# SOUNDHOUND AI, INC. (SOUN) FY 2022 MD&A

Verbatim Item 7 Management's Discussion and Analysis from SOUNDHOUND AI, INC.'s 10-K for fiscal year 2022.

SEC filing source: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1840856/000184085623000019/soun-20221231.htm
Accession: 0001840856-23-000019
Filing date: 2023-03-28
Report date: 2022-12-31
Extracted structurally from real Item 7 body heading to real Item 7A/8 boundary.
Confidence: high

Company profile: /company/SOUN/
All MD&A years: /company/SOUN/mda/
Previous year: /company/SOUN/mda/fy2021/ (FY 2021)
Next year: /company/SOUN/mda/fy2023/ (FY 2023)

Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The following discussion should be read in conjunction with our Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto. Unless otherwise indicated or the context otherwise requires, references in this section to “SoundHound,” “we,” “us,” “our” and other similar terms refer to SoundHound AI, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries.

Company Overview

We are a leading innovator of conversational intelligence, offering an independent Voice AI platform that enables businesses across industries to deliver high-quality conversational experiences to their customers. Built on proprietary Speech-to-Meaning, Deep Meaning Understanding and Collective AI breakthrough technologies developed over the past 17 years, our advanced Voice AI platform provides exceptional speed and accuracy and enables humans to interact with products and services like they interact with each other — by speaking naturally.

We believe voice-enabled conversational user interface is a more natural interface for nearly all use cases, and product creators should have the ability to design, customize, differentiate, innovate and monetize the interface to their own product, as opposed to outsourcing it to a third-party assistant. For example, using SoundHound, businesses can voice-enable their products so consumers can say things like, “Turn off the air conditioning and lower the windows,” while in their cars, “Find romantic comedies released in the last year,” while streaming on their TV and even place food orders before arriving at a restaurant by talking to their cars, TVs or other IoT devices. Additionally, SoundHound’s technology can address complex user queries such as, “Show me all restaurants within half a mile of the Space Needle that are open past 9pm on Wednesdays and have outdoor seating,” and follow-on qualifications such as “Okay, don’t show me anything with less than 3 stars or fast food.”

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The SoundHound developer platform, Houndify, is an open-access platform that allows developers to leverage SoundHound’s Voice AI technology and a library of over 100 content domains, including commonly used domains for points of interest, weather, flight status, sports and more. Houndify’s Collective AI is an architecture for connecting domain knowledge that encourages collaboration and contribution among developers, is always learning, and is greater than the sum of its parts — ensuring the platform continues to become smarter at a faster rate.

SoundHound’s technology is live in production and at scale with companies around the globe, including Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz, Pandora, Snap, VIZIO, KIA and Stellantis. As a testament to its capabilities, the Houndify platform surpassed 1 billion annual queries in 2021 and experienced over 85% growth during 2022.

Our current partners span multiple industries and geographies, and together have a combined reach of over 2 billion end users. By growing these strategic relationships, our year-over-year revenues have grown by more than 45% over the past four years.

Our market position is strengthened by the technical barriers to entry in the Voice AI space, which tend to discourage new market participants. Furthermore, our technology is backed by significant investments in intellectual property, with over 120 patents granted and over 140 patents pending, spanning multiple fields including speech recognition, natural language understanding, machine learning, monetization and more. We have achieved this critical momentum in part thanks to a long-tenured leadership team with deep expertise and proven ability to attract and retain talent. We believe that SoundHound has extensive technical expertise and a proven track record of innovation and value creation for us to continue to attract customers in the growing market for Voice AI transactions, which is estimated to grow to $160.0 billion by 2026.

We believe that SoundHound is well-positioned to fill the growing void and demand for an independent Voice AI platform. The Voice AI offerings from big tech companies are primarily an extension of their more core services and offerings. Rather than strengthening a customer’s product, it can take over the entire experience, thus disintermediating the company’s brand, users and data. As a result, brands relying on big tech mostly lose their ability to innovate, differentiate and customize. In some cases, these providers even compete with the products they support, making them increasingly less attractive as a choice for a voice interface.

The alternative options are generally legacy vendors tending to use dated technologies at a high price. Furthermore, many of these technologies still require significant effort by the product creators to turn them into solutions that can compete with the quality of the big tech offering, which in many cases is not practical. Due to the high barrier to entry in Voice AI, there are not many independent players.

This creates a great opportunity for SoundHound: we provide disruptive technologies that are superior to the alternatives, with better terms, allowing customers to maintain their brand, control the user experience, get access to the data and define their own privacy policies, while being able to customize, differentiate, innovate and monetize.

When it comes to criteria for adoption, our goal is to win on every dimension. The first two criteria customers typically consider are technology and brand control. We strive to provide our customers with the best technology, and we provide a white label solution giving our customers control of their brands. In some industries you may have to choose between technology and brand control. In our case, we offer our customers the best of both, we enable them to offer disruptive technologies to their users while maintaining control of their brand and user experience.

With our disruptive monetization strategy, we also provide an additional path to monetization for our customer base. By choosing our platform, product creators can generate additional revenue while making their product better using Voice AI, providing further incentive to choose our platform.

We believe that we offer a superior ecosystem, benefiting from our Collective AI product architecture along with offering customers definable privacy controls, which are becoming increasingly important in the industry of Voice AI. Additionally, there is no conflict of interest between us and our partners and customers as we do not compete with them (as some other Voice AI vendors do). We also offer edge and hybrid solutions. This means our technology can optionally run without a cloud connection for increased flexibility and privacy. Our focus is on delivering the most advanced Voice AI in the world and thus allowing our partners to differentiate and innovate their overall experiences for their brands.

We strongly believe that product creators know their product and users best. The idea of a single third-party assistant taking over their product is not reflective of our anticipated future. We envision that every product will have its own

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identity, and they will have Voice AI customized in different ways. They can each tap into a single Collective AI to access the ever-growing set of domains, but the product creators can innovate on top of Collective AI and create value for the end users in their own way. This is the future that we are focusing on enabling.

When a product is voice enabled, we see three stages of integration and value propositions. The first stage is to enable the core use cases of the product. For example, the product could be a TV, a coffee machine, a car, a wearable device, a robot, a smart speaker or an appliance, and with your voice you can control the functionality of the device and the product. On a TV, you can ask it to change the channel, increase the volume, rewind by 30 seconds, search for movies and even add personalization by adding a TV show to your favorites. Note that this is different from adding a third-party voice assistant to the product. Our view is that every product needs to have an interface, and voice-AI is a natural and compelling interface that unlocks new use cases and potential. Consider just the simple example of rewinding or fast forwarding by a specific duration. That is a command that can be done with voice within a few seconds, but it can take many steps to do using alternative interfaces such as a remote control or a companion app.

