve our operational, financial, and management information systems and to expand, train and manage our employee base. We further must continue to work to scale our own operations and our supplier operations to meet increases in demand for our services. In the event of further growth of our operations or in the number of our third-party relationships, 37 Table of Contents our supply, systems, procedures, or internal controls may not be adequate to support our operations and our management may not be able to manage any such growth effectively. In the event of further growth of our operations or in the number of our third-party relationships, our supply, systems, procedures, or internal controls may not be adequate to support our operations and our management may not be able to manage any such growth effectively. Our current and future expense levels are, to a large extent, fixed and are largely based on our investment plans and our estimates of future revenue. Because the timing and amount of revenue from our PGS is difficult to forecast when revenue does not meet our expectations, we may not be able to adjust our spending promptly or reduce our spending to levels commensurate with our revenue. Even if we are able to successfully scale our infrastructure and operations, we cannot ensure that demand for our services will increase at levels consistent with the growth of our infrastructure. If we fail to generate demand commensurate with this growth or if we fail to scale our infrastructure sufficiently in advance to meet such demand, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected, which may affect our ability to attract personnel or retain or motivate existing personnel. Our Consumer and Research Services business relies on the continual growth of our database of information provided by customers who consent to participate in our research. If the number of our customers consenting to participate in our research programs declines or fails to grow, our research services revenue may be adversely affected, and our database may become less effective in facilitating our ability to identify new drug targets and to create new features, products, and services to offer to our customers. Our Consumer and Research Services business is based on our ongoing analysis of the continually growing quantity of data in our proprietary database of genotypic and phenotypic information provided by customers who have consented to participate in our research programs. Over 80% of our customers have consented to participate in our research programs. If this percentage were to decline, or if consenting customers were to decide to opt out of our research programs, such that we cannot continue to grow our research database, the utility and value of our database would be adversely affected. Our Consumer and Research Services business requires us to continue to improve and develop new data mining technologies and innovations in the use of genotypic and phenotypic data. Our research services business uses our database and data mining tools and technologies to analyze the impacts of genetics on the sources and risks of disease, and to identify promising drug targets. If we do not continue to improve and develop new data mining technologies and innovations in our use of genotypic and phenotypic data, and to attract and retain skilled scientists to analyze our data, our business would be adversely affected. Although we believe that our genetics-powered target discovery platform has the potential to identify more promising drugs than traditional methods, our focus on using our genetics-powered platform to discover targets with therapeutic potential may not result in the discovery of commercially viable drug targets for us or our collaborators. 52 Table of Contents Although we believe that our genetics-powered target discovery platform has the potential to identify more promising drugs than traditional methods, our focus on using our genetics-powered platform to discover targets with therapeutic potential may not result in the discovery of commercially viable drug targets for us or our collaborators. Our scientific approach focuses on using our proprietary genotypic and phenotypic database to identify promising drug targets and predict their key properties without conducting time-consuming and expensive physical experiments. Our scientific approach focuses on using our propriety genotypic and phenotypic database to identify promising drug targets and predict their key properties without conducting time-consuming and expensive physical experiments. Our proprietary data mining techniques underpin, our target identification collaborations and our own internal target identification programs. While we believe that our research platform has been successful to date in identifying promising drug targets, we have no assurance that our early success will continue or lead to future success in identifying such targets. Media reports have reported on consumer data privacy and security concerns and the use of genetic information accessed from other genetic databases by law enforcement and governmental agencies. Media reports have in the past reported on consumer data privacy and security concerns and the use of genetic information accessed from other genetic databases by law enforcement and governmental agencies. These reports may decrease the overall consumer demand for personal genetic products and services, including ours. We receive a high degree of media coverage. Unfavorable publicity or consumer perception of our product and service offerings, or the use of other genetic databases by third parties, including law enforcement, could adversely affect our reputation, resulting in a negative impact on the size of our customer base, the loyalty of our customers, the percentage of our customers that consent to participate in our research program, and our ability to attract new customers. Unfavorable publicity or consumer perception of our product and service offerings, including consumer privacy concerns related to any of our past, existing, or future collaborations, could adversely affect our reputation, resulting in a negative impact on the size of our customer base, the loyalty of our customers, the percentage of our customers that consent to participate in our research program, and our ability to attract new customers. Therapeutics Business Risks We expect to make significant investments in our continued efforts to develop new therapies as part of our Therapeutics business; these efforts may not be successful. We do not have any experience in successful drug development or commercialization and our failure to execute on successful drug development or commercialization would adversely affect our business and results of operations. 