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As confidentially submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 24, 2021
as
Amendment No. 1 to the Confidential Submission dated April 19, 2021, File No.
377-04680.
This draft registration statement has not been publicly filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission and all information herein remains strictly confidential.
Registration No. 333-
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM S-1
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
CUE HEALTH INC.
(Exact name of registrant as
specified in its charter)
Delaware
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3826
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27-1562193
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(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
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(Primary Standard Industrial
Classification Code Number)
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(I.R.S. Employer
Identification Number)
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4980 Carroll Canyon Rd.
Suite 100
San Diego, CA 92121
(858) 412-8151
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number,
including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)
Ayub Khattak
Chief Executive Officer
Cue Health Inc.
4980 Carroll Canyon Rd.
Suite 100
San Diego, CA 92121
(858) 412-8151
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone
number, including area code, of agent for service)
Copies to:
E. Thom Rumberger Jr.
Glenn R. Pollner
Molly Fox
Craig Hilts
Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and
Dorr LLP
2600 El Camino Real, Suite 400
Palo Alto, CA 94306
(650) 858 6000
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Erica Palsis
General Counsel
Cue Health Inc.
4980 Carroll Canyon Rd.
Suite 100
San Diego, CA 92121
(858) 412-8151
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Charles S. Kim
Jonie Kondracki
Kristin VanderPas
Denny Won
Cooley LLP
4401 Eastgate Mall
San Diego, CA 92121
(858) 550-6000
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Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable after this Registration Statement is declared effective.
If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed
or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, check the following box. ☐
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to
Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the
Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the
Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an
accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of
the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer
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Accelerated filer
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Non-accelerated filer
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☒
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Smaller reporting company
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☐
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Emerging growth company
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If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not
to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
Common stock, par value $0.00001 per share
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$
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$
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(1)
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Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(o) under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended. Includes the aggregate offering price of additional shares that the underwriters have the option to purchase.
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(2)
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Calculated pursuant to Rule 457(o) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, based on an estimate of the proposed maximum
aggregate offering price.
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The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such
date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the
Securities Act of 1933 or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.
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The information in this preliminary prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the
registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This preliminary prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and we are not soliciting offers to buy these securities in any state or other
jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.
SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED , 2021
Shares
Common Stock
This is the initial public offering of shares of common stock of Cue Health Inc.
We are offering shares of our common stock. Prior to this
offering, there has been no public market for our common stock. It is currently estimated that the initial public offering price per share will be between $ and $ . We have applied to have our common stock listed on the Nasdaq Global Market
under the symbol “HLTH.”
We are an emerging growth company under the federal securities laws
and, as such, have elected to comply with certain reduced public company reporting requirements for this prospectus and future filings. See “Prospectus Summary—Implications of Being an Emerging Growth Company.”
Investing in our common stock involves a high
degree of risk. See the section titled “Risk Factors” beginning on page
23 .
Initial public offering price
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Underwriting discounts and commissions(1)
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Proceeds, before expenses, to us
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$
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(1)
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See the section titled “Underwriting” for additional disclosure regarding the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions
and estimated offering expenses.
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We have granted the underwriters the right to purchase up to an
additional shares of common stock from us at the public offering price less underwriting discounts and commissions.
The underwriters expect to deliver the shares against payment in New York, New York on
or about , 2021.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission
nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
Joint Book-Running Managers
Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC
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Morgan Stanley
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BofA Securities
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Lead Manager
BTIG
, 2021
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Neither we nor the underwriters have authorized anyone to provide
you with any information other than that contained in this prospectus, any amendment or supplement to this prospectus or in any free writing prospectus we may authorize to be delivered or made available to you. We and the underwriters take no
responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. We are offering to sell, and seeking offers to buy, shares of our common stock only in jurisdictions where offers and sales
are permitted. The information contained in this prospectus is accurate only as of the date of this prospectus, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus or any sale of shares of our common stock. Our business, financial condition,
results of operations and prospects may have changed since that date.
No action is being taken in any jurisdiction outside the United
States to permit a public offering of our common stock or possession or distribution of this prospectus in that jurisdiction. Persons who come into possession of this prospectus in jurisdictions outside the United States are required to inform
themselves about and to observe any restrictions as to this offering and the distribution of this prospectus applicable to that jurisdiction.
Until , 2021 (the 25th day after the date
of this prospectus), all dealers that effect transactions in these securities, whether or not participating in this offering, may be required to deliver a prospectus. This is in addition to the dealers’ obligations to deliver a prospectus when
acting as underwriters and with respect to their unsold allotments or subscriptions.
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This summary highlights information
contained elsewhere in this prospectus and does not contain all of the information that you should consider in making your investment decision. Before investing in our common stock, you should carefully read this entire prospectus, including
our financial statements and the related notes thereto and the information set forth in the sections titled “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” In this prospectus, unless
otherwise indicated or the context otherwise requires, references to “Cue,” “Cue Health,” “we,” “us,” “our” and similar references refer to Cue Health Inc. and, as the context requires, our predecessor entity, Ruubix, that changed its name to
Cue Inc. in 2014 and subsequently merged with Cue Health Inc. in 2017.
Overview
Reinventing How We Interact with Our Health
We are a health technology company, and our mission is to
enable personalized, proactive and informed healthcare that empowers people to live their healthiest lives. Digital transformation has revolutionized nearly every industry except healthcare to create new, consumer-first experiences that are
both personalized and empowering. We seek to usher in a new era in healthcare, what we call Healthcare 2.0, to transform how acute and chronic conditions are diagnosed and managed.
We believe the current healthcare system is challenged. Care
delivery can often be uncontextualized and disconnected in an increasingly personalized and connected world. The vast majority of healthcare delivery still relies on in-person encounters at centralized locations while consumers and caregivers
may often be forced to make important health decisions without complete or real-time information. The first step in many healthcare journeys is often diagnosis, a critical part of the healthcare value chain. Despite being a key basis for care
decisions, we believe current diagnostic solutions are suboptimal because they are not timely, convenient, or connected to care delivery. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the shortcomings of our healthcare system and of diagnostics in
particular. A centralized and rigid testing infrastructure, the reliance on in-person encounters, and the lack of timely information illustrate how current diagnostic solutions are not built for modern care delivery to hundreds of millions of
people. We believe consumers want the same tech-enabled convenient, connected, and customized experiences that have transformed their daily lives to transform their care journeys.
We are now witnessing what we believe is the beginning of a
transformational shift as consumers take control of their own health. In industry after industry, disruptors are using technology to transform the consumer experience. From the way we consume content to the way we travel, we believe consumers
and organizations are increasingly looking for a simple, convenient and digital first approach. We further believe that healthcare is finally ripe for a digital transformation and that it will begin with diagnostics, since approximately 70%
of all clinical decisions are made utilizing diagnostic data.
We are helping pioneer this healthcare digital transformation,
beginning with diagnostics. We started from consumer-centric principles and designed our proprietary platform, the Cue Integrated Care Platform, with a relentless focus on user experience, convenience, and accuracy. The Cue Integrated Care
Platform consists of hardware and software components: (1) our revolutionary Cue Health Monitoring System, made up of a long-lasting, portable, durable and reusable reader, or Cue Reader, a single-use test cartridge, or Cue Cartridge, and a
sample collection wand, or Cue Wand, (2) our Cue Data and Innovation Layer, with cloud-based data and analytics capability, (3) our Cue Virtual Care Delivery Apps, including our consumer-friendly Cue Health App and our Cue Enterprise
Dashboard, and (4) our Cue Ecosystem Integrations and Apps, which allow for integrations with third-party applications and sensors.
Our platform has been designed to work seamlessly to deliver
and manage health data both within the healthcare system and within the home. Through our application programming interfaces, or APIs, our platform has been engineered so that it can be directly integrated into existing workflows and
on-demand services, such as telemedicine, e-prescription services, and electronic medical record, or EMR, systems. For example, we implemented an integration with one of the U.S.’s leading EMR systems on behalf of one of our customers, a
leading healthcare system, to enable a seamless workflow from test ordering to test result, with our mobile app and the Cue Health Monitoring System. But beyond designing our platform to be able to integrate within the traditional healthcare
system, we have built our platform to enable fast, frequent, lab-quality diagnostics by anyone, anywhere, intended to facilitate a new continuous care model of personalized and contextualized healthcare. We believe this model, driven by our
platform, will empower our users to actively manage their health, which we believe will result in
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improved health outcomes and a more resilient, connected, and efficient
healthcare ecosystem for all. We further believe that our platform positions us to be at the center of the broader healthcare ecosystem as it continues to undergo a massive virtual and digital shift. Through our connected diagnostic solution,
we seek to enable the shift of care to virtual settings, while also connecting the physical care paradigm to the new digital ecosystem.
As the COVID-19 pandemic was closing the global economy and
filling hospitals in the first quarter of 2020, we rapidly focused our team on developing a COVID-19 Test Kit and did so in a matter of a few months, building on a decade of research and development on our adaptive and flexible system. Our
COVID-19 test (consisting of our Cue Reader and Cue COVID-19 Test Kit) has been validated via an independent clinical study conducted by researchers at the Mayo Clinic that demonstrated our test has 97.8% concordance with tests performed by
central labs using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, or RT-PCR technology, the current “gold standard” for central lab testing. Our platform has been designed to uniquely offer fast results and ease-of-use combined with the
high-quality results of central lab technology, all in a device that fits in the palm of your hand.
Our first commercially available diagnostic test for use with
our Cue Health Monitoring System is our COVID-19 Test Kit for ribonucleic acid, or RNA, of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. In June 2020, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, or the FDA, granted an Emergency Use Authorization,
or EUA, for our molecular COVID-19 test for point of care use under the supervision of qualified medical personnel. In March 2021, the FDA granted us an additional EUA for over-the-counter and at-home use of our COVID-19 test without a
prescription. Our COVID-19 test is authorized for use by both symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals, and by adults and children aged two and older with adult assistance. While commercial sales of our COVID-19 Test Kit are authorized
pursuant to our EUA authorizations, we cannot predict how long our EUAs will remain in effect and to date, we have not obtained any 510(k) clearances for our COVID- 19 Test Kit, which clearance would be required to sell our COVID-19 Test Kit
in the event that the FDA terminates or revokes our EUAs. In order to be eligible to receive 510(k) clearance from the FDA, we will need to conduct additional clinical studies with larger subject enrollment and more COVID-19 positive tests.
We are moving forward on the additional steps we believe are required to enable us to seek 510(k) clearance, and intend to seek 510(k) clearance as soon as feasible once we have completed these steps.
While our Cue COVID-19 Test Kit is our first, and currently
only, commercially available test, our vision was always to build a broad platform that would reinvent how we interact with our health. Since our early days, we developed our platform to be able to address the majority of diagnostic tests
routinely conducted in clinical laboratories because we believe that users will not only demand a simple, personalized, convenient and connected solution but also a single platform to address their healthcare needs. We are developing
solutions to broaden the diagnostic use cases for our platform and currently have five tests that we consider to be in late-stage technical development: influenza A/B, or flu, respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, pregnancy, fertility and
inflammation. Our additional planned care offerings include tests in the categories of respiratory health, sexual health, cardiac and metabolic health, women's health, men's health, and chronic disease management. We anticipate that we will
begin submitting several tests to the FDA for authorization or clearance in the second half of 2022. We are also working to expand the functionality of our platform by adding capabilities which will enable telehealth, e-prescription and the
ability to connect to third-party services to facilitate an end-to-end healthcare journey. Our focus is on creating experiences with the user at the center, enabling high satisfaction, measurable health outcomes, and more cost-effective care
for the entire ecosystem.
We believe the power of our platform has been demonstrated by
our substantial growth, the quality of our customers, the clinical validation of our COVID-19 Test Kit, and the two regulatory authorizations we have received for our COVID-19 Test Kit, including being the first company ever to have a product
authorized by the FDA for molecular-based infectious disease testing available over-the-counter for home use. Our platform was trusted by the National Basketball Association, or NBA, to help it perform COVID-19 testing in its highly
publicized “Bubble” in the 2020 basketball season. We are used by the Mayo Clinic in their hospital network and in their laboratories. In October 2020, we entered into a $480.9 million agreement or the U.S. DoD agreement, with the U.S. DoD,
and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, or U.S. HHS, to scale up our production and deliver 6,000,000 Cue COVID-19 Test Kits and 30,000 Cue Readers. Our customers also include certain major technology and other enterprises who
are providing our solution to their employees for use in their homes as part of return to work initiatives and ongoing employee health benefits. Today our platform is relied upon every day for vital COVID-19 testing across schools,
enterprises, nursing homes, hospitals, physicians’ offices, dental clinics, sports and other live event venues, federal and state agencies, and other settings around the country as well as by individual end-users
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testing in their homes. As of April 30, 2021, we had 19 active customers in
addition to our largest customer by product volume to date, the U.S. Department of Defense, or U.S. DoD. We define an active customer as an entity that has entered into an agreement with us to purchase the Cue Health Monitoring System in the
past 12 months.
Prior to May 1, 2021, we were required, pursuant to the U.S.
DoD agreement, to deliver to the U.S. government all of our manufacturing output of Cue COVID-19 Test Kits, subject to limited exceptions. The U.S. DoD agreement initially contemplated ramp up of our production to 100,000 COVID-19 Test Kits
per day for a seven-day period and final delivery of the required Cue Readers and Cue COVID-19 Test Kits by March 31, 2021. However, in March 2021, the production ramp up target and final product delivery dates were extended by mutual
agreement to October 2021. In April 2021, the U.S. DoD granted us a waiver whereby, effective May 1, 2021, we are permitted to sell up to 50% of our manufacturing output of Cue COVID-19 Test Kits to additional customers. Notwithstanding the
waiver granted to us by the U.S. DoD in April 2021, we are still required under our agreement with the U.S. DoD to deliver 30,000 Cue Readers, 6,000,000 Cue COVID-19 Test Kits and 60,000 COVID-19 Control Swab Packs by October 2021. As of
April 30, 2021, we have delivered all of the required Cue Readers and over 1.5 million Cue COVID-19 Test Kits pursuant to the U.S. DoD agreement. We are further required to ramp up our production capacity to approximately 100,000 Cue COVID-19
Test Kits per day by October 2021. As of April 30, 2021, our production capacity was 30,000 COVID-19 Test Kits per day. We believe that the receipt of our waiver from the U.S. DoD will allow us to more widely commercialize our COVID-19 Test
Kit. Since we received the waiver from the U.S. DoD and our second FDA EUA for over-the-counter at home testing for our COVID-19 Test Kit, we have been able to add several new enterprise customers and extend our business with existing
customers. For example, we have added certain major technology and other enterprises as customers who are providing our solution to their employees for use in their homes as part of return to work initiatives and ongoing employee health
benefits. In addition, for the 2021 NBA basketball season, we have been able to extend our relationship with the NBA to provide our testing solution for use by players, their families and referees, at home and on the road.
We believe our platform will allow us to develop and
commercialize new tests quickly and scale rapidly, driven by our flexible technology and our in-house, vertically-integrated and automated manufacturing facilities. Our platform has the potential to perform a variety of different tests by
accommodating different sample types, including saliva, blood, urine and swabs, and detecting nucleic acids, small molecules, proteins or cells. Because we developed our manufacturing facilities and processes in tandem with our technology, we
were able to scale our production to produce a rate of millions of test cartridges per year using fully automated production pods. A production pod is a free standing, modular environmentally-controlled structure containing an automated
cartridge production line. Additionally, we produce our critical biochemistry in-house, including enzymes, antibodies and primers for our Cue Cartridges. As of April 30, 2021, we were manufacturing Cue Cartridges at a rate equivalent to
several million per year and we anticipate growing our manufacturing capacity to a rate equivalent to tens of millions of Cue Cartridges per year by the end of 2021.
We first began generating revenue from product sales in August
2020 following the receipt of our first EUA from the FDA for our COVID-19 test in June 2020. We generated approximately $64.5 million of revenue in the three months ended March 31, 2021, all of which was from product sales. Of that amount,
$62.1 million, or approximately 96%, of our product revenue was from public sector entities, substantially all of which was from the U.S. DoD, with the remaining $2.4 million of product revenue generated from other customers. We generated
$23.0 million of revenue for the year ended December 31, 2020, of which approximately $15.4 million was from product sales. Of this amount, $8.9 million of product revenue was from public sector entities, substantially all of which was from
the U.S. DoD, and the remaining $6.5 million of product revenue was generated from other customers. The U.S. DoD and Henry Schein accounted for approximately 80% of our product revenue in 2020. In 2019, we generated $6.6 million of revenue,
none of which was from product sales. After the conclusion of the initial U.S. DoD agreement, we anticipate that the percentage of our revenue derived from non-public sector customers will increase as we continue to ramp up our manufacturing
and distribution capabilities and are able to sell more of our products to other customers, including enterprises and healthcare providers. For the three months ended March 31, 2021, our net income was $13.0 million. In 2020 and 2019, we
incurred net losses of $47.4 million and $20.6 million, respectively.
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Healthcare 1.0
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Depicts future product developments.
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We believe the current healthcare system suffers from
centralization, and is disconnected, analog and access-limited. We call the current system Healthcare 1.0. Globally, healthcare has become increasingly complex and we believe continue to suffer from significant fragmentation of care, while
costs have continued to expand faster than the growth of the economy. Rising healthcare costs have not necessarily resulted in improved outcomes, as exemplified through the increasing prevalence of chronic conditions in the United States
despite the country’s approximately $4.0 trillion annual spend, the highest per capita healthcare spend in the world.
Key characteristics of Healthcare 1.0 include:
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Centralized Care Limits Access: We believe healthcare that is delivered
through centralized, physical locations limits access due to the inconvenience and time-consuming nature of visiting hospitals, doctors’ offices, and urgent care clinics.
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The Centralized Diagnostic Testing Framework is Challenged : In the United
States today, there are hundreds of thousands of diagnostic access points to serve hundreds of millions of people. The lack of real-time, convenient, and readily accessible diagnostic solutions is a direct result of the legacy central
lab testing model.
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Legacy Infrastructure Is Not Built for Virtual Care : The current
centralized diagnostic and care infrastructure is even less well suited for the growing virtual care delivery model. For care to truly be virtual, we believe patients need the ability to obtain a diagnostic result from anywhere and at
any time, rather than from a central laboratory with high latency.
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Lack of Capabilities to Identify Health Threats : We believe the
disconnected and high-latency diagnostic system is not able to deliver the information that public health agencies and other healthcare providers need to identify, mitigate and monitor outbreaks of highly contagious diseases, such as
COVID-19 or influenza.
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Further, Healthcare 1.0 does not meet the evolving needs of healthcare consumers
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control over how they manage their acute and chronic conditions as well as their overall health;
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access to actionable clinical insights;
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affordable and transparent pricing; and
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customer-centric user experiences that connect the entire care journey.
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Healthcare 2.0
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Depicts future product developments.
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Digital transformation has revolutionized nearly every
industry, except for healthcare, to create new, consumer-first experiences that are both personalized and empowering. We believe a new era in healthcare is beginning, Healthcare 2.0. We envision that Healthcare 2.0 will be a connected and
distributed care ecosystem with seamless coordination across the physical and virtual care continuums and we believe that abundant and timely testing and real-time data will be at the center of personalized and informed care. As
diagnostics-led care moves away from centralized, geographically defined settings and toward distributed, virtual modalities, we believe a connected diagnostics platform is needed to bring testing to the user, when and where they need it
most.
We believe the healthcare paradigm is shifting and that we are well positioned to
be at its center.
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Healthcare is Shifting to Consumer-Focused Care and Delivery : Across
multiple industries, new disruptors have used technology to transform the consumer experience. We believe a paradigm shift is occurring in healthcare as consumers are both increasingly informed and focused on the user experience. We
believe this shift will become one of the most important factors that shapes the next decade of healthcare.
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Diagnostics is at the Center of Healthcare 2.0 : We believe diagnostic data
is the key to unlocking the full potential of personalized and virtually delivered care. Without an at-home testing solution, we believe telehealth solutions will still be burdened by long turnaround times, and require individuals to
visit, or mail samples to, centralized testing laboratories.
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We are well positioned to be at the Center of Healthcare 2.0 : We believe we have the potential to become the new standard of care in diagnostics, with the ability to bridge the physical to virtual care
continuum and benefit everyone by keeping people healthy and productive. Just as monitoring combined with data-driven insights helps people with chronic conditions live healthier lives, we believe our platform will transform the way
people manage their health through real-time, actionable and connected health data.
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Our Solution – The Cue Integrated Care Platform
Our Cue Integrated Care Platform is designed to harness the
power of the cloud and provide consumers and enterprises with real-time access to their data and the broader healthcare ecosystem as part of our planned end-to-end solution.
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Depicts future product developments.
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Development of the Cue Integrated Care Platform is guided by
our focus on the user, whether that be a clinician in a provider office or an individual at home, with a simple goal of enabling individuals and clinicians to have reliable information at their fingertips to make faster and more informed
healthcare decisions. We believe we will be able to transform disease prevention and detection globally by making important healthcare data available to anyone, anywhere, at any time. Our system is designed to put consumers in control of
their information and place diagnostic information at the center of care, where it belongs.
For consumers, we expect our platform will eliminate the
friction of taking a test and communicating the results to providers. We believe increasing consumer testing at home will lead to better outcomes. By making our platform widely available to consumers over-the-counter for use anywhere and at
any time, we aim to redefine the care workflow such that over time we believe our platform will become the standard of care.
Cue Health Monitoring System
Our Cue Health Monitoring System is designed to deliver a broad
menu of tests through one system, enabling two major testing modalities, nucleic acid amplification tests, or NAAT, and immunoassays, in one device. Our system is designed to handle different sample types, including saliva, blood, urine and
swabs, and can detect nucleic acids, small molecules, proteins and cells. We believe this flexible design will enable us to address many of the diagnostic tests conducted in clinical laboratories, such as tests addressing indications in
respiratory health, sexual health, cardiac and metabolic health, women's health, men's health, and chronic disease management.
Our Cue Health Monitoring System is comprised of the following elements:
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Cue Reader: The Cue Reader is an elegantly designed, automated analyzer of test
results and is used with Cue Test Kits and the Cue Health App. The Cue Reader runs the Cue Cartridge and communicates the result of the test digitally via Bluetooth to the Cue Health App.
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Cue Test Kit: Each Cue Test Kit is comprised of a Cue Cartridge and a Cue
Wand.
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Cue Cartridge: Our sample-specific,
single-use cartridges are designed to handle different chemistries, which allows us to create a broad menu of tests. Cue Cartridges are designed to be seamlessly
inserted into the Cue Reader.
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Cue Wand: Cue Wands are
single-use and sterile sample collection devices that are designed to be universally compatible with the Cue Cartridges. The Cue Wand is
designed to permit collection of multiple sample types, including saliva, blood, urine and swabs, with only minor modifications.
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Cue Data and Innovation Layer
Our cloud-native Cue Data and Innovation Layer stores and
curates the data from our Cue Health Monitoring System and provides a secure environment for users to access current and historical health data. Our Data and Innovation Layer has the ability to collate unstructured and structured data from a
wide variety of data sources, which we believe will give us the ability in the future to store and analyze more holistic sets of health data, including from other testing modalities and wearables. The Cue Integrated Care Platform was built
with data security and regulatory compliance, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, or HIPAA, at its core.
The Cue Data and Innovation Layer provides the foundation for
our Cue Virtual Care Delivery Apps and has enabled the development of our Cue Ecosystem Integrations and Apps. The Cue Data and Innovation Layer currently contains an API that allows for the data from tests performed on the Cue Health
Monitoring System to be received, stored, and retrieved by the end user. For enterprises deploying the Cue Enterprise Dashboard, the Cue Data and Innovation Layer enables the creation of a network of users affiliated by roles with the
enterprise. Within this network of users, the Cue Data and Innovation Layer provides the engine behind test analytics, creation of groups, scheduling and compliance, reporting, and enterprise-specific privacy policy management. The Cue Data
and Innovation Layer powers the EMR integration with major EMR providers.
Cue Virtual Care Delivery Apps
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Cue Health App: Our mobile app creates a secure interface between the user
and their health data. For consumers, it allows a single point of entry for their health data; for healthcare professionals, it is designed to provide a unified platform for managing patient histories and, in the future, is expected
to allow for telemedicine and e-prescription services. By connecting the diagnostic test results with interventions and outcomes, we believe the Cue Health App will allow users to be more engaged and satisfied with their healthcare
experience, which can ultimately drive better outcomes for users.
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Cue Enterprise Dashboard: Our dashboard is designed to allow enterprises,
payors, healthcare providers and public health entities to manage population health at the organizational level and has the potential to track the efficacy of various population health programs. Accessible online, the Cue Enterprise
Dashboard has the potential to help organizations manage a patient’s journey from onboarding to scheduling, care management and inventory management. The Cue Enterprise Dashboard was built with a focus on user experience, simplifying
the sharing of communications, such as results, records, and histories with patients and across providers and streamlining reporting requirements. Powered by our analytics engine and role-based access capabilities, it is designed to
provide chief medical officers, environmental health and safety officials, and benefits managers with insight into their organization’s population health, helping to facilitate efficient decision making. Currently, we have
approximately 20 public sector, enterprise and provider customers who are set-up to use the Cue Enterprise Dashboard.
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Cue Ecosystem Integrations and Apps
We believe that placing our APIs at the core of our integrated
care platform will enable us to become foundational within Healthcare 2.0. Our Cue Data and Innovation Layer is designed to be able to securely connect with on-demand services, such as telemedicine and e-prescription services, which we
believe will enable a truly digital and seamless user experience. In the future, we plan on enhancing our platform to enable third-party application development and offerings that complement our solutions.
In addition, our ability to integrate with anchor EMR systems,
such as Epic Systems Corporation, or Epic, allows our customers to integrate our platform with their existing systems, creating an agile and responsive workflow for patient monitoring for ongoing care, better intelligence and reporting, and
more efficient provider-level health management.
The Cue Virtual Care Marketplace
Our current customers can be categorized as both care
consumers, enterprises and the employees that comprise them, and the care providers, doctor's offices, healthcare systems, urgent care clinics. We believe that as both care consumers and care providers take advantage of our Cue Integrated
Care Platform to better diagnose and manage health, our networked Virtual Care Delivery Apps will allow us to create a marketplace where virtual care takes place, centered around objective clinical diagnostic information. We believe that the
Cue Integrated Care Platform will help
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improve access to care while driving down healthcare costs and improving
outcomes. In turn, we anticipate payors will begin to reimburse for our tests and other products offered under our Cue Integrated Care Platform. We believe that all of these dynamics will help create what we call the Cue Virtual Care
Marketplace.
Our Key Differentiators
We believe the following attributes differentiate us from other
diagnostic solutions and digital health companies:
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Consumer-centric. The Cue Integrated Care Platform is
intended to revolutionize the way individuals and healthcare providers access diagnostic testing at home, at work, or at the point-of-care. Our Cue Integrated Care Platform is designed to deliver a superior user experience in any
setting, one that is fully-guided, fast, accurate, and easy to use and that puts the consumer in control of their health data.
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•
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Lab-quality diagnostics anywhere in minutes. Combining
the sophistication and accuracy of complex molecular testing systems with the simplicity, convenience and speed of a consumer electronic device, our Cue Health Monitoring System has been developed to deliver highly specific and
sensitive results within minutes.
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•
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Extensible platform approach. We designed our
technology, platform and infrastructure to be versatile in accommodating a wide range of tests by addressing both main analytical modalities used in diagnostic testing, immunoassays and NAAT. We believe our flexible platform will
permit our planned future menu of tests to cover a large portion of diagnostic solutions typically offered by a traditional lab.
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•
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Vertically-integrated, automated and scalable production
infrastructure. Our proprietary technology was designed to allow us to optimize our system across the full product life cycle from design to manufacturing. Our integrated cartridge manufacturing and bio-production,
including enzymes and chemistry, ensure the quality of our finished product.
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Scaled and growing installed base. We have shipped
over 30,000 Cue Readers across the United States as of April 30, 2021, including Cue Readers placed through our agreement with the U.S. DoD and through our other customers agreements, resulting in a broad and active installed base,
diversified across industries, locations and end-markets such as schools, essential businesses, nursing homes, hospitals, physicians' offices, dental clinics, sports and other live event venues, and other settings around the country.
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Our Market Opportunity
We believe that there is substantial market opportunity for a
consumer-oriented care platform that sits at the nexus of healthcare and technology. We estimate that global healthcare expenditures in 2021 will reach $8.8 trillion. We estimate that the total addressable markets, or TAM, for digital health
and diagnostics were approximately
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$120 billion and $85 billion, respectively, in 2020. Of the estimated $85
billion diagnostics market, we estimate that at-home and point-of-care testing solutions account for approximately $30 billion, of which, according to our internal estimates, approximately $20 billion is attributable to point-of-care testing
solutions while approximately $10 billion attributable to at home testing solutions. We further estimate that the TAM for point-of-care diagnostics will grow to up to $51 billion by 2025. In 2021, we estimate the COVID-19 point-of-care
diagnostic market alone to be approximately $12 billion. We believe that the digital health and diagnostics markets that we are targeting are not only capable of being quickly disrupted by our Cue Integrated Care Platform, but that our TAM
will continue to expand as individuals increasingly seek convenience and accessibility in their healthcare services, as awareness of our brand and platform offering grows, and as we build out our planned integrated service offering, including
telehealth and e-prescription capabilities. Additionally, we believe healthcare providers and payors will continue to look for creative solutions to optimize care and cost efficiency, while employers will aim to maintain productivity and
continuity.
Our Growth Strategy
Key elements of our growth strategy include:
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Expand our menu of tests and continue to innovate and enhance our platform.
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Drive ecosystem adoption.
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Continue to expand our installed base and distribution network to enable
pull-through of our future extended care offerings.
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Increase adoption through value-based selling and payor reimbursement.
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Continue to build the Cue brand.
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Scale manufacturing capabilities to capitalize on demand.
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Expand our global footprint.
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Our Go-To-Market Strategy
Our go-to-market strategy is powered by an in-house direct
sales team focused on target customer segments including: the public sector, healthcare providers, large enterprises, and individual consumers. Our go-to-market strategy is further complemented by our marketing team’s strategy to raise Cue’s
overall brand awareness and value proposition.
Our marketing strategy is focused on building strong brand
awareness for the Cue Integrated Care Platform as a molecular at-home diagnostic solution, with relevant, measurable value for all of our customer segments. Our marketing drives across our owned media channels (website and social networks),
press releases, scientific publications, industry engagement with key stakeholders, partnerships with key opinion and market leaders, and targeted marketing through digital and non-digital channels. We anticipate investing further, using
account-based marketing strategies to accelerate brand awareness and increase demand, and thus sales opportunities, across our targeted markets.
Our direct sales team engages with prospective clients and
seeks to identify the best sales channel based on each client’s needs. Our go-to-market strategy is focused on allowing us access to the end user, through our Cue Integrated Care Platform, even if the individual was acquired via our direct
sales organization or through an outside sales channel. For example, if an individual obtained a Cue Health Monitoring System through their self-insured employer’s COVID-19 return-to-work efforts or as a result of government-supported
distribution, we can nonetheless directly engage with the end user through the Cue Health App and potentially convert them to using our planned future tests and other products we may develop. As a result, we expect that we will be able to
fulfill market demand through our internal and external sales channels, while maintaining an important direct customer relationship for our future product enhancements and care offerings.
Additionally, our relationship with the U.S. DoD formed an
important foundation of our initial go-to-market strategy. Our relationship with U.S. DoD helped establish our domestic manufacturing infrastructure as a critical component of ongoing national healthcare infrastructure. Our relationship with
the U.S. DoD also helped commercialize the Cue Health Monitoring System as part of a critical, decentralized, national diagnostic infrastructure for ongoing pandemic management. In addition, the development of Cue Readers alongside our Cue
COVID-19 Test Kits has significantly accelerated our installed base growth, which we believe will enable continued
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distribution of our Cue COVID-19 Test Kit as well as pull-through of our
planned future products to key federal, state and other government agencies. Through our U.S. DoD agreement, the Cue Health Monitoring System and COVID-19 Test Kits have been deployed to over 220 schools, nursing homes, hospitals, public
health facilities and organizations, essential businesses, correctional facilities and other public sector users, as of April 30, 2021.
We expect that customer demand for our Cue COVID-19 Test will
exceed our manufacturing capacity in 2021. As a result, and in light of our existing commitments under the U.S. DoD agreement and to existing customers, we are strategically selecting new customers based on the following considerations: order
volume, industry diversification and potential interest in our expected future test menu.