Once the core features of a product are voice-enabled, it can be further enhanced in the second stage of integration: the addition of third-party content and domains. SoundHound has extensive partnerships with content providers and, through these partnerships, can fulfill many needs of our customers. For example, your TV, car or even a coffee machine can answer questions about weather, sports scores, stock prices or flight status, and even search for local businesses. The addition of these public domains further enhances the value proposition of the product.

Finally, as the third step, you enter the world of monetization where you can add features that deliver value to the end user, and also generate revenues that we share with the product creators. To summarize with an example, imagine walking up to your coffee machine and asking for a triple shot extra hot latte. While you are waiting for your drink, you can ask for weather and sports scores, and if you desire, you can even order bagels from your favorite nearby bakery.

There are three pillars to our revenue model. The first pillar is Product Royalties, where we voice enable a product and the product creator pays us a royalty based on volume, usage or duration. SoundHound collects royalties when Houndify is placed in a car, smart speaker or an appliance, for example.

The second pillar is Service Subscription. This is when, for example, SoundHound enables customer service or food ordering for restaurants or content management, appointments and voice commerce. And, for that, we generate subscription revenue from the service providers. Pillars one and two can grow independently and they are proven, established business models.

The third pillar creates a monetization ecosystem that brings the services from pillar two to the products in pillar one. When the users of a voice-enabled product in pillar one access the voice-enabled services of pillar two, these services generate new leads and transactions. SoundHound generates monetization revenue from the services for generating these leads and transactions, and we will share the revenue with the product creators of pillar one. For example, when the driver of a voice-enabled car places an order to a restaurant that’s also voice enabled, we will have unlocked a seamless transaction. Accordingly, the restaurant will pay us for that order, and we will share that revenue with the product creator or the car manufacturer. In this example, each party receives value in the ecosystem. The restaurant is happy because they generated a new lead and booked a sale. The user is happy because they have received value through a natural ordering process, simply by speaking to their car. And the car manufacturer is happy because they delivered value to the end user and generated additional revenue from the usage of their product. During the periods presented in the consolidated financial statements, we have not generated revenue from leads and transactions on voice-enabled products from voice-enabled services other than from the SoundHound music identification app. Going forward, SoundHound expects monetization revenue to be generated through a combination of advertising revenue from the music identification app and from leads and transactions on voice-enabled products from voice-enabled services.

We expect this disruptive, three-pillar business model will create a monetization flywheel; as more products integrate into our platform, more users will use it and more services will choose to integrate as well. This creates even more usage, and results in a flow of revenue share to product creators, which further encourages even greater adoption and integration with our platform and the cycle will perpetually continue and expand. This ecosystem increases adoption and increases our addressable market. All three pillars contributed to our revenues during the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021. While the majority of the contribution is currently from our first pillar of royalties, over time, the subscription and monetization portions are expected to grow and make a bigger contribution to our overall revenue

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Recent Developments

Equity Line of Credit

On August 16, 2022, the Company entered into a common stock purchase agreement (the “Common Stock Purchase Agreement”) and related registration rights agreement (the “CFPI Registration Rights Agreement”) with CF Principal Investments LLC (“CFPI”). Pursuant to the Common Stock Purchase Agreement, the Company, has the right to sell to CFPI up to the lesser of (i) 25,000,000 shares of Class A common stock and (ii) the Exchange Cap (as defined in the Common Stock Purchase Agreement), subject to certain limitations and conditions set forth in the Common Stock Purchase Agreement. On February 14, 2023, the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 registering the resale of the ELOC Shares was declared effective. The Company expects to utilize proceeds from the ELOC for working capital and other general corporate purposes. Through March 17, 2023, the Company has sold approximately 8.8 million shares under the ELOC program for aggregate proceeds of approximately $24.9 million.

The purchase price of the shares that the Company elects to sell to CFPI pursuant to the Common Stock Purchase Agreement will be the volume weighted average price of the Common Stock during the applicable purchase date on which the Company has timely delivered written notice to CFPI directing it to purchase the shares under the Common Stock Purchase Agreement. The Company will receive 97% of the volume weighted average price of the Common Stock so sold.

In connection with the execution of the Common Stock Purchase Agreement, the Company issued CFPI 250,000 shares as consideration for its irrevocable commitment to purchase the shares upon the terms and subject to the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in the Common Stock Purchase Agreement. The Company has also agreed to make a cash payment of $250,000 within 120 days after the commencement date of the offering and to reimburse CFPI of up to $75,000 of expenses.

Issuance of Preferred Stock

On or around January 20, 2023, the Company entered into Preferred Stock Purchase Agreements (the “Purchase Agreements”) with certain investors (the “Investors”) pursuant to which the Company issued and sold to the Investors an aggregate of 835,011 shares of its newly designated Series A Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Series A Preferred Stock”) for an aggregate issue price of approximately $25.0 million.

The Purchase Agreements contain customary representations, warranties and covenants. The shares of Series A Preferred Stock were issued and sold in a private placement exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act. The Company does not intend to register the shares of Series A Preferred Stock or the underlying Common Stock for resale under the Securities Act.

Restructuring Plan

On January 5, 2023, we announced a restructuring plan (the “Restructuring Plan”) intended to reduce operating costs, improve operating margins, improve cash flows and accelerate the Company’s path to profitability. The Restructuring Plan included a reduction of the Company’s then-current workforce by approximately 40%.

The Company estimates that it will incur approximately $4.5 million to $5.5 million in charges in connection with the Restructuring Plan, of which the majority is expected to be incurred in the first quarter of 2023 and consists of severance payments, employee benefits and share-based compensation. Of the aggregate amount of charges that the Company estimates it will incur in connection with the Restructuring Plan, the Company expects that approximately $2.0 million to $3.0 million will be in cash expenditures.