38 Table of Contents Drug development is expensive, takes years to complete, and can have uncertain outcomes. Failure can occur at any stage of development. We expect to incur significant expenses to advance our therapeutic development efforts, which may be unsuccessful. Developing new drugs is a speculative, risky, and highly competitive endeavor. Drugs which may initially show promise may fail to achieve the desired results in development and clinical studies and may ultimately not prove to be safe and effective or meet expectations for clinical utility. We may need to alter our offerings in development and repeat clinical studies before we develop a potentially successful drug. If, after development, a drug appears successful, we or our collaborators will still need to obtain FDA and other regulatory approvals before we can market it. The FDA’s approval pathways are likely to involve significant time, as well as additional research, development, and clinical study expenditures. The FDA may not approve any drug we develop. Even if we develop a drug that receives regulatory approval, we or our collaborators would need to commit substantial resources to commercialize, sell and market it before it could be profitable, and the drug may never be commercially successful. The effectiveness and safety of a prospective product do not guarantee its market acceptance once it is launched. Educating patients, the medical community, and third-party payers about our product candidates could be a challenging task and may not yield desired results, despite significant investment of resources. Compared to conventional methods used by our competitors, our approach to educating the market may require more extensive resources. Any products that we ultimately bring to the market, if they receive marketing approval, may not gain market acceptance by physicians, patients, third-party payors, or others in the medical community. Additionally, development of any product or service may be disrupted or made less viable by the development of competing products or services. Because of the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with developing drugs, we are unable to predict whether or when our Therapeutics business may successfully commercialize a drug target. New potential products and services may fail at any stage of development or commercialization and if we determine that any of our current or future products or services are unlikely to succeed, we may abandon them without any return on our investment. If we are unsuccessful in developing additional products or services, our potential for growth may be impaired. Even if we or our drug discovery collaborators are able to develop drugs that demonstrate potential in preclinical or early-stage clinical studies, we or they may not succeed in demonstrating safety and efficacy of drugs in human clinical trials. Even if we or our drug discovery collaborators are able to develop drugs that demonstrate potential in preclinical or early stage clinical studies, we or they may not succeed in demonstrating safety and efficacy of drugs in human clinical trials. Even if we or our drug discovery collaborators are able to develop drugs that demonstrate potential in preclinical or early-stage clinical studies, we or they may not succeed in demonstrating safety and efficacy of drug product candidates in human clinical trials. Even if we or our drug discovery collaborators are able to develop drugs that demonstrate potential in preclinical or early stage clinical studies, we or they may not succeed in demonstrating safety and efficacy of drugs in human clinical trials. Moreover, preclinical and clinical data are often susceptible to varying interpretations and analyses, and many companies that believed their drugs performed satisfactorily in preclinical studies and clinical trials have nonetheless failed to obtain marketing approval of their drug product candidates. Moreover, preclinical and clinical data are often susceptible to varying interpretations and analyses, and many companies that have believed their drugs performed satisfactorily in preclinical studies and clinical trials have nonetheless failed to obtain marketing approval of their drugs. If we fail to succeed in our drug development efforts, or to develop and commercialize additional products and services, our ability to expand our business and achieve our strategic objectives would be impaired. Our Therapeutics business is focused on leveraging our proprietary genotypic and phenotypic database in order to speed the development of successful new drugs. However, we may never succeed in developing a viable drug target. There are many lengthy and complex processes that all must yield successful results in order for us to ultimately succeed in developing and commercializing a drug. There are numerous stages of the drug development process, from initial target identification and validation, through various stages of rigorous preclinical research, to the selection of a lead drug product candidate that is suitable for human clinical testing. There are numerous stages of the drug development process, from initial target identification and validation, through various stages of rigorous preclinical research, to the selection of a lead drug which is suitable for human clinical testing. Once a drug product candidate is selected, there are several stages of clinical testing it must undergo, each dependent upon success in the prior stage. Once a clinical drug is selected, there are several stages of clinical testing it must undergo, each dependent upon success in the prior stage. This is a long and costly process that will require significant time and resources and, if not successful, for any number of reasons that we cannot anticipate, would have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, external competition by other therapeutic companies can adversely affect our expected market share and revenues of our drugs. Developing new products and services requires substantial technical, financial and human resources, whether or not any products or services are ultimately commercialized. We may pursue what we believe is a promising opportunity only to discover that certain of our risk or resource allocation decisions were incorrect or insufficient, or that individual products, services or our science in general has technology or biology risks that were previously unknown or underappreciated. In the event material decisions in any of these areas turn out to be incorrect or sub-optimal, we may experience a material adverse impact on our business and ability to fund our operations. There are numerous risks associated with the development of our product candidate. These risks include the possibility that the compounds may be found ineffective or cause harmful side effects, may be difficult to manufacture in sufficient quantities for our development efforts and on a commercial scale, may be uneconomical to produce, and may not show the potential to compete effectively with existing or future alternatives. Additionally, political, judicial, and legislative changes, including those described elsewhere in this annual report, may make product development and marketing authorization more difficult. Our Therapeutics business faces substantial competition, which may result in others discovering, developing, or commercializing drugs before or more successfully than we can. Our Therapeutics business faces substantial competition, which may result in others discovering, developing or commercializing drugs before or more successfully than we can. 39 Table of Contents We have not yet developed and commercialized, and may never successfully develop or commercialize, a drug target. Our Therapeutics business faces substantial competition from larger, more established pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies with marketed products that have been accepted by the medical community, patients, and third-party payors, as well as smaller companies in our industry that have successfully identified and developed drugs. Our ability to compete in this