Our direct sales team is comprised of experienced sales
professionals focused on the following four categories:
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Pu blic Sector Sales : Our public sector sales team identifies new opportunities within federal, state and local government agencies. While we expect that revenue
from other categories of customers will become a larger component of revenue over time, our public sector sales strategy continues to look to identify opportunities with new and existing federal, state and local government agency
customers.
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Enterprise Sales : Our enterprise sales team identifies major self-insured
enterprises such as Fortune 500 companies with large covered employee populations as well as small-to-medium sized businesses with healthcare plan partners and employee benefits offerings. We believe that enterprise customers will
want to utilize our integrated care solutions for their employees and their families, both on-premise and at-home.
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Healthcare Provider Sales : Our healthcare provider sales strategy targets major healthcare systems and healthcare professionals such as hospital systems, private
clinics and concierge health systems, and physicians’ offices. Relationships with these customers, such as our current relationship with the Mayo Clinic, help validate our platform, and we believe will help accelerate marketplace
adoption of our products.
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Direct-to-Consumer Sales : Our direct-to-consumer sales team identifies
opportunities through online and offline retail channels such as e-commerce and in-store sales.
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Our First Product Offering – Cue COVID-19 Test
Our COVID-19 test, consisting of our Cue Reader and our Cue
COVID-19 Test Kit (Cue COVID-19 Cartridge and Cue Wand), is our first commercially available test. It is designed to detect SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Our COVID-19 test was the first FDA-authorized molecular diagnostic test
for at-home and over-the-counter use without physician supervision or a prescription. It provides highly accurate, lab-quality results, including for emerging variants, directly to connected mobile smart devices in about 20 minutes. A recent
independent study conducted by researchers at the Mayo Clinic found that the overall concordance between our COVID-19 test and clinical laboratory tests using NAAT was 97.8%. In December 2020, our COVID-19 test was ranked by the FDA Reference
Panel testing as the most sensitive among direct nasal swab point-of-care tests.
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Our COVID-19 test is authorized for use by both symptomatic and
asymptomatic individuals, adults and children aged two and older with adult assistance. With an easy-to-use, fully guided experience, our COVID-19 test offers convenience, privacy, and the ability to test frequently.
Our Expected Future Care Offerings
**
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Luteinizing Hormone (LH)
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***
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Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)
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Our COVID-19 Test Kit is currently our only commercially
available test. Our expected future care offerings include tests and other products across multiple categories, including respiratory health, sexual health, cardiac and metabolic health, women's health, men's health, and chronic disease
management. We are currently developing both the diagnostic tests and the accompanying software solutions in the virtual care delivery applications to support our planned holistic care offerings as part of our Cue Integrated Care Platform. We
expect to begin submitting additional tests for FDA authorization or clearance in the second half of 2022. Further, over time, we intend to pursue future authorizations, clearances and approvals globally, including in the European Union,
Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan, within the Middle East, and the United Kingdom, and other countries. In public communications, FDA officials have indicated that they may be more amenable to approving tests for many diseases for home use as
a result of lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, especially testing solutions with telehealth capabilities.
We believe our expected future test menu expansion benefits from:
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our technical development capabilities that have led to an authorized COVID-19 test and multiple tests in late-stage
technical development;
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our understanding of the regulatory pathways, including FDA authorization or clearance, for the various diagnostic tests; and
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our test-agnostic production capacity that we believe will provide us the flexibility to meet our customers’ needs.
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The graphic below illustrates our near-term development pipeline:
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This chart does not reflect our full development pipeline but rather those of our tests that are furthest along in
development.
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**
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Our COVID-19 test has been authorized by the FDA under two EUAs.
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Throat swab sample may be required.
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We currently have five tests that we consider to be in
late-stage technical development: flu, RSV, pregnancy, fertility, and inflammation. We consider a test to be in late-stage technical development when we have developed a working prototype Cue Cartridge in its final form factor, capable of
running its intended sample type using its relevant Cue Wand. When a test is in late-stage technical development, we believe that all or the majority of the technical risk has been eliminated, and the test performance is expected to meet
regulatory and marketplace requirements. At this stage, the relevant test is ready or nearly ready for verification and validation studies. In addition to completing late-stage technical development, all of our planned tests will be required
to complete validation and clinical studies. With the exception of our fertility test for over-the-counter at-home use, we generally expect that our expected future tests will then need to receive regulatory authorization, clearance or
approval before they can be commercialized. See the section titled “Business—Expected Future Care Offerings” for additional information regarding our current and planned tests.
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Chronic Disease Management
We believe chronic disease management will benefit from an
integrated care platform that pulls in multiple layers of health information and connects them to digital health coaching and other interventions. In addition to assisting in initial diagnosis of chronic disease, diagnostic tests help measure
the impact of interventions and can help optimize care patterns over time. Pulling in genetic information and other data streams can personalize and optimize care for sub-cohort patient populations. The graphic below illustrates one example
of how we anticipate that the Cue Integrated Care Platform will be able to be used for chronic disease management.
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Depicts future product developments.
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The Cue Integrated Care Platform has the potential to
streamline how consumers with chronic conditions access the diagnostic data they need and the associated provider consultations. By making it more convenient to obtain the diagnostic information that measures the present state of a chronic
condition, we believe the platform will be able to help drive adherence as people can see the impact more quickly of the various interventions such as medications and digital health coaching. In addition, we anticipate that our integrated
care platform will facilitate ongoing care management by allowing people to have a more comprehensive picture of their health through the planned integration of third-party sensors and applications that will help monitor activity levels,
diet, and sleep.
Risks Associated with Our Business
Our business is subject to a number of risks of which you should
be aware before making an investment decision. These risks are discussed more fully in the “Risk Factors” section of this prospectus. These risks include, but are not limited to, the following:
•
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We have a limited operating history, which may make it difficult to evaluate our current business and predict our
prospects and likelihood of success.
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We have incurred significant losses since our inception, and only recently started generating revenue from commercial
sales. We may incur additional significant losses in the future, and we may never become profitable on a sustainable basis.
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•
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If the FDA revokes or terminates our EUAs for our COVID-19 test, we will be required to stop commercialization of our Cue
Readers and COVID-19 Test Kits unless we can obtain FDA 510(k) or other clearance or approval for our COVID-19 test and its currently authorized uses.
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Our near-term success is dependent on the continued commercialization of our COVID-19 test. If our COVID-19 test is unable to
attain or maintain market acceptance or be successfully commercialized, our business could be materially adversely affected.
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Our long-term success will depend on the success of our COVID-19 test and a number of other factors, including widespread
market adoption of our Cue Health Monitoring System, Cue Virtual Care Delivery Apps and the overall Cue Integrated Care Platform and our ability to introduce new tests for use with our Cue Health Monitoring System.
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Our revenue for at least the near term will almost exclusively depend on sales of our COVID-19 test until we can develop,
obtain regulatory clearance or other appropriate authorization for, and commercialize additional tests.
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We currently rely upon the U.S. DoD and a very small number of other customers for almost all of our current product revenue.
As a result, unless and until we can further diversify our customer base and sources of revenue, the loss of any of these customers, or a decline in the amount of our COVID-19 tests purchased by or sold to these customers, could
materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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We may encounter difficulties in managing our growth, which could adversely affect our operations.
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The diagnostic testing market is extremely competitive and rapidly evolving, making it difficult to evaluate our business and
future prospects.
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If the Cue Health Monitoring System fails to achieve broad adoption by or support from the medical and professional
community, key opinion leaders and other key participants in the healthcare system, our business and prospects may be materially adversely affected.
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We have identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting and may identify material weaknesses
in the future or otherwise fail to maintain an effective system of internal controls in the future, as a result of which, we may not be able to accurately report our financial condition or results of operations, which may adversely
affect investor confidence in us and, as a result, the value of our common stock.
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The COVID-19 pandemic could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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We have limited experience manufacturing our products in commercial quantities; if we are unable to manufacture our products
in the required quantities in a timely manner, our business could be materially adversely affected.
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If we, our suppliers or our contract manufacturers experience significant disruptions to our or their manufacturing
capabilities or ability to source needed supplies and materials, our business may be materially adversely affected.
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Our patent or other intellectual property protection for the Cue Health Monitoring System, products and Cue Integrated Care
Platform may not be sufficient to prevent competitors from developing and commercializing tests and platforms similar to or otherwise comparable to our Cue Test Kits, products and Cue Integrated Care Platform, which could materially
adversely affect our business and prospects.
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Corporate Information
We were incorporated in February 2010 as Ruubix, a California
corporation, and changed our name to Cue Inc. in April 2014. In December 2017, we reincorporated in the State of Delaware and changed our name to Cue Health Inc. Our principal executive offices are located at 4980 Carroll Canyon Road, Suite
100, San Diego, California, 92121, and our telephone number is (858) 412-8151. Our website address is http://www.cuehealth.com. The information contained on, or that can be accessed through, our website is not a part of this prospectus. We have
included our website address in this prospectus solely as an inactive textual reference.
Trademarks and Tradenames
We own or have rights to, or have applied for, trademarks, service
marks and trade names that we use in connection with the operation of our business, including our corporate name, logos and website names. Other trademarks, service marks and trade names appearing in this prospectus are the property of their
respective owners. Solely for convenience, some of the trademarks, service marks and trade names referred to in this prospectus are listed without the ® and ™ symbols, but we will assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, our rights
to our trademarks, service marks and trade names.
Channels for Disclosure of Information
Following the completion of this offering, we intend to announce
material information to the public through filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, our website (http://www.cuehealth.com), press releases, public conference calls, and public webcasts. We use these channels, as well as
social media, to communicate with our members, clients, and the public about our company, our services and other issues. It is
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possible that the information we post on social media could be deemed to be
material information. As such, we encourage investors, the media, and others to follow the channels listed above and to review the information disclosed through such channels.
Any updates to the list of disclosure channels through which we
will announce information will be posted on the investor relations page on our website.
Implications of Being an Emerging Growth Company
We are an “emerging growth company” as defined in the federal
securities laws. As a result, we may take advantage of reduced reporting requirements that are otherwise applicable to public companies, including delaying auditor attestation of internal control over financial reporting, providing only two
years of audited financial statements and related Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in this prospectus and reduced executive compensation disclosures. We may remain an emerging growth
company until the end of 2026. However, if certain events occur prior to the end of 2026, including if we become a “large accelerated filer,” our annual gross revenue exceeds $1.07 billion, or we issue more than $1.0 billion of
non-convertible debt in any three-year period, we will cease to be an emerging growth company.
We have elected to take advantage of certain of the reduced
disclosure obligations in the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part and may elect to take advantage of other reduced reporting requirements in future filings. In particular, in this prospectus, we have provided only two
years of audited financial statements and have not included all of the executive compensation related information that would be required if we were not an emerging growth company. As a result, the information that we provide to our stockholders
may be different than what you might receive from other public reporting companies in which you hold equity interests. In addition, an emerging growth company can take advantage of an extended transition period for complying with new or revised
accounting standards. We have elected not to “opt out” of such extended transition period, which means that when a standard is issued or revised and it has different application dates for public or private companies, we can adopt the new or
revised standard at the time private companies adopt the new or revised standard and may do so until such time that we either (1) irrevocably elect to “opt out” of such extended transition period or (2) no longer qualify as an emerging growth
company.
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The Offering
Common stock offered by us
shares.
Underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares
shares.
Common stock to be outstanding immediately following this offering
shares (or shares if the underwriters exercise their option to
purchase additional shares in full).
Use of proceeds
We estimate that the net proceeds from this offering will be approximately $
million (or approximately $ million if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares in full), based on the assumed initial public offering price of $ per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on
the cover page of this prospectus, after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. We currently intend to use the net proceeds from this offering, together with our existing cash
and cash equivalents, as follows:
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approximately $ million for the continued scale up of our manufacturing facilities and capabilities;
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•
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approximately $ million for research and development to expand our test menu and to continue to invest in our Cue
Integrated Care Platform;
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approximately $ million for the continued commercial scale up of our activities and build out our corporate
infrastructure, including the hiring and training of sales and marketing personnel and to fund marketing initiatives and for the hiring and training of other personnel; and
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•
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the remainder, if any, for working capital and other general corporate purposes.
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We may use a portion of the net proceeds for acquisitions or strategic investments
in complementary businesses, services, products or technologies. However, we do not have agreements or commitments to enter into any such acquisitions or investments at this time. See the section titled “Use of Proceeds” for more information.
Risk factors
See the section titled “Risk Factors” for a discussion of factors to consider
carefully before deciding to invest in shares of our common stock.
Proposed Nasdaq Global Market symbol
“HLTH”
The number of shares of our common stock to be outstanding
immediately after this offering is based on shares of our common stock outstanding as of March 31, 2021 (including the automatic conversion of all outstanding shares of our redeemable convertible preferred stock as of March 31, 2021 into
an aggregate of 83,526,065 shares of common stock immediately prior to the completion of this offering and the automatic conversion of $235.5 million
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in aggregate principal amount of our outstanding convertible promissory notes,
or Convertible Notes, into shares of common stock immediately prior to the closing of this offering, assuming an initial public offering price of $ per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this
prospectus), but excludes:
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10,513,531 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of stock options outstanding as of March 31, 2021, with a
weighted-average exercise price of $4.81 per share;
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•
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shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of stock options granted subsequent to March 31, 2021, with a
weighted-average exercise price of $ per share;
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1,049,043 shares of common stock subject to restricted stock units, or RSUs, outstanding as of March 31, 2021;
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•
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75,744 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of warrants outstanding as of March 31, 2021 to purchase shares of
common stock, with an exercise price of $0.40 per share;
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79,882 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of warrants outstanding as of March 31, 2021 to purchase redeemable
convertible preferred stock that will automatically become warrants to purchase shares of common stock immediately prior to the completion of this offering, with a weighted-average exercise price of $1.12 per share;
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1,001,258 shares of common stock reserved for future issuance under our 2014 Equity Incentive Plan, as of March 31, 2021;
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additional shares of common stock that will become available for future issuance under our 2021 Stock Incentive
Plan, which will become effective immediately prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, as well as any automatic increases in the number of shares of common stock reserved for
future issuance under the 2021 Stock Incentive Plan; and
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additional shares of common stock that will become available for future issuance under our 2021 Employee Stock
Purchase Plan, which will become effective immediately prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, as well as any automatic increases in the number of shares of common stock reserved
for future issuance under the 2021 Employee Stock Purchase Plan.
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Unless otherwise indicated, all information in this prospectus reflects and assumes
the following:
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the automatic conversion of all outstanding shares of our redeemable convertible preferred stock outstanding as of
March 31, 2021 into 83,526,065 shares of our common stock immediately prior to the completion of this offering.
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•
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the automatic conversion of our outstanding $235.5 million in aggregate principal amount of Convertible Notes into
shares of common stock immediately prior to the closing of this offering, assuming an initial public offering price of $ per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus;
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the conversion of outstanding warrants to purchase 79,882 shares of our redeemable convertible preferred stock into
warrants to purchase 79,882 shares of common stock, which will occur automatically immediately prior to the completion of this offering;
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no exercise of the outstanding stock options or settlement of outstanding RSUs described above;
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no exercise of the outstanding warrants described above;
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no exercise by the underwriters of their option to purchase additional shares of our common stock; and
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the adoption, filing and effectiveness of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated
bylaws immediately prior to the completion of this offering.
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Summary Financial Data
The following tables set forth a summary of our historical
financial data as of and for the periods indicated. We have derived the summary statement of operations data for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020 and the summary balance sheet data as of December 31, 2020 from our audited financial
statements that are included elsewhere in this prospectus. The summary statement of operations data for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2021 and the summary balance sheet data as of March 31, 2021 have been derived from our
unaudited interim condensed financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus. Our unaudited interim condensed financial statements have been prepared on a basis consistent with our audited financial statements and, in the opinion of
management, reflect all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments, necessary for a fair presentation of the financial information set forth in those statements. Our historical results are not necessarily indicative of the
results that may be expected for any other period in the future and our interim results are not necessarily indicative of our expected results for the year ending December 31, 2021. You should read the following summary financial data
together with our financial statements and the related notes included in this prospectus and in the section titled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” The summary financial data included in
this section are not intended to replace the audited financial statements and related notes thereto included elsewhere in this prospectus and are qualified in their entirety by the audited financial statements and related notes thereto
included elsewhere in this prospectus. Our historical results are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected in the future.
Revenue:
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Product revenue
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$ —
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$ 15,391
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$ —
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$ 64,499
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Grant and other revenue
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6,626
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7,562
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611
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—
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Total revenue
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6,626
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22,953
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611
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64,499
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Operating costs and expenses:
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Cost of product revenue (1)(2)
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—
|
|
|
15,481
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
30,035
|
Sales and marketing (1)
|
|
|
88
|
|
|
714
|
|
|
20
|
|
|
430
|
Research and development (1)
|
|
|
17,872
|
|
|
25,069
|
|
|
7,309
|
|
|
7,409
|
General and administrative (1)
|
|
|
5,781
|
|
|
23,777
|
|
|
1,279
|
|
|
11,707
|
Depreciation and amortization
|
|
|
3,652
|
|
|
3,038
|
|
|
710
|
|
|
163
|
Total operating costs and expenses
|
|
|
27,393
|
|
|
68,079
|
|
|
9,318
|
|
|
49,744
|
Income (loss) from operations
|
|
|
(20,767)
|
|
|
(45,126)
|
|
|
(8,707)
|
|
|
14,755
|
Interest expense
|
|
|
(152)
|
|
|
(374)
|
|
|
(98)
|
|
|
(535)
|
Change in fair value of redeemable convertible preferred stock warrants
|
|
|
4
|
|
|
(1,289)
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
Loss on debt extinguishment
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
(610)
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
Other income
|
|
|
309
|
|
|
47
|
|
|
42
|
|
|
37
|
Net income (loss) before income taxes
|
|
|
(20,606)
|
|
|
(47,352)
|
|
|
(8,763)
|
|
|
14,257
|
Income tax expense
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
(1,226)
|
Net income (loss)
|
|
|
$ (20,606 )
|
|
|
$ (47,352 )
|
|
|
$ (8,763 )
|
|
|
$ 13,031
|
Basic net income (loss) per share attributable to common stockholders (3)
|
|
|
$ (1.31 )
|
|
|
$ (2.46 )
|
|
|
$ (0.56 )
|
|
|
$ 0. 09
|
Weighted-average number of shares of common stock used in basic net
income (loss) per share attributable to common stockholders (3)
|
|
|
15,760,246
|
|
|
16,748,248
|
|
|
15,779,988
|
|
|
18,378,777
|
Diluted net income (loss) per share attributable to common stockholders (3)
|
|
|
$ (1.31 )
|
|
|
$ (2.46 )
|
|
|
$ (0.56 )
|
|
|
$ 0. 08
|
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Weighted-average number of shares of common stock used in diluted net
income (loss) per share attributable to common stockholders (3)
|
|
|
15,760,246
|
|
|
16,748,248
|
|
|
15,779,988
|
|
|
25,904,338
|
Pro forma basic net income (loss) per share attributable to common
stockholders (unaudited)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pro forma weighted-average number of shares of common stock used in basic
net income (loss) per share attributable to common stockholders (unaudited)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pro forma diluted net income (loss) per share attributable to common
stockholders (unaudited)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pro forma weighted-average number of shares of common stock used in
diluted net income (loss) per share attributable to common stockholders (unaudited)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1)
|
Includes stock-based compensation expense as follows:
|
Sales and marketing
|
|
|
$ —
|
|
|
$ 1
|
|
|
$—
|
|
|
$ 15
|
Research and development
|
|
|
45
|
|
|
98
|
|
|
7
|
|
|
396
|
General and administrative
|
|
|
291
|
|
|
3,064
|
|
|
42
|
|
|
1,756
|
Total stock-based compensation expense
|
|
|
$336
|
|
|
$3,163
|
|
|
$49
|
|
|
$ 2,167
|
During the three months ended March 31, 2021, $0.9 million of stock-based
compensation expense was capitalized to inventory during the manufacturing process.
(2)
|
Includes $2.6 million and $4.1 million of depreciation and amortization expense for the year ended December 31, 2020, and
for the three months ended March 31, 2021, respectively.
|
(3)
|
See Note 14 to our audited financial statements and Note 13 to our unaudited interim condensed financial statements, each
included elsewhere in this prospectus, for details on the calculation of basic and diluted net income (loss) per share attributable to common stockholders, and the weighted-average number of shares used in the computation of the per
share amounts.
|
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Balance Sheet Data:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash and cash equivalents
|
|
|
$ 38,942
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
$
|
Working capital (4)
|
|
|
(31,263)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Restricted cash, non-current
|
|
|
80,000
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total assets
|
|
|
388,916
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Redeemable convertible preferred stock warrant liabilities
|
|
|
1,331
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Debt
|
|
|
63,206
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Finance lease liabilities, net of current portion
|
|
|
1,948
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total liabilities
|
|
|
297,863
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Redeemable convertible preferred stock
|
|
|
176,323
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Additional paid-in capital
|
|
|
12,135
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Accumulated deficit
|
|
|
(97,405)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total stockholders’ (deficit) equity
|
|
|
(85,270)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1)
|
The pro forma balance sheet data gives effect to (i) the filing and effectiveness of our amended and restated certificate
of incorporation, which will be in effect immediately prior to the completion of this offering, (ii) the issuance and sale by us of convertible promissory notes, or Convertible Notes, in the aggregate principal amount of $235.5
million in May 2021, which Convertible Notes will automatically convert into shares of common stock immediately prior to the completion of this offering, assuming an initial public offering price of $ per share, which is the
midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, (iii) the automatic conversion of all outstanding shares of our redeemable convertible preferred stock into an aggregate of 83,526,065 shares of our common
stock immediately prior to the completion of this offering, (iv) the automatic conversion of all of our outstanding warrants to purchase redeemable convertible preferred stock into warrants to purchase common stock, and the related
reclassification of our redeemable convertible preferred stock warrant liabilities to additional paid-in capital immediately prior to the completion of this offering, and (v) the repayment of $63.2 million outstanding under our loan
and security agreement, or the Revolving Credit Agreement, dated February 5, 2021, with the lenders from time to time party thereto and East West Bank as Administrative Agent and Collateral Agent, with a portion of the proceeds from
our sale and issuance of the Convertible Notes in May 2021.
|
(2)
|
The pro forma as adjusted balance sheet data reflect: (i) the pro forma adjustments set forth above, and (ii) the issuance and
sale of shares of our common stock in this offering at an assumed initial public offering price of $ per share, which is the midpoint of the estimated price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, after deducting
estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. The pro forma as adjusted information discussed above is illustrative only and will change based on the actual initial public offering price
and other terms of this offering determined at pricing.
|
(3)
|
Each $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price of $ per share, which is the midpoint of the
estimated price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase (decrease) the pro forma as adjusted amount of each of cash and cash equivalents, working capital, total assets and total stockholders’ (deficit)
equity by $ million, assuming that the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same and after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering
expenses payable by us. An increase (decrease) of 1.0 million shares in the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase (decrease) the pro forma as adjusted amount of each of cash
and cash equivalents, working capital, total assets and total stockholders’ (deficit) equity by $ million, assuming no change in the assumed initial public offering price per share and after deducting estimated underwriting discounts
and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.
|
(4)
|
We define working capital as current assets less current liabilities, including current finance lease liabilities of $1.4
million. See our financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus for further details regarding our current assets and current liabilities.
|
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Investing in shares of our common stock involves a high degree of
risk. You should carefully consider the following risks and uncertainties, together with all of the other information contained in this prospectus, including our financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus, before
making an investment decision. The risks described below are not the only ones facing us. The occurrence of any of the following risks, or of additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently believe to be
immaterial, could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, reputation, or results of operations. In such case, the trading price of shares of our common stock could decline, and you may lose all or part of your
investment.
Risks Related to Our Business and Strategy
We have a limited operating history, which may
make it difficult to evaluate our current business and predict our prospects and likelihood of success.
We have a limited operating history. We were incorporated in
2010, but prior to commercialization of our COVID-19 Test Kit for use with our Cue Health Monitoring System in the third quarter of 2020, our activities were largely focused on our research and development efforts and we only started realizing
revenue from commercial product sales in August 2020. Our COVID-19 test is currently our only commercially available test. Our limited commercial operating history may make it difficult to evaluate our current business and predict our future
performance. Any assessment of our future revenue potential, profitability or prospects for our future success is subject to significant uncertainty. We have encountered and will continue to encounter significant risks and difficulties
frequently experienced by early commercial-stage companies in rapidly evolving industries. If we do not address these risks successfully, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and
future prospects.
We have incurred significant losses since
our inception, and only recently started generating revenue from commercial sales. We may incur additional significant losses in the future, and we may never become profitable on a sustainable basis.
We have incurred significant losses since our inception in 2010,
including net losses of $20.6 million and $47.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020, respectively. For the three months ended March 31, 2021, we had a net income of $13.0 million. As of March 31, 2021, we had an accumulated
deficit of $97.4 million. While we were profitable for the first time for the three months ended March 31, 2021, we cannot assure you that we will be able to continue to be profitable on an ongoing basis, either in the near term or longer term.
We may continue to incur losses both in the near term and longer term as we continue to invest significant additional funds to scale up our business, including continuing to build out our commercial organization and corporate infrastructure,
continuing to build out our manufacturing capabilities and engaging in continued research and development as we work to expand our menu of available tests and also as we incur additional costs associated with operating as a public company.
Prior to August 2020, we had never generated any revenue from the commercial sale of products, and we had devoted substantially all of our resources to the research and development of our Cue Health Monitoring System. We only first started
realizing revenue from commercial product sales in August 2020 following receipt of our first Emergency Use Authorization, or EUA, from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, in June 2020 for our COVID-19 test. Our COVID-19 test
includes a Cue Reader and a COVID-19 Test Kit comprised of a Cue COVID-19 Cartridge and a Cue Wand. Since receiving our first FDA EUA, we have incurred significant additional expenses in connection with the commercial scale up of our business,
including costs associated with scaling up our manufacturing operations, costs associated with the production of our COVID-19 test, sales and marketing expenses, and costs associated with the hiring of new employees, the growth of our business
and building out our corporate infrastructure. In addition, we will incur significant additional expenses as we become a public company, further grow our business and continue to roll out our COVID-19 tests to the marketplace, pursue new
customers and look to develop and commercialize new tests and other products for use with our Cue Integrated Care Platform. Therefore, our losses may continue to increase for at least the near term, if not longer. We are unable to predict
whether or when we will become profitable on a sustained basis. Our ability or sustain profitability is based on numerous factors, many of which are beyond our control, including, among other factors, market acceptance of our products, the
length of the COVID-19 pandemic, future product development, our market penetration and margins and our ability to expand our menu of tests. We may not be able to sustain or increase profitability in the future. Our inability to achieve and
maintain profitability, whether in the near term or longer term, may make it difficult to continue to grow our business and accomplish our strategic objectives, and could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of
operations and future prospects.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
If the FDA revokes or terminates our EUAs
for our COVID-19 test, we will be required to stop commercialization of our Cue Readers and COVID-19 Test Kits unless we can obtain FDA 510(k) or other clearance or approval for our COVID-19 test and its currently authorized uses.
Our COVID-19 test is currently marketed pursuant to EUAs we
received from the FDA in June 2020, for point-of-care use, and in March 2021, for at-home and over-the-counter use without a prescription. We cannot predict how long either of these EUAs will remain in effect, and we may not receive advance
notice from the FDA regarding revocation of either or both of our EUAs. If our EUAs are terminated or revoked, we will be required to cease commercialization of our COVID-19 Test Kit, unless and until we have obtained marketing authorization
from the FDA through another regulatory pathway. In addition, changing policies and regulatory requirements could require us to obtain a 510(k) or other marketing authorization from the FDA for our COVID-19 test, which could limit, delay or
prevent further commercialization of our COVID-19 Test Kit and could materially adversely impact our business, financial condition, results of operations and future prospects.
Our near-term success is dependent on the
continued commercialization of our COVID-19 Test Kit. If our COVID-19 Test Kit is unable to attain or maintain market acceptance or be successfully commercialized, our business could be materially adversely affected.
Our near-term success is dependent on the continued
commercialization of our COVID-19 Test Kit, which currently is our only commercially available test. The continued commercial success of our COVID-19 Test Kit will depend on many factors, some of which are outside of our control, including the
following:
•
|
our ability to continue to scale up our manufacturing and commercial capabilities so we can timely manufacture our Cue Readers,
Cue Cartridges and Cue Wands in sufficient capacity to meet customer requirements and market demand;
|
•
|
acceptance by key opinion leaders, healthcare systems and providers, governments and regulatory authorities, enterprise and
health plan customers, consumers and others of the convenience, accuracy and other benefits offered by our COVID-19 test and our Cue Integrated Care Platform;
|
•
|
the ability of our COVID-19 test to accurately detect different strains of SARS-CoV-2, created by genetic mutation or
otherwise, such as the five SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern in the U.K., South Africa, Brazil, California and India or other new variants that may emerge;
|
•
|
the ability of consumers and other customers to pay for or otherwise obtain payment coverage or reimbursement from third-party
payors for our Cue Readers and/or our COVID-19 Test Kits;
|
•
|
the length of the COVID-19 pandemic and the extent to which widespread vaccinations in the U.S. reduces demand for our COVID-19
test;
|
•
|
our ability to maintain our EUAs received from the FDA or otherwise obtain requisite future regulatory approval; and
|
•
|
our ability to comply with all regulatory requirements applicable to our COVID-19 test, including applicable FDA marketing,
manufacturing and post-market surveillance requirements and other requirements of our EUAs.
|
If our COVID-19 test does not gain broad market acceptance in the
marketplace, it could have a material adverse effect on the broader commercial success of the Cue Health Monitoring System and our future tests.
In addition, the COVID-19 diagnostic testing market is characterized
by rapid technological developments. If our COVID-19 test is rendered uncompetitive or obsolete, even if it were to gain widespread market acceptance initially, the demand for our COVID-19 test could be greatly reduced. Further, market adoption
of our COVID-19 test may also be materially affected by the availability and efficaciousness of vaccines or the emergence of therapeutic treatments for COVID-19. As current or newly developed vaccines become widely administered and as current or
newly developed therapeutic treatments are approved and become widely used, then market interest and the commercial opportunity for our COVID-19 test will significantly lessen or potentially even disappear.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Our longer-term success will depend on
the success of our COVID-19 test and a number of other factors, including widespread market adoption of our Cue Health Monitoring System, Cue Virtual Care Delivery Apps and the overall Cue Integrated Care Platform and our ability to introduce
new tests for use with our Cue Health Monitoring System.
Our long-term commercial success will depend on a number of factors,
some of which are beyond our control, including:
•
|
the success of our COVID-19 test;
|
•
|
the successful completion of clinical studies for our anticipated future tests;
|
•
|
the timely receipt of marketing authorizations and approvals from the FDA and other similar regulatory authorities for our
anticipated future tests and, if required, additional marketing authorizations and approvals for our COVID-19 test;
|
•
|
perceptions by the public and members of the medical community, including healthcare stakeholders, as to the convenience,
accuracy and the sufficiency of clinical evidence supporting the performance of the Cue Integrated Care Platform;
|
•
|
demand from the public and members of the medical community for the Cue Health Monitoring System and adoption of our menu of
tests;
|
•
|
the availability, perceived advantages, relative cost, relative convenience and relative accuracy of the Cue Health Monitoring
System compared to products produced by our competitors;
|
•
|
positive or negative media coverage of the Cue Health Monitoring System or competing products, as to its convenience, accuracy
and the sufficiency of clinical evidence supporting its performance;
|
•
|
the effectiveness of our marketing and sales efforts;
|
•
|
unanticipated delays in manufacturing our COVID-19 test;
|
•
|
our ability to raise additional capital on acceptable terms, or at all, if needed to support the continued growth of our
business and the development and commercialization of additional tests;
|
•
|
unanticipated delays in manufacturing, developing or launching additional tests for our Cue Health Monitoring System;
|
•
|
our ability to comply with all regulatory requirements applicable to our Cue Health Monitoring Systems and our current and
anticipated future tests;
|
•
|
our ability to price our tests at an acceptable price;
|
•
|
our ability to obtain, maintain enforce, protect and defend our intellectual property rights;
|
•
|
our ability to produce a continued supply of Cue Readers and Cue Test Kits;
|
•
|
our ability to meet the demands and the requirements of our agreements with our largest customers, including the U.S. DoD;
|
•
|
limitation on use or warnings required by the FDA in our product labeling; and
|
•
|
availability of, or changes in, coverage or reimbursement rates for any of our current or future tests from government or other
enterprise or healthcare payors.
|
Our future success also depends upon customers and end users of our
products having a positive experience with the Cue Integrated Care Platform, in order to increase demand for our COVID-19 test as well as drive interest in our future tests. If our COVID-19 test does not meet the expectations of customers and end
users, it could discourage them from purchasing additional COVID-19 tests from us or from referring our COVID-19 test to others or utilizing our future tests. Further, dissatisfied customers and end users may express negative opinions through
social media or word of mouth. Any failure to meet customer and end user expectations and any resulting negative publicity could harm our reputation and future sales.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Our revenue for at least the near term will
almost exclusively depend on sales of our COVID-19 test until we can develop, obtain regulatory clearance or other appropriate authorization for, and commercialize additional tests.