ATSP Merger

On November 15, 2021, Archimedes Tech SPAC Partners Co. (“ATSP”), SoundHound, Inc. (“Legacy SoundHound”) and ATSPC Merger Sub, Inc. (“Merger Sub”) entered into a merger agreement (“Merger Agreement”) pursuant to which Merger Sub merged with and into Legacy SoundHound, with Legacy SoundHound continuing as the surviving corporation resulting in the reverse recapitalization of SoundHound (the “Business Combination”). The Business Combination was completed on April 26, 2022 (the “Closing”). In connection with the Closing of the Business Combination, the Company issued $113.0 million of securities in a private placement (the "PIPE") investment. Upon the Closing of the Business Combination, ATSP changed its name to SoundHound AI, Inc.

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Cash proceeds of the Business Combination were funded through a combination of $5.4 million in cash held in trust by ATSP (following satisfaction of redemptions by public stockholders) with 532,050 shares of SoundHound AI Class A common stock remaining outstanding, and $113.0 million in aggregate gross proceeds from PIPE investors in exchange for 11,300,000 shares of SoundHound Class A common stock that closed substantially contemporaneously with the Closing of the Business Combination. The combined company incurred $27.7 million of expenses related to the transaction. After giving effect to these transactions, SoundHound received $90.7 million in net proceeds, which are intended to be used for general corporate purposes, including investments in sales, marketing and advancement of product development, but which may also be used to acquire other companies in the Voice AI industry. SoundHound has not entered into any agreements to acquire companies in the Voice AI industry, nor does it require consummation of mergers or acquisitions of other businesses to achieve its stated goals. That said, if there are candidates that makes strategic, operational and financial sense, the combined company may consider such opportunities from time to time as they become available.

Accounting Impact of the Business Combination

The Business Combination was accounted for as a “reverse recapitalization,” with no goodwill or other intangible assets recorded, in accordance with GAAP. A reverse recapitalization did not result in a new basis of accounting, and the financial statements of the combined entity represent the continuation of the financial statements of Legacy SoundHound in many respects.

Under this method of accounting, ATSP was treated as the “acquired” company for financial reporting purposes. For accounting purposes, SoundHound was deemed to be the accounting acquirer in the transaction and, consequently, the transaction was treated as a recapitalization of SoundHound (i.e., a capital transaction involving the issuance of stock by ATSP for the stock of SoundHound). Accordingly, the consolidated assets, liabilities and results of operations of SoundHound became the historical financial statements of the combined company, and ATSP’s assets, liabilities and results of operations were consolidated with SoundHound’s beginning on the acquisition date. Operations prior to the Business Combination were presented as those of SoundHound in future reports. The net assets of SoundHound were recognized at carrying value, with no goodwill or other intangible assets recorded.

Known Trends, Demands, Commitments, Events or Uncertainties Impacting Our Business

SoundHound believes that its performance and future success depend on many factors that present significant opportunities for us but also pose risks and challenges, including the following:

•Investments in Technology. Our business model since inception has been to invest significantly in our Houndify platform technology in the form of dedicated research and development. We will continue to invest in the development of our software platform to deliver consumers with continually improving value and delight. Our investments include continuous enhancements to our ASR and NLU models, investments in data to help refine and improve our underlying algorithms, and other costs to attract and retain a world-class technical workforce.

•Revenue Growth. Our commercial success, including acceptance and use of our applications, will depend on a number of factors, some of which are beyond our control, such as size of the market opportunity, successful integration with original equipment manufacturers (“OEM”), competition and demand from the public and members of the conversational AI community. Our product offerings have disruptive effects in the ways human interact with computers and we are developing new, innovative economic models that we believe will enhance value to customers, partners and shareholders. For our revenue growth to continue, we will need to invest in sales and marketing to ensure our messaging, capabilities and offerings are well understood and valued by customers. With our primary focus on enterprise customers, we also need to align with enterprise sales cycles, which can be longer than consumer cycles. Additionally, as we build new customer relationships, we continually focus on maintaining and growing our existing relationships through long-term partnerships through significant upfront investment in customer specific engineering projects. Our revenue consists of subscription revenue, royalties, and monetization revenues, which we consider recurring if our customer contract does not terminate the relationship and we continue to provide the customer with same or other services in the subsequent year. For example, if we perform a one-time non-recurring engineering project for a customer and that same customer engages with us afterwards for a Product Royalty contract, the revenue in both years, regardless of the specific service, would contribute towards our overall customer retention rate. By contrast, if SoundHound provides an annual subscription contract to a customer and that customer does not execute an agreement for services for the subsequent annual period, SoundHound would not consider that customer as retained. As determined on the

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foregoing basis, based on the number of customers to whom we provide services during one year compared to the prior year period, our customer retention rate as of December 31, 2022 was at least 80%

•Cost of Revenues. The results of our business will depend in part on our ability to establish and increase our gross margins by scaling our business model and effectively managing our costs to produce our applications. Our revenue will be directly supported by data center investments in technology, both on premise and in the cloud. The associated workloads, along with supporting labor costs, will need to be managed effectively as we scale to improve our margins over time. Our Houndify platform is also powered by a library of over 100 content domains, including commonly used domains for points of interest, weather, flight status, sports and more.

•Seasonality. Our ability to accurately forecast demand for our technology could be negatively affected by many factors, including seasonal demand. We anticipate that we will experience fluctuations in customer and user demand based on seasonality. Given that we address markets across several different industry verticals, the associated overall seasonality impact to us may not be consistent year-to-year.

•Development of International Markets. We have rapidly expanded our capabilities and global reach. We have globalized our solution from 1 to 25 languages. We view opportunities for conversational Voice AI to be global in reach, and we expect our growth to be fueled across multiple geographies.

•Industry Risks. In addition to the COVID-19 pandemic as addressed herein, the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which began on February 24, 2022, has had an adverse impact on the global economy and financial markets. Although our business has not been materially impacted by this ongoing military conflict, it is impossible to predict the extent to which our operations, or those of our customers’ suppliers and manufacturers, will be impacted in the short and long term, or the ways in which the conflict may impact our business. The extent and duration of the military action, sanctions and resulting market disruptions are impossible to predict, but could be substantial. Further, inflation has risen significantly worldwide and the United States has recently experienced historically high levels of inflation. This inflation and government efforts to combat inflation, such as recent and future significant increases to benchmark interest rates and other related monetary policies, have and could continue to increase market volatility and have an adverse effect on the domestic and international financial markets and general economic conditions.