industry may be affected by the previous adoption of such products by the medical community, patients, and third-party payors. We recognize that other companies, including larger pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, may be developing or have plans to develop drugs and therapies that may compete with ours. Many of our competitors have substantially greater financial, technical, and human resources than we have. In addition, many of our competitors have significantly greater experience than we have in undertaking preclinical studies and human clinical trials of drugs, obtaining FDA and other regulatory approvals of drugs for use in healthcare and manufacturing, and marketing and selling approved drugs. Our competitors may discover, develop, or commercialize drugs or other novel technologies that are more effective, safer, or less costly than any that we are developing. Our competitors may also obtain FDA or other regulatory approval for their drugs more rapidly than we may obtain approval for any drug that we develop. We anticipate that the competition with our drugs and therapies will be based on a number of factors, including product efficacy, safety, availability, and price. 54 Table of Contents We anticipate that the competition with our drugs and therapies will be based on a number of factors, including product efficacy, safety, availability, and price. The timing of market introduction of any successful drug and competitive drugs will also affect competition among products. We expect the relative speed with which we can develop drugs, complete the clinical trials and approval processes, and supply commercial quantities of such drugs to the market to be important competitive factors. Our competitive position will also depend upon our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel, to obtain patent protection or otherwise develop proprietary products or processes, and protect our IP, and to secure sufficient capital resources for the period between target identification and commercial sales of the resulting drug product. Our competitive position will also depend upon our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel, to obtain patent protection or otherwise develop proprietary products or processes, and protect our intellectual property, and to secure sufficient capital resources for the period between target identification and commercial sales of the resulting drug product. Our long-term success will depend, in part, upon our ability to develop, receive regulatory approval for, and commercialize our drugs. In the U.S., our drugs and the activities associated with their development, including testing, manufacture, record-keeping, storage, and approval, are subject to comprehensive regulation by the FDA. Failure to obtain regulatory approval for a drug product candidate will prevent us from commercializing such target. Failure to obtain regulatory approval for a drug will prevent us from commercializing such target. We have limited resources for use in preparing, filing, and supporting the applications necessary to gain regulatory approvals and expect to rely on third-party contract research organizations and consultants to assist us in this process. The FDA and other comparable regulatory agencies in foreign countries impose substantial and rigorous requirements for the development, production, marketing authorization, and commercial introduction of drugs. These requirements include pre-clinical, laboratory, and clinical testing procedures, sampling activities, manufacturing development, clinical trials, and other costly and time-consuming procedures. These requirements include pre-clinical, laboratory and clinical testing procedures, sampling activities, manufacturing development, clinical trials and other costly and time-consuming procedures. In addition, regulation is not static, and regulatory authorities, including the FDA evolve in their interpretations and practices and may impose more stringent or different requirements than currently in effect, which may adversely affect our planned and ongoing development and/or our sales and marketing efforts. Developing and obtaining regulatory approval for drugs is a lengthy process, often taking many years, is uncertain and is expensive. All of the drugs that we are developing, or may develop in the future, require research and development, pre-clinical studies, nonclinical testing, manufacturing development, and clinical trials prior to seeking regulatory approval and commencing commercial sales. In addition, we may need to address a number of technological challenges in order to complete development of our drugs. As a result, the development of drugs may take longer than anticipated or not be successful at all. There can be no assurance that the FDA will ever permit us to market any new drug that we develop. Even if regulatory approval is granted, such approval may include significant limitations on indicated uses, which could materially and adversely affect the prospects of any new therapeutic. In addition, new regulations could potentially negatively impact our therapeutic development and commercialization. For example, in August 2022, Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which includes prescription drug provisions that could have significant implications on our future drug development and sales. To market any drugs outside of the U.S., we must establish and comply with numerous and varying regulatory requirements of other countries regarding safety and effectiveness. Clinical trials conducted in one country may not be accepted by regulatory authorities in other countries, and regulatory approval in one country does not mean that regulatory approval will be obtained in any other country. Approval processes vary among countries and can involve additional drug testing and validation and additional or different administrative review periods from those in the U.S., including additional preclinical studies or clinical trials, as clinical trials conducted in one jurisdiction may not be accepted by regulatory authorities in other jurisdictions. Seeking foreign regulatory approval could result in difficulties and costs and require additional nonclinical studies or clinical trials, which could be costly and time-consuming. Regulatory requirements can vary widely from country to country and could delay or prevent the introduction of our drugs in those countries. The foreign regulatory approval process may include all the risks associated with obtaining FDA approval. We do not have any drugs approved for sale in any jurisdiction, including international markets, and we do not have experience in obtaining regulatory approval in international markets. If we fail to comply with regulatory requirements in 40 Table of Contents international markets or to obtain and maintain required approvals, or if regulatory approval in international markets is delayed, our target market will be reduced and our ability to realize the full market potential of our drugs will be harmed. If we fail to comply with regulatory requirements in international markets or to obtain and maintain required approvals, or if regulatory approval in international markets is delayed, our target market will be reduced and our ability to realize the full market potential of our drugs will be harmed. Our drugs are in preclinical or clinical development, which is a lengthy and expensive process with uncertain outcomes and the potential for substantial delays. 