We expect that sales of our COVID-19 test will account for almost
all or the substantial majority of our revenue until at least such time as we can commercialize additional tests or other products. As a result, our ability to execute our growth strategy and become profitable in the near term will depend upon
consumer adoption of the Cue Health Monitoring System and positive experiences with our COVID-19 test. We currently have a relatively small number of customers, and our ability to acquire new customers is largely constrained by the terms of our
U.S. DoD agreement through the completion of our performance of that agreement, subject to exceptions. We may not be able to successfully acquire new customers in a timely manner or at all. If we are unable to expand our customer base, we may
not be able to increase our revenue. Adoption and use of our COVID-19 test will depend on several factors, including, but not limited to the accuracy, affordability and ease of use of our Cue Health Monitoring System as compared to other
products, and coverage and reimbursement policies with respect to our Cue Health Monitoring System, our COVID-19 Test Kit, and products that compete with our COVID-19 test.
Because we expect virtually all of our revenue for at least the near
term to be generated from sales of our COVID-19 test, the failure of our COVID-19 test to gain market acceptance or retain regulatory authorization under our EUAs may have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial
condition.
In addition, we are currently committing substantial financial
resources, manufacturing capacity and personnel to the commercialization and manufacturing of our COVID-19 test. Allocating our available resources in such manner may negatively impact our research and development efforts for our other planned
future tests, and result in a delay in our ability to bring new tests to market.
We currently rely upon the U.S. DoD and a
very small number of other customers for almost all of our current product revenue. As a result, unless and until we can further diversify our customer base and sources of revenue, the loss of any of these customers, or a decline in the amount of
our COVID-19 tests purchased by or sold to these customers, could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
For the year ended December 31, 2020 and the three months ended
March 31, 2021, the U.S. DoD accounted for approximately 58% and 96.3% of our product revenue, respectively, and the U.S. DoD is expected to continue to be a significant source of our revenue during the year ended December 31, 2021. In
addition, sales of our Cue Readers and our Cue COVID-19 Test Kits through Henry Schein accounted for approximately 21.5%. We anticipate our initial U.S. DoD agreement will be completed in October 2021, which is when we expect to receive our
final payment from the U.S. DoD under the agreement. See “Business—Certain Key Factors Affecting Our Performance—U.S. Department of Defense Agreement” for additional information about the potential renewal of the U.S. DoD agreement via a
federal acquisition regulation-based contract, or FAR-based contract. Once the U.S. DoD agreement has been completed, and if we do not enter into a new FAR-based contract, we will be unrestricted in terms of who we can sell our Cue Test Kits
to. Should we enter into a FAR-based contract upon termination of the U.S. DoD agreement, the U.S. DoD will have the right to purchase up to 45% of our quarterly production for the duration of the contract at a specified discount to the lowest
price offered by us to a commercial customer for the same products, equivalent quantities and comparable terms of sale, subject to a price floor. Any such additional contract with the U.S. DoD could constrain our ability to grow our business
with non-U.S. government customers. Eight other customers were responsible for the remainder of our product revenue during the three months ended March 31, 2021, excluding certain customers who purchased our Cue COVID-19 Test Kits and Cue
Readers through our relationship with Henry Schein, and we expect an equal or greater number of customers to be responsible for the remainder of our 2021 product revenue. We will need to significantly expand our customer base in order for our
business to succeed. Unless and until we can further expand and diversify our customer base and sources of revenue, the loss of the U.S. DoD or any of our other major customers, or a significant reduction in the amount of our products purchased
by the U.S. DoD or any of our other major customers, would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations and could have a material adverse effect on our future prospects. Our ability to acquire
new customers is largely constrained by the terms of our U.S. DoD agreement through the completion of our performance of that agreement, subject to exceptions.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
If the U.S. DoD terminates or fails to renew
our agreement, whether due to our inability to meet our obligations under the agreement or for any other reason, including without cause, our business, results of operations, financial condition and future prospects may be materially adversely
affected.
Our agreement with the U.S. DoD may be terminated by the U.S.
government for convenience, without cause, or if we materially fail to comply with the provisions of the agreement, including the production requirements under the agreement. We cannot assure you that the agreement will not be terminated by U.S.
DoD prior to its expiration.
In order to meet our contractual obligations under the U.S. DoD
agreement, we must deliver 30,000 Cue Readers, 6,000,000 Cue COVID-19 Test Kits and 60,000 COVID-19 Control Swab Packs, which includes six quality control swabs (three positive and three negative) in each pack, to the U.S. government pursuant
to an agreed upon delivery schedule, as well as achieve a sustained average of daily manufacturing capacity of approximately 100,000 Cue COVID-19 Cartridges per day over seven consecutive days by October 2021. Under our agreement with the U.S.
DoD, we are required to deliver to the U.S. government all of our manufacturing output of Cue COVID-19 Cartridges, subject to certain exceptions for existing contracts and for future contracts we are able to obtain waivers from the U.S. DoD. In
April 2021, we received a waiver from the U.S. DoD, or the U.S. DoD Waiver, effective May 1, 2021, allowing us to distribute commercially up to 50% of our COVID-19 Test production, measured monthly in arrears on a calendar month basis, to
non-U.S. federal government customers and other recipients. The U.S. DoD Waiver is currently expected to remain in effect for the duration of the U.S. DoD agreement; however, the U.S. government may modify the waiver upon timely written notice
to reasonably accommodate changes in U.S. government requirements.
The date originally specified in the agreement to meet our
delivery requirements was April 11, 2021. However, we were unable to meet these requirements in the given timeframe, and therefore, in March 2021, the U.S. DoD agreed to extend this date to October 12, 2021. As of December 31, 2020, our daily
manufacturing capacity for Cue COVID-19 Cartridges was approximately 2,000 cartridges per day. As of March 31, 2021, our daily manufacturing capacity for Cue COVID-19 Cartridges increased to approximately 20,000 cartridges per day. As of
April 30, 2021, our daily manufacturing capacity for Cue COVID-19 Test Cartridges increased to approximately 30,000 cartridges per day. While we have been rapidly expanding our manufacturing capacity since the fall of 2020 and are continuing to
do so by adding additional production pods, we will need to create significant additional manufacturing capacity to meet our production target of approximately 100,000 Cue COVID-19 Cartridges per day by October 2021. We complied with our
obligation to deliver all of the Cue Readers as required under the U.S. DoD agreement. While we currently believe we will also be able to comply with the obligation to deliver 6,000,000 Cue COVID-19 Test Kits and 60,000 COVID-19 Control Swab
Packs by October 2021, it is possible that we will be unable to do so due to any number of internal or external factors such as delays in production, delays in the construction of any of our new production pods or issues in obtaining key
components from any of our third-party suppliers needed to produce our Cue COVID-19 Test Kits. If we are unable to fulfill any of the requirements of our agreement, the agreement may be terminated or not renewed by the U.S. DoD. However, in the
event the U.S. DoD was to terminate our agreement based on our inability to fulfill the delivery or production requirements under the agreement, we believe such termination is unlikely to be considered a termination for cause. Even if we are
able to fulfill the requirements of the agreement, it may still be terminated or not renewed by the U.S. DoD. If the agreement is terminated or not renewed after we satisfy our delivery obligations under the agreement, our business, results of
operations, financial condition and future prospects may be materially adversely affected. In addition, if the U.S. DoD agreement is terminated by the U.S. DoD for cause, the U.S. Government may be entitled to certain remedies, including
penalty payments and the grant of a non-exclusive, paid up, perpetual license from us and certain intellectual property rights for the purpose of developing the products with other contractors, potentially competitors. In addition, the U.S.
government could have the right to be the exclusive purchaser of our production capacity until we meet this obligation.
Our obligations to the U.S. DoD may limit our
ability to sell our COVID-19 test to other customers in the near term, including to healthcare systems and healthcare providers, enterprise customers, consumers and strategic partners.
Under our agreement with the U.S. DoD, the U.S. government is
entitled to all of our manufacturing output during the term of the agreement, subject to certain exceptions for existing agreements and our ability to obtain waivers from the U.S. DoD. In April 2021, we received the U.S. DoD Waiver, which,
effective May 1, allows us to distribute commercially up to 50% of our COVID-19 Test production, measured monthly in arrears on a calendar month basis, to non-U.S. federal government customers and other recipients. We anticpate that the U.S.
DoD Waiver will remain in effect for the duration of the U.S. DoD agreement; however, the U.S. government may modify the
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waiver upon timely written notice to reasonably accommodate changes in U.S.
government requirements. Because of our obligations to the U.S. DoD under the U.S. DoD agreement, we have been and may continue to be delayed in our ability to widely roll out our COVID-19 test to other customers, including healthcare systems
and healthcare providers, enterprise customers, and consumers, especially if we aren’t able to obtain additional waivers from the U.S. DoD for future customer agreements. Any delay by us in making Cue Readers and our COVID-19 Test Kits
available to these other customer groups could cause us to lose any advantage we may have otherwise had as a result of our being the first company to receive an EUA from the FDA for at-home and over-the-counter use without a prescription and
may allow other companies to gain market share at our expense.
We may encounter difficulties in managing our growth, which could
adversely affect our operations.
From January 1, 2020 until April 30, 2021, the number of our
employees increased from 99 to 797 as we have been rapidly scaling up our manufacturing and corporate infrastructure during this time. We anticipate continued growth in our business operations. Our recent rapid growth has, and our continued
growth is expected to, place significant strain across our organizational, administrative, and operational infrastructure. Our ability to manage our growth properly will require us to implement additional operational, financial, and managerial
controls, as well as our reporting systems and procedures, and to continuously improve these controls, systems and procedures.
Our growth requires us to continue to continue to expand our
manufacturing capacity, our corporate infrastructure, hire significant additional personnel in a wide range of areas, implement new technology systems and automate equipment processes. In addition, we will need to continue to implement customer
service, billing, and general process improvements and expand our internal quality assurance program. Among other areas, customer service could prove to be particularly important to us given that the Cue Health Monitoring System has only very
recently been introduced to the commercial market and the lack of experience some of our potential customers will have with our products and its benefits. While we are currently undertaking improvements to our facilities, including development of
additional production pods, as part of our rapid growth, such improvements may be delayed for reasons that are outside of our control. As a result of the foregoing, we cannot assure you that we will be successful in implementing any necessary
increases in scale, expansion of personnel, equipment, facilities, systems or process enhancements.
In addition, needed components and supplies may not be available
when required on terms that are acceptable to us, or at all, and our suppliers, as well as our contract manufacturers of Cue Readers and Cue Wands may not be able to allocate sufficient capacity in order to meet our requirements, which could
adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Given our very short history of operating a business at commercial
scale and our very recent rapid growth, we cannot assure you that we will be able to successfully manage the expansion of our operations or recruit and train additional qualified personnel in an effective manner. Failure to manage our growth
could, among other things, result in increased costs, product quality and customer service issues, and hinder our ability to respond to competitive challenges. A failure in any one of these or other areas could make it difficult for us to meet
market expectations for our products and could damage our reputation, which in turn could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and future prospects.
Our business model is predicated on the idea
that the healthcare industry is ripe for innovative disruption and the emergence of a new healthcare paradigm. The healthcare system, particularly in the United States, has historically been very slow to change, and we cannot assure you that we
will be successful in our efforts to bring about disruptive change.
The healthcare system, particularly in the United States, has
historically been very slow to change. We cannot assure you that we will be successful in our goal to bring about innovative disruption and the emergence of a new healthcare paradigm. There are many different constituencies that make up the
healthcare system, many of whom may have a significant interest in trying to maintain the status quo. We cannot assure you that we will not face resistance from certain participants in the healthcare system as we seek to bring about change. To
the extent we encounter any such challenges, the market potential for the Cue Integrated Care Platform and our products and other current and future offerings may be more limited than we anticipate. Our success and future growth largely depend on
our ability to increase awareness of the Cue Integrated Care Platform and our products and other offerings with consumers, healthcare providers, enterprises, payors and other stakeholders in the healthcare system, and on the willingness of these
stakeholders to utilize the Cue Health Monitoring System, including our current and future test kits, the Cue
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Virtual Care Delivery Apps, and the overall Cue Integrated Care Platform. Diagnostic
testing in the United States and elsewhere in the world continues to rely significantly on a centralized clinical testing model. We cannot assure you that we will be successful in changing historical practices in the way diagnostic testing is
done, or in our efforts to make bring about connectivity within the healthcare system. Consumers and other stakeholders in the healthcare system may be slow in changing their habits and may be hesitant to use the Cue Integrated Care Platform for
a variety of reasons, including:
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lack of experience with our company, Cue Integrated Care Platform and products, and concerns about the newness of our
technology or that we are relatively new to the industry;
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perceived health, safety or quality risks associated with the use of a new platform and the process of an individual conducting
a diagnostic test at-home;
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perception that diagnostic testing can only be administered by a healthcare provider;
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traditional or existing relationships between and among healthcare stakeholders that administer, process and sell diagnostic
testing;
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concerns about the privacy and security of the patient information and data that is available on and that can be shared with or
through our Cue Integrated Care Platform;
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competition and negative selling efforts from competitors, including competing tests and platforms and other providers of
healthcare technology platforms and services; and
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perception regarding the complexity of using the Cue Health Monitoring System or Cue Virtual Care Delivery Apps.
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If we are unsuccessful in bringing about the disruptive change we
are seeking to achieve, the opportunity for our company may be more limited than we currently anticipate.
The diagnostic testing market is extremely
competitive and rapidly evolving, making it difficult to evaluate our business and future prospects.
The market for diagnostic testing is extremely competitive. Further,
the diagnostic testing industry, as well as the manner in which healthcare services are delivered more broadly, is currently experiencing rapid change, technological and scientific breakthroughs, new product introductions and enhancements and
evolving industry standards, as well as the emergence of telehealth and other changes in the way healthcare services are delivered. All of these factors could affect the degree to which our products gain market acceptance or approval or result in
our products being less marketable or becoming obsolete. Our future success will depend on our ability to successfully compete with established and new market participants and to keep pace with scientific and technological changes and the
evolving needs of customers and the healthcare marketplace.
We will be required to continuously enhance the Cue Health
Monitoring System and develop new tests to keep pace with evolving standards of care. If we do not update our products to keep pace with technological and scientific advances, our products could become obsolete and sales of our products could
decline or fail to grow as expected.
Central labs continue to represent the most significant portion
of the diagnostic testing market, and as a result we will be competing against very large and well-established lab companies such as Quest Diagnostics, Inc. and Laboratory Corporation of America. These companies have also expanded beyond
centralized laboratory testing into home sample collection. In addition, we also face intense competition from other companies that develop or already have molecular tests, whether at point-of-care or at-home, as well as companies that have or
are developing antigen and antibody tests. Competitors with diagnostic testing platforms include private and public companies, such as Abbott Laboratories, Becton, Dickinson and Company, BioMerieux SA, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., Danaher Corp.,
Ellume Limited, Everly Health, Inc., F. Hoffman-La Roche Ltd., Fluidigm Corporation, GenMark Diagnostics Inc., Ginkgo Bioworks, Inc., Helix OpCo, LLC, Mammoth Biosciences, Inc., LetsGetChecked, Lucira Health, Inc., Mesa Biotech, Inc., Qiagen
N.V., Quidel Corporation, Sherlock Biosciences, Inc., Siemens AG, Talis Biomedical Corporation, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. and Visby Medical, Inc. as well as several retailers, such as The Kroger Company, Walmart Inc. and Alberstons
Companies, Inc.
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In addition, we may also experience competition from
technology-enabled health companies such as 1Life Healthcare, Inc. (d/b/a as OneMedical), American Well Corporation, Hims and Hers Health, Inc., Livongo Health Inc. and Teledoc Health, Inc. We may also face competition from other companies,
including other technology companies. For example, it has been publicly reported that Amazon.com, Inc. may be considering launching an at-home diagnostic testing business.
Many of our current or potential competitors, either alone or with
their collaboration partners, have significantly greater financial resources and expertise than we do in research and development, manufacturing, obtaining regulatory clearances and approvals and regulatory compliance, and sales and distribution.
Mergers and acquisitions involving diagnostic testing or other healthcare companies may result in even more resources being concentrated among a smaller number of our competitors. Smaller or early-stage companies may also prove to be significant
competitors, particularly through collaborative arrangements with large and established companies or customer networks. Our commercial opportunity could be reduced or eliminated if our competitors develop and commercialize diagnostic products or
services that are more accurate, more convenient to use or more cost-effective than our products. Our competitors also may obtain FDA or other regulatory clearance or approval for their products more rapidly than we may obtain clearance or
approval for our products, which could result in our competitors establishing a strong market position before we are able to enter a particular market.
Further, some of our competitors’ products may be sold at prices
that may be lower than our pricing, which could adversely affect our sales or force us to reduce our prices, which could harm our revenue, operating income or market share. If we are unable to compete successfully, we may be unable to increase or
sustain our revenue or achieve profitability and our future growth prospects may be materially harmed.
To remain competitive, we will need to expand our test menu and
continually develop improvements to our products and other offerings. We cannot assure you that we will be able to successfully compete in the marketplace or develop and commercialize new tests or improvements to our products and other offerings
on a timely basis. Our competitors may develop and commercialize competing or alternative products or services and improvements faster than we are able to do so, which would negatively affect our ability to increase or sustain our revenue or
achieve profitability and could materially adversely affect our future growth prospects.
If the Cue Health Monitoring System fails to
achieve broad adoption by or support from the medical and professional community, key opinion leaders and other key participants in the healthcare system, our business and prospects may be materially adversely affected.
The success of the Cue Integrated Care Platform and our business
model will depend on our ability to gain wide acceptance of the Cue Health Monitoring System in the marketplace. This will require us to obtain support from members of the professional and medical community, key opinion leaders and other key
participants in the healthcare system.
Our ability to obtain the support of these constituencies will depend on a number of
factors, including:
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our ability to demonstrate the accuracy, ease and use, and affordability of test kits using the Cue Health Monitoring System;
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our ability to demonstrate the comparability of test results using the Cue Health Monitoring System to other testing
methodologies, including those utilized by centralized labs, such as polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, tests, reverse transcription PCR, or RT-PCR, tests, and loop-mediated isothermal amplification, or LAMP;
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any lack or perceived lack of sufficient clinical evidence supporting the accuracy and performance of our tests;
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a willingness of constituents in the healthcare system to adopt the Cue Integrated Care Platform and our current and future
tests over other diagnostic products and tests;
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overcoming any biases these constituencies may have toward the Cue Integrated Care Platform and our current and future tests
relative to other diagnostic products and tests;
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the cost and reimbursement from third-party payors or other payment coverage for Cue Readers and Cue Test Kits in relation to
other diagnostic products and tests;
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satisfaction with the accuracy and ease of use of the Cue Health Monitoring System and overall customer experience;
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changes in pricing and promotional efforts by competitors;
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demand for point-of-care and over-the-counter diagnostic testing;
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the effectiveness of our sales, marketing and distribution efforts; and
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adverse publicity about the Cue Health Monitoring System, including any current or future developed test kits, competitive
products, or the industry as a whole, or favorable publicity about competitive products.
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If our tests fail to achieve broad support from members of the
professional and medical community, key opinion leaders and other key participants in the healthcare system, our business and future prospects may be materially adversely affected.
Our sales cycle with customers may be lengthy
and variable, which may make it difficult for us to forecast revenue and other operating results.
We expect that our sales process with healthcare systems and
providers, enterprise customers, strategic partners, governments and other institutional customers will require numerous interactions with multiple individuals within any given organization and involve in-depth analysis by potential customers of
our products, preparation of extensive documentation and a lengthy review process. As a result of these factors and the budget cycles of these types of customers, coupled with the fact that our product involves new technology and a new model for
diagnostic testing and care paradigm, the time from initial contact with a potential enterprise or other institutional customer to our receipt of a purchase order or subscription agreement may vary significantly and may be many months or longer.
Given the length and uncertainty of this expected sales cycle, we may experience fluctuations in our product revenue on a period-to-period basis.
If the Cue Health Monitoring System does not
perform as expected, including with respect to accuracy, errors, defects or reliability, our reputation and market acceptance of our products could be materially harmed, and our business and reputation could suffer.
Our success depends on customer confidence that we can provide
reliable and highly accurate diagnostic tests and enable better patient care. We believe that healthcare stakeholders are likely to be particularly sensitive to defects, errors or reliability issues in our products, including if our products fail
to accurately diagnose infections with high accuracy from patient samples, and there can be no guarantee that our products will meet their expectations. There is no guarantee that the accuracy and reproducibility we have demonstrated to date will
continue as our product deliveries increase, our menu of tests expands and our other offerings through the Cue Integrated Care Platform continue to develop.
Our products use a number of complex and sophisticated biochemical
and bioinformatics processes. Our diagnostic tests may contain errors or defects or be subject to reliability issues, and while we have made efforts to test them extensively, we cannot assure that our COVID-19 test, or any diagnostic test we
develop in the future, will not have performance problems. An operational, technological or other failure in one of these complex processes or fluctuations in external variables may result in sensitivity or specificity rates that are lower than
we anticipate or result in longer than expected turnaround times or they may cause our products to malfunction. In addition, our Cue Virtual Care Delivery Apps or other technology interfaces may contain undetected bugs, errors or defects. Due to
the complexity of the Cue Health Monitoring System, it may be difficult or impossible to identify the reason for any performance errors or malfunctions or reliability issues. Performance issues could increase our costs and adversely affect our
business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, failure to maintain high-quality customer support, or a market perception that we do not maintain high-quality customer support, could adversely affect our reputation and our
ability to sell our Cue Health Monitoring System. We may also be subject to warranty claims or breach of contract for damages related to errors, defects or reliability issues in our products.
Further, our products are designed to be used at the customer’s
location by untrained individuals. We cannot provide assurance that our customers will always use our products in the manner in which we intend.
If our products do not perform, or are perceived to not have
performed, as expected or favorably in comparison to competitive products, our operating results, reputation, and business may suffer, our future prospects may be materially adversely affected, and we may also be subject to legal claims arising
from product limitations, errors, or inaccuracies.
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Additionally, COVID-19 and many of the other pathogens for which
we are developing tests are known to mutate over time. Such mutations may negatively affect the accuracy of our tests or even make our tests obsolete. The failure of our products to perform as expected could significantly impair our operating
results and our reputation, including if we become subject to legal claims arising from any defects or errors in our products or test results.
Operational, technical and other difficulties adversely affecting
test performance may harm our reputation, impact the commercial attractiveness of our products, increase our costs or divert our resources, including management’s time and attention, from other projects and priorities. Any of the foregoing could
have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations and adversely affect our prospects.
Our products may be subject to recalls. A
recall of our products, either voluntarily or at the direction of the FDA or another governmental authority, or the discovery of serious safety issues with our products, could have a significant adverse impact on us.
The FDA has the authority to require the recall of commercialized
products that are subject to FDA regulation. Manufacturers may also, under their own initiative, recall a product or service if any deficiency is found. For reportable corrections and removals, companies are required to make additional periodic
submissions to the FDA after initiating the recall, and often engage with the FDA on their recall strategy prior to initiating the recall. A government-mandated or voluntary recall by us or a distributor could occur as a result of an unacceptable
health risk, component failures, malfunctions, manufacturing errors, design or labeling defects, or other deficiencies and issues. Recalls of any of our commercialized products would divert managerial and financial resources and adversely affect
our business, results of operations, financial condition and reputation. A recall of any component of the Cue Health Monitoring System could be required for any number of problems. Given the number of components, determining the cause of the
malfunction may be particularly challenging and costly. In addition, any recall of any component of the Cue Health Monitoring System would decrease the market for our authorized tests given the decreased availability of such instruments. We may
also be subject to liability claims, be required to bear other costs or take other actions that may negatively impact our future sales and our ability to generate profits. Companies are also required to maintain certain records of corrections and
removals, even if these do not require reporting to the FDA. We may initiate voluntary recalls involving our commercialized products. The FDA or other agency could take enforcement action for failing to report the recalls when they were
conducted. In addition, if we are required to make changes to our products to redress the deficiencies leading to the recall, we may be required to seek marketing authorization for the modified device prior to commercializing it. Any recall
announcement by us or the FDA or any other governmental authority, or any changes that we make to our products as a result of such recall, could harm our reputation with customers and negatively affect our business, financial condition, and
results of operations.
If we initiate a recall, including a correction or removal, for one
of our commercialized products, issue a safety alert, or undertake a field action or recall to reduce a health risk, could lead to increased scrutiny by the FDA, other governmental and regulatory enforcement bodies, and our customers regarding
the quality and safety of our products, and to negative publicity, including FDA alerts, press releases, or administrative or judicial actions. Furthermore, the submission of these reports could be used against us by competitors and cause
customers to delay purchase decisions or cancel orders, which would harm our reputation.
The use of the Cue Health Monitoring System
and Cue Virtual Care Delivery Apps requires users to follow instructions, and not adhering to instructions may lead to negative outcomes, which could harm our business. In addition, if product users view our products as difficult to use or
invasive, it could affect the degree of utilization and market adoption of our products.
The successful use of the Cue Health Monitoring System and Cue
Virtual Care Delivery Apps depends on each user following the instructions provided. Any user, whether it be a healthcare stakeholder or customer at home, could experience difficulty performing a test using our Cue Health Monitoring System and
Cue Virtual Care Delivery Apps if they fail to follow the instructions, or otherwise misuse the test. If healthcare stakeholders or other users utilize our tests incorrectly, or without adhering to our instructions, their test result outcomes may
not be consistent with the outcomes achieved in our clinical trials. For example, if a user removes the Cue Wand from the Cue Cartridge while conducting a test on the Cue Health Monitoring System, which our instructions explicitly state not to
do, they could be exposed to genetic material and the result of the user’s test could return a false positive. Additionally, healthcare stakeholders and customers could find the Cue Health Monitoring System difficult to use, invasive or
ultimately prefer a different diagnostic testing system. This could harm our ability to achieve the broad degree of adoption necessary for commercial success or cause negative publicity and word-of-mouth as a result of our tests not meeting
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user expectations and accordingly, our operating results and financial condition
could be adversely affected, which may delay, prevent or limit our ability to generate revenue and continue our business.
The Cue Health Monitoring System and the Cue
Virtual Care Delivery Apps rely on access to the Internet, mobile networks and Bluetooth for connectivity.
The ability to conduct testing using the Cue Health Monitoring
System and the availability of the Cue Virtual Care Delivery Apps depends on access to the Internet, mobile networks and Bluetooth connectivity and storage of data in the “cloud”. Our services are designed to operate without interruption. If
performance of our products is adversely affected due to lack of availability of Internet access, mobile networks or Bluetooth connectivity for any reason, or security concerns arise relating to our products reliance on these means of
connectivity and data storage, our relationship with customers and users of our products and our reputation could be materially adversely affected.
The total addressable market opportunity for
our current and future products may be much smaller than we estimate.
Our estimates of the total addressable market for the Cue Integrated
Cate Platform are based on internal and third-party estimates as well as a number of significant assumptions. Market opportunity estimates and growth forecasts included in this prospectus are subject to significant uncertainty and are based on
assumptions and estimates. These estimates, which have been derived from a variety of sources, including market research and our own internal estimates, may prove to be incorrect. Further, the continued development of, and approval or
authorizations for, vaccines and therapeutic treatments may affect these market opportunity estimates. Our market opportunity may also be limited by new diagnostic tests or other products that enter the market. If any of our estimates prove to be
inaccurate, the market opportunity for platform and products could be significantly less than we estimate. If this turns out to be the case, our potential for growth may be limited and our business and future prospects may be materially adversely
affected.
If we are unable to obtain and maintain
adequate levels of coverage and reimbursement from third-party payors for our Cue Readers and Cue Test Kits, the market opportunity for our tests may be less than we expect.
Our market success is dependent upon government and commercial
third-party payors providing coverage and adequate reimbursement for our Cue Readers and Cue Test Kits. While the reimbursement status for COVID-19 tests generally is still evolving, our COVID-19 tests are not currently being reimbursed by the
federal or state health care programs or third-party payors for at-home and over-the-counter use in the United States. However, we expect that in the future healthcare providers that purchase our COVID-19 test will look to various third-party
payors, such as Medicare, Medicaid, private commercial insurance companies, health maintenance organizations, accountable care organization, or ACOs, and other healthcare-related organizations, to cover and pay for our COVID-19 test. Decisions
regarding the extent of coverage and amount of reimbursement to be provided are made on a payor-by-payor basis. Sales volumes and prices of our COVID-19 test will depend in large part on the availability of coverage and reimbursement from such
third-party payors. These third-party payors decide which products will be covered and establish reimbursement levels for those products. Reimbursement by a third-party payor may depend upon a number of factors, including the third-party payor’s
determination that a clinical laboratory test is safe, effective and medically necessary; appropriate for the specific patient; cost-effective; supported by peer-reviewed medical journals; included in clinical practice guidelines; and neither
cosmetic, experimental, nor investigational. Even if a third-party payor covers a particular test or procedure, the resulting reimbursement payment rates may not be adequate. Coverage criteria and reimbursement rates for diagnostic tests are
subject to adjustment by payors, and current reimbursement rates could be reduced, or coverage criteria restricted in the future, which could adversely affect the market for our COVID-19 test or any test we may receive governmental or other
regulatory approval for in the future. In addition, the reimbursement rate for our at-home test is uncertain. Third-party payors may require additional clinical or other data in order to cover any of our COVID-19 tests or any future test we may
develop in certain settings.
Our operating results may fluctuate
significantly, including without limitation, due to the prevalence of COVID-19 or other conditions addressed by our tests as well as due to seasonality, which may make our future operating results difficult to predict and could cause our
operating results to fall below expectations or any guidance we may provide or may be provided by investment banking research analysts or other third parties.
Our quarterly and annual operating results may fluctuate
significantly, which makes it difficult for us to predict our future operating results. These fluctuations may occur due to a variety of factors, many of which are outside of our control, including, but not limited to:
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the level of demand for any of our authorized or approved tests, which may vary significantly;
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authorization, approval and commercialization activities relating to our Cue Test Kits, which may change from time to time;
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the timing and cost of, and level of investment in, research, development, manufacturing, regulatory and commercialization
activities related to our tests, which may change from time to time;
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the size, seasonality and customer mix of the COVID-19 diagnostic testing market;
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the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and the end of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business;
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sales and marketing efforts and expenses;
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the rate at which we grow our sales force and the speed at which newly hired salespeople become effective;
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changes in the productivity of our sales force;
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positive or negative coverage in the media or clinical publications of the Cue Health Monitoring System or any of our tests or
competitive products;
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the cost of manufacturing any of the components of the Cue Health Monitoring System;
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the introduction of new tests or enhancements or technologies by us or others in the diagnostic testing industry;
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coverage and reimbursement policies with respect to our tests and products that compete with our tests;
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expenditures that we may incur to acquire, develop or commercialize tests for additional indications, if any;
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the degree of competition in our industry and any change in the competitive landscape of our industry;
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changes in governmental regulations or in the status of our regulatory approvals or applications;
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future accounting pronouncements or changes in our accounting policies; and
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general market conditions and other factors, including factors unrelated to our operating performance or the operating
performance of our competitors.
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The cumulative effect of the factors discussed above could result
in large fluctuations and unpredictability in our quarterly and annual operating results. As a result, comparing our operating results on a period-to-period basis may not be meaningful. Investors should not rely on our past results as an
indication of our future performance. This variability and unpredictability could also result in our failing to meet the expectations of industry or financial analysts or investors for any period, which in turn could have a material adverse
effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
If we are unable to accurately forecast
inventory needs and manufacture sufficient quantities of any component of the Cue Health Monitoring System, we may experience shortages or excesses of inventory, which could result in us having insufficient capacity to meet customer demand or
lead to write-downs or write-offs of inventory.