Components of Our Results of Operations

Revenues

SoundHound generates revenues through: (1) “Product Royalties,” meaning royalties from voice-enabled products which are driven by volume, usage or life of applicable products and are affected by number of devices, users and units of usage time, (2) “Service Subscriptions,” meaning subscription revenues, derived from monthly fees based on usage-based revenue, revenue per query or revenue per user, and (3) “Monetization,” meaning revenues generated from focused ad targeting to users of products and services that employ our technologies. Currently, our monetization revenue is derived from our music identification application primarily in the form of ad impression revenue — revenue generated when an ad is shown in our music identification app — and, to a lesser extent, affiliate revenue for referrals to music stores for content sales and downloads of our premium music application.

“Houndified Products,” meaning products of our customers that employ SoundHound technology, and “Houndified Services,” meaning services provided to customers related to SoundHound technology, provide our customers with access to our Houndify platform over a contractual period without taking possession of the software. This generally includes revenues derived from up-front services (“professional services”) that develop and customize the Houndify platform to fit customers’ specific needs. These professional services are included in both our Product Royalties and Service Subscriptions revenues. Non-distinct professional services are recognized over the contractual life of the contract, whereas revenues from distinct professional services are recognized as the services are performed or when the services are complete depending on the arrangement.

We have and may continue to experience volatility for our remaining performance obligations and deferred revenue as a result of the timing for completing our performance obligations. We had remaining performance obligations in the amount of $20.7 million as of December 31, 2022, consisting of both billed and unbilled consideration. Deferred revenue consists of billings or payments received in advance of revenue being recognized and can fluctuate with changes in billing frequency and other factors. As a result of these factors, as well as our mix of revenue streams and billing frequencies, we

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do not believe that changes in our remaining performance obligations and deferred revenue in a given period are directly correlated with our revenue growth in that period.

We anticipate that we will experience fluctuations in our revenues from quarter-to-quarter due to a variety of factors, including the supply and demand of end user products such as automobiles, the size and success of our sales force and the number of users who are aware of and use our applications. See Note 4 to our consolidated financial statements included within this Annual Report on Form 10-K for more information.

Operating Expenses

We classify our operating expenses into the following four categories, which are cost of revenues, sales and marketing, research and development, and general and administrative. Excluding cost of revenues, each expense category includes overhead, including rent and related occupancy costs, which is allocated based on headcount. Although we expect our operating expenses in these categories to moderate significantly as a result of the Restructuring Plan, we plan to continue investing to support our go-to-market strategies and customer engagement, develop our current and future applications and support our operations as a public company.

Cost of Revenues

SoundHound’s cost of revenues are comprised of direct costs associated directly with SoundHound’s revenue streams as described above. This primarily includes costs and depreciation related to hosting for cloud-based services, such as data centers, electricity charges, content fees and certain personnel-related expenses that are directly related to these revenue streams.

Sales and Marketing

Sales and marketing expenses consist of personnel-related expenses related costs of the sales and marketing team, promotional campaigns, advertising fees and other marketing related costs. Advertising costs are expensed to sales and marketing when incurred.

Research and Development

Our research and development expenses are our largest operating expense as we continue to develop our software platforms and produce new technological capabilities.

The costs of these activities consist primarily of personnel-related expenses, third-party consultants and costs associated with technological supplies and materials, along with other direct and allocated expenses such as facility costs, depreciation and other shared expenses. We expense research and development costs in the periods in which they are incurred.

General and Administrative

General and administrative expenses consist of personnel-related costs, accounting and legal expenses, third-party consulting costs, insurance and allocated overhead including rent, depreciation and utilities. Our general and administrative expenses may fluctuate from period-to-period due to seasonality.

Interest Expense

Interest expense consists of stated interest incurred on our outstanding convertible notes and debt during the relevant periods, as well as the amortization of debt discounts and issuance costs over the life of the instruments or a shorter period if a lender can demand payment in the event certain events occur that are outside of the control of the Company.

The issuance of debt instruments with direct transaction costs and the bifurcation of embedded derivatives and warrant instruments has resulted in debt discounts. Direct transaction costs consist of various transaction fees, such as bank and legal fees, that are incurred upon issuance. Overall, the discounts from debt issuance costs result in an increased amount of interest expense over the amortization period.

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Other Expense, Net

Change in Fair Value of Derivative and Warrant Liability

We've historically accounted for certain warrants and conversion features as liabilities at fair value and adjusted the instruments to fair value at each reporting period. We determined that the conversion feature associated with one of our debt instruments is a freestanding derivative instrument. The derivative and warrant liabilities’ changes in fair value that result from remeasurement at each balance sheet date, as applicable, is recognized in the Company’s consolidated statement of operations and comprehensive loss as other expense, net.

Other Expense, Net

Other expense, net consists of realized and unrealized gains and losses related to foreign currency revaluation. As the functional currency of the Company and its subsidiaries is the U.S. dollar, transactions denominated in foreign currency are converted into U.S. dollars at the average rates of exchange prevailing during the period. Assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currency are remeasured into U.S. dollars at current exchange rates at the balance sheet date for monetary assets and liabilities and at historical exchange rates for non-monetary assets and liabilities.

Provision for Income Taxes

Income tax expense includes federal, state and foreign taxes and is based on reported income before income taxes. We are in a cumulative loss position for tax purposes based on historical earnings. As of December 31, 2022, the Company had net operating loss carry forwards of approximately $344.6 million and $106.9 million available to reduce future taxable income, if any, for both federal and state income tax purposes, respectively. The federal and state net operating loss carry forwards will start to expire in 2025 and 2028, respectively, with the exception of $256.0 million in federal net operating loss carryforwards, which can be carried forward indefinitely.

The Company also had federal and state research and development credit carry forwards of approximately $11.4 million and $9.1 million, respectively, at December 31, 2022. The federal credits will expire starting in 2029 if not utilized. State research and development tax credits can be carried forward indefinitely.

Under Sections 382 and 383 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and similar state tax laws, utilization of net operating loss carryforwards and tax credits may be subject to annual limitations due to certain ownership changes. The Company’s net operating loss carryforwards and tax credits could expire before utilization if subject to annual limitations.