55 Table of Contents Our drugs are in preclinical or clinical development, which is a lengthy and expensive process with uncertain outcomes and the potential for substantial delays. We cannot give any assurance that any of our drugs will receive regulatory approval, which is necessary before they can be commercialized. Before obtaining marketing approval from regulatory authorities for the sale of our drugs, we must conduct extensive clinical trials to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of the drugs in humans. We have focused our collaborative efforts and significant financial resources on developing new drugs. We cannot be certain that any clinical trials will be conducted as planned or completed on schedule, if at all. Our inability to successfully complete preclinical and clinical development could result in additional costs to us and negatively impact our ability to generate revenue. Our future success is dependent on our ability to successfully develop, obtain regulatory approval for, and then successfully commercialize drugs. We currently have no drugs approved for sale and have not generated any revenue from sales of drugs, and we may never be able to develop or successfully commercialize a marketable drug. The results of early-stage clinical trials and preclinical studies may not be predictive of future results. Initial data in clinical trials may not be indicative of results obtained when these trials are completed or in later stage trials. All our identified drugs require additional development, management of preclinical, clinical, and manufacturing activities, and regulatory approval. In addition, we will need to obtain adequate manufacturing supply, build a commercial organization, commence marketing efforts, and obtain reimbursement before we generate any significant revenue from commercial product sales, if ever. Many of our drugs are in early-stage research or translational phases of development, and the risk of failure for these programs is high. We cannot be certain that any of our drugs will be successful in clinical trials or receive regulatory approval. Further, our drugs may not receive regulatory approval even if they are successful in clinical trials. If we do not receive regulatory approvals for our drugs, we and our subsidiaries may not be able to continue operations. If we encounter difficulties enrolling patients in clinical trials, our clinical development activities could be delayed or otherwise adversely affected. Our ability to identify and qualify clinical trial participants in an expeditious manner is critical to the success of our clinical development activities. The timing of our clinical studies depends on the speed at which we can recruit trial participants to participate in testing our drugs. Delays in enrollment may result in increased costs or may affect the timing or outcome of the planned clinical trials, which could prevent completion of these trials and adversely affect our ability to advance the development of our drugs. If trial participants are unwilling to participate in our studies or drop out of our trials at unexpected rates, the timeline for recruiting trial participants, conducting studies, and obtaining regulatory approval of potential drugs may be delayed. We also may face delays in enrolling patients and conducting clinical studies, and may need to make adjustments to our development programs as a result of unforeseen global circumstances. We also may face delays in enrolling patients and conducting clinical studies, and may need to make adjustments to our development programs as a result of unforeseen global circumstances as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Any delays could result in increased costs, delays in advancing our drug development, delays in testing the effectiveness of our drugs, or termination of the clinical studies altogether. Use of our therapeutic drugs could be associated with side effects, adverse events, or other properties or safety risks, which could delay or halt their clinical development, prevent their regulatory approval, cause us to suspend or discontinue clinical trials, abandon a drug, limit their commercial potential, if approved, or result in other significant negative consequences that could severely harm our business, prospects, financial condition, and results of operations. Use of our therapeutic drugs could be associated with side effects, adverse events or other properties or safety risks, which could delay or halt their clinical development, prevent their regulatory approval, cause us to suspend or discontinue clinical trials, abandon a drug, limit their commercial potential, if approved, or result in other significant negative consequences that could severely harm our business, prospects, financial condition, and results of operations. Undesirable or unacceptable side effects caused by our drugs, including drugs that are part of our collaboration with GSK, could cause us or regulatory authorities to interrupt, delay or halt clinical trials and could result in a more restrictive label or the delay or denial of regulatory approval by the FDA or other comparable foreign regulatory authorities. Results of clinical trials could reveal a high and unacceptable severity and prevalence of side effects or unexpected characteristics. Even if any of our current or future therapeutic drugs receive regulatory approval, it may fail to achieve the degree of market acceptance by physicians, patients, third-party payors and others in the medical community necessary for commercial success, in which case we may not generate significant revenues or become profitable. Our use of third parties to manufacture and develop our drugs for preclinical studies and clinical trials may increase the risk that we will not have sufficient quantities of our drugs, products, or necessary quantities of such materials on time or at an acceptable cost or quality. 56 Table of Contents Our use of third parties to manufacture and develop our drugs for preclinical studies and clinical trials may increase the risk that we will not have sufficient quantities of our drugs, products, or necessary quantities of such materials on time or at an acceptable cost or quality. We have no experience in drug formulation or manufacturing and we lack the resources and expertise to formulate or manufacture our own therapeutic drugs internally. Therefore, we rely on third-party expertise to support us in this area. We entered into a contract with a third-party manufacturer to manufacture our drugs, and we intend to enter into contracts with third-party manufacturers to supply, store, and distribute supplies of our drugs for our clinical trials. If any of our drugs receives FDA approval, we expect to rely on 41 Table of Contents third-party contractors to manufacture our drugs. If any of our drugs receives FDA approval, we expect to rely on third-party contractors to manufacture our drugs. We have no current plans to build internal manufacturing capacity for any drug, and we have no long-term supply arrangements. Our reliance on third-party manufacturers exposes us to potential risks, such as the following: •We may be unable to contract with third-party manufacturers on acceptable terms, or at all, because the number of potential manufacturers is limited. Potential manufacturers will be subject to FDA compliance inspections and