To ensure adequate supply, we must forecast inventory needs and
manufacture the components of the Cue Health Monitoring System based on our estimates of future demand. Our ability to accurately forecast demand for the Cue Health Monitoring System, including the demand for any one or more of our current or
future tests, could be negatively affected by many factors, including our failure to accurately manage our expansion strategy, product introductions by competitors, an increase or decrease in customer and user demand for our tests or for products
of our competitors, our failure to accurately forecast market acceptance of new products, unanticipated changes in general market conditions, including the production and distribution of additional efficacious vaccines or other treatments for
COVID-19, seasonal demands, or regulatory matters and weakening of economic conditions or user confidence in future economic conditions. In addition, we anticipate that we will experience fluctuations in customer and user demand based on
seasonality, which for COVID-19, remains unknown. However, for example, to the extent we are able to commercialize a test for influenza, we would expect our forecasts of inventory for the fall and winter seasons to reflect a significant increase
in inventory for that product relative to our forecasts for the spring and
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summer seasons. If this expectation does not materialize, our inventory forecasts
may be inaccurate, resulting in shortages or excesses of inventory. Inventory levels in excess of customer and user demand may result in inventory write-downs or write-offs, which would cause our gross margin to be adversely affected and could
impair the strength of our brand.
In addition, if we experience a significant increase in demand,
additional supplies of raw materials or additional manufacturing capacity may not be available when required on terms that are acceptable to us, or at all, or suppliers may not be able to allocate sufficient capacity in order to meet our
increased requirements, which will negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Furthermore, our inability to meet manufacturing and production requirements could cause us to lose our existing customers or lose
our ability to acquire new customers which would also negatively impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We will seek to maintain sufficient levels of inventory in order to
protect ourselves from supply interruptions. As a result, we are subject to the risk that a portion of our inventory will become obsolete or expire. As an example, our Cue COVID-19 Cartridges currently have a four-month shelf life within which
they must be used before they expire. Any such expiration or obsoleteness of any of our products could have a material adverse effect on our earnings and cash flows due to the resulting costs associated with the inventory impairment charges and
costs required to replace such inventory.
We may not be able to achieve or maintain
satisfactory pricing and margins for our Cue Test Kits, which could harm our business and results of operations.
Manufacturers of diagnostic tests have a history of price
competition, and we may not be able to achieve or maintain satisfactory prices for our Cue Readers or any of our current or future Cue Test Kits. The pricing of our Cue Readers or any of our Cue Test Kits could be impacted by several factors,
including pressure to improve margins as a result of competitive or customer pricing pressure or a limit or decline in the amount that third-party payors reimburse our customers, which could make it difficult for customers to adopt the Cue Health
Monitoring System.
Furthermore, at this time, in most cases we expect to receive
payment for our over-the-counter at-home tests directly from point-of-care customers and not to bill third-party payors directly. Because our COVID-19 test is the first over-the-counter and at-home use FDA-authorized molecular diagnostic test
that does not require physician supervision or a prescription, there is not a well-established market for this type of product and therefore the price that we are able to charge or the price that our customers are willing to pay may be less than
what we have been able to charge to date.
If we are forced to lower the price we charge for any components of
our Cue Health Monitoring System, our gross margins will decrease. In addition, if our costs increase and we are unable to offset such increase with an increase in our prices, our margins would also be adversely affected. We may be subject to
significant pricing pressure, which could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations and our future prospects.
If we are not successful in developing and
obtaining regulatory clearance or other authorization or approval for, and commercializing additional tests, our ability to expand our business and achieve our strategic objectives will be adversely affected.
We believe our flexible platform enables us to launch different
tests for other infectious diseases in addition to COVID-19 as well as for additional clinical uses, including in the areas of respiratory health, sexual health, cardiac and metabolic health, women's health, men's health, and chronic disease
management. Capitalizing on the flexibility of our Cue Integrated Care Platform is a key pillar to our strategy. We will be required to conduct significant additional research and development activities and obtain necessary regulatory clearances
or other required authorizations or approvals before we are able to commercialize additional tests, and we do not expect to be able to introduce any additional tests into the commercial market before the end of 2022, at the earliest. Developing
new tests requires substantial technical, financial and human resources, whether or not any tests are ultimately developed or commercialized, which may divert management’s attention away from other aspects of our business. We may pursue what we
believe are promising opportunities only to discover that certain of our risk or resource allocation decisions were incorrect or insufficient, or that certain tests or the Cue Integrated Care Platform in general has risks that were previously
unknown or underappreciated. In addition, even if we successfully develop new tests, we will not be able to commercialize them unless we obtain the necessary regulatory clearance or other required authorization or approval. If we are unable to
successfully develop or commercialize new tests for whatever reason, we may not be able to realize what we anticipated to be the full potential of the Cue Integrated Care Platform and our business, financial condition, results of operations and
future prospects may be materially adversely affected.
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If the Cue Health Monitoring System does not
perform as expected, our business, operating results, reputation and future prospects may suffer.
Our success depends on our ability to provide reliable tests that
enable high quality diagnostic testing with high accuracy, ease of use, and short turnaround times. The accuracy and reproducibility we have demonstrated to date with respect to our COVID-19 test may not continue or be indicative of actual future
performance as the product attains more widespread usage.
The Cue Health Monitoring System uses a number of complex and
sophisticated biochemical and bioinformatics processes, many of which are highly sensitive to external factors, including human error. An operational, technological, user or other failure in one of these complex processes or fluctuations in
external variables may result in sensitivity or specificity rates that are lower than we anticipate or result in longer than expected turnaround times. Operational, technical, user and other difficulties may also adversely affect test
performance. If our tests do not perform, or are perceived to not have performed, as expected or favorably in comparison to competitive products, our business, operating results, reputation, and future prospects may suffer, and we may also be
subject to legal claims arising from product limitations, errors, or inaccuracies. Any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We have identified material weaknesses in
our internal control over financial reporting and may identify material weaknesses in the future or otherwise fail to maintain an effective system of internal controls in the future, as a result of which, we may not be able to accurately report
our financial condition or results of operations, which may adversely affect investor confidence in us and, as a result, the value of our common stock.
We have been a private company since our inception and, as such, we
have not had the internal control and financial reporting requirements that are required of a publicly-traded company. We are required to comply with the requirements of The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, following the
date we are deemed to be an “accelerated filer” or a “large accelerated filer,” each as defined in the Exchange Act, which could be as early as our first fiscal year beginning after the effective date of this offering. As a result of becoming a
public company, we will be required, under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act to furnish a report by management on, among other things, the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting beginning with our Annual Report on Form
10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022. This assessment will need to include disclosure of any material weaknesses identified in our internal control over financial reporting. A material weakness is a deficiency, or combination of
deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of a company’s annual and interim financial statements will not be detected or prevented on a timely basis.
In connection with the audits of our 2019 and 2020 annual financial
statements, we identified material weaknesses in internal controls pertaining to information technology general controls, a lack of segregation of duties, documentation and design of formalized processes and procedures, insufficient complement of
qualified resources with an appropriate level of knowledge, experience and training important to our financial reporting requirements, timely reconciliation and analysis of certain key accounts and the review of journal entries. These material
weaknesses could result in material misstatements of our financial statement account balances or disclosures of our annual or interim financial statements that would not be prevented or detected. We have concluded that these material weaknesses
in our internal controls over financial reporting occurred because, prior to this offering, we were a private company and did not have the internal controls necessary to satisfy the accounting and financial reporting requirements of a public
company.
Beginning in the fourth quarter of 2020, we began to take steps
to address our material weaknesses through our remediation plan, which included the hiring of a Chief Financial Officer in the first quarter of 2021, documenting and formally assessing our accounting and financial reporting controls, policies
and procedures, and the continued engagement of external advisors to provide financial accounting assistance in the short term. We have hired and are in the process of hiring additional personnel to improve the segregation of duties in our
financial closing and reporting process and timely review of key accounts and journal entries. In addition, we have engaged external advisors to evaluate and document the design and operating effectiveness of our internal controls and assist
with the remediation and implementation of our internal controls as required. We are evaluating the longer-term resource needs of our various financial functions. We cannot assure you that our efforts to remediate the material weakness will be
successful.
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If we fail to remediate the identified material weaknesses or
identify new material weaknesses by the time we have to issue our first Section 404(a) assessment on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting, we will not be able to conclude that our internal control over financial
reporting is effective, which may cause investors to lose confidence in our financial statements, and the trading price of our common stock may decline. If we fail to remedy any material weakness, our financial statements may be inaccurate, our
access to the capital markets may be restricted and the trading price of our common stock may suffer.
Our management and independent registered public accounting firm did
not perform an evaluation of our internal control over financial reporting during any period in accordance with the provisions of Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Had we performed an evaluation and had our independent registered public accounting firm
performed an audit of our internal control over financial reporting in accordance with the provisions of Sarbanes-Oxley Act, additional material weaknesses may have been identified.
We are highly dependent on our senior
management team and key personnel, and we will need to hire additional personnel in connection with the current scale up and growth of our business. Our business may be materially harmed if we are unable to attract and retain personnel necessary
for our growth and success.
We are highly dependent on our senior management team and key
personnel. Our success will depend on our ability to retain senior management and to attract and retain qualified personnel in the future, including sales and marketing professionals, commercial and manufacturing personnel, research and
development personnel, finance and accounting personnel and other highly skilled personnel and to integrate current and additional personnel in all areas of our business. The loss of members of our senior management and other important employees
could have a material adverse effect on our business. In particular, the loss of the services of our co-founders, Ayub Khattak, our Chief Executive Officer, and Clint Sever, our Chief Product Officer, could significantly delay or prevent the
achievement of our strategic objectives and otherwise have a material adverse impact on our business. If we are not successful in attracting and retaining highly qualified personnel, it would have a negative impact on our business, financial
condition and results of operations.
Competition for skilled personnel across virtually all areas where
we need to attract additional personnel is intense and may limit our ability to hire and retain highly qualified personnel on acceptable terms, or at all. To induce valuable employees to remain at our company, in addition to salary and cash
incentives, we have issued, and expect to in the future issue, stock options, restricted stock units or other equity awards. The value to employees of stock options, restricted stock units or other equity awards may be significantly affected by
movements in our stock price, including due to events unrelated to our performance, and may at any time be insufficient to counteract more lucrative offers from other companies. Despite our efforts to retain valuable employees, members of our
management and other employees may terminate their employment with us on short notice, even where we have employment agreements in place. We also do not maintain “key man” insurance policies on the lives of these people or the lives of any of our
other employees.
Furthermore, in the last twelve months we have experienced
significant growth and anticipate further significant growth as we continue to ramp up our business operations. We expect to continue to increase our headcount and to hire more specialized personnel as we grow our business. Rapid expansion in
personnel could mean that less experienced people are performing important functions within our company, which could result in inefficiencies and unanticipated costs, reduced quality and disruptions to our operations. If our new hires perform
poorly, if we are unsuccessful in hiring, training, managing and integrating these new employees or if we are not successful in retaining our existing employees, we may not be able to maintain the quality of our products or satisfy customer
demand and our business may otherwise be materially harmed.
If we are unable to build-out our sales and
marketing and customer support capabilities or enter into agreements with third parties for these services, we may not be successful in commercializing our COVID-19 test or our future products.
We currently have only a limited sales and marketing infrastructure,
and have very limited experience in the sales, marketing, customer support or distribution of diagnostic or other commercial stage products. To achieve commercial success for our COVID-19 test or any of our future tests, we must build our sales,
marketing, customer support, managerial and other capabilities or make arrangements with third parties to perform these services. We currently have limited internal sales and marketing and customer support teams in place and are in the process of
hiring more employees in the near-term and plan to hire additional individuals in the future as we continue to grow our business.
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Our future sales will depend in large part on our ability to
develop, and substantially expand, our sales force and to increase the scope of our marketing efforts. We plan to take a measured approach to expand and optimize our sales infrastructure to grow our customer base and our business. Identifying and
recruiting qualified personnel and training them in the use of the Cue Health Monitoring System, applicable federal and state laws and regulations and our internal policies and procedures, requires significant time, expense and attention. In
addition, our EUA authorizations with respect to our COVID-19 test specify the scope and conditions of authorization, including limitations on distribution and conditions related to product advertising and promotion. It can take significant time
before our sales representatives are fully trained and productive. Our business may be harmed if our efforts to expand do not generate a corresponding increase in revenue or result in a decrease in our operating margin. In particular, if we are
unable to hire, develop and retain talented sales personnel or if new sales personnel are unable to achieve desired productivity levels in a reasonable period of time, we may not be able to realize the expected benefits of this investment or
increase our revenue.
There are risks involved with both establishing our own sales and
marketing capabilities and entering into arrangements with third parties to perform these services. For example, recruiting and training a sales force is expensive and time consuming and could delay any product launch. If any future authorized
test for which we recruit a sales force and establish marketing capabilities is delayed or does not occur for any reason, we would have prematurely or unnecessarily incurred these commercialization expenses. This may be costly, and our investment
would be lost if we cannot retain or reposition our sales and marketing personnel.
In addition, the introduction of our tests into our customers’
existing workflows, and in the over-the-counter and at-home contexts requires us to maintain technical, customer and user support teams. Accordingly, we need trained technical and customer and user support personnel, the market for hiring these
types of personnel is very competitive. If we are unable to attract, train or retain the number of qualified technical and customer and user support personnel that our business needs, our business and prospects will suffer.
If we enter into arrangements with third parties to perform sales
and marketing and customer support services, our revenue or the profitability of the revenue to us may be lower than if we were to market and sell any current or future products that we develop ourselves. In addition, we may not be successful in
entering into arrangements with third parties to sell and market our current or future products or may be unable to do so on terms that are favorable to us. We likely would have little control over such third parties, and any of them may fail to
devote the necessary resources and attention to sell and market our current or future products effectively. If we do not establish sales and marketing capabilities successfully, either on our own or in collaboration with third parties, we will
not be successful in commercializing our current or future products. Further, our business, results of operations, financial condition and future prospects may be materially adversely affected.
If we are subject to orders from federal or
state governments under the Defense Production Act of 1950, as amended, or the DPA, or similar federal or state legislation or other authorizations permitting the government to require companies to distribute goods, products or services or make
manufacturing capacity available to or as directed by the government, our opportunity to grow our business may be adversely affected.
The DPA is a federal statute that confers upon the President of the
United States a broad set of authorities to influence domestic industry in the interest of national defense. “National defense” can include emergency and disaster response and, since the start of the current COVID-19 crisis, this authority has
been used on several occasions to address the public health crisis. Through the DPA, the executive branch has struck agreements with multiple companies to accelerate COVID-19 countermeasures, like N95 protective masks, testing swabs, and vaccine
development, and, in September 2020, used the DPA to acquire point-of-care diagnostic testing instruments from two diagnostics industry competitors for placement in nursing homes. The government may apply the DPA, or another law or program, to
our other existing contracts or a new contract to acquire our testing instruments or to direct us to distribute our products in a particular manner, and we may be likewise required to prioritize distribution to certain government agencies or
other recipients, or to allocate inventory, supplies or facilities for government or government-directed use. The DPA provides that orders pursuant to the statute must “meet regularly established terms of sale or payment” and further provides
that no person “shall be held liable for damages or penalties for any act or failure to act resulting directly or indirectly from compliance with a rule, regulation, or order” under the DPA. However, compliance with the DPA could potentially
cause business disruption, interfere with our commercial sales and marketing efforts, and depending on the demand, could even prevent or delay our ability to sell our products commercially, or may have other implications that significantly affect
our commercialization and development efforts and general ability to conduct our business operations as planned. For example, government directed use of our
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products under such a program may result in our Cue Readers not being placed in
settings where they will be used often for additional tests following the COVID-19 crisis which would adversely affect our long-term commercial plan that is based on increasing our installed base to roll out additional tests for use on the Cue
Health Monitoring System. In addition, such government requirements may adversely affect our regular operations and financial results, result in differential treatment of customers and/or adversely affect our reputation and customer
relationships. It is also possible that any change in the current administration could impact the manner in which the government uses the DPA and its other authorities, and result in additional or different risk to us.
The COVID-19 pandemic could materially
adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Like other companies, our business has been and will continue to
be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, the spread of COVID-19 has caused us to modify our business practices (including on-site employee and visitor testing, employee travel, employee work locations, and the cancellation of physical
participation in meetings, events and conferences) and delay our clinical study for our influenza test. We started our external influenza clinical study in January 2020. The study utilized a number of sites throughout the country. Many of these
sites were research facilities that focused on clinical studies and do not provide clinical care. When the COVID-19 pandemic began spreading in the United States in early February and March 2020, many of these facilities began preventing
potential enrollees from entering the sites if they exhibited any respiratory disease symptoms. This significantly impacted the enrollment of participants in our influenza test studies. We subsequently chose to pause, and ultimately stop, the
study due to very low enrollment. We may take further actions as may be required by government authorities or that we determine are in the best interests of our employees, consumers and partners. The degree to which COVID-19 will impact our
business and operations going forward is unknown and will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including, but not limited to, the continued duration and spread of the outbreak, its severity, the
actions taken by national, regional, and local governments and health officials to contain the virus or treat its impact, how quickly and to what extent normal economic and operating conditions can resume, whether the supply of components and
raw materials will remain sufficient to satisfy demand and any impact on its pricing, and whether any of our third-party manufacturers experience any business interruptions which result in the delay of delivery of our products or components.
Even after the outbreak of COVID-19 has subsided, we may experience material impacts to our business as a result of its global economic impact, including any recession or other negative widespread economic impacts that may occur as a result of
the pandemic.
If we were to be sued for product liability, we could face
substantial liabilities that exceed our resources.
The marketing, sale and use of the Cue Health Monitoring System
and any of our current and future tests and products could lead to the filing of product liability claims where someone may allege that the Cue Health Monitoring System identified inaccurate or incomplete information or otherwise failed to
perform as designed. We may also be subject to liability for errors in, a misunderstanding of or inappropriate reliance upon, the information we provide in the ordinary course of our business activities. In addition, we may be subject to
product liability claims resulting from misuse or off-label use of the Cue Health Monitoring System. See the risk factor titled “—The misuse or off-label use of our tests may harm our reputation or the image of our tests in the marketplace, or
result in injuries that lead to product liability suits, which could be costly to our business. Moreover, we could be subject to FDA sanctions if we are deemed to have engaged in off-label promotion.” A product liability claim could result in
substantial damages and be costly and time-consuming for us to defend. If we cannot successfully defend ourselves against product liability claims, we will incur substantial liabilities and reputational harm. In addition, regardless of merit or
eventual outcome, product liability claims may result in:
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distraction of management’s attention from our primary business;
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the inability to continue commercializing the Cue Health Monitoring System or other new products;
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decreased demand for our Cue Readers or Cue Test Kits;
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damage to our business reputation;
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product recalls or withdrawals from the market;
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withdrawal of clinical trial participants;
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substantial monetary awards to patients or other claimants;
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termination of existing agreements by our partners and potential partners failing to partner with us.
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We maintain product liability insurance, but this insurance may not
fully protect us from the financial impact of defending against product liability claims. Any product liability claim brought against us, with or without merit, could increase our insurance rates or prevent us from securing insurance coverage in
the future.
While we may attempt to manage our product liability exposure by
proactively recalling or withdrawing from the market any defective products, any recall or market withdrawal of any component of the Cue Health Monitoring System may delay the supply of those components to our customers and may impact our
reputation. We may not be successful in initiating appropriate market recall or market withdrawal efforts that may be required in the future and these efforts may not have the intended effect of preventing product malfunctions and the
accompanying product liability that may result. Such recalls and withdrawals may also be used by our competitors to harm our reputation for safety or be perceived by patients as a safety risk when considering the use of our tests, either of which
could negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Current or future litigation, government investigations and other
legal proceedings may harm our business.
We have been, currently are and may in the future become, involved
in legal proceedings that could have a negative impact on our reputation, business and financial condition and divert the attention of our management from the operation of our business. The types of legal proceedings we may be or become subject
to include patent and other intellectual property claims, product liability claims, employee claims, tort or contract claims, federal or state regulatory investigations, securities class actions, and other legal proceedings, investigations or
claims. For example, in February 2018, the staff of the SEC’s Division of Enforcement issued a subpoena to us requesting certain documents and information and we have been cooperating fully with the SEC’s investigation. Litigation and other legal
proceedings are inherently unpredictable and can result in excessive or unanticipated verdicts and/or injunctive relief that affect how we operate our business. We could incur judgments or enter into settlements of claims for monetary damages or
for agreements to change the way we operate our business, or both. There may be an increase in the scope of these matters or there may be additional lawsuits, claims, proceedings or investigations in the future, which could harm our business,
financial condition and results of operations. Adverse publicity about regulatory or legal action against us could damage our reputation and brand image, undermine our customers’ confidence and reduce long-term demand for any of our products or
other offerings under our Cue Integrated Care Platform, even if the regulatory or legal action is unfounded or not material to our operations. For additional information, see the section titled “Business – Legal Proceedings.”
We depend on our information systems and
those of third parties for the effective and efficient functioning of our business.
We depend on our information technology systems for the effective
and efficient functioning of our business, including the manufacture, distribution and maintenance of the components of the Cue Health Monitoring System, as well as for accounting, data storage, compliance, purchasing and inventory management.
Our information systems and those of third parties upon whom we rely may be subject to computer viruses, ransomware or other malware, attacks by computer hackers, failures during the process of upgrading or replacing software, databases or
components thereof, power outages, damage or interruption from fires or other natural disasters, hardware failures, telecommunication failures and user errors, among other malfunctions and other cyber-attacks. We could be subject to an
unintentional event that involves a third-party gaining unauthorized access to our systems, which could disrupt our operations, corrupt our data or result in release of our confidential information. Additionally, theft of our intellectual
property or proprietary business information could require substantial expenditures to remedy. Although the aggregate impact on our operations and financial condition has not been material to date, we have been the target of events of this nature
and expect them to continue as cybersecurity threats have been rapidly evolving in sophistication and becoming more prevalent in the industry. Third parties upon whom we rely or with whom we have business relationships, including our customers,
collaborators, suppliers, and others, are subject to similar risks that could potentially have an adverse effect on our business.
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Technological interruptions could disrupt our operations,
including our manufacturing operations, our ability to timely ship and track product orders, our ability to manage project inventory requirements, our ability to manage our supply chain and our ability to otherwise adequately service our
customers or disrupt our customers’ ability use the Cue Health Monitoring System or our tests.
In the event we experience significant disruptions in our
information systems, we may be unable to address such disruptions in an efficient and timely manner. Accordingly, such events may disrupt or reduce the efficiency of our entire operation and harm our business, financial condition and results of
operations. Any business interruption insurance carried by us may not be sufficient to protect us against any such business disruptions. Our information systems require an ongoing commitment of significant resources to maintain, protect and
enhance our existing systems. Failure to maintain or protect our information systems and data integrity effectively could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Security breaches, loss of data, and other
disruptions could compromise sensitive information related to our business, or information of our customers, users of our products, healthcare stakeholders or others, or prevent us or our customers, users of our products, healthcare providers,
healthcare payors or others from accessing critical information, all of which could result in a material adverse effect, including without limitation, a material operational or service interruption, harm to our reputation, significant fines,
penalties and liability, breach or triggering of Data Protection Laws, Privacy Policies and Data Protection Obligations, loss of customers or sales, or customers curtailing or ceasing their use of our services.
In the ordinary course of our business, we and our third-party
service providers will collect, use, generate, transfer, and disclose, or Process, sensitive data, including legally protected health information, or PHI, and medical information, personally identifiable information, intellectual property and
proprietary business information owned or controlled by us or our customers. In addition, we offer online customer-facing portals accessible through private and web portals. It is critical that we Process sensitive data in a secure manner to
maintain the confidentiality and integrity of such confidential information. We manage and maintain our applications and data utilizing a combination of on-site systems, managed data center systems, and cloud-based data center systems. These
applications and related data encompass a wide variety of business-critical information including research and development information, commercial and financial information.
Although we take measures designed to protect such information from
unauthorized access, use or disclosure, our information technology and infrastructure, and that of our third-party service providers may be vulnerable to natural disasters, war, terrorism, telecommunications and electrical failures, ransomware,
nation-state attacks, social engineering, denial-of-service attacks, phishing attacks, cyber-criminals, cyber-attacks by hackers or viruses, or breaches due to employee error, malfeasance or other disruptions. We also face the ongoing challenge
of managing access controls to our information technology systems. If we do not successfully manage these access controls it further exposes us to risk of security breaches or disruptions. Any such security breaches or disruptions could
compromise the security or integrity of our networks or result in the loss, misappropriation, and/or unauthorized access, use, modification or disclosure of, or the prevention of access to, sensitive data or confidential information (including
trade secrets or other intellectual property, proprietary business information, and personal information). For example, any such event that leads to unauthorized access, use, or disclosure of personal information, including personal information
regarding our customers or employees, could harm our reputation directly, compel us to comply with federal and/or state breach notification laws and foreign law equivalents, subject us to mandatory corrective action, and otherwise subject us to
liability under laws and regulations that protect the privacy and security of personal information. If our or our vendors’ information systems are breached, sensitive data are compromised, surreptitiously modified, rendered inaccessible for any
period of time or maliciously made public, or if we fail to make adequate or timely disclosures to affected individuals, appropriate state and federal regulatory authorities or law enforcement agencies, if appropriate, following any such event,
whether due to delayed discovery or a failure to follow existing protocols, it could result in significant fines, penalties, orders, sanctions and proceedings or actions against us by governmental bodies or other regulatory authorities, customers
or third parties. Any of the foregoing could result in significant legal and financial exposure and reputational damages that could potentially have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and
prospects.
Cyber-attacks are increasing in frequency and evolving in nature,
and this activity has increased even further during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are at risk of attack by a variety of adversaries, including state-sponsored organizations, organized crime, hackers or “hactivists” (activist hackers), through the use
of increasingly sophisticated methods of attack, including long-term, persistent attacks referred to as advanced persistent threats. The
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techniques used to obtain unauthorized access or sabotage systems include, among
other things, computer viruses, malicious or destructive code, ransomware, social engineering attacks (including phishing and impersonation), hacking and denial-of-service attacks. Our systems are also subject to compromise from internal threats,
such as theft, misuse, unauthorized access or other improper actions by employees, vendors and other third parties with otherwise legitimate access to our systems. Third parties may also attempt to fraudulently induce our employees and
contractors into disclosing sensitive information such as user names, passwords, or other information or otherwise compromise the security of our electronic systems, networks, and/or physical facilities in order to gain access to our data.
Additionally, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our employees are temporarily working remotely, which may pose additional data security risks. Given the unpredictability of the timing, nature and scope of information technology disruptions, there can
be no assurance that any security procedures and controls that we or our third-party service providers have implemented will be sufficient to prevent cyber-attacks from occurring. The latency of a compromise is often measured in months, but could
be years, and we may not be able to detect a compromise in a timely manner. New techniques may not be identified until they are launched against a target, and we may be unable to anticipate these techniques or detect an incident, assess its
severity or impact, react or appropriately respond in a timely manner or implement adequate preventative measures, resulting in potential data loss or other damage to our information technology systems.
As the breadth and complexity of the technologies we use and the
software and platforms we develop continue to grow, the potential risk of security breaches and cyber-attacks also increases. Our policies, employee training (including phishing prevention training), procedures and technical safeguards may be
insufficient to prevent or detect improper access to confidential, proprietary or sensitive data, including personal data. In addition, the competition for talent in the data privacy and cybersecurity space is intense, and we may be unable to
hire, develop or retain suitable talent capable of adequately detecting, mitigating or remediating these risks. As cybersecurity threats continue to evolve, we may be required to expend significant additional resources to continue to modify or
enhance our protective measures or to investigate and remediate any information security vulnerabilities. The inability to implement, maintain and upgrade adequate safeguards could have a material adverse effect on our business. Additionally,
federal, state, local, and international laws, rules, regulations, guidance and opinions regarding privacy and information security, or collectively, Data Protection Laws, external and internal privacy and security policies, representations,
certifications, standards, publications and frameworks, or collectively, Privacy Policies, and contractual obligations to third parties related to privacy and information security, or collectively, Data Protection Obligations, may require us to
implement specific security measures or use industry-standard or reasonable measures to protect against security breaches, which may be costly or difficult to implement without adversely affecting our operations.
We expect that we may have numerous vendors and other third parties
who receive personal data from us in connection with the products we offer our customers. In addition, we have migrated certain data, and may increasingly migrate data, to a cloud hosted by third-party vendors. Some of these vendors and third
parties also have direct access to our systems. Due to applicable Data Protection Laws and Data Protection Obligations, we may be held responsible for any information security failure or cyber-attack attributed to our vendors as they relate to
the information we share with them. In addition, because we do not control our vendors and our ability to monitor their data security is limited, we cannot ensure the security measures they take will be sufficient to protect confidential,
proprietary, or sensitive data, including personal data, or prevent cyber-attackers from gaining access to our infrastructure or data through our vendors or other third parties.
Regardless of whether an actual or perceived cyber-attack is
attributable to us or our third-party service providers, such an incident could, among other things, result in improper disclosure of information, harm our reputation and brand, reduce the demand for our products, lead to loss of customer
confidence in the effectiveness of our security measures, disrupt normal business operations or result in our systems or products being unavailable. In addition, it may require us to spend material resources to investigate or correct the breach
and to prevent future security breaches and incidents. The costs related to significant security breaches or disruptions could be material and exceed the limits of any cybersecurity insurance we maintain, increase our risk of regulatory scrutiny,
expose us to legal liabilities, including litigation, regulatory enforcement, indemnity obligations or damages for contract breach, divert the attention of management from the operation of our business and cause us to incur significant costs, any
of which could affect our financial condition, operating results and our reputation. Moreover, there could be public announcements regarding any such incidents and any steps we take to respond to or remediate such incidents, and
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if securities analysts or investors perceive these announcements to be negative, it
could, among other things, have a substantial adverse effect on the price of our common stock. In addition, our remediation efforts may not be successful. Any of the foregoing events could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial
condition and results of operations.
We may not have adequate insurance coverage to
protect us against the various types of business risks we face.
We may not have adequate insurance coverage to protect us against
the various types of business risks we face. This includes risks such as product liability risk, business interruption risk and other risks we may face. The successful assertion of one or more large claims against us that exceeds our available
insurance coverage or for which we are self-insured, or results in changes to our insurance policies (including premium increases or the imposition of large deductible or co-insurance requirements), could have an adverse effect on our business.
In addition, we cannot be sure that our existing insurance coverage and coverage for errors and omissions will continue to be available on acceptable terms or that our insurers will not deny coverage as to any future claim.
International expansion of our business
exposes us to business, regulatory, political, operational, financial and economic risks associated with doing business outside the United States.
An element of our business strategy is to market our products
outside the United States, if cleared, authorized or approved. As a result, we expect that our business will be subject to risks associated with doing business outside the United States, including an increase in our expenses and diversion of our
management’s attention from other aspects of our business. Accordingly, our business and financial results in the future could be adversely affected due to a variety of factors, including:
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failure by us or our distributors to obtain regulatory clearance, authorization or approval for the use of our products in
various countries and other jurisdictions;
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multiple, conflicting and changing laws and regulations such as privacy security and data use regulations, tax laws, export and
import restrictions, economic sanctions and embargoes, employment laws, anti-corruption laws, regulatory requirements, reimbursement or payor regimes and other governmental approvals, permits and licenses;
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additional potentially relevant third-party patent rights;
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pricing pressures and differing reimbursement regimes;
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complexities and difficulties in obtaining intellectual property protection and maintaining, defending and enforcing our
intellectual property;
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difficulties in staffing and managing foreign operations;
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employment risks related to hiring employees outside the United States;
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logistics and regulations associated with shipping samples, including infrastructure conditions and transportation delays;
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limits in our ability to penetrate international markets;
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financial risks, such as longer payment cycles, difficulty collecting accounts receivable, the impact of local and regional
financial crises on demand and payment for our products and exposure to foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations;
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natural disasters, political and economic instability, including wars, terrorism and political unrest, outbreak of disease,
boycotts, curtailment of trade and other business restrictions;
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regulatory and compliance risks related to adherence with foreign privacy and data security laws, including the General Data
Protection Regulation 2016/679 and other similar bodies of law;
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regulatory and compliance risks that relate to maintaining accurate information and control over sales and distributors’
activities that may fall within the purview of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, or FCPA, its books and records provisions, or its anti-bribery provisions, or laws similar to the FCPA in other jurisdictions in which we may now or in
the future operate, such as the United Kingdom’s Bribery Act of 2010, or U.K. Bribery Act; and
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onerous anti-bribery requirements of several member states in the EU, the United Kingdom, and other countries that are
constantly changing and require disclosure of information to which U.S. legal privilege may not extend.