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Results of Operations

The following table sets forth the significant components of our results of operations ($ in thousands):

[[GREPCENT_TABLE]]
[["","Year Ended December 31,","","Change"],["","2022","","2021","","$","","%"],["Revenues","$","31,129","","","$","21,197","","","$","9,932","","","47","%"],["Operating expenses:"],["Cost of revenues","9,599","","","6,585","","","3,014","","","46","%"],["Sales and marketing","20,367","","","4,240","","","16,127","","","380","%"],["Research and development","76,392","","","59,178","","","17,214","","","29","%"],["General and administrative","30,178","","","16,521","","","13,657","","","83","%"],["Total operating expenses","136,536","","","86,524","","","50,012","","","58","%"],["Loss from operations","(105,407)","","","(65,327)","","","(40,080)","","","61","%"],["Other expense, net"],["Interest expense","(6,893)","","","(8,342)","","","1,449","","","(17)","%"],["Other expense, net","(184)","","","(5,415)","","","5,231","","","(97)","%"],["Total other expense, net","(7,077)","","","(13,757)","","","6,680","","","(49)","%"],["Loss before provision for income taxes","(112,484)","","","(79,084)","","","(33,400)","","","42","%"],["Provision for income taxes","2,889","","","456","","","2,433","","","534","%"],["Net loss","$","(115,373)","","","$","(79,540)","","","$","(35,833)","","","45","%"]]
[[/GREPCENT_TABLE]]

Revenues

The following tables summarize our revenues by type and geographic regions ($ in thousands):

[[GREPCENT_TABLE]]
[["","Year Ended December 31,","","Change"],["","2022","","2021","","$","","%"],["Product Royalties","$","28,447","","","$","18,356","","","$","10,091","","","55","%"],["Service Subscriptions","1,838","","","1,550","","","288","","","19","%"],["Monetization","844","","","1,291","","","(447)","","","(35)","%"],["","$","31,129","","","$","21,197","","","$","9,932","","","47","%"]]
[[/GREPCENT_TABLE]]

[[GREPCENT_TABLE]]
[["","Year Ended December 31,","","Change"],["","2022","","2021","","$","","%"],["Korea","$","14,530","","","$","2,460","","","$","12,070","","","491","%"],["Germany","4,134","","","7,526","","","(3,392)","","","(45)","%"],["United States","3,344","","","4,030","","","(686)","","","(17)","%"],["Japan","3,866","","","3,797","","","69","","","2","%"],["France","4,023","","","2,616","","","1,407","","","54","%"],["Other","1,232","","","768","","","464","","","60","%"],["","$","31,129","","","$","21,197","","","$","9,932","","","47","%"]]
[[/GREPCENT_TABLE]]

Total revenues increased by $9.9 million, or 47%, in 2022 compared to 2021. Product Royalties revenue increased by $10.1 million, or 55%, during 2022 compared to 2021. The increase is primarily attributable to $7.6 million of licensing revenue from our Houndify Edge solution, which we delivered to a customer during the second half of 2022, related to minimum guarantee units to be utilized over the life of the contract and resulted in a corresponding increase in our contract assets balance. The increase is also due to the scaling of our Houndify Products with large automotive partners in Korea, Germany and France. The increases are partially offset by the recognition of $4.3 million in nonrecurring royalties revenue

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as a result of a contract modification to end a distinct professional service contract prior to completion with a customer in Germany during the second quarter of 2021. Service Subscriptions revenue increased by $0.3 million, or 19%, during 2022 compared to 2021 primarily due to the completion of a non-recurring engineering service for a specific customer during 2022. Monetization revenue decreased by $0.4 million, or 35%, during 2022 compared to 2021 primarily due to a decrease in advertising revenue through decreased user impressions on the SoundHound music application.

In addition to the revenue growth experienced in Korea due to the $7.6 million Houndify Edge licensing agreement, we benefited from revenue growth in Korea and France from scaling our Houndify Products with large automotive and device makers of $4.0 million and $1.0 million, respectively, during 2022 compared to 2021. We experienced a $3.4 million decrease in revenue from Germany during 2022 compared to 2021. The decrease is primarily due to a one-time contract modification from a customer in Germany to end a distinct professional service contract prior to completion during the second quarter of 2021 and was partially offset by an increase in revenue of $2.1 million from scaling our Houndify Products with large automotive and device makers in Germany during 2022. Revenue in both periods came principally from customers across the automotive and IoT sectors, with less significant amounts derived from other industry verticals.

Cost of Revenues

Cost of revenues increased by $3.0 million, or 46%, in 2022 compared to 2021. The increase is primarily related to incurring additional data center and hosting costs due to system migrations in order to support our revenue growth. Gross margin was consistent at 69% during 2022 and 2021. Gross margin in 2022 benefited from increased margins on the Houndify Edge solution delivered to a customer during the second half of 2022. Gross margin in 2021 benefited from increased margins due to the one-time contract modification to end the distinct professional service contract prior to completion with a customer in Germany during the second quarter of 2021. While our gross margin may fluctuate in the near-term due to revenue contributions from varying product mixes, we expect it will stabilize as we look to expand our revenue from subscriptions and monetization.

Sales and Marketing

Sales and marketing expenses increased by $16.1 million, or 380%, in 2022 compared to 2021. The increase is primarily due to increased program spend to support a greater investment in go-to-market strategies and customer engagement and drive growth in our revenue from subscriptions and monetization. Sales and marketing headcount increased by approximately 142% on average during 2022 compared to 2021 and was accompanied by an additional $11.4 million in compensation and other benefits expense, including an additional $2.3 million of stock-based compensation expense. Additionally, marketing and advertising expense increased by $1.5 million during 2022 compared to 2021.

Research and Development

Research and development expenses increased by $17.2 million, or 29%, in 2022 compared to 2021. The increase is primarily due to our investment in technology and engineering and increasing our full-time engineer headcount to ensure we remain at the forefront of innovation, while also helping to develop and scale new products and services. Research and development headcount increased by approximately 14% on average during 2022 compared to 2021 and was accompanied by an additional $12.0 million in compensation and other benefits expense, including an additional $9.6 million of stock-based compensation expense.

General and Administrative

General and administrative expenses increased by $13.7 million, or 83%, in 2022 compared to 2021. The increase represents investments in our human resources, finance and legal functions, including increased personnel-related expenses in 2022 as we prepared and began to function as a public entity. General and administrative headcount increased by approximately 70% on average during 2022 compared to 2021 and was accompanied by higher salaries and compensation packages and an additional $10.5 million of stock-based compensation expense. Our expansion efforts, focused both on geographical reach and service compatibility, led to an increase in operational costs. Expenses related to the Business Combination also contributed to an increase in costs related to third-party specialists in 2022. In addition, an increase in other public readiness costs includes directors’ and officers’ insurance, capital markets advisory, accounting and legal support for SEC filings following the Business Combination. We also continued our efforts in reviewing and realigning our cost structure based on teams' evolving responsibilities. As a result, we shifted resources from research and development to general and administrative activities to better align with the investments being made to fuel growth as we scale as a new public company.