any new manufacturer would have to be qualified to produce our drugs; •Our third-party manufacturers might be unable to formulate and manufacture our drugs in the volume and of the quality required to meet our clinical and commercial needs, if any; •Our third-party manufacturers may face supply chain issues, including, but not limited to, as a result of global geopolitical events; •Following submission of a marketing application, our third-party manufacturers may not be inspected on a timely basis by the applicable regulatory authorities; •Our third-party manufacturers may not perform as agreed or may not remain in the contract manufacturing business for the time required to supply our clinical trials through completion or to successfully produce, store, and distribute our commercial products, if approved; •Drug manufacturers are subject to ongoing periodic unannounced inspection by the FDA and other government agencies to ensure compliance with cGMP and other government regulations and corresponding foreign standards. Potential manufacturers of any drug that is approved will be subject to FDA compliance inspections and any new manufacturer would have to be qualified to produce our drugs; •Our third-party manufacturers might be unable to formulate and manufacture our drugs in the volume and of the quality required to meet our clinical and commercial needs, if any; •Our third-party manufacturers may face supply chain issues as a result of global geopolitical events or the COVID-19 pandemic; •Following submission of a marketing application, our third-party manufacturers may not be inspected on a timely basis by the applicable regulatory authorities; •Our third-party manufacturers may not perform as agreed or may not remain in the contract manufacturing business for the time required to supply our clinical trials through completion or to successfully produce, store and distribute our commercial products, if approved; •Drug manufacturers are subject to ongoing periodic unannounced inspection by the FDA and other government agencies to ensure compliance with cGMP and other government regulations and corresponding foreign standards. We do not have direct control over third-party manufacturers’ compliance with these regulations and standards, but we may ultimately be responsible for any of their failures; •If any third-party manufacturer makes improvements in the manufacturing process for our products, we may not own, or may have to share, the IP rights to such improvements; •Third-party manufacturers may not comply with the applicable regulatory requirements, which would expose us and them to potential enforcement actions; and •A third-party manufacturer may gain knowledge from working with us that could be used to supply one of our competitors with a product that competes with ours. We do not have direct control over third-party manufacturers’ compliance with these regulations and standards, but we may ultimately be responsible for any of their failures; •If any third-party manufacturer makes improvements in the manufacturing process for our products, we may not own, or may have to share, the intellectual property rights to such improvements; and •A third-party manufacturer may gain knowledge from working with us that could be used to supply one of our competitors with a product that competes with ours. If our contract manufacturers or other third parties fail to deliver our drugs for clinical investigation and, if approved, for commercial sale on a timely basis, with sufficient quality, and at commercially reasonable prices, we may be required to delay or suspend development and commercialization of our drugs. For example, our clinical trials must be conducted with product that complies with cGMP. Failure to comply may require us to repeat or conduct additional preclinical and/or clinical trials, which would increase our development costs and delay the regulatory approval process and our ability to generate and grow revenues. The FDA or other regulatory authorities may also determine that our third-party manufacturers do not maintain quality systems sufficient for product approval and/or may find that the manufacturing data and development does not meet FDA’s approval standards. In addition, any significant disruption in our supplier relationships could harm our business. If, for any reason, we need to replace any of our suppliers and manufacturers, we may not be able to do so on commercially favorable terms or may not be able to at all. We source key materials from third parties, either directly through agreements with suppliers or indirectly through our manufacturers who have agreements with suppliers. There are a small number of suppliers for certain capital equipment and key materials that are used to manufacture our drugs. Such suppliers may not sell these key materials to our manufacturers at the times we need them or on commercially reasonable terms. We do not have any control over the process or timing of the acquisition of these key materials by our manufacturers. Moreover, we currently do not have agreements for the commercial production of a number of these key materials which are used in the manufacture of our drugs. Any significant delay in the supply of a drug or its key materials for an ongoing clinical study could considerably delay completion of our clinical studies, drug testing and potential regulatory approval of our drugs. If our manufacturers or we are unable to purchase these key materials for our drugs after regulatory approval, the commercial launch of our drugs could be delayed or there could be a shortage in supply, which would impair our ability to generate revenues from the sale of our drugs, if approved. Each of these risks, if realized, could delay or have other adverse impacts on our clinical trials and the approval and commercialization of our drugs, potentially resulting in higher costs, reduced revenues or both. As an organization, we have limited experience designing or implementing clinical trials. Failure to adequately design a trial, or incorrect assumptions about the design of the trial, could adversely affect our ability to initiate the trial, enroll patients, 42 Table of Contents complete the trial, or obtain regulatory approval on the basis of the trial results, as well as lead to increased or unexpected costs. Failure to adequately design a trial, or incorrect assumptions about the design of the trial, could adversely affect our ability to initiate the trial, enroll patients, complete the trial, or obtain regulatory approval on the basis of the trial results, as well as lead to increased or unexpected costs. The design and implementation of clinical trials is a complex process. We have limited experience designing or implementing clinical trials, and we may not successfully or cost-effectively design and implement clinical trials that achieve our desired clinical endpoints efficiently, or at all. A clinical trial that is not well-designed, planned, or conducted, including with respect to the FDA’s GCP requirements, may delay or even prevent initiation of the trial, can lead to increased difficulty in enrolling patients, may make it more difficult to obtain regulatory approval for the drug on the basis of the study results, or, even if a drug is approved, could make it more difficult to commercialize the product successfully or obtain reimbursement from third-party payors. A clinical trial that is not well-designed, planned