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Any of these factors or other risks associated with international
operations could significantly harm our future international expansion and operations and, consequently, our revenue and results of operations.
We are subject to U.S. and certain foreign
export and import controls, sanctions, embargoes, anti-corruption laws, and anti-money laundering laws and regulations. Compliance with these legal standards could impair our ability to compete in domestic and international markets. We can face
criminal liability and other serious consequences for violations, which can harm our business.
We are subject to export control and import laws and regulations,
including the U.S. Export Administration Regulations, U.S. Customs regulations, various economic and trade sanctions regulations administered by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Controls, the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices
Act of 1977, as amended, or FCPA, the U.S. domestic bribery statute contained in 18 U.S.C. § 201, the U.S. Travel Act, the USA PATRIOT Act, and other state and national anti-bribery and anti-money laundering laws in the countries in which we
conduct activities. Anti-corruption laws are interpreted broadly and prohibit companies and their employees, agents, contractors, and other collaborators from authorizing, promising, offering, or providing, directly or indirectly, improper
payments or anything else of value to recipients in the public or private sector. We may engage third parties to sell our products sell our products outside the United States, to conduct clinical trials, and/or to obtain necessary permits,
licenses, patent registrations, and other regulatory approvals. We have direct or indirect interactions with officials and employees of government agencies or government-affiliated hospitals, universities, and other organizations. We can be held
liable for the corrupt or other illegal activities of our employees, agents, contractors, and other collaborators, even if we do not explicitly authorize or have actual knowledge of such activities. Any violations of the laws and regulations
described above may result in substantial civil and criminal fines and penalties, imprisonment, the loss of export or import privileges, debarment, tax reassessments, breach of contract and fraud litigation, reputational harm, and other
consequences.
We may acquire other businesses, which could
require significant management attention, disrupt our business, dilute stockholder value and adversely affect our results of operations.
We may in the future make acquisitions or investments in
complementary companies, technologies or products that we believe fit within our business model and can address the needs of our customers and potential customers. We may not be able to integrate any acquired companies, technologies or products
in a successful manner. In addition, we may not be able to find suitable acquisition candidates, and we may not be able to complete such acquisitions on favorable terms, if at all. The pursuit of potential acquisitions may divert the attention of
management and cause us to incur additional expenses in identifying, investigating and pursuing suitable acquisitions, whether or not they are consummated. If we do complete acquisitions, we may not ultimately strengthen our competitive position
or achieve our goals, including increases in revenue, and any acquisitions we complete could be viewed negatively by our customers, investors and industry analysts.
Future acquisitions may reduce our cash available for operations and
other uses and could result in amortization expense related to identifiable assets acquired. We may have to pay cash, incur debt or issue equity securities to pay for any such acquisition, each of which could adversely affect our financial
condition or the value of our common stock. The sale or issuance of equity to finance any such acquisitions would result in dilution to our stockholders. The incurrence of indebtedness to finance any such acquisition would result in fixed
obligations and could also include covenants or other restrictions that could impede our ability to manage our operations. In addition, our future results of operations may be adversely affected by the dilutive effect of an acquisition,
performance earn-outs or contingent bonuses associated with an acquisition. Furthermore, acquisitions may require large, onetime charges and can result in increased debt or contingent liabilities, adverse tax consequences, additional stock-based
compensation expenses and the recording and subsequent amortization of amounts related to certain purchased intangible assets, any of which items could negatively affect our future results of operations. We may also incur goodwill impairment
charges in the future if we do not realize the expected value of any such acquisitions.
We may not realize the intended benefits of any acquisition we may
make. To the extent we pursue any strategic alliances or joint ventures, we may similarly fail to realize the intended benefits of any such transaction. Our existing Loan and Security Agreement, or the Revolving Credit Agreement, dated February
5, 2021, with the lenders from
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time to time party thereto and East West Bank, as Administrative Agent and
Collateral Agent, for the lenders, may restrict our ability to pursue certain mergers or other similar transactions.
Risks Related to Our Financial Condition and Capital Requirements
We may in the future consider raising
additional capital for any number of reasons, including to fund our operations, further develop our Cue Integrated Care Platform, commercialize new tests and products, and expand our operations.
We may in the future consider raising additional capital for any
number of reasons and to do so, we may seek to sell common or preferred equity or convertible debt securities, enter into another credit facility or another form of third-party funding, or seek other debt financing. We may also need to raise
capital sooner or in larger amounts than we anticipate for numerous reasons, including because of lower demand for our COVID-19 test, the cancellation of any of our contracts with our largest customers, through no fault of our own, or as a result
of failure to obtain regulatory approvals for our other tests, or other risks described in this prospectus.
We may also consider raising additional capital in the future to
expand our business, to pursue strategic investments, to take advantage of financing opportunities, or for other reasons, including to:
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increase our sales and marketing efforts to facilitate market adoption of our products and address competitive developments;
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fund development and marketing efforts of any future products;
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further expand our operations outside the United States;
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acquire, license or invest in technologies, including information technologies;
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satisfy our outstanding debt obligations;
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acquire or invest in complementary businesses or assets; and
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finance capital expenditures and general and administrative expenses.
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Our present and future funding requirements will depend on many factors, including:
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our ability to successfully commercialize the Cue Health Monitoring System, including our COVID-19 test;
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the costs of the sales and marketing activities associated with commercializing the Cue Health Monitoring System, including our
COVID-19 test;
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the length of the COVID-19 pandemic;
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our ability to secure and maintain domestic and international regulatory approval for our products;
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our rate of progress in, and cost of the sales and marketing activities associated with, establishing adoption of our products;
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our rate of progress in, and cost of research and development activities associated with, products in research and early
development;
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our ability to control our manufacturing and operating costs;
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our ability to satisfy our outstanding debt obligations;
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the effect of competing technological and market developments;
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litigation expenses we incur to defend against claims that we infringe the intellectual property of others or judgments we must
pay to satisfy such claims;
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the potential cost of and delays in research and development as a result of any regulatory oversight applicable to our
products; and
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the costs of responding to the other risks and uncertainties described in this prospectus.
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The various ways we could raise additional capital carry potential
risks. If we raise funds by issuing equity securities, our stockholders’ ownership interests will be diluted. Any equity securities we issue could also provide for
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rights, preferences, or privileges senior to those of holders of our common stock.
If we raise funds by issuing debt securities, those debt securities would have rights, preferences, and privileges senior to those of holders of our common stock. However, subject to limited exceptions, our Revolving Credit Agreement prohibits us
from incurring indebtedness without the prior written consent of the lenders. If we raise funds through borrowings pursuant to our Revolving Credit Agreement or any additional credit agreement, the incurrence of such indebtedness would result in
increased fixed payment obligations and could involve restrictive covenants, such as limitations on our ability to incur additional debt and acquire or license intellectual property rights, and other operating restrictions that could adversely
impact our ability to conduct our business. If we raise funds through collaborations and alliances and licensing arrangements, we might be required to relinquish significant rights to certain of our products, offerings or technologies or to grant
licenses on terms that are unfavorable to us.
Additional equity or debt financing might not be available on
reasonable terms, if at all. If we cannot secure additional funding when needed, we may have to delay, reduce the scope of, or eliminate one or more research and development programs or sales and marketing initiatives. In addition, we may have to
work with a partner on one or more of our development programs, which could lower the economic value of those programs to us.
Lastly, if we are unable to obtain the requisite amount of financing
needed to fund our planned operations, it could have a material adverse effect on our business and ability to continue operating as a going concern.
The terms of our Revolving Credit Agreement
require us to meet certain operating and financial covenants and place restrictions on our operating and financial flexibility. If we raise additional capital through debt financing, the terms of any new debt could further restrict our ability to
operate our business.
On February 5, 2021, we entered into a Loan and Security
Agreement, or the Revolving Credit Agreement, with the lenders from time to time party thereto and East West Bank, as Administrative Agent and Collateral Agent for the lenders. The Revolving Credit Agreement provides for a revolving credit
facility with an aggregate maximum principal amount of $130.0 million and a letter of credit subfacility of $20.0 million. The Revolving Credit Agreement is secured by substantially all of our assets, including our intellectual property. As of
March 31, 2021, we had $63.2 million of debt outstanding under the Revolving Credit Agreement. We repaid all of these outstanding amounts on May 11, 2021 with a portion of the proceeds from our sale of Convertible Notes. However, we may
reborrow under the Revolving Credit Agreement in the future.
The Revolving Credit Agreement requires us to comply with
customary affirmative and negative covenants, indemnification provisions and events of default, including restrictions on our ability to incur additional debt, restrictions on our ability to pay dividends or make other restricted payments,
restrictions on our ability to make certain investments and acquisitions and restrictions on our ability to consolidate, merge or sell or otherwise dispose of substantially all of our assets. We are also required to comply with certain
financial ratios and covenants set forth in our Revolving Credit Agreement. In addition, the Revolving Credit Agreement requires us to maintain a balance of $80.0 million on deposit with the Administrative Agent for the Revolving Credit
Agreement, which amount is reflected as restricted cash on our balance sheet.
The provisions contained in our Revolving Credit Agreement could
adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, if an event of default were to occur under the Revolving Credit Agreement, our lenders could declare the outstanding principal outstanding under the
Revolving Credit Agreement, together with accrued and unpaid interest, to be immediately due and payable. If we were unable to repay those amounts, the lenders under our Revolving Credit Agreement could proceed against the collateral granted to
them to secure our indebtedness under the Revolving Credit Agreement.
Changes in tax laws or in their implementation
or interpretation may adversely affect our business and financial condition
On December 22, 2017, the United States enacted the Tax Cuts and
Jobs Act, or the TCJA, which significantly reformed the Code. The TCJA, among other things, contained significant changes to corporate taxation, including a reduction of the corporate tax rate from a top marginal rate of 35% to a flat rate of
21%, the limitation of the tax deduction for net interest expense to 30% of adjusted taxable income (except for certain small businesses), the limitation of the deduction for net operating losses, or NOLs, arising in taxable years beginning after
December 31, 2017 to 80% of current year taxable income and elimination of NOL carrybacks for losses arising in taxable years ending after December 31, 2017 (though any such NOLs may be carried forward indefinitely), the imposition of a one-time
taxation of offshore earnings at reduced rates regardless of whether they are repatriated, the elimination of
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U.S. tax on foreign earnings (subject to certain important exceptions), the
allowance of immediate deductions for certain new investments instead of deductions for depreciation expense over time, and the modification or repeal of many business deductions and credits.
As part of Congress’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the
Families First Coronavirus Response Act, or the FFCR Act, was enacted on March 18, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or the CARES Act, was enacted on March 27, 2020, and COVID relief provisions were included in the
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, or CAA, which was enacted on December 27, 2020. All contain numerous tax provisions. In particular, the CARES Act retroactively and temporarily (for taxable years beginning before January 1, 2021) suspends
application of the 80% of-income limitation on the use of NOLs, which was enacted as part of the TCJA. It also provides that NOLs arising in any taxable year beginning after December 31, 2017 and before January 1, 2021 are generally eligible to
be carried back up to five years. The CARES Act also temporarily (for taxable years beginning in 2019 or 2020) relaxes the limitation of the tax deductibility for net interest expense by increasing the limitation from 30% to 50% of adjusted
taxable income.
Regulatory guidance under the TCJA, the FFCR Act, the CARES Act, and
the CAA is and continues to be forthcoming, and such guidance could ultimately increase or lessen impact of these laws on our business and financial condition. Congress may enact additional legislation in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic,
some of which could have an impact on our company. In addition, it is uncertain if and to what extent various states will conform to the TCJA, the FFCR Act, the CARES Act, or the CAA.
Our ability to use our net operating losses,
or NOLs, and certain other tax attributes to offset future taxable income is subject to certain limitations.
As of December 31, 2020, we had federal and state NOL carryforwards
of approximately $108.7 million and $90.8 million, respectively. The federal NOLs include $26.2 million that may be used to offset up to one hundred percent (100%) of future taxable income. The federal and state NOLs, if unused, will begin to
expire in calendar year 2031. The NOL carryforwards subject to expiration could expire unused and be unavailable to offset future income tax liabilities.
In general, under Sections 382 and 383 of the Code and corresponding
provisions of state law, a corporation that undergoes an “ownership change,” generally defined as a greater than 50 percentage point change (by value) in its equity ownership by certain stockholders over a three-year period, is subject to
limitations on its ability to utilize its pre-change NOLs to offset future taxable income. We have conducted a study and determined that, through December 31, 2020, such ownership changes occurred in 2014 and 2018. Accordingly, our ability to use
certain of our NOLs and other tax attributes to offset our taxable income is limited by Sections 382 and 383. We may also experience such ownership changes in the future as a result of this offering and/or subsequent changes in our stock
ownership (which may be outside our control). As a result, our ability to use our pre-change NOLs and other tax attributes to offset taxable income may be subject to limitations.
There is also a risk that due to regulatory changes, such as
suspensions on the use of NOLs, or other unforeseen reasons, our existing NOLs could expire or otherwise become unavailable to offset future income tax liabilities. As described above in “Changes in tax laws or in their implementation or
interpretation may adversely affect our business and financial condition,” the TCJA, as amended by the CARES Act, includes changes to U.S. federal tax rates and the rules governing NOL carryforwards that may significantly impact our ability to
utilize our NOLs to offset taxable income in the future. In addition, for state income tax purposes, there may be period during which the use of NOLs is suspended or otherwise limited, such as recent California legislation limiting the usability
of NOLs for tax years beginning after 2019 and before 2023. Additionally, state NOLs generated in one state cannot be used to offset income generated in another state. For these reasons, we may be unable to use a material portion of our NOLs and
other tax attributes.
Our business may be subject to additional
obligations to collect and remit sales tax and other taxes, and we may be subject to tax liability for past sales.
Any successful action by state, foreign (if we start selling
internationally) or other authorities to collect additional or past sales tax could harm our business. States and various local taxing jurisdictions have differing rules and regulations governing sales and use taxes, and these rules and
regulations are subject to varying interpretations that may change over time. It is possible that we could face sales tax audits and that our liability for these taxes could exceed our estimates as state tax authorities could assert that we are
obligated to collect additional amounts as taxes
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from our customers and remit those taxes to those authorities. We could also be
subject to audits in states and foreign jurisdictions (if we start selling internationally) for which we have not accrued tax liabilities. A successful assertion that we should be collecting additional sales or other taxes on our products in
jurisdictions where we have not historically done so and do not accrue for sales taxes could result in substantial tax liabilities for past sales, discourage customers from purchasing our products or otherwise harm our business, financial
condition and results of operations.
We file sales tax returns in certain states within the United
States as required by law.
We file sales tax returns in certain states where we have been
advised or have determined we have an obligation to do so, however, we do not collect sales or other similar taxes in all states, and one or more states (or foreign authorities if we start selling internationally) could seek to impose additional
sales, use or other tax collection and record-keeping obligations on us or may determine that such taxes should have, but have not been, paid by us. Liability for past taxes may also include substantial interest and penalty charges. Any
successful action by state, foreign or other authorities to compel us to collect and remit sales, use or other taxes, either retroactively, prospectively or both, could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We hope to be a multinational organization, in
which case we would be faced with increasingly complex tax issues in many jurisdictions, and we could be obligated to pay additional taxes in various jurisdictions.
If we become a multinational organization, we may be subject to
taxation in several jurisdictions around the world with increasingly complex tax laws, the application of which can be uncertain. The amount of taxes we pay in these jurisdictions could increase substantially as a result of changes in the
applicable tax principles, including increased tax rates, new tax laws or revised interpretations of existing tax laws and precedents, which could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity and results of operations. Furthermore, one or more
jurisdictions in which we do not believe we are subject to tax payment, withholding or filing requirements could assert that we are subject to such requirements. Any of these claims or assertions could have a material impact on us and the results
of our operations.
Risks Related to Manufacturing Our Products
We have limited experience manufacturing our
products in commercial quantities; if we are unable to manufacture our products in the required quantities in a timely manner, our business could be materially adversely affected.
We have only limited experience in manufacturing our products in
commercial quantities, and only first began commercializing the Cue Health Monitoring System in June 2020. We currently lease and operate three manufacturing facilities for the production of our Cue Cartridges: our Nancy Ridge facility, Vista
facility and Waples facility. Given our limited commercial manufacturing experience and rapid ramp up of our manufacturing capabilities, we may be more susceptible to encountering production delays, interruptions or shortfalls than other
companies with a longer track record of manufacturing products at commercial scale. Such production delays, interruptions or shortfalls may be caused by many factors, including the following:
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production issues that may arise out of the rapid expansion of our manufacturing capacity, including the opening of two new
manufacturing facilities within the last 12 months;
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a setback in our anticipated timeline for finalizing the construction of our new production pods, which would result in
manufacturing delays;
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key components of our products are provided by a single supplier or limited number of suppliers, and we do not maintain large
inventory levels of these components such that, if we experience a shortage or quality issues in any of these components, we would need to identify and qualify new supply sources, which could increase our expenses and result in
manufacturing delays;
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a delay in completing assembly of new controlled environment rooms at our manufacturing facility;
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state and federal regulations, including the FDA’s Quality System Regulations, or QSR, for the manufacture of our products,
noncompliance with which could cause an interruption in our manufacturing; and
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attraction and retention of qualified employees for our operations in order to significantly increase our manufacturing output.
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We currently expect that customer demand for our COVID-19 tests
will exceed our manufacturing capacity in 2021. If we are unable to continue to keep up with demand for our products, our growth could be impaired, and market acceptance for our products and our reputation could be harmed and customers and other
users of our products may instead elect to use our competitors’ products. Our inability to successfully manufacture our products in sufficient quantities would materially harm our business.
In addition, our manufacturing facility and processes and those of
our third-party suppliers are subject to unannounced FDA and state regulatory inspections for compliance with the QSR. Developing and maintaining a compliant quality system is time consuming and expensive. Failure to maintain compliance with, or
not fully complying with the requirements of the FDA and state regulators, could result in enforcement actions against us or our third-party suppliers, which could include the issuance of warning letters, seizures, prohibitions on product sales,
recalls and civil and criminal penalties, any one of which could significantly impact our manufacturing supply and impair our financial results.
If we, our suppliers or our contract
manufacturers experience significant disruptions to our or their manufacturing capabilities or ability to source needed supplies and materials, our business may be materially adversely affected.
Our operations, or those of our suppliers or third-party contract
manufacturers, could become subject to earthquakes, power shortages, telecommunications failures, water shortages, floods, hurricanes, typhoons, fires, extreme weather conditions, medical epidemics and pandemics, including the COVID-19 pandemic,
and other natural or man-made disasters or business interruptions. Our corporate headquarters and manufacturing facilities are located in San Diego, California, near major earthquake faults and fire zones, and our suppliers and contract
manufacturers may be subject to similar risks, whether due to earthquakes, fires or other natural disasters or business interruption risks. Our ability to obtain components for our Cue Cartridges would be disrupted if the operations of our
suppliers were affected by a man-made or natural disaster or other business interruption. In addition, we rely on third party contract manufacturers for the manufacture of our Cue Readers and for some of the production of our Cue Wands. The
occurrence of any type of business disruption at any of our own facilities or those of our suppliers or contract manufacturers could materially harm our operations, financial condition and results of operations, as well as otherwise have a
material adverse effect on our business. While we maintain business interruption insurance to protect us from some of these risks, such insurance may not cover us for all business interruption risks we face and, even where we do have coverage,
such coverage may not be sufficient in amount.
Over time, we may add new manufacturing facilities or relocate
manufacturing to one more additional facilities, which may include additional facilities located elsewhere within or outside of the United States. The use of a new facility or new manufacturing, quality control, or environmental control equipment
or systems generally requires FDA review and approval. Because of the time required to authorize manufacturing in a new facility under FDA and non-U.S. regulatory requirements, we may not be able to commence production at such a facility on a
timely basis. The inability to perform our manufacturing activities, combined with our limited inventory of materials and components and manufactured products, may cause us to be unable to meet customer demand, cause customers and other users of
our products to discontinue using the Cue Health Monitoring System, or harm our reputation, and we may be unable to reestablish relationships with such customers and users in the future.
We contract with third parties for the
manufacture of our Cue Readers, Cue Wands and certain other components. This reliance on third parties increases the risk that we will not have sufficient quantities of our Cue Health Monitoring System or such quantities at an acceptable cost,
which could delay, prevent or impair our development or commercialization efforts.
While we manufacture all of our Cue Cartridges in our own
manufacturing facilities, we rely, and expect to continue to rely, on third parties for the manufacture of our Cue Readers, Cue Wands and Cue Control Swab Packs. This reliance on third parties increases the risk that we will not have sufficient
quantities of our Cue Readers, Cue Wands or quality control swabs that are included in our Cue Control Swab Packs or, ultimately, of our Cue Health Monitoring System or such quantities at an acceptable cost or quality, which could delay, prevent
or impair our development or commercialization efforts.
During the duration of our EUAs for our COVID-19 test, the FDA
has waived certain current good manufacturing practices, or cGMP, requirements, including the quality system requirements under 21 CFR Part 820 with respect to the design, manufacture, packaging, labeling, storage, and distribution of our
COVID-19 test but excluding Subpart H (Acceptance Activities, 21 CFR 820.80 and 21 CFR 820.86), Subpart I (Nonconforming
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Product, 21 CFR 280.90), and Subpart O (Statistical Techniques, 21 CFR 820.250).
This means that our third-party manufacturing facilities will not need to, and may not, be compliant with all of the FDA’s cGMPs. To the extent that we no longer have an EUA and need to seek FDA authorization for our COVID-19 test, we need to
comply with cGMPs which may cause delays in production at our and our third-party manufacturing facilities.
In addition, while we audit and monitor our contract manufacturers
to ensure they meet our contracted specifications, we have no control over the ability of our contract manufacturers to maintain adequate quality control, quality assurance and qualified personnel. If the FDA or a comparable foreign regulatory
authority finds deficiencies with the manufacture of our products or if it finds deficiencies or withdraws any such approval in the future, we may need to find alternative manufacturing facilities, which would significantly impact our ability to
produce or market our COVID-19 tests and any future contemplated tests, if authorized for commercialization by the relevant regulatory agency.
If any contract manufacturing organization, or CMO, with whom we
contract fails to perform its obligations, we may be forced to enter into an agreement with a different CMO, which we may not be able to do on reasonable terms, if at all. In such scenario, our Cue Health Monitoring System supply could be delayed
significantly as we establish alternative supply sources for components of our Cue Health Monitoring System, such as Cue Readers or Cue Wands. In some cases, the technical skills required to manufacture our product components may be unique or
proprietary to the original CMO and we may have difficulty, or there may be contractual restrictions prohibiting us from, transferring such skills to a back-up or alternate supplier, or we may be unable to transfer such skills at all. In
addition, if we are required to change CMOs for any reason, we will be required to verify that the new CMO maintains facilities and procedures that comply with quality standards and with all applicable regulations. We will also need to verify,
such as through a manufacturing comparability study, that any new manufacturing process will produce our product components according to the specifications previously submitted to the FDA or another regulatory authority. The delays associated
with the verification of a new CMO could negatively affect our ability to develop products or commercialize our products in a timely manner or within budget. Furthermore, a CMO may possess technology related to the manufacture of our products
that such CMO owns independently. This would increase our reliance on such CMO or require us to obtain a license from such CMO in order to have another CMO manufacture our products. In addition, changes in manufacturers often involve changes in
manufacturing procedures and processes, which could require that we conduct bridging studies between our prior contract manufacturing organization used in our clinical trials and that of any new manufacturer. We may be unsuccessful in
demonstrating comparability which could require the conduct of additional clinical trials.
Further, our failure, or the failure of our third-party
manufacturers, to comply with applicable regulations could result in sanctions being imposed on us, including fines, injunctions, civil penalties, delays, suspension or withdrawal of approvals or authorizations, license revocation, seizures or
recalls of products, operating restrictions and criminal prosecutions, any of which could significantly and adversely affect our business and supplies of our products.
We may be unable to establish any additional agreements with
third-party manufacturers or do so on acceptable terms. Reliance on third-party manufacturers entails additional risks, including:
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reliance on the third party for regulatory compliance and quality assurance;
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the possible breach of the manufacturing agreement by the third party;
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the possible delay or stoppage in production of certain components of the Cue Health Monitoring System that delays shipments of
Cue Readers or Cue Test Kits to our customers;
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the possible misappropriation of our proprietary information, including our trade secrets and know-how; and
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the possible termination or nonrenewal of the agreement by the third party at a time that is costly or inconvenient for us.
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Any products that we may develop may compete with our other products
for access to manufacturing facilities.
Any performance failure on the part of our existing or future
manufacturers could delay production and cause us to miss certain production targets. If our current contract manufacturers cannot perform as agreed, we may be required to replace such manufacturers. We may incur added costs and delays in
identifying and qualifying any such replacement.
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Our current and anticipated future dependence upon others for the
manufacture of our products may adversely affect our future profit margins and our ability to commercialize any products that receive regulatory approval on a timely and competitive basis.
Our suppliers may fail to deliver components
according to schedules, prices, quality and volumes that are acceptable to us, or we may be unable to manage these components effectively.
Our products contain components and raw materials that we purchase
globally from mostly single-source direct suppliers, generally without long-term supply agreements. This exposes us to multiple potential sources of component shortages. Unexpected changes in business conditions, materials pricing, labor issues,
wars, governmental changes, tariffs, natural disasters, health epidemics such as the global COVID-19 pandemic, trade and shipping disruptions and other factors beyond our or our suppliers’ control could also affect these suppliers’ ability to
deliver components to us or to remain solvent and operational. For example, a global shortage of microchips has been reported since early 2021. The semiconductor supply chain is complex and has historically been characterized by wide fluctuations
in the demand for, and supply of, its products. These fluctuations have resulted in circumstances where supply of and demand for semiconductors has been widely out of balance. Wafer foundries that support chipmakers have not invested enough in
recent years to increase capacities to the levels needed to support demand from all of their customers. Wafers have a long lead time for production which further exacerbates the shortage. The full extent to which this global shortage might impact
us is not yet known. The unavailability of any component or supplier could result in production delays, idle manufacturing facilities, product design changes and loss of access to important technology and tools for producing and supporting our
products. Moreover, our ramp up in production of our Cue Cartridges, or product design changes by us have required and may in the future require us to procure additional components in a short amount of time. Our suppliers may not be willing or
able to sustainably meet our timelines or our cost, quality and volume needs, or to do so may cost us more, which may require us to replace them with other sources. Finally, we have limited manufacturing experience outside of our Nancy Ridge
manufacturing facility and we may experience supply chain and procurement issues at the Nancy Ridge Facility as well as at our new Vista and Waples facilities. While we believe that we will be able to secure additional or alternate sources or
develop our own replacements for most of our components, there is no assurance that we will be able to do so quickly or at all. Additionally, we may be unsuccessful in our continuous efforts to negotiate with existing suppliers to obtain cost
reductions and avoid unfavorable changes to terms, source less expensive suppliers for certain components and redesign certain parts to make them less expensive to produce. Any of these occurrences may harm our business, prospects, financial
condition and operating results.
As the scale of our Cue Health Monitoring System production
increases, we will also need to accurately forecast, purchase, warehouse and transport components and raw materials at high volumes to our own and our third-party manufacturing facilities and servicing locations, which includes locations in the
U.S. and China. If we are unable to accurately match the timing and quantities of component purchases to our actual needs or successfully implement automation, inventory management and other systems to accommodate the increased complexity in our
supply chain and parts management, we may incur unexpected production disruption, storage, transportation and write-off costs, which may harm our business and operating results.
Risks Related to Our Intellectual Property
Our patent or other intellectual property
protection for the Cue Health Monitoring System, products and Cue Integrated Care Platform may not be sufficient to prevent competitors from developing and commercializing tests and platforms similar to or otherwise comparable to our Cue Test
Kits, products and Cue Integrated Care Platform, which could materially adversely affect our business and prospects.
As with other diagnostic testing companies, our success depends in
large part on our ability to obtain, maintain and solidify a proprietary position for our Cue Integrated Care Platform and our current and any future tests, which will depend upon our success in obtaining effective patent protection and other
intellectual property, in the United States and other countries, with respect to, such tests, their manufacturing processes and their intended methods of use, as well as enforcing those patent claims once granted and other intellectual property
rights. In some cases, we may not be able to obtain issued patent claims or other registered intellectual property covering various aspects of our technologies which are sufficient to prevent third parties, such as our competitors, from utilizing
our Cue Integrated Care Platform. Any failure to obtain or maintain patent and other intellectual property protection with respect to our Cue Integrated Care Platform or our current and any future tests or other aspects of our business could harm
our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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Changes in either the patent laws or their interpretation in the
United States and other countries may diminish our ability to protect our inventions, obtain, maintain and enforce our intellectual property rights and, more generally, could affect the value of our intellectual property or narrow the scope of
our patents. Additionally, we cannot predict whether the patent applications we are currently pursuing will issue as patents in any particular jurisdiction or whether the claims of any issued patents will provide sufficient protection from
competitors or other third parties.
The patent prosecution process is expensive, time-consuming and
complex, and we may not be able to file, prosecute, maintain, enforce or license all necessary or desirable patent applications at a reasonable cost or in a timely manner. It is also possible that we will fail to identify patentable aspects of
our research and development output in time to obtain patent protection. Although we enter into non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements with parties who have access to confidential or patentable aspects of our research and development
output, such as our employees, corporate collaborators, outside scientific collaborators, suppliers, consultants, advisors and other third parties, any of these parties may breach the agreements and disclose such output before a patent
application is filed, thereby jeopardizing our ability to seek and obtain patent protection. In addition, our ability to obtain and maintain valid and enforceable patents depends in part on whether the differences between our inventions and the
prior art allow our inventions to be patentable over the prior art. Furthermore, the publication of discoveries in scientific literature often lags behind the actual discoveries, and patent applications in the United States and other
jurisdictions are typically not published until 18 months after filing, or in some cases not at all. Therefore, we cannot be certain that we were the first to file for patent protection of such inventions.
Moreover, in some circumstances, we may not have the right to
control the preparation, filing and prosecution of patent applications, or to maintain the patents, covering technology that we license from or license to third parties, and are therefore reliant on our licensors or licensees, and may be reliant
on future licensors or licensees, to protect certain of our intellectual property used in our business. If such licensors or licensees fail to adequately protect this intellectual property or if we do not have exclusivity for the marketing of our
tests, whether because our licensors do not grant us exclusivity or they do not enforce the intellectual property against our competitors, our ability to commercialize products could suffer.
Therefore, these and any of our patents and applications may not be
prosecuted and enforced in a manner consistent with the best interests of our business.
Defects of form in the preparation or filing of our patents or
patent applications may exist, or may arise in the future, for example, with respect to proper priority claims, inventorship and the like, although we are unaware of any such defects that we believe are of importance. If we or any current or
future licensors or licensees fail to establish, maintain, protect or enforce such patents and other intellectual property rights, such rights may be reduced or eliminated. If any current or future licensors or licensees are not fully cooperative
or disagree with us as to the prosecution, maintenance or enforcement of any patent rights, such patent rights could be compromised. If there are material defects in the form, preparation or prosecution of our patents or patent applications, such
patents or applications may be invalid and/or unenforceable. Any of these outcomes could impair our ability to prevent competition from third parties, which may materially harm our business.
The strength of patent rights generally, and particularly the patent
position of medical device companies, involves complex legal and scientific questions and can be uncertain, and has been the subject of much litigation in recent years. This uncertainty includes changes to the patent laws through either
legislative action to changes to statutory patent law or court action that may reinterpret existing law or rules in ways affecting the scope or validity of issued patents or the chances that patent applications will result in issued claims and
the scope of any such claims. Our current or future patent applications may fail to result in issued patents in the United States or foreign countries with claims that cover our current and any future tests. Even if patents do successfully issue
from our patent applications, third parties may challenge the validity, enforceability or scope of such patents, which may result in such patents being narrowed, invalidated or held unenforceable. Any successful challenge to our patents could
deprive us of exclusive rights necessary for the successful commercialization of the Cue Health Monitoring System or our current and any future tests, which may harm our business. Furthermore, even if they are unchallenged, our patents may not
adequately protect the Cue Health Monitoring System or our current and any future tests, provide exclusivity for our Cue Integrated Care Platform or such current or future tests or prevent others from designing around our claims. If the scope of
any patent protection we obtain is not sufficiently broad, or if we lose any of our patent protection, our ability to prevent our competitors from commercializing similar or identical technology and tests
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would be adversely affected. If the breadth or strength of protection provided by
the patents we hold or pursue with respect to our current and any future tests is challenged, it could dissuade companies from collaborating with us to develop, or threaten our ability to commercialize, the Cue Health Monitoring System and our
current and any future tests.