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Interest Expense

Interest expense decreased by $1.4 million, or 17%, in 2022 compared to 2021. The decrease in interest expense is primarily attributable to the conversion of the SNAP June 2020 Note into shares of our Class A Common Stock during the second quarter of 2022 and largely offset by the issuances of the SVB March 2021 Note and SCI June 2021 Note, resulting in $30.0 million and $15.0 million draws, respectively. These debt instruments were accompanied by the issuances of related common stock warrants, resulting in debt discounts to be amortized over the life of the instrument. The increase in our debt balance related to these draws in 2021 has led to increases in interest expense and amortization of debt issuance costs during 2022 compared to 2021.

Other Expense, Net

The following table summarizes our other expense, net, by type ($ in thousands):

[[GREPCENT_TABLE]]
[["","Year Ended December 31,","","Change"],["","2022","","2021","","$","","%"],["Interest income","$","390","","","$","7","","","$","383","","","5471","%"],["Change in fair value of derivative and warrant liability","(606)","","","(4,920)","","","4,314","","","(88)","%"],["Other income (expense), net","32","","","(502)","","","534","","","(106)","%"],["Total other expense, net","$","(184)","","","$","(5,415)","","","$","5,231","","","(97)","%"]]
[[/GREPCENT_TABLE]]

Change in Fair Value of Derivative and Warrant Liability

The losses attributable to the change in fair value of derivative and warrant liability decreased by $4.3 million, or 88%, in 2022 compared to 2021. The decrease was primarily attributable to $3.8 million in losses, from the change in fair value of the warrant liability during 2021, as compared to no change in the fair value of the warrant liability during 2022, due to the exercise of Series C Warrants in December 2021, which extinguished the Company’s corresponding warrant liability.

The 2022 balance solely reflects the change in fair value of the embedded derivative from the SNAP June 2020 Note. The fair value of the derivative liability decreased by $0.6 million during 2022, compared to a decrease of $1.1 million during 2021. The changes in fair value of the derivative liability represent corresponding gains or losses on the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss due to changes in probability assumptions of a change in control or SPAC transaction.

Provision for Income Taxes

[[GREPCENT_TABLE]]
[["($ in thousands)","Year Ended December 31,","","Change"],["","2022","","2021","","$","","%"],["Provision for income taxes","$","2,889","","","$","456","","","$","2,433","","","534","%"]]
[[/GREPCENT_TABLE]]

The Company’s effective tax rate for 2022 and 2021 differs from the U.S. statutory rate primarily due to an increase in the domestic valuation allowance caused by tax losses, foreign withholding taxes and foreign tax rate differentials from the U.S. domestic statutory tax rate.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

We had $9.2 million in cash and cash equivalents as of December 31, 2022. Although the Company has incurred recurring losses each year since its inception, with consideration to the Restructuring Plan, the Company expects it will be able to fund its operations for at least the next twelve months through a combination of cash on hand (including as a result of the net proceeds from the recently closed Series A Preferred Stock Transaction (See Issuance of Preferred Stock below)), proceeds from sales of Class A common stock under the ELOC program (see Equity Line of Credit below), securing additional funding through debt or equity financings, implementing incremental expense reduction measures or a combination thereof. Additionally, in the future, the Company may seek additional funding through debt or equity financing arrangements, implement incremental expense reduction measures or a combination thereof to continue financing its operations. Although management continues to pursue these plans, there is no assurance that the Company will be

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successful in obtaining sufficient funding on terms acceptable to the Company to fund continuing operations, if at all. The Company's consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming the Company will continue as a going concern, which contemplates, among other things, the realization of assets and satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business. The consolidated financial statements do not include adjustments to reflect the possible future effects on the recoverability and classification of recorded assets or the amounts of liabilities that might be necessary should the Company be unable to continue as a going concern.

Equity Line of Credit

On August 16, 2022, the Company entered into a common stock purchase agreement (the “Common Stock Purchase Agreement”) and related registration rights agreement (the “CFPI Registration Rights Agreement”) with CF Principal Investments LLC (“CFPI”). Pursuant to the Common Stock Purchase Agreement, the Company, has the right to sell to CFPI up to the lesser of (i) 25,000,000 shares of Class A common stock and (ii) the Exchange Cap (as defined in the Common Stock Purchase Agreement), subject to certain limitations and conditions set forth in the Common Stock Purchase Agreement. On February 14, 2023, the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 registering the resale of the ELOC Shares was declared effective. The Company expects to utilize proceeds from the ELOC for working capital and other general corporate purposes. Through March 17, 2023, the Company has sold approximately 8.8 million shares under the ELOC program for aggregate proceeds of approximately $24.9 million.

The purchase price of the shares that the Company elects to sell to CFPI pursuant to the Common Stock Purchase Agreement will be the volume weighted average price of the Common Stock during the applicable purchase date on which the Company has timely delivered written notice to CFPI directing it to purchase the shares under the Common Stock Purchase Agreement. The Company will receive 97% of the volume weighted average price of the Common Stock so sold.

In connection with the execution of the Common Stock Purchase Agreement, the Company issued CFPI 250,000 shares as consideration for its irrevocable commitment to purchase the shares upon the terms and subject to the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in the Common Stock Purchase Agreement. The Company has also agreed to make a cash payment of $250,000 within 120 days after the commencement date of the offering and to reimburse CFPI of up to $75,000 of expenses.

Issuance of Preferred Stock

On or around January 20, 2023, the Company entered into Preferred Stock Purchase Agreements (the “Purchase Agreements”) with certain investors (the “Investors”) pursuant to which the Company issued and sold to the Investors an aggregate of 835,011 shares of its newly designated Series A Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Series A Preferred Stock”) for an aggregate issue price of approximately $25.0 million.

The Purchase Agreements contain customary representations, warranties and covenants. The shares of Series A Preferred Stock were issued and sold in a private placement exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act. The Company does not intend to register the shares of Series A Preferred Stock or the underlying Common Stock for resale under the Securities Act.

Restructuring

On January 5, 2023, SoundHound announced the Restructuring Plan intended to reduce operating costs, improve operating margins, improve cash flows and accelerate the Company’s path to profitability. The Restructuring Plan included a reduction of the Company’s then-current workforce by approximately 40%.