or conducted, including with respect to the FDA’s GCP requirements, may delay or even prevent initiation of the trial, can lead to increased difficulty in enrolling patients, may make it more difficult to obtain regulatory approval for the drug on the basis of the study results, or, even if a drug is approved, could make it more difficult to commercialize the product successfully or obtain reimbursement from third-party payors. Additionally, a trial that is not well-designed, planned, or conducted could be inefficient or more expensive than it otherwise would have been, or we may incorrectly estimate the costs to implement the clinical trial, which could lead to a shortfall in funding. Additionally, a trial that is not well-designed, planned or conducted could be inefficient or more expensive than it otherwise would have been, or we may incorrectly estimate the costs to implement the clinical trial, which could lead to a shortfall in funding. Failure to comply with the FDA’s regulatory requirements for clinical trials can also result in enforcement actions. If third parties on whom we rely for clinical and preclinical trials do not perform as contractually required or as we expect, we may not be able to obtain regulatory approval for or commercialize our product candidates and our business may suffer. Our ability to obtain regulatory approval for our product candidates is dependent on conducting clinical and preclinical trials, which we do not have the ability to independently conduct. We rely on third-party service providers, such as independent investigators and contract research organizations (CROs), to conduct these trials on our behalf. While we expect to contract with these parties for future trials, there is no guarantee that we will be able to do so on favorable terms or at all. We have limited control over the activities of these third-party service providers and are responsible for ensuring that our trials are conducted in accordance with applicable regulations and protocols. If these third-party service providers fail to meet their obligations or conduct trials in accordance with regulatory requirements or our protocols, we may need to enter into new arrangements with alternative service providers, which could be difficult, costly, or impossible, and consequently could delay or terminate our trials. If we choose to conduct these activities ourselves, we will need to recruit trained personnel and add to our research, clinical, quality, and corporate infrastructure. The failure of these third-party service providers to comply with regulatory requirements could result in enforcement actions as well as extended, delayed, terminated, or repeated trials, which could prevent us from obtaining regulatory approval in a timely manner or at all, and may prevent us from commercializing the applicable product candidate being tested in such trials. In the event that we need to replace these third-party service providers, we may not be able to do so on commercially reasonable terms or in a timely fashion.] If, in the future, we are unable to establish sales and marketing capabilities or enter into agreements with third parties to sell and market any approved drug by a regulatory agency, we may not be successful in commercializing those drugs if and when they are approved. We currently have no sales, marketing, or distribution capabilities and have no experience in marketing drugs. We do not currently have an in-house marketing organization or sales force but may develop such organization and sales force in the future, which will require significant capital expenditures, management resources, and time. We will have to compete with other healthcare companies to recruit, hire, train, and retain marketing and sales personnel. In addition to establishing internal sales, marketing, and distribution capabilities, we intend to pursue collaborative arrangements regarding the sales and marketing of our products, however, there can be no assurance that we will be able to establish or maintain such collaborative arrangements, or if we are able to do so, that we will have effective sales forces. Any revenue we receive will depend upon the efforts of such third parties, which may not be successful. We may have little or no control over the marketing and sales efforts of such third parties and our revenue from product sales may be lower than if we had commercialized our drug ourselves. We also face competition in our search for third parties to assist us with the sales and marketing efforts of our drugs. There can be no assurance that we will be able to develop in-house sales, marketing, and distribution capabilities or establish or maintain relationships with third-party collaborators to commercialize any product in the U.S. or overseas. The commercial success of any product candidates that we may develop will depend upon the degree of market acceptance by physicians, patients, third-party payors, and others in the medical community. We may not achieve market acceptance of our products even if they receive marketing approval. If our products fail to gain market acceptance, we may not be able to generate product revenue or achieve profitability. The market acceptance of our product candidates, if approved for commercial sale, depends on several factors, including but not limited to: •the prevalence and severity of any side effects; •the effectiveness and potential advantages over alternative treatments; 43 Table of Contents •the ability to offer our product candidates for sale at competitive prices; •relative convenience and ease of administration; •the willingness of the target patient population to try new therapies and of physicians to prescribe these therapies; •the strength of marketing and distribution support and the timing of market introduction of competitive products; and •publicity concerning our products or competing products and treatments. Although a product may display a favorable efficacy and safety profile, its market acceptance will only be known after it is launched. Our efforts to educate patients, the medical community, and third-party payors about our product candidates may require significant resources and may not be successful. Such efforts may require more resources than conventional methods used by our competitors. General Business Risks We may be subject to legal proceedings and litigation, which are costly to defend and could materially harm our business and results of operations. •We may be subject to legal proceedings and litigation, which are costly to defend and could materially harm our business and results of operations. We may be party to lawsuits and legal proceedings in the normal course of business. These matters are often expensive and disruptive to normal business operations. We may face allegations, lawsuits, and regulatory inquiries, audits, and investigations regarding data privacy, security, product liability, compliance with regulatory requirements, labor and employment, consumer protection, practice of medicine, and IP infringement, including claims related to privacy, patents, publicity, trademarks, copyrights, open-source software, and other rights. We may face allegations, lawsuits, and regulatory inquiries, audits, and investigations regarding data privacy, security, product liability, labor and employment, consumer protection, practice of medicine, and intellectual property infringement, including claims related