Patents have a limited lifespan. In the United States, the natural
expiration of a utility patent is generally 20 years after its effective filing date and the natural expiration of a design patent is generally 14 years after its issue date, unless the filing date occurred on or after May 13, 2015, in which case
the natural expiration of a design patent is generally 15 years after its issue date. However, the actual protection afforded by a patent varies from country to country, and depends upon many factors, including the type of patent, the scope of
its coverage, the availability of regulatory-related extensions, the availability of legal remedies in a particular country and the validity and enforceability of the patent. Various extensions may be available; however, the life of a patent, and
the protection it affords, is limited. Without patent protection for the components of our Cue Health Monitoring System, we may be open to competition, which may harm our business prospects. Further, if we encounter delays in our development
efforts, the period of time during which we could market the Cue Health Monitoring System under patent protection would be reduced and, given the amount of time required for the development, testing and regulatory review of planned or future
tests, patents protecting our current and any future tests might expire before or shortly after such tests are commercialized. For information regarding the expiration dates of patents in our patent portfolio, see the section titled
“Business—Intellectual Property.” As our patents expire, the scope of our patent protection will be reduced, which may reduce or eliminate any competitive advantage afforded by our patent portfolio. As a result, our patent portfolio may not
provide us with sufficient rights to exclude others from commercializing platforms or tests similar or identical to ours.
Moreover, the coverage claimed in a patent application can be
significantly reduced before the patent is issued, and its scope can be reinterpreted after issuance. Even if patent applications we license or own, currently or in the future, issue as patents, they may not issue in a form that will provide us
with any meaningful protection, prevent competitors or other third parties from competing with us, or otherwise provide us with any competitive advantage. Any patents that we own now or in the future may be challenged, narrowed, circumvented or
invalidated by third parties. Consequently, we do not know whether our current and any future tests or other technologies will be protectable or remain protected by valid and enforceable patents. Our competitors or other third parties may be able
to circumvent our patents by developing similar or alternative technologies or tests in a non-infringing manner which could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Some of our patents and patent applications may in the future be
jointly-owned with third parties. If we are unable to obtain an exclusive license to any such third-party joint-owners’ interest in such patents or patent applications, such co-owners may be able to license their rights to other third parties,
including our competitors, and our competitors could market competing platforms or tests and technology. In addition, we may need the cooperation of any such joint-owners of our patents in order to enforce such patents against third parties, and
such cooperation may not be provided to us. Any of the foregoing could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our Revolving Credit Agreement is secured by substantially all of
our assets, including our US intellectual property. The provisions contained in our Revolving Credit Agreement could adversely affect our intellectual property. In addition, if an event of default were to occur under the Revolving Credit
Agreement and we were unable to repay the amounts due, the lenders under our Revolving Credit Agreement could proceed against the collateral intellectual property granted to them to secure our indebtedness under the Revolving Credit Agreement
We have obtained license or service agreements from certain
third-party intellectual property holders. If we breach our agreements, it could have a material adverse effect on our commercialization efforts for the Cue Health Monitoring System or our current and any future tests and services. Further, we
may find it necessary or prudent to acquire or obtain licenses from third-party intellectual property holders. However, we may be unable to acquire or secure such licenses to any intellectual property rights from third parties that we identify as
necessary for our current and any future tests. The acquisition or licensing of third-party intellectual property rights is a competitive area, and our competitors may pursue strategies to acquire or license third-party intellectual property
rights that we may consider attractive or necessary. Our competitors may have a competitive advantage over us due to their size, capital resources and greater development and commercialization capabilities. In addition, companies that perceive us
to be a competitor may be unwilling to assign or license rights to us. We also may be unable to acquire or license third-party intellectual property rights on terms that would allow us to make an appropriate return on our investment
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or at all. If we are unable to successfully obtain rights to required third-party
intellectual property rights or maintain the existing intellectual property rights we have, we may have to abandon development of the relevant tests, which could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Patents covering our current, and any future
tests, the Cue Health Monitoring System, or our technologies could be challenged by third parties. If our patents are found to be invalid or unenforceable, our business could be materially adversely affected.
The issuance of a patent is not conclusive as to its inventorship,
scope, validity or enforceability, and our patents may be challenged in the courts or patent offices in the United States and abroad and may not provide us with adequate proprietary protection or competitive advantage against competitors with
similar products. We may be subject to a third-party preissuance submission of prior art to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, or the USPTO, or become involved in opposition, derivation, revocation, reexamination, post-grant and inter partes
review, or IPR, or interference proceedings or other similar proceedings challenging our patent rights. An adverse determination in any such submission, proceeding or litigation could reduce the scope of, or invalidate or render unenforceable,
such patent rights, allowing third parties to commercialize the Cue Health Monitoring System or our current and any future tests and compete directly with us, without payment to us, or result in our inability to manufacture or commercialize the
Cue Health Monitoring System or any current or future tests without infringing third-party patent rights. Moreover, we may have to participate in post-grant challenge proceedings, such as oppositions in a foreign patent office, that challenge
features of patentability with respect to our patents and patent applications. Such challenges may result in loss of patent rights, in loss of exclusivity or in patent claims being narrowed, invalidated or held unenforceable, which could limit
our ability to stop others from using or commercializing similar or identical technology and tests, or limit the duration of the patent protection of the Cue Health Monitoring System or our current and any future tests or technologies. Such
proceedings also may result in substantial cost and require significant time from our management, even if the eventual outcome is favorable to us.
In addition, if we initiate legal proceedings against a third-party
to enforce a patent covering the Cue Health Monitoring System or our current and any future tests, the defendant could counterclaim that such patent is invalid or unenforceable. In patent litigation in the United States, defendant counterclaims
alleging invalidity or unenforceability are commonplace. Grounds for a validity challenge could be an alleged failure to meet any of several statutory requirements, including lack of novelty, obviousness or non-enablement. Grounds for an
unenforceability assertion could be an allegation that someone connected with prosecution of the patent withheld relevant information from the USPTO or made a misleading statement during prosecution. Defenses of these types of claims, regardless
of their merit, would involve substantial litigation expense and would be a substantial diversion of employee resources from our business. Third parties may also raise claims challenging the validity or enforceability of our patents before
administrative bodies in the United States or abroad, even outside the context of litigation, including through re-examination, post-grant review, IPR, derivation proceedings and equivalent proceedings in foreign jurisdictions (such as opposition
proceedings). Such proceedings could result in the revocation of, cancellation of or amendment to our patents in such a way that they no longer cover the Cue Health Monitoring System, our current and any future tests or technologies. The outcome
for any particular patent following legal assertions of invalidity and unenforceability is unpredictable. With respect to the validity question, for example, we cannot be certain that there is no invalidating prior art, of which we and the patent
examiner were unaware during prosecution. If a defendant or other third-party were to prevail on a legal assertion of invalidity or unenforceability, we would lose at least part, and perhaps all, of the patent protection on the Cue Health
Monitoring System, our current and any future tests and technology. Such a loss of patent protection would harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We rely substantially on our trademarks and
trade names. If our trademarks and trade names are not adequately protected, then we may not be able to build name recognition in our markets of interest and our business may be harmed.
We rely substantially upon trademarks to build and maintain the
integrity of our brand. Our registered and unregistered trademarks or trade names may be challenged, infringed, circumvented, declared unenforceable or determined to be violating or infringing on other intellectual property rights. We may not be
able to protect or enforce our rights to these trademarks and trade names, which we rely upon to build name recognition among potential partners and customers in our markets of interest. At times, competitors or other third parties may adopt
trade names or trademarks similar to ours, thereby impeding our ability to build brand identity and possibly leading to market confusion. Asserting claims against such third parties may be prohibitively expensive. In addition, there could be
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potential trade name or trademark infringement or dilution claims brought by owners
of other trademarks against us. Over the long term, if we are unable to establish name recognition based on our trademarks and trade names, then we may not be able to compete effectively and our business may be adversely affected. Our efforts to
enforce or protect our proprietary rights related to trademarks, trade secrets, domain names or other intellectual property may be ineffective, could result in substantial costs and diversion of resources and could harm our business, financial
condition and results of operations.
The diagnostic testing industry is
characterized by intellectual property litigation and in the future we could become subject to litigation that could be costly, result in the diversion of management’s time and efforts, require us to pay damages or prevent us from marketing the
Cue Health Monitoring System or our existing or future tests.
Litigation regarding patents, trademarks, trade secrets, and other
intellectual property rights is prevalent in the medical device and diagnostic sectors and companies in these sectors have used intellectual property litigation to gain a competitive advantage. Our commercial success depends in part upon our
ability and that of our contract manufacturers and suppliers to manufacture, market, and sell our planned tests, and to use our proprietary technologies without infringing, misappropriating or otherwise violating the proprietary rights or
intellectual property of third parties. Because we have not conducted a comprehensive freedom to operate analysis for patents related to the Cue Health Monitoring System or our tests, we may not be aware of issued patents that a third-party,
including a competitor, might assert are infringed by the Cue Health Monitoring System or our current or any future tests, which could materially impair our ability to commercialize the Cue Health Monitoring System or our current or any future
tests. Even if we diligently search third-party patents for potential infringement by the Cue Health Monitoring System or our current or any future tests, we may not successfully identify patents that the Cue Health Monitoring System or our
current or any future tests may infringe. If we are unable to secure and maintain freedom to operate, others could preclude us from commercializing the Cue Health Monitoring System or our current or future tests. We may in the future become party
to, or be threatened with, adversarial proceedings or litigation regarding intellectual property rights with respect to our current and any future tests and technology, whether or not we are actually infringing, misappropriating or otherwise
violating the rights of third parties. Like other companies operating in the diagnostic testing space, we have, from time to time, received demand letters from third parties claiming that our business allegedly infringes their patents; however,
in each case we have investigated the alleged claims and, in our responses to the claimants, have disputed their allegations as lacking any merit, and to date, no legal proceeding has ever been initiated by such third parties. In addition, while
we have not conducted a comprehensive freedom to operate analysis, we are aware of patent claims that could be alleged to cover the methodology and compositions used by the Cue Health Monitoring System. While we believe that the patent claims may
not be valid and that they may be reasonably challenged for validity, there can be no assurance that any such challenge would be successful. In the future, other third parties may assert infringement claims against us based on existing or future
intellectual property rights, regardless of merit. If we are found to infringe a third-party’s intellectual property rights, we could be required to obtain a license from such third-party to continue developing and marketing the Cue Health
Monitoring System, our current and any future tests and technology. We may also elect to enter into such a license to settle pending or threatened litigation. However, we may not be able to obtain any required license on commercially reasonable
terms, or at all. Even if we were able to obtain a license, it could be non-exclusive, thereby giving our competitors access to the same technologies licensed to us, and could require us to pay significant royalties and other fees. We could be
forced, including by court order, to cease commercializing the infringing technology or tests. In addition, we could be found liable for monetary damages, which may be significant. If we are found to have willfully infringed a third-party patent,
we could be required to pay treble damages and attorneys’ fees. A finding of infringement could prevent us from commercializing our planned tests in commercially important territories, or force us to cease some of our business operations, which
could harm our business. A number of our employees were or may have been previously employed at, and a number of our current advisors and consultants are employed or may be employed by, universities or other biotechnology, medical device or
pharmaceutical companies, including our competitors or potential competitors. Although we try to ensure that our employees, advisors and consultants do not use the proprietary information or know-how of others in their work for us, we may be
subject to claims that we, or these employees, have used or disclosed intellectual property, including trade secrets or other proprietary information, of any such employee’s former employer. These and other claims that we have misappropriated the
confidential information or trade secrets of third parties can have a similar negative impact on our business to the infringement claims discussed above.
Even if we are successful in defending against intellectual property
claims, litigation or other legal proceedings relating to such claims may cause us to incur significant expenses, and could distract our technical and management
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personnel from their normal responsibilities. In addition, there could be public
announcements of the results of hearings, motions or other interim proceedings or developments and if securities analysts or investors perceive these results to be negative, it could have a substantial negative impact on the price of our common
shares. Such litigation or proceedings could substantially increase our operating losses and reduce our resources available for development activities. We may not have sufficient financial or other resources to adequately conduct such litigation
or proceedings. Some of our competitors may be able to sustain the costs of such litigation or proceedings more effectively than we can because of their substantially greater financial resources. Uncertainties resulting from the initiation and
continuation of litigation or other intellectual property related proceedings could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Many countries have compulsory licensing laws under which a patent
owner may be compelled to grant licenses to third parties. In addition, many countries limit the enforceability of patents against government agencies or government contractors. In these countries, the patent owner may have limited remedies,
which could materially diminish the value of such patent. If we are forced to grant a license to third parties with respect to any patents relevant to our business, our competitive position may be impaired, and our business, financial condition
and results of operations may be harmed.
Obtaining and maintaining our intellectual
property, including patent, protection depends on compliance with various procedural, document submission, fee payment and other requirements imposed by government agencies, and our intellectual property, including patent, protection could be
reduced or eliminated for non-compliance with these requirements.
Obtaining and maintaining our intellectual property, including
patent, protection depends on compliance with various procedural measures, document submissions, fee payments and other requirements imposed by government agencies, and our intellectual property, including patent, protection could be reduced or
eliminated for non-compliance with these requirements.
Periodic maintenance fees, renewal fees, annuity fees and various
other government fees on intellectual property registrations and applications will be due to be paid to the applicable government agencies, including with respect to patents and patent applications the USPTO and similar agencies outside of the
United States, over the lifetime of our intellectual property registrations and applications, including our patents and patent applications. The various applicable government agencies, including with respect to patents and patent applications the
USPTO and similar agencies outside of the United States, require compliance with several procedural, documentary, fee payment and other similar provisions during the application process. In some cases, an inadvertent lapse can be cured by payment
of a late fee or by other means in accordance with the applicable rules. There are situations, however, in which non-compliance can result in the abandonment or lapse of the intellectual property registration or application, resulting in a
partial or complete loss of intellectual property rights in the relevant jurisdiction. Non-compliance events that could result in abandonment or lapse of an intellectual property registration or application include, but are not limited to,
failure to respond to official actions within prescribed time limits, non-payment of fees and failure to properly legalize and submit formal documents. In such an event, potential competitors might be able to enter the market with similar or
identical platforms, tests or technology, which could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We have foreign intellectual property rights
and may not be able to protect our intellectual property and proprietary rights throughout the world, which could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We have limited intellectual property rights outside the United
States. Filing, prosecuting and defending patents or trademarks on the Cue Health Monitoring System, Cue Virtual Care Delivery Apps, Cue Data and Innovation Layer and our current and any future tests in all countries throughout the world would be
prohibitively expensive, and the laws of foreign countries may not protect our rights to the same extent as the laws of the United States.
Consequently, we may not be able to prevent third parties from
practicing our inventions or utilizing our trademarks in all countries outside the United States, or from selling or importing the Cue Health Monitoring System or tests made using our inventions in and into the United States or other
jurisdictions. Competitors may use our technologies in jurisdictions where we have not obtained patent protection to develop their own platforms or tests and, further, may export otherwise infringing platforms or tests to territories where we
have patent protection but enforcement is not as strong as that in the United States. These platforms and tests may compete with the Cue Health Monitoring System or our current and any future tests, and our patents or other intellectual property
rights may not be effective or sufficient to prevent them from competing.
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Many companies have encountered significant problems in
protecting and defending intellectual property rights in foreign jurisdictions. The legal systems of certain countries, particularly certain developing countries, do not favor the enforcement of patents, trade secrets and other intellectual
property protection, which could make it difficult for us to stop the infringement of our patents or marketing of competing tests in violation of our intellectual property and proprietary rights generally. Proceedings to enforce our intellectual
property and proprietary rights in foreign jurisdictions could result in substantial costs and divert our efforts and attention from other aspects of our business, could put our patents at risk of being invalidated or interpreted narrowly, could
put our patent applications at risk of not issuing and could provoke third parties to assert claims against us. We may not prevail in any lawsuits that we initiate, and the damages or other remedies awarded, if any, may not be commercially
meaningful. Accordingly, our efforts to enforce our intellectual property and proprietary rights around the world may be inadequate to obtain a significant commercial advantage from the intellectual property that we develop or license.
Changes in U.S. patent law could diminish
the value of patents in general, thereby impairing our ability to protect the Cue Health Monitoring System or our current and any future tests.
Changes in either the patent laws or interpretation of the patent
laws in the United States could increase the uncertainties and costs surrounding the prosecution of patent applications and the enforcement or defense of issued patents. Assuming that other requirements for patentability are met, prior to March
2013, in the United States, the first to invent the claimed invention was entitled to the patent, while outside the United States, the first to file a patent application was entitled to the patent. After March 2013, under the Leahy-Smith America
Invents Act, or the America Invents Act, enacted in September 2011, the United States transitioned to a first inventor to file system in which, assuming that other requirements for patentability are met, the first inventor to file a patent
application will be entitled to the patent on an invention regardless of whether a third-party was the first to invent the claimed invention. A third-party that files a patent application in the USPTO after March 2013, but before us could
therefore be awarded a patent covering an invention of ours even if we had made the invention before it was made by such third-party. This will require us to be cognizant of the time from invention to filing of a patent application. Since patent
applications in the United States and most other countries are confidential for a period of time after filing or until issuance, we cannot be certain that we were the first to file any patent application related to the Cue Health Monitoring
System or our current and any future tests.
The America Invents Act also includes a number of significant
changes that affect the way patent applications will be prosecuted and also may affect patent litigation. These include allowing third-party submission of prior art to the USPTO during patent prosecution and additional procedures to attack the
validity of a patent by USPTO administered post-grant proceedings, including post-grant review, IPR and derivation proceedings.
Because of a lower evidentiary standard in USPTO proceedings
compared to the evidentiary standard in U.S. federal courts necessary to invalidate a patent claim, a third-party could potentially provide evidence in a USPTO proceeding sufficient for the USPTO to hold a claim invalid even though the same
evidence would be insufficient to invalidate the claim if first presented in a district court action. Accordingly, a third-party may attempt to use the USPTO procedures to invalidate our patent claims that would not have been invalidated if first
challenged by the third-party as a defendant in a district court action. Therefore, the America Invents Act and its implementation could increase the uncertainties and costs surrounding the prosecution of our patent applications and the
enforcement or defense of our issued patents. In addition, future actions by the U.S. Congress, the federal courts and the USPTO could cause the laws and regulations governing patents to change in unpredictable ways. Any of the foregoing could
harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
In addition, recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings have made and will
likely continue to make changes in how the patent laws of the United States are interpreted. In addition to increasing uncertainty with regard to our ability to obtain patents in the future, this combination of events has created uncertainty with
respect to the validity and enforceability of patents, once obtained. Depending on future actions by the U.S. Congress, the federal courts, and the USPTO, the laws and regulations governing patents could change in unpredictable ways that could
weaken our ability to obtain new patents or to enforce our existing patents and patents that we might obtain in the future. We cannot predict how this and future decisions by the courts, the U.S. Congress or the USPTO may impact the value of our
patents. Any similar adverse changes in the patent laws of other jurisdictions could also harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
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We may be subject to claims challenging the
ownership or inventorship of our patents and other intellectual property and, if unsuccessful in any of these proceedings, we may be required to obtain licenses from third parties, which may not be available on commercially reasonable terms, or
at all, or to cease the development, manufacture and commercialization of one or more of our current and any future tests.
We may be subject to claims that current or former employees,
collaborators or other third parties have an interest in our patents, trade secrets or other intellectual property as an inventor or co-inventor. For example, we may have inventorship disputes arise from conflicting obligations of employees,
consultants or others who are involved in developing our current and any future tests. Litigation may be necessary to defend against these and other claims challenging inventorship of our patents, trade secrets or other intellectual property. If
we fail in defending any such claims, in addition to paying monetary damages, we may lose valuable intellectual property rights, such as exclusive ownership of, or right to use, intellectual property that is important to our current and any
future tests. If we were to lose exclusive ownership of such intellectual property, other owners may be able to license their rights to other third parties, including our competitors. We also may be required to obtain and maintain licenses from
third parties, including parties involved in any such disputes. Such licenses may not be available on commercially reasonable terms, or at all, or may be non-exclusive. If we are unable to obtain and maintain such licenses, we may need to cease
the development, manufacture and commercialization of one or more of our current and any future tests. The loss of exclusivity or the narrowing of our patent claims could limit our ability to stop others from using or commercializing similar or
identical technology and tests. Even if we are successful in defending against such claims, litigation could result in substantial costs and be a distraction to management and other employees. Any of the foregoing could harm our business,
financial condition and results of operations.
Third-party claims of intellectual property
infringement, misappropriation or other violation against us or our collaborators may prevent or delay the sale and marketing of Cue Health Monitoring Systems.
The diagnostic testing industry is highly competitive and dynamic.
Due to the focused research and development that is taking place by several companies, including us and our competitors, in this field, the intellectual property landscape is in flux, and it may remain uncertain in the future. As such, we could
become subject to significant intellectual property-related litigation and proceedings relating to our or third-party intellectual property and proprietary rights.
Our commercial success depends in part on our and any potential
future collaborators’ ability to develop, manufacture, market and sell the Cue Health Monitoring System, including any tests that we may develop and use our proprietary technologies without infringing, misappropriating or otherwise violating the
patents and other intellectual property or proprietary rights of third parties. It is uncertain whether the issuance of any third-party patent would require us or any potential collaborators to alter our development or commercial strategies,
obtain licenses or cease certain activities. The medical device industry is characterized by extensive litigation regarding patents and other intellectual property rights, as well as administrative proceedings for challenging patents, including
interference, inter partes or post-grant review, derivation and reexamination proceedings before the USPTO or oppositions and other comparable proceedings in foreign jurisdictions.
Numerous third-party U.S. and foreign issued patents and pending
patent applications exist in the point-of-care and at-home over-the-counter molecular diagnostic testing field, and such third parties, including our competitors, may currently have patents or obtain patents in the future and claim that the
manufacture, use or sale of the Cue Health Monitoring System or our current and any future tests infringes upon these patents. Although no third party has initiated any legal proceedings asserting a claim of patent infringement against us as of
the date of this registration statement, third parties may hold proprietary rights that could prevent the manufacture, use or sale of the Cue Health Monitoring System. For example, while we have not conducted a comprehensive freedom to operate
analysis, we are aware of patent claims that could be alleged to cover the methodology and compositions used by the Cue Health Monitoring System. While we believe that the patent claims may not be valid and that they may be reasonably challenged
for validity, there can be no assurance that any such challenge would be successful. Beyond the foregoing potential conflicts, we have not conducted an extensive search of patents issued or assigned to other parties, including our competitors,
and can give no assurance that other patents containing claims covering the Cue Health Monitoring System or our current and any future tests, parts of the Cue Health Monitoring System or our current and any future tests, technology or methods do
not exist, have not been filed or could not be filed or issued. In addition, because patent applications can take many years to issue and because publication schedules for pending applications vary by jurisdiction, there may be applications now
pending of which we are unaware and which may result in issued patents which the Cue Health Monitoring System or our current or future tests infringe. Also, because the claims of published
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patent applications can change between publication and patent grant, there may be
published patent applications that may ultimately issue with claims that we infringe. As the number of competitors in our market grows and the number of patents issued in this area increases, the possibility of patent infringement claims against
us escalates.
In the event that any third-party claims that we infringe their
patents or that we are otherwise employing their proprietary technology without authorization and initiates litigation against us, even if we believe such claims are without merit, there is no assurance that a court would find in our favor on
questions of infringement, validity, enforceability or priority. A court of competent jurisdiction could hold that these third-party patents are valid, enforceable and infringed by the Cue Health Monitoring System or our current and any future
tests, which could harm our ability to commercialize the Cue Health Monitoring System or any test we may develop and any other technologies covered by the asserted third-party patents. In order to successfully challenge the validity of any such
U.S. patent in federal court, we would need to overcome a presumption of validity. As this burden is a high one requiring us to present clear and convincing evidence as to the invalidity of any such U.S. patent claim, there is no assurance that a
court of competent jurisdiction would invalidate the claims of any such U.S. patent. If we are found to infringe third-party intellectual property rights, including patents, and we are unsuccessful in demonstrating that such patents or other
intellectual property rights are invalid or unenforceable, such third parties may be able to block our ability to commercialize the Cue Health Monitoring System, the applicable tests or technology unless we obtain a license under the applicable
patents, or until such patents expire or are finally determined to be held invalid or unenforceable. Such a license may not be available on commercially reasonable terms, or at all. Even if we are able to obtain a license, the license would
likely obligate us to pay significant license fees and/or royalties, and the rights granted to us might be non-exclusive, which could result in our competitors gaining access to the same technology. If we are unable to obtain a necessary license
to a third-party patent on commercially reasonable terms, or at all, we may be unable to commercialize the Cue Health Monitoring System or our current and any future tests, or such commercialization efforts may be significantly delayed, which
could in turn significantly harm our business.
Defense of infringement claims, regardless of their merit or
outcome, would involve substantial litigation expense and would be a substantial diversion of management and other employee resources from our business, and may impact our reputation. In the event of a successful claim of infringement against us,
we may be enjoined from further developing or commercializing the Cue Health Monitoring System, the infringing tests and/or have to pay substantial damages for use of the asserted intellectual property, including treble damages and attorneys’
fees were we found to willfully infringe such intellectual property. Claims that we have misappropriated the confidential information or trade secrets of third parties could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations. We
also might have to redesign the Cue Health Monitoring System, our infringing tests or technologies, which may be impossible or require substantial time and monetary expenditure.
Engaging in litigation to defend against third-party infringement
claims is very expensive, particularly for a company of our size, and time-consuming. In addition, there could be public announcements of the results of hearings, motions or other interim proceedings or developments, and if securities analysts or
investors perceive these results to be negative, it could have a substantial negative impact on our common stock price. Such litigation or proceedings could substantially increase our operating losses and reduce the resources available for
development activities or any future sales, marketing or distribution activities. We may not have sufficient financial or other resources to conduct such litigation or proceedings adequately. Some of our competitors may be able to sustain the
costs of litigation or administrative proceedings more effectively than we can because of greater financial resources and more mature and developed intellectual property portfolios. Uncertainties resulting from the initiation and continuation of
patent litigation or other proceedings against us could impair our ability to compete in the marketplace. The occurrence of any of the foregoing could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We may become involved in lawsuits to protect
or enforce our patents and other intellectual property rights, which could be expensive, time-consuming and unsuccessful.
Competitors may infringe our patents, or the patents of any future
licensing partners, or we may be required to defend against claims of infringement. In addition, our patents or the patents of any such licensing partners also may become involved in inventorship, priority or validity disputes. To counter or
defend against such claims can be expensive and time-consuming. In an infringement proceeding, a court may decide that our patent is invalid or unenforceable, or may refuse to stop the other party from using the technology at issue on the grounds
that our patents
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do not cover such technology. An adverse result in any litigation proceeding could
put one or more of our patents at risk of being invalidated or interpreted narrowly. Furthermore, because of the substantial amount of discovery required in connection with intellectual property litigation, there is a risk that some of our
confidential information could be compromised by disclosure during litigation.
Even if resolved in our favor, litigation or other legal proceedings
relating to intellectual property claims may cause us to incur significant expenses and could distract our management and other personnel from their normal responsibilities. In addition, there could be public announcements of the results of
hearings, motions or other interim proceedings or developments, and if securities analysts or investors perceive these results to be negative, it could have a substantial negative impact on our common stock price. Such litigation or proceedings
could substantially increase our operating losses and reduce the resources available for development activities or any future sales, marketing or distribution activities. We may not have sufficient financial or other resources to conduct such
litigation or proceedings adequately. Some of our competitors may be able to sustain the costs of such litigation or proceedings more effectively than we can because of their greater financial resources and more mature and developed intellectual
property portfolios. Uncertainties resulting from the initiation and continuation of patent litigation or other proceedings could harm our ability to compete in the marketplace. Any of the foregoing could harm our business, financial condition
and results of operations.
We may be subject to claims that our
employees, consultants or advisors have wrongfully used or disclosed alleged trade secrets of their current or former employers or claims asserting ownership of what we regard as our own intellectual property. Such claims could harm our business,
financial condition and results of operations.
As is common in the diagnostic testing industry, our employees,
consultants and advisors may be currently or previously employed or engaged at universities or other medical device, healthcare and technology companies, including our competitors and potential competitors. Although we try to ensure that our
employees, consultants and advisors do not use the proprietary information or know-how of others in their work for us, we may in the future become subject to claims that we or these people have, inadvertently or otherwise, used or disclosed
intellectual property, including trade secrets or other proprietary information, of their current or former employer. Also, we may in the future be subject to claims that these people are violating non-compete agreements with their former
employers. Litigation may be necessary to defend against these claims. If we fail in defending any such claims, in addition to paying monetary damages, we may lose valuable intellectual property rights or personnel, which could harm our business,
financial condition and results of operations. Even if we are successful in defending against such claims, litigation could result in substantial costs and be a distraction to management.
In addition, while it is our policy to require our employees and
contractors who may be involved in the conception or development of intellectual property to execute agreements assigning such intellectual property to us, we may be unsuccessful in executing such an agreement with each party who, in fact,
conceives or develops intellectual property that we regard as our own. The assignment of intellectual property rights may not be self-executing, or the assignment agreements may be breached, and we may be forced to bring claims against third
parties, or defend claims that they may bring against us, to determine the ownership of what we regard as our intellectual property. Such claims could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Intellectual property rights do not
necessarily address all potential threats, and limitations in intellectual property rights could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The degree of future protection afforded by our intellectual
property rights is uncertain because intellectual property rights have limitations and may not adequately protect our business or permit us to maintain our competitive advantage. For example:
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others may be able to make systems or tests that are similar to the Cue Health Monitoring System or our current and any future
tests or utilize similar technology but that are not covered by the claims of our patents or that incorporate certain technology in the Cue Health Monitoring System or our current and any future tests that is in the public domain;
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we, or our current and future licensors or collaborators, might not have been the first to file patent applications covering
certain of our or their inventions;
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we, or our current and future licensors or collaborators, may fail to meet our obligations to the U.S. government regarding any
future patents and patent applications funded by U.S. government grants, leading to the loss or unenforceability of patent rights;
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others may independently develop similar or alternative technologies or duplicate any of our technologies without infringing
our intellectual property rights;
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it is possible that our current or future pending patent applications will not lead to issued patents;
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it is possible that there are prior public disclosures that could invalidate our patents, or parts of our patents;
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it is possible that there are unpublished applications or patent applications maintained in secrecy that may later issue with
claims covering our current and any future test or technology similar to ours;
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it is possible that our patents or patent applications omit people that should be listed as inventors or include people that
should not be listed as inventors, which may cause these patents or patents issuing from these patent applications to be held invalid or unenforceable;
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issued patents that we hold rights to may be held invalid or unenforceable, including as a result of legal challenges by our
competitors or other third parties;
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the claims of our patents or patent applications, if and when issued, may not cover our current and any future tests or
technologies;
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the laws of foreign countries may not protect our proprietary rights or the rights of future licensors or collaborators to the
same extent as the laws of the United States;
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the inventors of our patents or patent applications may become involved with competitors, develop test or processes that design
around our patents, or become hostile to us or the patents or patent applications on which they are named as inventors;
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our competitors or other third parties might conduct research and development activities in countries where we do not have
patent rights and then use the information learned from such activities to develop competitive platforms or tests for sale in our major commercial markets;
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we have engaged in scientific collaborations in the past and will continue to do so in the future and our collaborators may
develop adjacent or competing platforms or tests that are outside the scope of our patents;
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we may not develop additional proprietary technologies that are patentable;
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the patents of others may harm our business; or
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we may choose not to file a patent in order to maintain certain trade secrets or know-how, and a third-party may subsequently
file a patent covering such intellectual property.
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Any of the foregoing could harm our business, financial condition and results of
operations.
Our reliance on third parties requires us to
share our trade secrets, which increases the possibility that a competitor will discover them or that our trade secrets will be misappropriated or disclosed. If we are unable to protect the confidentiality of our trade secrets, our business and
competitive position would be harmed.