The Company estimates that it will incur approximately $4.5 million to $5.5 million in charges in connection with the Restructuring Plan, of which the majority is expected to be incurred in the first quarter of 2023 and consists of severance payments, employee benefits and share-based compensation. Of the aggregate amount of charges that the Company estimates it will incur in connection with the Restructuring Plan, the Company expects that approximately $2.0 million to $3.0 million will be in cash expenditures.

Business Combination

As a result of the Business Combination in April 2022, we raised gross proceeds of $118.4 million including a combination of $5.4 million in cash held in trust by ATSP (following satisfaction of redemptions by public stockholders),

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and $113.0 million in aggregate gross proceeds from PIPE investors. The combined company incurred $27.7 million of expenses related to the transaction.

Contractual and Other Obligations

Because we expect to continue investing in software application and development, we enter into various contracts and agreements to increase our availability of capital. Cash that is received through these obligations is used to meet both short and long-term liquidity requirements as discussed above. These requirements generally include funding for the research and development of software, the development of applications that enable voice interaction, marketing programs and personnel-related costs. The primary types of obligations into which we enter include contractual obligations, operating and finance lease obligations and a diversified spread of debt instruments. See Note 7, Note 9 and Note 14 to our consolidated financial statements included within this Annual Report on Form 10-K for more information.

Debt Financing

Below are our material debt agreements as of December 31, 2022:

•SVB March 2021 Note— In March 2021, we entered into a loan and security agreement with a commercial bank to borrow $30.0 million (“SVB March 2021 Note”). In April 2022, the Company entered into a loan modification agreement, which extended the SVB March 2021 Note’s early maturity date from April 26, 2022 to May 26, 2022. As the SNAP June 2020 Note converted on April 26, 2022 the performance milestone was met and the SVB March 2021 Note’s maturity date was extended to September 1, 2024.

•SCI June 2021 Note — In June 2021, we issued a note pursuant to a loan and security agreement with a lender to borrow up to a commitment amount of $15.0 million in $5.0 million increments (“SCI June 2021 Note”). Through December 31, 2021, we had borrowed $15.0 million. The maturity date of the loan is May 31, 2025.

Cash Flows

The following table summarizes our cash flows (in thousands):

[[GREPCENT_TABLE]]
[["","Year Ended December 31,"],["","2022","","2021"],["Net cash used in operating activities","$","(94,019)","","","$","(66,177)"],["Net cash used in investing activities","(1,329)","","","(636)"],["Net cash provided by financing activities","82,001","","","44,653"],["Net change in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash equivalents","$","(13,347)","","","$","(22,160)"]]
[[/GREPCENT_TABLE]]

Cash Flows Used in Operating Activities

Net cash used in operating activities was $94.0 million during 2022 compared to $66.2 million during 2021. The $27.8 million increase in cash used in operating activities was primarily due to our increased net loss, adjusted for non-cash expenses, including stock-based compensation and depreciation and amortization, as well as an increase in our contract assets balance of $8.7 million.

Cash Flows Used in Investing Activities

Net cash used in investing activities was $1.3 million during 2022 compared to $0.6 million during 2021. The $0.7 million increase in cash used in investing activities was driven by purchases of property and equipment.

Cash Flows Provided by Financing Activities

Net cash provided by financing activities was $82.0 million during 2022 compared to $44.7 million during 2021. The $37.3 million increase in cash provided by financing activities was primarily due to the $90.7 million in net proceeds from the Business Combination. This was partially offset by net proceeds of $44.7 million from the issuance of the SVB March 2021 Note and the SCI June 2021 Note during 2021 and payments on our notes payable of $11.5 million during 2022.

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Indemnification Agreements

We enter into standard indemnification arrangements in the ordinary course of business. Pursuant to these arrangements, we indemnify, hold harmless and agree to reimburse the indemnified parties for losses suffered or incurred by the indemnified party, in connection with any trade secret, copyright, patent or other intellectual property infringement claim by any third party with respect to its technology. The term of these indemnification agreements is generally perpetual any time after the execution of the agreement. The maximum potential amount of future payments we could be required to make under these arrangements is not determinable. We have never incurred costs to defend lawsuits or settle claims related to these indemnification agreements. As a result, we believe the fair value of these agreements is minimal.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

In preparing our Consolidated Financial Statements in accordance with GAAP and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC, we make assumptions, judgments and estimates that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue and expenses, and related disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities. We base our assumptions, judgments and estimates on historical experience and various other factors that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results could differ materially from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. We evaluate our assumptions, judgments and estimates on a regular basis. We also discuss our critical accounting policies and estimates with the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors.

We believe that the assumptions, judgments and estimates involved in the accounting for revenue recognition, convertible notes and derivative liabilities, warrant liabilities and stock-based compensation have the greatest potential impact on our Consolidated Financial Statements. These areas are key components of our results of operations and are based on complex rules requiring us to make judgments and estimates, and consequently, we consider these to be our critical accounting policies. Historically, our assumptions, judgments and estimates relative to our critical accounting policies have not differed materially from actual results.

Revenue Recognition

We recognize revenue with customers in accordance with ASC Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. We primarily derive revenue from the following performance obligations: (1) hosted services, (2) professional services, (3) monetization, and (4) licensing.

Hosted Services

Hosted services, along with non-distinct customization, integration, maintenance and support professional services, allow customers to access the Houndify platform over the contract period without taking possession of the software. The contract terms of hosted services range from one year to twenty years.

The Company has determined that the hosted services arrangements are a single performance obligation comprised of a series of distinct services, since each day of providing access to hosted services is substantially the same and the customer simultaneously receives and consumes the benefits as access is provided. These services are provided either on a usage basis (i.e., variable consideration) or on a fixed fee subscription basis. The Company recognizes revenue as each distinct service period is performed (i.e., recognized as incurred).

Hosted services generally include up-front services to develop and/or customize the Houndify application to each customer’s specification. Judgement is required to determine whether these professional services are distinct from the hosted services. In making this determination, factors such as the degree of integration, the customers’ ability to start using the software prior to customization, and the availability of these services from other independent vendors are considered.

In instances where the Company concluded that the up-front services are not distinct performance obligations, revenue for these activities is recognized over the period which the hosted services are provided and is included within hosted services revenue.