to privacy, patents, publicity, trademarks, copyrights, open source software, and other rights. A portion of the technologies we use incorporates open-source software, and we may face claims claiming ownership of open-source software or patents related to that software, rights to our IP or breach of open-source license terms, including a demand to release material portions of our source code or otherwise seeking to enforce the terms of the applicable open-source license. A portion of the technologies we use incorporates open source software, and we may face claims claiming ownership of open source software or patents related to that software, rights to our intellectual property or breach of open source license terms, including a demand to release material portions of our source code or otherwise seeking to enforce the terms of the applicable open source license. We may also face allegations or litigation related to our acquisitions, securities issuances, or business practices, including public disclosures about our business. Litigation and regulatory proceedings, and particularly the healthcare regulatory and class action matters we could face, may be protracted and expensive, and the results are difficult to predict. Certain of these matters may include speculative claims for substantial or indeterminate amounts of damages and include claims for injunctive relief. Additionally, our litigation costs could be significant. Adverse outcomes with respect to litigation or any of these legal proceedings may result in significant settlement costs or judgments, penalties and fines, or require us to modify our activities or solution or require us to stop offering certain features, all of which could negatively impact our acquisition of customers and revenue growth. Litigation or other proceedings can also have an adverse impact on our therapeutic development program. We may also become subject to periodic audits, which could likely increase our regulatory compliance costs and may require us to change our business practices, which could negatively impact our revenue growth. Managing legal proceedings, litigation and audits, even if we achieve favorable outcomes, is time-consuming and diverts management’s attention from our business. The results of regulatory proceedings, litigation, claims, and audits cannot be predicted with certainty, and determining reserves for pending litigation and other legal, regulatory and audit matters require significant judgment. There can be no assurance that our expectations will prove correct, and even if these matters are resolved in our favor or without significant cash settlements, these matters, and the time and resources necessary to litigate or resolve them, could harm our reputation, business, financial condition and results of operations. Our business and future operating results may be adversely affected by catastrophic or other events outside of our control. We conduct our research and development in our facilities located in South San Francisco, California. We conduct our research and development in our facilities located in South San Francisco, California and Sunnyvale, California. Any damage to our facilities or the servers we rely on for our database would be costly and could require substantial lead-time to repair or replace. In addition, many of our employees work remotely and would be significantly impacted by any disruption to our servers. Our business and operating results may be harmed due to interruption of our research and development by events outside of our control, including earthquakes and fires. Other possible disruptions may include power loss and telecommunications failures. In the event of a prolonged disruption, we may lose customers and we may be unable to regain those customers thereafter. Our insurance may not be sufficient to cover all our potential losses and may not continue to be available to us on acceptable terms, or at all. We will need additional capital, and we cannot be sure that additional financing will be available on acceptable terms or at all. We may need additional capital, and we cannot be sure that additional financing will be available at acceptable terms or at all. As of March 31, 2023, our principal source of liquidity was cash and cash equivalents of $386. As of March 31, 2022, our principal source of liquidity was cash of $553. 8 million, which was held for working capital purposes. Since our inception, we have generated significant operating losses as reflected in our accumulated deficit and negative cash flows from operations. We had an accumulated deficit of $1.5 billion as of March 31, 2023.7 million as of March 31, 2022. 44 Table of Contents Although we currently anticipate that our available funds and cash flows from operations will be sufficient to meet our near-term cash needs, we will require additional financing for our longer-term cash needs. Our ability to obtain financing may depend on, among other things, our development efforts, business plans, operating performance, and condition of the capital markets at the time we seek financing. We are seeking and expect to continue to seek additional funding through financings of equity, including with respect to our at-the-market equity program pursuant to the Sales Agreement with Cowen (as defined below). There is no assurance that additional financing will be available to us on favorable terms when required, or at all. We cannot assure you 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 Class A common stock, and our stockholders may experience dilution. 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 Class A common stock, and our stockholders may experience dilution. We depend on the continued services and performance of our highly qualified key personnel, and our business and research and development initiatives depend on our ability to attract and retain additional qualified personnel, including highly-skilled scientists and other specialized individuals. We may not be able to attract or retain qualified scientists and other specialized individuals in the future due to the competition for qualified personnel among life science and technology businesses. We currently depend on the continued services and performance of our highly qualified key personnel, and, in particular, Anne Wojcicki, our Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder. We currently depend on the continued services and performance of our highly qualified key personnel, and, in particular, Anne Wojcicki, our CEO and co-founder. The loss of Ms. Wojcicki or other key personnel, including key members of management as well as our research, therapeutics, regulatory, product development, engineering, legal, finance, and other personnel, could disrupt our operations and may significantly delay or prevent the achievement of our business objectives. To retain our key personnel, we use various measures, including an equity incentive program for key executive officers and other employees. These measures may not be enough to retain the personnel we require to operate our business effectively. In addition, volatility in the price of our stock may adversely affect our ability to attract or retain our key personnel, as the fluctuating value of equity-based awards may limit their effectiveness as an employee incentive and retention tool. The market for qualified personnel in our industry is intensely competitive. Inability to meet the ever-increasing expenses, including salaries, benefits, perks, and technology costs, of attracting and retaining talent may threaten our ability to provide the human resources needed to execute our growth strategy. Many of the companies with which we compete for a relatively limited pool of experienced personnel have greater resources than we have. An inability to attract, retain, and motivate additional highly skilled employees required for the planned expansion of our business could harm our results of operations and impair our ability to grow. Specifically, our research and development initiatives and Therapeutics business depend on our ability to attract and retain highly-skilled scientists and other specialized individuals and competition for these resources is especially intense. 