In addition to seeking patent protection for the Cue Health
Monitoring System and our current and any future tests, we also rely upon unpatented trade secrets, know-how and continuing technological innovation to develop and maintain a competitive position, especially where we do not believe patent
protection is appropriate or obtainable. Trade secrets and know-how can be difficult to protect. We seek to protect such proprietary information, in part, through non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements with our employees, collaborators,
contractors, advisors, consultants and other third parties and invention assignment agreements with our employees. We also have agreements with our consultants that require them to assign to us any inventions created as a result of their working
with us. The confidentiality agreements are designed to protect our proprietary information and, in the case of agreements or clauses containing invention assignment, to grant us ownership of technologies that are developed through a relationship
with employees or third parties.
We cannot guarantee that we have entered into such agreements with
each party that has or may have had access to our trade secrets or proprietary information. Additionally, despite these efforts, any of these parties may breach the agreements and disclose our proprietary information, including our trade secrets,
and we may not be able to obtain adequate remedies for such breaches. Enforcing a claim that a party illegally disclosed or misappropriated a trade secret is difficult, expensive and time-consuming, and the outcome is unpredictable. In addition,
some courts inside and outside the United States are less willing or unwilling to protect trade secrets. If any of our trade secrets were to be lawfully obtained or independently developed by a competitor or other third-party, we would have no
right to prevent them from using that technology or information to compete with us. If any of our trade secrets were to be
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disclosed to, or independently developed by, a competitor or other third-party, our
competitive position would be materially and adversely harmed. Furthermore, we expect these trade secrets, know-how and proprietary information to over time be disseminated within the industry through independent development, the publication of
journal articles describing the methodology and the movement of personnel from academic to industry scientific positions.
We also seek to preserve the integrity and confidentiality of our
data and trade secrets by maintaining physical security of our premises and physical and electronic security of our information technology systems. While we have confidence in these people, organizations and systems, agreements or security
measures may be breached, and we may not have adequate remedies for any breach. In addition, our trade secrets may otherwise become known, or be independently discovered by, competitors. To the extent that our employees, consultants, contractors
or collaborators use intellectual property owned by others in their work for us, disputes may arise as to the rights in related or resulting know-how and inventions, which could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Risks Related to Government Regulation and Our Industry
We received two EUAs and intend to seek
additional and/or amended EUAs for our COVID-19 test. The FDA may not timely grant any additional or amended EUAs, if at all. For our existing EUAs and any new EUA, the FDA may revoke any EUA where it is determined that the underlying health
emergency no longer exists or warrants such authorization, which would adversely impact our ability to market our COVID-19 test in the United States.
The FDA has the authority to grant an EUA to allow unapproved
medical products to be used in an emergency to diagnose, treat or prevent serious or life-threatening diseases or conditions when there are no adequate, approved and available alternatives. On January 31, 2020, the Secretary of the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, or U.S. HHS, issued a declaration of a public health emergency related to COVID-19. On February 4, 2020, U.S. HHS determined that COVID-19 represents a public health emergency that has a significant
potential to affect national security or the health and security of U.S. citizens living abroad and, subsequently, declared on March 24, 2020, that circumstances exist to justify the authorization of emergency use of medical devices, including
alternative products used as medical devices, during the COVID-19 pandemic, subject to the terms of any authorization as issued by the FDA. On February 29, 2020, the FDA issued an immediately in effect guidance with policy specific to development
of in vitro diagnostic tests during the COVID-19 public health emergency. This guidance was updated on March 16, 2020, May 4, 2020 and May 11, 2020. It is uncertain whether the widespread availability of approved and effective vaccinations could
expedite or influence any such decision making with respect to the underlying health emergency.
The speed at which companies and institutions are acting to create
and test medical products for COVID-19 is unusually rapid, and evolving or changing plans or priorities within the FDA, including changes based on new knowledge of COVID-19 and how the disease affects the human body, may significantly affect the
regulatory timelines for our COVID-19 test. Results from our continued development and planned clinical trials may raise new questions and require us to redesign proposed clinical trials with minimal lead time.
On June 10, 2020, we received an EUA from the FDA for our COVID-19
test for use at the point-of-care with specimens collected using the Cue Wand from individuals who are suspected of having COVID-19 by their healthcare provider. On August 20, 2020, the FDA granted an amendment to our EUA to add testing of
previously collected nasal specimens in viral transport media from individuals who are suspected of having COVID-19 by their healthcare provider. On March 5, 2021, we received an EUA for our COVID-19 test for home and over-the-counter use by
individuals aged two years or older with or without symptoms or other epidemiological reasons to suspect COVID-19 and without a prescription. We cannot predict how long the EUAs for our COVID-19 test will remain in place.
There can be no assurances that the FDA will authorize this request
and if we do not receive the authorization, our business, financial condition, results of operations and future growth prospects could be materially and adversely affected.
Because the FDA may revoke an EUA where it is determined that the
underlying health emergency no longer exists or warrants such authorization, we cannot predict how long our EUAs will remain in place. The FDA may also revoke an EUA when the circumstances justifying its issuance no longer exist, such as when an
alternative is authorized for marketing through the standard procedures, such as through a 510(k) clearance. The FDA has stated that, given the magnitude of the COVID-19 health crisis and the testing capacity challenges in the United States, it
has no intention of terminating EUAs for COVID-19 diagnostic tests based solely on a test receiving 510(k) clearance. However, the FDA may change this position at any time and without notice.
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FDA policies regarding diagnostic tests, therapies and other
products used to diagnose, treat or mitigate COVID-19 remain in flux as the FDA responds to new and evolving public health information and clinical evidence. Changes to FDA regulations or requirements could require changes to our authorized test,
necessitate additional measures, or make it impractical or impossible for us to market our test. The revocation of an EUA, if granted, could necessitate that we pursue the lengthy and expensive 510(k) clearance process, if available, or another
similarly burdensome marketing authorization process, such as a de novo classification. Indeed, FDA has recommended that manufacturers of tests subject to an EUA pursue pre-market submissions such as a 510(k), de novo classification, or
pre-market approval, or PMA, as applicable, during the declared public health emergency so that their devices can remain on the market after the emergency terminates. As a result, any such revocation could adversely impact our business, financial
condition and results of operations.
If the FDA revokes either of our existing EUAs prior to us having
received regulatory approval to commercialize our COVID-19 test through a traditional approval pathway, we would be required to cease our commercialization efforts, which would substantially and negatively impact our business.
The Cue Health Monitoring System and our
current or future tests require marketing authorizations, clearances or approvals from regulatory agencies before they can be marketed. Any such regulatory process would be expensive, time-consuming and uncertain both in timing and in outcome.
If we fail to obtain or maintain necessary marketing authorizations, clearance, or approval, or if such authorizations, clearances or approvals for future products are delayed or not issued, it will negatively affect our business, financial
condition and results of operations.
While we received two EUAs for our COVID-19 test, our strategy is
to expand our product line to encompass products that are intended to be used at the point-of-care and at-home. Such products will be subject to regulation by the FDA as medical devices, including requirements for regulatory authorization,
clearance or approval of such products before they can be marketed. Accordingly, we will be required to obtain marketing authorization, clearance, or approval, in order to sell our future products in a manner consistent with FDA laws and
regulations. Such processes are expensive, time-consuming and uncertain; our efforts may never result in any marketing authorization, clearance, or approval; and failure by us to obtain or comply with such marketing authorizations, clearances
or approvals could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition or operating results. The regulations to which we are subject are complex and have tended to become more stringent over time. Regulatory changes could result in
restrictions on our ability to carry on or expand our operations, higher than anticipated costs or lower than anticipated sales.
In the United States, before we can market a new medical device, or
a new use of, or claim for, an existing product, we must first receive either 510(k) clearance, PMA approval or approval of a de-novo application from the FDA, unless an exemption applies. The FDA also has authority to issue EUAs in times of
crises such as pandemics (declaration of emergencies), which the FDA granted us for our COVID-19 test.
In the United States, outside of the context of the EUA application
process, our tests will likely need to obtain clearance through the 510(k) premarket notification process. If the FDA requires us to go through a lengthier, more rigorous process for future products or modifications to existing products than
expected, our product introductions or modifications could be delayed or cancelled, which could cause our sales to decline. In addition, the FDA may determine that future products will require the more costly, lengthy and uncertain PMA process.
Although we do not currently market any devices under a PMA, the FDA may demand that we obtain a PMA prior to marketing certain of our future products. Further, even with respect to those future products where a PMA is not required, we may not be
able to obtain the 510(k) clearances with respect to those products. The FDA can delay, limit or deny 510(k) clearance or PMA approval of a device for many reasons, including:
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we may not be able to demonstrate to the FDA’s satisfaction that our tests are safe and effective for their intended uses;
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the data from our pre-clinical studies and clinical trials may be insufficient to support clearance or approval, where
required;
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the manufacturing process or facilities we use or contract to use may not meet applicable requirements; and
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disruptions at the FDA caused by funding shortages or global health concerns, including the COVID-19 pandemic.
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The FDA may refuse our requests for 510(k) clearance, de-novo or
PMA of new products, new intended uses or modifications to existing products.
From time to time, legislation is drafted and introduced in the
United States that could significantly change the statutory provisions governing any regulatory approval or clearance that we receive in the United States. In addition, the FDA may change its clearance and approval policies, adopt additional
regulations or revise existing regulations, or take other actions which may prevent or delay approval or clearance of our tests under development or impact our ability to modify our currently approved or cleared tests on a timely basis.
Modifications to our Cue Health Monitoring
System and any current or future tests may require new regulatory authorizations, clearances or approvals or may require us to recall or cease marketing our Cue Health Monitoring System or any current or future tests until authorizations,
clearances or approvals are obtained.
Once our Cue Health Monitoring System or any current or future
tests are initially authorized, cleared or approved, modifications to such products may require new regulatory authorizations, approvals or clearances, including additional EUAs, 510(k) clearances or PMA approvals, or require us to recall or
cease marketing the modified devices until these authorizations, clearances or approvals are obtained. The FDA requires device manufacturers to initially make and document a determination of whether or not a modification requires a new
authorization, approval, supplement or clearance. A manufacturer may determine that a modification could not significantly affect safety or efficacy and does not represent a major change in its intended use, so that no new 510(k) clearance is
necessary. However, the FDA can review a manufacturer’s decision and may disagree. The FDA may also on its own initiative determine that a new clearance or approval is required. We may make modifications to our tests in the future. For example,
we are developing additional software component to our tests, which may require new clearances or approvals from the FDA. If the FDA requires new authorizations, clearances or approvals for the modifications, we may be required to recall and to
stop marketing our tests, as approved and as modified, which could require us to redesign our tests and harm our operating results. In these circumstances, we may be subject to significant enforcement actions.
If a manufacturer determines that a modification to an FDA
510(k)-cleared device could significantly affect its safety or efficacy, or would constitute a major change in its intended use, then the manufacturer must file for a new 510(k) clearance or possibly a PMA application. Where we determine that
modifications to our products require a new 510(k) clearance or PMA, we may not be able to obtain those additional clearances or approvals for the modifications or additional indications in a timely manner, or at all. Obtaining authorizations,
clearances and approvals can be a time-consuming process, and delays in obtaining required future clearances or approvals would adversely affect our ability to introduce new or enhanced tests in a timely manner, which in turn would harm our
future growth.
We require a waived designation under the
Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 from the FDA for our products to be used at the point-of-care, and outside of the clinical laboratory setting.
A Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988, or
CLIA,-waived designation by the FDA is required for our products to be used at the point-of-care, and outside of the clinical laboratory setting but is not required for our at-home and over-the-counter COVID-19 test. We are subject to CLIA and
its implementing regulations in the United States which establish quality standards for all laboratory testing to ensure the accuracy, reliability and timeliness of patient test results regardless of where the test is performed. Laboratory
tests regulated under CLIA are categorized by the FDA as waived, moderate complexity or high complexity based on set criteria. Tests that are waived by regulation, or cleared, approved, or otherwise authorized by the FDA for home use or a
point-of-care test, are deemed waived following marketing authorization. Our COVID-19 test is currently marketed pursuant to EUAs we received from the FDA in June 2020, for point-of-care use, and in March 2021, for at-home and over-the-counter
use without a prescription. If a test is not deemed waived, a manufacturer of a test categorized as moderate complexity may request categorization of the test as waived through a CLIA Waiver by Application submission to the FDA. The
manufacturer must provide evidence to the FDA that a test meets the CLIA statutory criteria for waiver, including, among other things, that the test employs methodologies that are so simple and accurate as to render the likelihood of erroneous
results by the user negligible. When a test is categorized as waived, it may be performed by laboratories with a Certificate of Waiver, which is issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS, the federal agency responsible
for the oversight of clinical laboratories, which includes issuing waiver certificates. We are also required to maintain a license to conduct testing in California. California laws establish standards for day-to-day operation of our clinical
laboratory, including the training and skills required of personnel and quality control. If, for future tests, we fail to obtain, or experience significant delays in obtaining, a waiver approval
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by the FDA for our tests, our tests will only be able to be performed by CLIA
certified or accredited and state licensed laboratories, which may limit our commercial success and have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition or operations. Further, if we fail to meet the requirements for our CLIA Waiver or
California state laboratory license, we could be subject to significant fines, penalties, administrative sanctions, any of which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition or operations.
If we fail to comply with the FDA’s QSR our
manufacturing operations could be interrupted and our Cue Health Monitoring System sales and operating results could suffer.
Although full compliance may not be required under an EUA, we will
be required to comply with some requirements of the FDA’s QSR, which covers the methods used in, and the facilities and controls used for, the design, testing, manufacture, quality assurance, labeling, packaging, sterilization, storage and
shipping of our tests. The FDA enforces the QSR through periodic announced and unannounced inspections of our manufacturing facilities. The failure by us or one of our current or future manufacturers or suppliers to comply with applicable
statutes and regulations administered by the FDA and other regulatory authorities, or the failure to timely and adequately respond to any adverse inspectional observations, could result in, among other things, any of the following enforcement
actions:
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untitled letters, warning letters, injunctions, civil penalties and criminal fines;
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customer notifications or repair, replacement, refunds, recall, detention or seizure of our tests;
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operating restrictions or partial suspension or total shutdown of production;
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refusing or delaying our requests for approval of a PMA or 510(k) clearance of new products, modified products or new
indications of cleared products;
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withdrawing PMA approvals or reclassifying devices that have 510(k) clearances;
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refusal to grant export certificates for our tests; or
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Any of these actions could impair our ability to produce our tests
in a cost-effective and timely manner to meet our customers’ demands once approved for marketing. Furthermore, our key suppliers may not currently be or may not continue to be in compliance with all applicable regulatory requirements, which could
result in our failure to produce components of our Cue Health Monitoring System on a timely basis and in the required quantities, if at all.
Our Cue Health Monitoring System is and
will continue to be, subject to extensive regulation and compliance obligations, which are costly and time-consuming, and such regulation may cause unanticipated delays or prevent the receipt of the required authorizations, clearances or
approvals to commercialize our Cue Health Monitoring System and any current or future test.
The manufacture, labeling, advertising, promotion, record-keeping,
post-market surveillance and marketing of medical devices are subject to extensive regulation and review by the FDA and numerous other governmental authorities in the United States as well as foreign countries where we may sell our tests. Even
after we have obtained EUA approval, 510(k) clearance or PMA approval to market a product, we have ongoing responsibilities under FDA and other regulations. The FDA and other national governmental authorities have broad enforcement powers. The
regulations to which we are subject are complex and have become more stringent over time. Regulatory changes could result in restrictions on our ability to continue or expand our operations, higher than anticipated costs or lower than anticipated
sales. Our failure to comply with applicable regulatory requirements could result in enforcement actions such as:
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delays on or denials of pending requests for 510(k) clearance or PMA approval;
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withdrawals or suspensions of current PMA approvals or reclassification of 510(k) cleared devices, resulting in prohibitions on
sales of our tests, if approved;
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warning letters or untitled letters;
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operating restrictions, including a partial or total shutdown of production on our tests for any indication;
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refusal to issue export approvals or certifications;
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obtaining injunctions preventing us from manufacturing or distributing our products;
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commencing criminal prosecutions; and
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total prohibitions on our sales.
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The incurrence or commencement of any such action would harm our
reputation and cause sales of our tests to suffer and may prevent us from generating revenue.
In order to facilitate the rapid and thorough public health response
to the COVID-19 pandemic, the CARES Act requires every laboratory that performs or analyzes a test that is intended to detect SARS-CoV-2 or to diagnose a possible case of COVID-19 to report the results from each such test to the Secretary of U.S.
HHS. The CARES Act also authorized the HHS Secretary to identify the form and manner, as well as the timing and frequency, of such reporting. Based on subsequent guidance issued by the U.S. HHS on June 4, 2020, all laboratories, including testing
locations operating as temporary overflow or remote locations for a laboratory, and other facilities or locations performing testing at point-of-care or with at-home specimen collection related to SARS-CoV-2, will report data for all testing
completed, for each individual tested, within 24 hours of results being known or determined, on a daily basis to the appropriate state or local public health department based on the individual’s residence. If governmental authorities conclude
that our reporting processes do not comply with applicable law, we may be subject to penalties and other damages.
Our products may cause or contribute to
adverse medical events or be subject to failures or malfunctions that we are required to report to the FDA, and if we fail to do so, we would be subject to sanctions that could harm our reputation, business, financial condition and results of
operations. The discovery of serious safety issues with our products, or a recall of our products either voluntarily or at the direction of the FDA or another governmental authority, could have a negative impact on us.
We are subject to the FDA’s medical device reporting regulations and
similar foreign regulations, which require us to report to the FDA when we receive or become aware of information that reasonably suggests that one or more of our products may have caused or contributed to a death or serious injury or
malfunctioned in a way that, if the malfunction were to recur, it could cause or contribute to a death or serious injury. The timing of our obligation to report is triggered by the date we become aware of the adverse event as well as the nature
of the event. We may fail to report adverse events of which we become aware within the prescribed timeframe. We may also fail to recognize that we have become aware of a reportable adverse event, especially if it is not reported to us as an
adverse event or if it is an adverse event that is unexpected or removed in time from the use of the product. If we fail to comply with our reporting obligations, the FDA could take action, including warning letters, untitled letters,
administrative actions, criminal prosecution, imposition of civil monetary penalties, revocation of our device clearance or approval, seizure of our products or delay in clearance or approval of future products.
The FDA and foreign regulatory bodies have the authority to require
the recall of commercialized products in the event of material deficiencies or defects in design or manufacture of a product or in the event that a product poses an unacceptable risk to health. The FDA’s authority to require a recall must be
based on a finding that there is reasonable probability that the device could cause serious injury or death. We may also choose to voluntarily recall a product if any material deficiency is found. A government-mandated or voluntary recall by us
could occur as a result of an unacceptable risk to health, component failures, malfunctions, manufacturing defects, labeling or design deficiencies, packaging defects or other deficiencies or failures to comply with applicable regulations.
Product defects or other errors may occur in the future.
Depending on the corrective action we take to redress a product’s
deficiencies or defects, the FDA may require, or we may decide, that we will need to obtain new clearances or approvals for the device before we may market or distribute the corrected device. Seeking such clearances or approvals may delay our
ability to replace the recalled devices in a timely manner. Moreover, if we do not adequately address problems associated with our devices, we may face additional regulatory enforcement action, including FDA warning letters, product seizure,
injunctions, administrative penalties or civil or criminal fines.
Companies are required to maintain certain records of recalls and
corrections, even if they are not reportable to the FDA. We may initiate voluntary withdrawals or corrections for our products in the future that we determine do
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not require notification of the FDA. If the FDA disagrees with our determinations,
it could require us to report those actions as recalls and we may be subject to enforcement action. A future recall announcement could harm our reputation with customers, potentially lead to product liability claims against us and negatively
affect our sales. Any corrective action, whether voluntary or involuntary, as well as defending ourselves in a lawsuit, will require the dedication of our time and capital, distract management from operating our business and may harm our
reputation and financial results.
The misuse or off-label use of our tests may
harm our reputation or the image of our tests in the marketplace, or result in injuries that lead to product liability suits, which could be costly to our business. Moreover, we could be subject to FDA sanctions if we are deemed to have engaged
in off-label promotion.
Our promotional materials and training methods must comply with FDA
and other applicable laws and regulations, including the prohibition on the promotion of a medical device for an indication that has not been approved or cleared by the FDA, referred to as an off-label use. The FDA does not restrict or regulate a
physician’s use of a medical device within the practice of medicine, and we cannot prevent a physician from using our tests for an off-label use. If the FDA determines that our promotional materials constitute the unlawful promotion of an
off-label use, it could subject us to regulatory or enforcement actions, including revocation of our existing EUA, additional civil money penalties, criminal fines and penalties, and exclusion from participation in federal health programs, among
others. For example, in connection with our existing EUA, our COVID-19 test must comply with certain labeling requirements, including the label that our COVID-19 test has not been FDA cleared or approved but has been authorized by the FDA under
an EUA and that our COVID-19 test has been authorized only for the detection of nucleic acid from SARS-CoV-2, and not for any other viruses or pathogens. Other federal, state or foreign governmental authorities might also take action if they
consider our promotion or training materials to constitute promotion of an off-label use, which could result in significant fines or penalties under other statutory authorities. In that event, our reputation could be damaged and the use of our
tests in the marketplace could be impaired.
Furthermore, the use of our tests for indications other than those
that have been approved or cleared by the FDA may lead to performance issues or produce erroneous results, which could harm our reputation in the marketplace among physicians and consumers and increase the risk of product liability. Product
liability claims are expensive to defend and could divert our management’s attention from our primary business and result in substantial damage awards against us. Any of these events could harm our business, results of operations and financial
condition.
Clinical trials necessary to support a future
test submission will be expensive and may require the enrollment of large numbers of subjects, and suitable subjects may be difficult to identify and recruit. Delays or failures in our clinical trials will prevent us from commercializing any
modified or new tests and will adversely affect our business, operating results and prospects.
Initiating and completing clinical trials necessary to support a
future EUA, 510(k), PMA, or de novo submission, will be time consuming and expensive and the outcome uncertain. Moreover, the results of early clinical trials are not necessarily predictive of future results, and any test we advance into clinical
trials may not have favorable results in later clinical trials.
We expect all of our tests in our expected future test menu to require clinical
studies or trials.
Conducting successful clinical trials will require the enrollment of
large numbers of subjects, and suitable subjects may be difficult to identify and recruit. Subject enrollment in clinical trials and completion of subject participation depends on many factors, including the nature of the trial protocol, the
attractiveness of, or the discomforts and risks associated with, the indication of the underlying test, the availability of appropriate clinical trial investigators, support staff, and proximity of subjects to clinical sites and able to comply
with the eligibility and exclusion criteria for participation in the clinical trial and subject compliance. In addition, subjects may not participate in our clinical trials if they choose to participate in contemporaneous clinical trials of
competitive products.
In addition, our clinical trials may in the future be affected by
the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic may impact subject enrollment. In particular, some sites may pause enrollment to focus on, and direct resources to, COVID-19, while at other sites, subjects may choose not to enroll or
continue participating in the clinical trial as a result of the pandemic. As a result, potential subjects in our clinical trials may choose to not enroll, not participate in follow-up clinical visits, or drop out of the trial as a precaution
against contracting COVID-19. Further, some subjects may not be able or willing to comply with clinical trial protocols if quarantines impede subject
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movement or interrupt healthcare services. We are unable to predict with confidence
the duration of any such potential subject enrollment delays and difficulties, whether related to COVID-19 or otherwise. Delays in subject enrollment or failure of subjects to continue to participate in a clinical trial may cause an increase in
costs and delays in the approval and attempted commercialization of our tests or result in the failure of the clinical trial.
Development of sufficient and appropriate clinical protocols to
demonstrate safety and efficacy are required and we may not adequately develop such protocols to support clearance and approval. Further, the FDA may require us to submit data on a greater number of subjects than we originally anticipated and/or
for a longer follow-up period or change the data collection requirements or data analysis applicable to our clinical trials. In addition, despite considerable time and expense invested in our clinical trials, the FDA may not consider our data
adequate for approval. Such increased costs and delays or failures could adversely affect our business, operating results and prospects.
Changes in funding or disruptions at the FDA
and other government agencies caused by funding shortages or global health concerns could hinder their ability to hire and retain key leadership and other personnel, or otherwise prevent new or modified products from being developed, approved or
commercialized in a timely manner, or at all, or otherwise prevent those agencies from performing normal business functions on which the operation of our business may rely, which could negatively impact our business.
The ability of the FDA to review and approve new products can be
affected by a variety of factors, including government budget and funding levels, ability to hire and retain key personnel and accept the payment of user fees, and statutory, regulatory, and policy changes, and other events that may otherwise
affect the FDA’s ability to perform routine functions. Average review times at the agency have fluctuated in recent years as a result. In addition, government funding of other government agencies on which our operations may rely, including those
that fund research and development activities is subject to the political process, which is inherently fluid and unpredictable.
Disruptions at the FDA and other agencies may also slow the time
necessary for new product applications to be reviewed and/or approved by necessary government agencies, which would adversely affect our business. For example, in recent years, including for 35 days beginning on December 22, 2018, the U.S.
government shut down several times and certain regulatory agencies, including the FDA, had to furlough critical employees and stop critical activities. Separately, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, on March 10, 2020 the FDA announced its
intention to postpone most inspections of foreign manufacturing facilities. On March 18, 2020, the FDA temporarily postponed routine surveillance inspections of domestic manufacturing facilities and provided guidance regarding the conduct of
clinical trials. Subsequently, on July 10, 2020 the FDA announced its intention to resume certain on-site inspections of domestic manufacturing facilities subject to a risk-based prioritization system. The FDA intends to use this risk-based
assessment system to identify the categories of regulatory activity that can occur within a given geographic area, ranging from mission critical inspections to resumption of all regulatory activities. Regulatory authorities outside the United
States may adopt similar restrictions or other policy measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. If a prolonged government shutdown occurs, or if global health concerns continue to prevent the FDA or other regulatory authorities from
conducting their regular inspections, reviews, or other regulatory activities, it could significantly impact the ability of the FDA or other regulatory authorities to timely review and process our regulatory submissions, which could have a
material adverse effect on our business.
We expect to rely on third parties in
conducting future clinical studies of diagnostic products that may be required by the FDA or other regulatory authorities, and those third parties may not perform such clinical studies satisfactorily.
We do not have the ability to independently conduct clinical
studies that may be required to obtain FDA and other regulatory clearance or approval for future diagnostic products. Accordingly, we expect that we would rely on third parties, such as, laboratories, clinical investigators, CROs, consultants,
and collaborators to conduct such studies if needed. Our reliance on these third parties for clinical and other development activities would reduce our control over these activities but will not relieve us of our responsibilities. We will
remain responsible for ensuring that each of our clinical studies is conducted in accordance with the general investigational plan and protocols for the study. Moreover, the FDA requires us to comply with standards, commonly referred to as
GCPs, for conducting, recording and reporting the results of clinical studies to assure that data and reported results are credible and accurate and that the rights, integrity, and confidentiality of patients in clinical studies are protected.
Furthermore, these third parties may also have relationships with other entities, some of which may be our competitors. To the extent our collaborators or the CROs fail to enroll participants for our clinical trials, fail to conduct the study
to current GCP
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standards or are delayed for a significant time in the execution of trials,
including achieving full enrollment, including on account of the outbreak of infectious disease, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, or otherwise, we may be affected by increased costs, program delays or both, any resulting data may be unreliable or
unusable for regulatory purposes, and we may be subject to enforcement action.
If these third parties do not successfully carry out their
contractual duties or regulatory obligations or meet expected deadlines, if the third parties need to be replaced or if the quality or accuracy of the data they obtain is compromised, our preclinical development activities or clinical trials may
be extended, delayed, suspended or terminated, and we may not be able to obtain regulatory approval for, or successfully commercialize, our products on a timely basis, if at all, and our business, operating results and prospects may be adversely
affected.
We are subject to stringent and changing Data
Protection Laws, Privacy Policies and Data Protection Obligations. The actual or perceived failure by us or our third-party service providers or vendors, to comply with such obligations could harm our reputation, subject us to significant fines
and liability, or otherwise adversely affect our business.
We are subject to numerous Data Protection Laws that govern the
Processing of individually identifiable information and health information and Data Protection Obligations. The legislative and regulatory landscape for privacy and data protection continues to evolve in jurisdictions worldwide, and there has
been an increasing focus on privacy and data protection issues with the potential to affect our business. Failure to comply with any of these Data Protection Laws could result in enforcement actions against us, including fines, imprisonment of
company officials and public censure, claims for damages by affected individuals, damage to our reputation and loss of goodwill, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business.
As we seek to expand our business, we are, and will increasingly
become, subject to various Data Protection Laws as well as Data Protection Obligations, relating to the Processing of sensitive and personal information in the jurisdictions in which we operate. In many cases, these laws, regulations and
standards apply not only to disclosures to third parties, but also to transfers of information between or among us and other parties with which we have commercial relationships. These Data Protection Laws may be interpreted and applied
differently over time and from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, and it is possible that they will be interpreted and applied in ways that will materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. The
regulatory framework for data privacy, data security and data transfers worldwide is rapidly evolving and, as a result, interpretation and implementation standards and enforcement practices are likely to remain uncertain for the foreseeable
future.
There are numerous U.S. federal and state laws and regulations
related to the privacy and security of personal information. These laws and regulations include the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, or HIPAA, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical
Health Act of 2009, or HITECH, and their implementing regulations, or collectively referred to as the HIPAA Rules, which establish a set of national privacy and security standards to safeguard Protected Health Information, or PHI, by health
plans, healthcare clearinghouses and certain healthcare providers, referred to as covered entities, and the business associates and their subcontractors with whom such covered entities contract for services that involve the creation, receipt,
maintenance or transmission of PHI for or on behalf of a covered entity or another business associate. HIPAA requires covered entities and business associates to, among other things, develop and maintain policies and procedures with respect to
PHI that is used or disclosed, including the adoption of administrative, physical and technical safeguards to protect such information and ensure the confidentiality, integrity and availability of electronic PHI. As this applies to our business,
we are required to maintain security standards for any PHI that we create, receive, maintain or transmit. For example, we plan to offer cloud-based portal software to help our customers more efficiently use our products. The software will
maintain security safeguards that are designed to be consistent with the HIPAA Rules, but we cannot guarantee that these safeguards will not fail or that they will not be deemed inadequate in the future. In addition, we could be subject to
periodic audits for compliance with the HIPAA Privacy and Security Standards by the U.S. HHS, and our customers. The U.S. HHS Office for Civil Rights may impose significant penalties on entities subject to HIPAA for a failure to comply with a
requirement of the HIPAA Rules. Penalties will vary significantly depending on factors such as the date of the violation, whether the entity knew or should have known of the failure to comply, or whether the entity’s failure to comply was due to
willful neglect. A single breach incident may violate multiple standards. In addition, a person who knowingly obtains or discloses individually identifiable health information in violation of HIPAA may face significant criminal penalties and
imprisonment. HIPAA also authorizes state attorneys general to file suit on behalf of their residents. Courts may award damages, costs and attorneys’ fees related to violations of HIPAA in such cases. While HIPAA does not create a private right
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allowing individuals to sue us in civil court for violations of HIPAA, its standards
have been used as the basis for duty of care in state civil suits such as those for negligence or recklessness in the misuse or breach of PHI. Additionally, if we are unable to properly protect the privacy and security of the PHI of our
customers, we could be found to have breached our contracts. Determining whether PHI has been handled in compliance with applicable privacy standards and our contractual obligations can be complex and we cannot be sure how these regulations will
be interpreted, enforced or applied to our operations.
In addition, many states in which we operate have laws that protect
the privacy and security of sensitive and personal information, including health-related information. Certain state laws may be more stringent or broader in scope, or offer greater individual rights, with respect to sensitive and personal
information than federal, international or other state laws, and such laws may differ from each other, which may complicate compliance efforts. For example, the California Confidentiality of Medical Information Act, or CMIA, which is a state
version of the HIPAA Rules, that protects “medical information” held by providers of health care, health plans, and subcontractors, specifically regulates mobile applications used for, among other things, the diagnosis of medical conditions as
“health care providers pursuant to Section 56.06 of the Civil Code. This means that we are subject to additional privacy requirements that are not otherwise applicable to business associates under the HIPAA Rules. If, for example, we were to
disclose information to a third party where such disclosure is not permitted by CMIA, we could be subject to administrative fines and/or civil penalties per violation that vary based on whether the disclosure was due to negligence, was done
knowingly and willfully, or was knowingly and willfully and “for purposes of financial gain,” The CMIA also imposes criminal penalties. Section 56.36 provides that any violation of the CMIA’s nondisclosure provisions that results in an economic
loss or personal injury to a patient is punishable as a misdemeanor. Moreover, unlike HIPAA, CMIA authorizes a private right of action for any violation of its provisions, including inappropriate access to, use, or disclosure of “medical
information.” Actual injuries are not required to bring an action under CMIA. The courts may award nominal damages of $1,000 per person, plus costs and attorney’s fees for a negligent disclosure and may award compensatory and punitive damages,
plus attorneys costs and attorneys fees for economic losses or personal injury resulting from the disclosure. This private right of action may increase the likelihood of, and risks associated with, litigation in association with any data breach.