Professional Services

Revenue from distinct professional services, such as non-integrated development services, is either recognized over time based upon the progress towards completion of the project, or at a point in time at project completion, depending on

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the nature of the arrangement. Measuring the stage of completion of a project requires significant judgement and estimates, including actual efforts spent in relation to estimated total costs, and percentage of completion based on input and output measures.

Monetization

Monetization revenues are primarily derived from advertising payments associated with ad impressions placed on the SoundHound music identification application. The Company derives an immaterial amount of revenue from sales commissions earned from song purchases facilitated by the SoundHound app and App store fees paid for ads-free downloads of the SoundHound music identification app. The amount of revenue is based on actual monetization generated or usage, which represents variable consideration with the constrained estimate. Therefore, the Company recognizes the related revenues when ads are placed, when commissions are paid, or when the SoundHound app is downloaded. The determination of whether revenue should be reported on a gross or net basis is based on an assessment of whether the Company is acting as a principal or an agent in the transaction. The Company has determined that it does not act as the principal in monetization arrangements because it does not control the transfer of the service and it does not set the price. Based on these factors, the Company reports revenue on a net basis.

Licensing

The Company licenses voice solutions that are embedded in customer products. Licensing revenue is a distinct performance obligation that is recognized when control is transferred to the customer, which is at a point in time for non-customized solutions. Revenues generated from licensing is based on royalty models with a combination of minimum guarantees and per unit pricing. Royalty periods are generally subsequent to when control of the license passes to the customer. The Company records licensing revenue as a usage-based royalty from customers’ usage of intellectual property in the same period in which the underlying sale occurs. The Company provides assurance-type warranty services and to date, post-contract support has been an immaterial performance obligation within the context of the contract.

When a contract has multiple performance obligations, the transaction price is allocated to each performance obligation based on its relative estimated standalone selling price (“SSP”). Judgments are required to determine the SSP for each distinct performance obligation. SSP is determined by maximizing observable inputs from pricing of standalone sales, when possible. Since prices vary from customer to customer based on customer relationship, volume discount and contract type, in instances where the SSP is not directly observable, the Company estimates SSP by considering the following factors:

•Costs of developing and supplying each performance obligation;

•Industry standards;

•Major product groupings; and

•Gross margin objectives and pricing practices, such as contractually stated prices, discounts offered, and applicable price lists.

These factors may vary over time, depending upon the unique facts and circumstances related to each deliverable. If the facts and circumstances underlying the factors considered change or should future facts and circumstances lead the Company to consider additional factors, the Company’s best estimate of SSP may also change.

Convertible Notes and Derivative Liabilities

We evaluate our convertible notes and other contracts, if any, to determine if those contracts or embedded components of those contracts qualify as derivatives requiring bifurcation. We account for conversion features that meet criteria for bifurcation as liabilities at fair value and adjust the derivative instruments to fair value at each reporting period. The conversion features qualify as derivatives, as they continuously reset as the underlying stock price increases or decreases to provide a fixed value of equity to the holders at any conversion date. The conversion features are subject to remeasurement at each balance sheet date until exercised, and any change in fair value is recognized as a component of other expense, net in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss. The fair value of the conversion features was estimated using a probability-weighted discount model with and without the conversion feature until extinguished on April 26, 2022 in connection with the Business Combination. See Note 10 for additional information.

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The Company held its convertible notes at amortized cost and amortized the associated debt discount created from bifurcated derivatives and issuance costs under the effective interest or straight-line method until maturity or early conversion pursuant to the contractual terms of the arrangement.

Warrants

We determine whether to classify contracts, such as warrants, that may be settled in our own stock as equity of the entity or as a liability. An equity-linked financial instrument must be considered indexed to the Company’s own stock to qualify for equity classification. The Company classifies warrants as liabilities for any contracts that may require a transfer of assets. Warrants classified as liabilities are accounted for at fair value and remeasured at each reporting date until exercise, expiration or modification that results in equity classification. Any change in the fair value of the warrants is recognized as other expense, net in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss.

Stock-Based Compensation

We measure stock options and other stock-based awards granted to employees, directors and other service providers based on their fair value on the date of grant and recognize compensation expense of those awards over the requisite service period. We recognize the impact of forfeitures on stock-based compensation expense as forfeitures occur. We apply the straight-line method of expense recognition. The Company uses the Black-Scholes option-pricing model to determine the fair value of stock options and ESPP shares. The Black-Scholes option-pricing model requires the use of highly subjective and complex assumptions to determine the fair value of the awards, including the expected term of the award and the price volatility of the underlying stock. The Company calculates the fair value of the awards by using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model with the following assumptions:

Expected Volatility — The Company estimates volatility for the awards by evaluating the average historical volatility of a peer group of companies for the period immediately preceding the award grant for a term that is approximately equal to the awards’s expected term.

Expected Term — The expected term of the Company’s awards represents the period that the stock-based awards are expected to be outstanding. The Company has elected to use the midpoint between the stock options’ vesting term and contractual expiration period to compute the expected term, as the Company does not have sufficient historical information to develop reasonable expectations about future exercise patterns and post-vesting employment termination behavior. For the valuation of ESPP shares, the Company uses the period of time from the valuation date to the purchase date.

Risk-Free Interest Rate — The risk-free interest rate is based on the implied yield currently available on U.S. Treasury zero-coupon issues with a term that is equal to the awards' expected term at the grant date.

Expected Dividend Yield — The Company has not declared or paid dividends to date and does not anticipate declaring dividends. As such, expected dividend yield is zero.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

See Note 2 of our Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for information regarding recent accounting pronouncements that are of significance, or potential significance to us.

Emerging Growth Company Status

We are an “emerging growth company” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 ("JOBS Act"). As an emerging growth company, we may take advantage of certain reduced reporting requirements that are otherwise applicable generally to public companies. We currently intend to take advantage of several of these reduced reporting requirements such as an extended transition period to comply with new or revised accounting standards applicable to public companies. We have elected to use this extended transition period under the JOBS Act until the earlier of the date we (1) are no longer an emerging growth company or (2) affirmatively and irrevocably opt out of the extended transition period provided in the JOBS Act. As a result, our financial statements may not be comparable to companies who have adopted new or revised accounting pronouncements.

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We will remain an emerging growth company until the earlier of (1) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following the fifth anniversary of the completion of our initial public offering, (b) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.235 billion or (c) in which we are deemed to be a “large accelerated filer” as defined in Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act, and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt during the prior three-year period.