60 Table of Contents Specifically, our research and development initiatives and Therapeutics business depend on our ability to attract and retain highly-skilled scientists and other specialized individuals and competition for these resources is especially intense. We may not be able to attract or retain qualified scientists and other specialized individuals in the future due to the competition for qualified personnel among life science and technology businesses, particularly near our therapeutics laboratory facilities located in South San Francisco, California. We also face competition from universities and public and private research institutions in recruiting and retaining highly qualified scientific personnel. Recruiting, training and retention difficulties can limit our ability to support our research and development and commercialization efforts. All our employees are at-will, which means that either we or the employee may terminate their employment at any time. In addition, we rely on consultants, contractors, and advisors, including scientific and clinical advisors, to assist it in formulating our research and development, regulatory and commercialization strategy. In addition, we rely on consultants, contractors and advisors, including scientific and clinical advisors, to assist it in formulating our research and development, regulatory and commercialization strategy. Our consultants and advisors may provide services to other organizations and may have commitments under consulting or advisory contracts with other entities that may limit their availability to us. The loss of the services of one or more of our current consultants or advisors could impede the achievement of our research, development, regulatory, and commercialization objectives. Certain other areas of our operations require employing highly specialized individuals, which makes our recruiting efforts more challenging. If we do not succeed in attracting excellent personnel or retaining or motivating existing personnel, we may be unable to achieve our business objectives or grow effectively. Economic uncertainty or downturns, particularly affecting the markets and industries in which we operate, and on discretionary consumer spending could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. Economic uncertainty or downturns, particularly affecting the markets and industries in which we operate, could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. In recent years, the United States and global economy has been volatile, and worldwide economic conditions remain uncertain. Economic uncertainty and associated macroeconomic conditions, including market volatility, inflation, and supply chain issues, make it extremely difficult for us, as well as for our collaborators, sales channel partners, and suppliers, to accurately forecast and plan future business activities. Supply chain issues could limit the ability of our affiliated pharmacies to purchase sufficient quantities of pharmaceutical products from suppliers, which could adversely affect our ability to fulfill patient orders. In addition, global economic conditions and the effect of economic pressures on discretionary consumer spending could continue to have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition. Macroeconomic pressures in the U.S. and the global economy, such as rising interest rates, inflation, and recession fears may reduce discretionary spending. Specifically, economic uncertainty could cause our customers and patients to slow spending on our PGS and telehealth offerings. In addition, economic uncertainty could cause our customers and patients to slow spending on our PGS and telehealth offerings. To the extent 45 Table of Contents purchases of our PGS and telehealth offerings are perceived by customers and patients and potential customers and patients as discretionary, our revenue may be disproportionately affected by delays or reductions in Kit purchases and general healthcare spending. 61 Table of Contents To the extent purchases of our PGS and telehealth offerings are perceived by customers and patients and potential customers and patients as discretionary, our revenue may be disproportionately affected by delays or reductions in Kit purchases and general healthcare spending. Also, competitors may respond to challenging market conditions by lowering prices and attempting to lure away our customers and patients. If global economic and financial market conditions deteriorate, the following factors could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results, and financial condition: •The success of our operations is dependent on consumer spending, which can be negatively impacted by economic conditions, as well as factors affecting disposable consumer income such as income taxes, payroll taxes, employment, consumer debt, interest rates, increases in energy costs, and consumer confidence. During the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023, interest rates and energy costs increased, and consumer confidence declined. Additionally, there are risks of a potential recession during the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024. Any of these factors could lead to a decrease in consumer spending. Declines in consumer spending have and, in the future, may result in decreased demand for our PGS and telehealth services, increased inventories, lower revenues, higher discounts, pricing pressure, and lower gross margins. •We may be negatively impacted by changes in consumer preferences and discretionary spending habits, such as consumer behavior reallocating to non-discretionary consumer spending. •We may be unable to access financing in the credit and capital markets at reasonable rates. •If our suppliers or other participants in our supply chain experience difficulty obtaining financing needed for their operations in the capital and credit markets, it may result in delays or non-delivery of our Kits. •We cannot predict the timing, strength, or duration of any economic slowdown or any subsequent recovery with respect to the general economy, or any industry in particular. We cannot predict the timing, strength, or duration of any economic slowdown or any subsequent recovery generally, or any industry in particular. If the conditions in the general economy and the markets in which we operate worsen from present levels, our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be materially adversely affected. Adverse developments affecting financial institutions, companies in the financial services industry, or the financial services industry generally, such as actual events or concerns involving liquidity, d