Another recent California law, the California Consumer Privacy Act
of 2018, or CCPA, increases privacy rights for California residents and imposes stringent data privacy and security obligations on companies that process their personal information, came into effect on January 1, 2020. The CCPA provides for civil
penalties for violations, as well as a private right of action for certain data breaches that result in the loss of personal information but does not apply to health care providers subject to CMIA or business associates subject to HIPAA. In
addition, laws governing online privacy, such as the California Online Privacy Protection Act, or CalOPPA, applies to our mobile application and online services. This private right of action may increase the likelihood of, and risks associated
with, data breach litigation. The CCPA has been amended from time to time, and it is possible that further amendments will be enacted, but even in its current form it remains unclear how various provisions of the CCPA will be interpreted and
enforced. Further, California voters recently approved the California Privacy Rights Act of 2020, or CPRA, that goes into effect on January 1, 2023. It is expected that the CPRA would, among other things, give California residents the ability to
limit the use of their sensitive information, provide for penalties for CPRA violations concerning California residents under the age of 16, and establish a new California Privacy Protection Agency to implement and enforce the law. As the number
and breadth of California privacy law increases, it is possible that we may be subject to additional standards or enforcement authorities under laws such as CCPA or CPRA in the future with respect to some of the information that we collect or
maintain.
Although California often leads the nation in privacy laws, state
laws are also changing rapidly. Additional states are enacting more stringent consumer privacy laws, and there is continuing discussion in Congress of a new federal data protection and privacy law to which we would become subject if it is
enacted. All of these evolving compliance and operational requirements impose significant costs that are likely to increase over time, may require us to modify our data processing practices and policies, divert resources from other initiatives
and projects, and could restrict the way products involving data are offered, all of which may have a material and adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Laws, regulations and standards in many other jurisdictions also
apply broadly to the Processing of personal information, which impose significant compliance obligations. For example, in the European Economic Area, or EEA, and the United Kingdom, the collection and use of personal data, including clinical
trial data, is governed by the provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, which came into effect in May 2018. The GDPR
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imposes stringent data privacy and security requirements on companies in relation to
the processing of personal data of data subjects within the EEA and the United Kingdom. The GDPR, together with national legislation, regulations and guidelines of the EEA member states and the United Kingdom governing the Processing of personal
data, impose strict obligations and restrictions on the ability to Process personal data, including health data from clinical trials and adverse event reporting. The law is also developing rapidly and, in July 2020, in its Schrems II ruling, the
Court of Justice of the EU invalidated the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield data transfer mechanism, limiting how organizations could lawfully transfer personal data from the EEA to the U.S. Other data transfer mechanisms such as the Standard Contractual
Clauses approved by the European Commission have faced challenges in European courts (including being called into question in Schrems II), may require additional risk analysis and supplemental measures to be used, and may be challenged, suspended
or invalidated. In addition, the European Commission recently proposed updates to the Standard Contractual Clauses. Such developments may cause us to have to make further expenditures on local infrastructure, limit our ability to Process personal
data, change internal business processes or otherwise affect or restrict sales and operations. Complying with these numerous, complex and often changing regulations is expensive and difficult, and failure to comply with any Data Protection Laws
or any security incident or breach involving the misappropriation, loss or other unauthorized use or disclosure of sensitive or confidential information, whether by us, one of our service providers or another third party, could negatively affect
our business, financial condition and results of operations, including but not limited to: investigation costs, material fines and penalties; compensatory, special, punitive and statutory damages; litigation; consent orders regarding our privacy
and security practices; requirements that we provide notices, credit monitoring services or credit restoration services or other relevant services to impacted individuals; adverse actions against our licenses to do business; and injunctive
relief.
Further, while the United Kingdom enacted the Data Protection Act
2018 in May 2018 that supplements the GDPR and has publicly announced that it will continue to regulate the protection of personal data in the same way post-Brexit for a period of time, Brexit has created uncertainty with regard to the future
regulation of data and data protection in the United Kingdom. Other countries also are considering or have passed legislation requiring local storage, processing or security of data, or similar requirements, which could increase the cost and
complexity of delivering our products.
We will make public statements about our use and disclosure of
personal information through our Cue Virtual Care Delivery Apps and external Privacy Policies. Although we endeavor to comply with our external Privacy Policies, we may at times fail to do so or be alleged to have failed to do so. The publication
of our external Privacy Policies that provide promises and assurances about data privacy and security can subject us to potential government or legal action if they are found to be deceptive, unfair or misrepresentative of our actual practices.
Any failure, real or perceived, by us to comply with our external Privacy Policies, Data Protection Laws, or consumer protection-related laws and regulations applicable to us could cause our customers to reduce their use of our products and could
materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. In many jurisdictions, enforcement actions and consequences for non-compliance can be significant and are rising. In addition, from time to time,
concerns may be expressed about whether our products or processes compromise the privacy of customers and others. Concerns about our practices with regard to the collection, use, retention, security, disclosure, transfer and other processing of
personal information or other privacy-related matters, even if unfounded, could damage our reputation and materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Many statutory requirements, both in the United States and abroad,
include obligations for companies to notify individuals of security breaches involving certain personal information, which could result from breaches experienced by us or our third-party service providers. For example, laws in all 50 U.S. states
and the District of Columbia require businesses to provide notice to consumers whose unencrypted personal information has been disclosed as a result of a data breach. These laws are not consistent, and compliance in the event of a widespread data
breach is difficult and may be costly. Moreover, states have been frequently amending existing laws, requiring attention to changing regulatory requirements. We also may be contractually required to notify affected customers, regulators, credit
reporting agencies or other affected individuals of a security breach. Such notifications are costly, and the disclosures or the failure to comply with such requirements, could lead to material adverse effects, including without limitation,
negative publicity, a loss of customer confidence in our services or security measures or breach of contract claims. There can be no assurance that the limitations of liability in our contracts would be enforceable or adequate or would otherwise
protect us from liabilities or damages if we fail to comply with applicable Data Protection Laws, Data Protection Obligations or other legal obligations. In addition, although we may have contractual protections with our third-party service
providers, contractors and consultants, any actual or perceived security breach by our subcontractors could harm our reputation and brand, expose us to potential liability or require
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us to expend significant resources on data security and in responding to any such
actual or perceived breach. Any contractual protections we may have from our third-party service providers, contractors or consultants may not be sufficient to adequately protect us from any such liabilities and losses, and we may be unable to
enforce any such contractual protections.
We expect that there will continue to be new proposed laws and
regulations concerning data privacy and security, and we cannot yet determine the impact such future laws, regulations and standards may have on our business. New laws, amendments to or re-interpretations of existing laws, regulations, standards
and other obligations may require us to incur additional costs and restrict our business operations. Because the interpretation and application of health-related and Data Protection Laws and other obligations are still uncertain, and often
contradictory and in flux, it is possible that the scope and requirements of these laws may be interpreted and applied in a manner that is inconsistent with our practices and our efforts to comply with the evolving data protection rules may be
unsuccessful. If so, this could result in government-imposed fines or orders requiring that we change our practices, which could adversely affect our business.
We cannot assure you that our third-party partners and service
providers with access to our or our customers’, suppliers’ and employees’ personally identifiable and other sensitive or confidential information in relation to which we are responsible will not breach contractual obligations imposed by us or
violate Data Protection Laws, or that they will not experience security breaches or attempts thereof, which could have a corresponding effect on our business, including putting us in breach of our obligations under the Data Protection Laws, which
could in turn adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. We cannot assure you that our contractual measures and our own privacy- and security-related safeguards will protect us from the risks associated with the
third-party processing, storage and transmission of such information.
We may receive inquiries or be subject to investigations,
proceedings or actions, by various government entities regarding our privacy and information security practices and Processing (“Regulatory Proceedings”). These Regulatory Proceedings could result in a material adverse effect, including without
limitation, interruptions of, or required changes to, our business practices, the diversion resources and the attention of management from our business, regulatory oversights and audits, discontinuance of necessary Processing, or other remedies
that adversely affect our business.
In addition to the possibility of fines, lawsuits, regulatory
investigations, public censure, other claims and penalties, and significant costs for remediation and damage to our reputation, we could be materially and adversely affected if legislation or regulations are expanded to require changes in our
data processing practices and policies or if governing jurisdictions interpret or implement their legislation or regulations in ways that negatively impact our business. Complying with these various laws could cause us to incur substantial costs
or require us to change our business practices and compliance procedures in a manner adverse to our business. Any inability to adequately address data privacy or security-related concerns, even if unfounded, or to comply with applicable laws,
regulations, standards and other obligations relating to data privacy and security, could result in additional cost and liability to us, harm our reputation and brand, damage our relationships with customers and have a material and adverse impact
on our business.
While we maintain general liability insurance coverage, cyber
insurance coverage and other insurance, we cannot assure that such coverage will be adequate or otherwise protect us from or adequately mitigate liabilities or damages with respect to claims, costs, expenses, litigation, fines, penalties,
business loss, data loss, regulatory actions or material adverse effects arising out of our privacy and security practices, Processing or security breaches we may experience, or that such coverage will continue to be available on acceptable terms
or at all. The successful assertion of one or more large claims against us that exceeds our available insurance coverage, or results in changes to our insurance policies (including premium increases or the imposition of large deductible or
co-insurance requirements), could have an adverse effect on our business. In addition, we cannot be sure that our existing insurance coverage will continue to be available on acceptable terms or that our insurers will not deny coverage as to any
future claim.
Laws and regulations affecting government
contracts and grants, including our grants, make it more costly and difficult for us to successfully conduct our business. Failure to comply with these laws and regulations could result in significant civil and criminal penalties and adversely
affect our business.
We must comply with numerous laws, regulations, and agency-specific
policies and procedures relating to the administration and performance of our grant and sub-award agreements. Among the most significant are:
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the Federal Acquisition Regulation, or FAR, and agency-specific regulations supplemental to the FAR, which comprehensively
regulate the procurement, formation, administration and performance of government contracts;
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the business ethics and public integrity obligations, which govern conflicts of interest and the hiring of former government
employees, restrict the granting of gratuities and funding of lobbying activities and incorporate other requirements such as the AKS, the Procurement Integrity Act, the FCA and the FCPA; and
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laws, regulations and executive orders restricting the exportation of certain products and technical data.
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In addition, as a U.S. government contractor, we are required to
comply with applicable laws, regulations and standards relating to our accounting practices, including unique accounting requirements regarding allowable and unallowable costs, and are subject to periodic audits and reviews. As part of any such
audit or review, the U.S. government may review the adequacy of, and our compliance with, our internal control systems and policies, including those relating to our purchasing, property, estimating, compensation and management information
systems. Based on the results of its audits, the U.S. government may adjust our agreement-related costs and fees, including allocated indirect costs. This adjustment could impact the amount of revenue reported on a historic basis and could impact
our cash flows under the contract prospectively. In addition, in the event the U.S. government determines that certain costs and fees were unallowable or determines that the allocated indirect cost rate was higher than the actual indirect cost
rate, it would be entitled to recoup any overpayment from us as a result. In addition, if an audit or review uncovers any improper or illegal activity, we may be subject to civil and criminal penalties and administrative sanctions, including
termination of our agreements, forfeiture of profits, suspension of payments, fines and suspension or prohibition from doing business with the U.S. government. We could also suffer serious harm to our reputation if allegations of impropriety were
made against us, which could cause our stock price to decline. Further, as a U.S. government contractor, we are subject to an increased risk of investigations, criminal prosecution, civil fraud, whistleblower lawsuits and other legal actions and
liabilities as compared to private sector commercial companies. In addition, the qui tam provisions of the civil FCA authorize a private person to file civil actions on behalf of the federal and state governments and retain a share of any
recovery, which can include treble damages and civil penalties.
If we or our suppliers fail to comply with
environmental, health and safety laws and regulations, we could become subject to fines or penalties or incur costs that could have a material adverse effect on the success of our business.
We and our suppliers are subject to numerous environmental, health
and safety laws and regulations, including those governing the handling, use, storage, treatment and disposal of hazardous materials and wastes. Our operations, and the manufacturer of our products, involve the production and use of hazardous and
flammable materials and waste, including chemicals and biological materials. We generally contract with third parties for the disposal of these materials and wastes. We cannot eliminate the risk of contamination or injury from these materials. In
the event of contamination or injury resulting from our use of hazardous materials, we could be held liable for any resulting damages, and any liability could exceed our resources. We also could incur significant costs associated with civil or
criminal fines and penalties.
Although we maintain workers’ compensation insurance to cover us for
costs and expenses we may incur due to injuries to our employees resulting from the use of hazardous materials, this insurance may not provide adequate coverage against potential liabilities. We do not maintain insurance for environmental
liability or toxic tort claims that may be asserted against us in connection with our storage or disposal of biological, hazardous or radioactive materials.
We are subject to federal, state and local laws and regulations in
the United States governing the use, manufacture, storage, handling and disposal of medical and hazardous materials. Although we believe that our procedures for using, handling, storing and disposing of these materials comply with legally
prescribed standards, we cannot completely eliminate the risk of contamination or injury resulting from medical or hazardous materials. As a result of any such contamination or injury, we may incur liability or local, city, state or federal
authorities may curtail the use of these materials and interrupt our business operations. In the event of an accident, we could be held liable for damages or penalized with fines, and the liability could exceed our resources. We do not have any
insurance for liabilities arising from medical or hazardous materials. Compliance with applicable environmental laws and regulations is expensive, and current or future environmental regulations may impair our research, development and production
efforts, which could harm our business, prospects, financial condition or results of operations.
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If we fail to comply with U.S. federal and
state fraud and abuse and other healthcare laws and regulations, including those relating to kickbacks and false claims, we could face substantial penalties and our business operations and financial condition could be harmed.
Healthcare providers and third-party payors play a primary role in
the distribution, recommendation, ordering and purchasing of any medical device for which we have or obtain marketing clearance or approval. Through our arrangements with healthcare professionals and customers, we are exposed to broadly
applicable anti-fraud and abuse, anti-kickback, false claims and other healthcare laws and regulations that may constrain our business, our arrangements and relationships with customers, and how we market, sell and distribute our marketed medical
devices. We have a compliance program, code of conduct and associated policies and procedures, but it is not always possible to identify and deter misconduct by our employees and other third parties, and the precautions we take to detect and
prevent noncompliance may not be effective in protecting us from governmental investigations for failure to comply with applicable fraud and abuse or other healthcare laws and regulations.
In the United States, we are subject to various state and federal
anti-fraud and abuse laws, including, without limitation, the federal Anti-Kickback Statute and federal civil False Claims Act, or the FCA. There are similar laws in other countries. Our relationships with physicians, other health care
professionals and hospitals are subject to scrutiny under these laws.
The laws that may affect our ability to operate include, among others:
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the Anti-Kickback Statute, which prohibits, among other things, knowingly and willingly soliciting, offering, receiving or
paying remuneration, directly or indirectly, overtly or covertly, in cash or in kind, to induce or reward either the referral of a person, or the purchase, order or recommendation of, items or services for which payment may be made, in
whole or in part, under a federal healthcare program such as the Medicare and Medicaid programs. The term “remuneration” has been broadly interpreted to include anything of value, and the government can establish a violation of the
Anti-Kickback Statute without proving that a person or entity had actual knowledge of the law or a specific intent to violate. In addition, the government may assert that a claim, including items or services resulting from a violation of
the Anti-Kickback Statute, constitutes a false or fraudulent claim for purposes of the FCA. There are a number of statutory exceptions and regulatory safe harbors protecting certain business arrangements from prosecution under the
Anti-Kickback Statute; however, those exceptions and safe harbors are drawn narrowly, and there may be limited or no exception or safe harbor for many common business activities. Certain common business activities including, certain
reimbursement support programs, educational and research grants or charitable donations, and practices that involve remuneration to those who prescribe, purchase or recommend medical devices, including discounts, providing items or
services for free or engaging such people as consultants, advisors or speakers, may be subject to scrutiny if they do not fit squarely within any available exception or safe harbor and would be subject to a facts and circumstances
analysis to determine compliance with the Anti-Kickback Statute. Our business may not in all cases meet all of the criteria for statutory exception or regulatory safe harbor protection from anti-kickback liability;
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The Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act of 2018, or EKRA, which prohibits payments for referrals to recovery homes, clinical
treatment facilities, and laboratories. EKRA’s reach extends beyond federal health care programs to include private insurance (i.e., it is an “all payor” statute);
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the federal false claims and civil monetary penalties laws, including the Civil Monetary Penalties Law and the FCA, which
prohibit, among other things, persons or entities from knowingly presenting, or causing to be presented, a false or fraudulent claim for payment of government funds and knowingly making, using or causing to be made or used, a false
record or statement to get a false claim paid or to avoid, decrease or conceal an obligation to pay money to the federal government. A claim including items or services resulting from a violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute constitutes
a false or fraudulent claim for purposes of the FCA. Actions under the FCA may be brought by the government or as a qui tam action by a private person in the name of the government. These people, sometimes known as “relators” or, more
commonly, as “whistleblowers,” may share in any monetary recovery. Many medical device manufacturers have been investigated and have reached substantial financial settlements with the federal government under the FCA for a variety of
alleged improper activities, including causing false claims to be submitted as a result of the marketing of their products for unapproved and thus non-reimbursable uses and interactions with prescribers and other customers, including
those that may have affected their billing or coding practices and submission of claims to the federal government. FCA liability is potentially significant in the healthcare
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industry because the statute provides for treble damages and mandatory monetary
penalties for each false or fraudulent claim or statement. Because of the potential for large monetary exposure, healthcare and medical device companies often resolve allegations without admissions of liability for significant and material
amounts to avoid the uncertainty of treble damages and per claim penalties that may be awarded in litigation proceedings. Settlements may require companies to enter into corporate integrity agreements with the government, which may impose
substantial costs on companies to ensure compliance. Medical device manufacturers and other healthcare companies also are subject to other federal false claims laws, including, among others, federal criminal healthcare fraud and false statement
statutes that extend to non-government health benefit programs;
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HIPAA, which imposes criminal and civil liability for, among other actions, knowingly and willfully executing, or attempting to
execute, a scheme to defraud any healthcare benefit program, including private third-party payors, or knowingly and willfully falsifying, concealing or covering up a material fact or making a materially false, fictitious or fraudulent
statement or representation, or making or using any false writing or document knowing the same to contain any materially false, fictitious or fraudulent statement or entry in connection with the delivery of or payment for healthcare
benefits, items or services. Similar to the federal healthcare Anti-Kickback Statute, a person or entity does not need to have actual knowledge of the statute or specific intent to violate it to have committed a violation;
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HIPAA, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, or HITECH Act, and their
implementing regulations, also impose obligations, including mandatory contractual terms, on covered entities subject to the rule, such as health plans, healthcare clearinghouses and certain healthcare providers, as well as their business
associates and their subcontractors that perform certain services for them or on their behalf involving the use or disclosure of individually identifiable health information with respect to safeguarding the privacy, security and
transmission of individually identifiable health information;
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various state laws govern the privacy and security of personal information, including the CMIA, which provides for a private
right of action for data breaches;
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the federal Physician Payments Sunshine Act, implemented as Open Payments, requires manufacturers of drugs, devices, biologics
and medical supplies for which payment is available under Medicare, Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program to report annually, with certain exceptions to CMS, information related to payments or other “transfers of value” made
to physicians (defined to include doctors, dentists, optometrists, podiatrists and chiropractors) and teaching hospitals, and requires applicable manufacturers and group purchasing organizations to report annually to CMS ownership and
investment interests held by physicians and their immediate family members. Beginning in 2022, applicable manufacturers also will be required to report such information regarding payments and transfers of value provided during the
previous year to physician assistants, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, certified nurse anesthetists, anesthesiologist assistants and certified nurse-midwives; and
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analogous state and foreign law equivalents of each of the above federal laws, such as anti-kickback and false claims laws
which may apply to items or services reimbursed by any third-party payor, including commercial insurers; state laws that require medical device companies to comply with the industry’s voluntary compliance guidelines and the applicable
compliance guidance promulgated by the federal government or otherwise restrict payments that may be made to healthcare providers and other potential referral sources; state beneficiary inducement laws, which are state laws that require
medical device manufacturers to report information related to payments and other transfers of value to physicians and other healthcare providers or marketing expenditures; and state and foreign laws governing the privacy and security of
health information in certain circumstances, many of which differ from each other in significant ways and may not have the same effect, thus complicating compliance efforts.
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State and federal regulatory and enforcement agencies continue to
actively investigate violations of healthcare laws and regulations, and the U.S. Congress continues to strengthen the arsenal of enforcement tools. Most recently, the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, or the BBA, increased the criminal and civil
penalties that can be imposed for violating certain federal health care laws, including the Anti-Kickback Statute. Enforcement agencies also continue to pursue novel theories of liability under these laws. In particular, government agencies have
increased regulatory scrutiny and enforcement activity with respect to manufacturer reimbursement support activities and patient support
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programs, including bringing criminal charges or civil enforcement actions under the
Anti-Kickback Statute, FCA and HIPAA’s healthcare fraud and privacy provisions.
Because of the breadth of these laws and the narrowness of the
statutory exceptions and regulatory safe harbors available under such laws, it is possible that some of our business activities, including certain sales and marketing practices of our Cue Health Monitoring System, and financial arrangements with
physicians, other healthcare providers, and other customers, could be subject to challenge under one or more such laws. If an arrangement were deemed to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute, it may also subject us to violations under other fraud and
abuse laws such as the federal civil FCA and civil monetary penalties laws. Moreover, such arrangements could be found to violate comparable state fraud and abuse laws.
Achieving and sustaining compliance with applicable federal and
state anti-fraud and abuse laws may prove costly. If we or our employees are found to have violated any of the above laws we may be subjected to substantial criminal, civil and administrative penalties, including imprisonment, exclusion from
participation in federal healthcare programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, and significant fines, monetary penalties, forfeiture, disgorgement and damages, contractual damages, reputational harm, administrative burdens, diminished profits and
future earnings and the curtailment or restructuring of our operations, any of which could adversely affect our ability to operate our business and our financial results. Any action or investigation against us for the violation of these
healthcare fraud and abuse laws, even if successfully defended, could result in significant legal expenses and could divert our management’s attention from the operation of our business. Companies settling FCA, Anti-Kickback Statute or civil
monetary penalties law cases also may enter into a Corporate Integrity Agreement with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, or the OIG, in order to avoid exclusion from participation (such as loss of
coverage for their products) in federal healthcare programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. Corporate Integrity Agreements typically impose substantial costs on companies to ensure compliance. Defending against any such actions can be costly,
time-consuming and may require significant personnel resources, and may harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
In addition, the medical device industry’s relationship with
physicians is under increasing scrutiny by the OIG, the U.S. Department of Justice, or the DOJ, the state attorney generals and other foreign and domestic government agencies. Our failure to comply with requirements governing the industry’s
relationships with physicians or an investigation into our compliance by the OIG, the DOJ, state attorney generals and other government agencies, could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our employees, independent contractors,
consultants, commercial partners and vendors may engage in misconduct or other improper activities, including noncompliance with regulatory standards and requirements, which could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We are exposed to the risk that our employees, independent
contractors, consultants, commercial partners, distributors and vendors may engage in fraudulent or illegal activity. Misconduct by these parties could include intentional, reckless or negligent conduct or disclosure of unauthorized activities to
us that violates: (1) the laws of the FDA and other similar regulatory bodies, including those laws requiring the reporting of true, complete and accurate information to such regulators, (2) manufacturing standards, (3) healthcare fraud and abuse
laws in the United States and similar foreign fraudulent misconduct laws, or (4) laws that require the true, complete and accurate reporting of financial information or data. These laws may impact, among other things, future sales, marketing and
education programs. In particular, the promotion, sales and marketing of healthcare items and services, as well as certain business arrangements in the healthcare industry, are subject to extensive laws designed to prevent fraud, kickbacks,
self-dealing and other abusive practices. These laws and regulations may restrict or prohibit a wide range of pricing, discounting, marketing and promotion, structuring and commissions, certain customer incentive programs and other business
arrangements generally. Activities subject to these laws also involve the improper use of information obtained in the course of patient recruitment for clinical trials.
We intend to adopt a code of business conduct and ethics that
applies to our directors, officers and employees, but it is not always possible to identify and deter misconduct by our employees and other third parties, and the precautions we take to detect and prevent these activities may not be effective in
controlling unknown or unmanaged risks or losses or in protecting us from governmental investigations or other actions or lawsuits stemming from a failure to be in compliance with such laws or regulations. If any such actions are instituted
against us and we are not successful in defending ourselves or asserting our rights, those actions could result in the imposition of significant fines or other sanctions, including the imposition of civil, criminal and administrative penalties,
damages, monetary fines, disgorgement, imprisonment, additional integrity reporting and oversight obligations, possible exclusion from
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participation in Medicare, Medicaid and other federal healthcare programs,
contractual damages, reputational harm, diminished profits and future earnings and curtailment of operations, any of which could adversely affect our ability to operate our business and our results of operations. Whether or not we are successful
in defending against any such actions or investigations, we could incur substantial costs, including legal fees and reputational harm, and divert the attention of management in defending ourselves against any of these claims or investigations,
which could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Healthcare policy changes may have a material
adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the
Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, or collectively, the ACA, enacted in March 2010, made a number of substantial changes in the way healthcare is financed by both governmental and private insurers. Among other ways in which
the ACA may significantly impact our business, the ACA includes: provisions regarding coordination and promotion of research on comparative clinical effectiveness of different technologies and procedures; initiatives to revise Medicare payment
methodologies; and initiatives to promote quality indicators in payment methodologies.
Since enactment of the ACA, there have been, and continue to be,
numerous executive and legal challenges and Congressional actions to repeal and replace provisions of the law. For example, legislation enacted in 2017, informally titled the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, repealed the “individual mandate.” The
repeal of this provision, which requires most Americans to carry a minimal level of health insurance, became effective in 2019. Additionally, the 2020 federal spending package permanently eliminated, effective January 1, 2020, the ACA-mandated
“Cadillac” tax on high-cost employer-sponsored health coverage and the medical device tax and, effective January 1, 2021, also eliminated the health insurer tax.
During his term, President Trump signed several Executive Orders
designed to delay the implementation of certain provisions of the ACA or otherwise circumvent some of the requirements for health insurance mandated by the ACA. On January 28, 2021, however, President Biden issued a new Executive Order which
directed federal agencies to reconsider rules and other policies that limit Americans’ access to health care and consider actions to protect and strengthen that access. Under this Executive Order, federal agencies were directed to re-examine:
policies that undermine protections for people with pre-existing conditions, including complications related to COVID-19; demonstrations and waivers under Medicaid and the ACA that may reduce coverage or undermine the programs, including work
requirements; policies that undermine the Health Insurance Marketplace or other markets for health insurance; policies that make it more difficult to enroll in Medicaid and the ACA; and policies that reduce affordability of coverage or financial
assistance, including for dependents.
On December 14, 2018, a Texas U.S. District Court Judge ruled
that the ACA is unconstitutional in its entirety because the “individual mandate” was repealed by Congress as part of legislation enacted in 2017, informally titled the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. Additionally, on December 18, 2019, the U.S.
Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit upheld the District Court ruling that the individual mandate was unconstitutional and remanded the case back to the District Court to determine whether the remaining provisions of the ACA are invalid as
well. The Supreme Court is currently reviewing this case, although it is unclear when a decision will be made or how the Supreme Court will rule. On February 10, 2021, the Biden Administration withdrew DOJ's support for this lawsuit. Although
the U.S. Supreme Court has not yet ruled on the constitutionality of the ACA, on January 28, 2021, President Biden issued an executive order to initiate a special enrollment period for purposes of obtaining health insurance coverage through the
ACA marketplace, which began February 15, 2021 and will remain open through August 15, 2021. It is unclear how the Supreme Court ruling, other such litigation and the healthcare reform measures of the Biden Administration will impact the ACA.
In addition, there have been numerous governmental reform
activities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, the FFCRA authorized state Medicaid programs to provide access to coverage for certain medically necessary testing, testing-related services and treatment related to COVID-19 at no
cost to the individual during the emergency period. Such programs are evolving and vary among state Medicaid programs. In addition, the California Department of Health Care Services implemented a new COVID-19 Uninsured Group program on
August 28, 2020. Under the program, California covers COVID-19 diagnostic testing, testing-related services, and treatment services, including hospitalization and all medically necessary care, at no cost to the individual, for up to 12 months
or the end of the public health emergency, whichever comes first. It is possible that additional governmental action will be taken to address the COVID-19 pandemic, which may impact our business.
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We cannot predict whether future healthcare initiatives will be
implemented at the federal or state level, or how any future legislation or regulation may affect us, particularly in light of the recent presidential election. The expansion of government’s role in the U.S. healthcare industry as a result of the
ACA’s implementation, and changes to the reimbursement amounts paid by Medicare and other payors for our tests and our planned future tests, may reduce our profits, if any, and have a materially adverse effect on our business, financial
condition, results of operations and cash flows.
We cannot predict the impact changes to these laws or the
implementation of, or changes to, any other laws applicable to us in the future may have on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Risks Related to Our Common Stock and the Offering
There has been no prior public market for our
common stock and an active trading market for our common stock may never develop or be sustained.
No public market for our common stock currently exists. An active
public trading market for our common stock may not develop following the completion of this offering, or if developed, it may not be sustained. The lack of an active market may impair your ability to sell your shares at the time you wish to sell
them or at a price that you consider reasonable. The lack of an active market may also reduce the fair value of your shares. An inactive market may also impair our ability to raise capital to continue to fund operations by selling shares and may
impair our ability to acquire other companies or technologies by using our shares as consideration. The initial public offering price of shares of our common stock has been determined by negotiation between us and the underwriters and may not be
indicative of prices that will prevail following the completion of this offering. The market price of shares of our common stock may decline below the initial public offering price, and you may not be able to resell your shares of our common
stock at or above the initial public offering price.
Our stock price may be volatile, and the value of our common
stock may decline.
The market price of our common stock may be highly volatile and may
fluctuate or decline substantially as a result of a variety of factors, some of which are beyond our control, including, but not limited to:
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actual or anticipated fluctuations in our financial condition or results of operations;
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variance in our financial performance from expectations of securities analysts;
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changes in the pricing of our products;
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changes in our projected operating and financial results;
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changes in laws or regulations applicable to our products;
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changes in the number of enterprise customers we are able to partner with;
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the level of market adoption of the Cue Health Monitoring System, including in the over-the-counter and at-home context;
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announcements by us or our competitors of significant business developments, acquisitions, or new offerings;
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changes in the structure of healthcare payment systems;
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significant data breaches of our company, providers, vendors or pharmacies;
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our involvement in litigation;
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future sales of our common stock by us or our stockholders, as well as the anticipation of lock-up releases;
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changes in senior management or key personnel;
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negative publicity, such as whistleblower complaints or unsupported allegations made by short sellers, about us or our
products;
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the trading volume of our common stock;
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changes in investor perceptions of us or our industry;
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changes in the anticipated future size and growth rate of our market;
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the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and the end of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business;
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general economic, political, regulatory, industry, and market conditions; and
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natural disasters or major catastrophic events.
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These and other factors may cause the market price and demand for
our common stock to fluctuate substantially, which may limit or prevent investors from readily selling their shares of common stock and may otherwise negatively affect the liquidity of our common stock. In recent years, stock markets in general,
and the market for life science technology companies in particular (including companies in the genomics, biotechnology, diagnostics and related sectors), have experienced significant price and volume fluctuations that have often been unrelated or
disproportionate to changes in the operating performance of the companies whose stock is experiencing those price and volume fluctuations. Broad market and industry factors may seriously affect the market price of our common stock, regardless of
our actual operating performance. These fluctuations may be even more pronounced in the trading market for our stock shortly following this offering. Following periods of such volatility in the market price of a company’s securities, securities
class action litigation has often been brought against that company. Because of the potential volatility of our stock price, we may become the target of securities litigation in the future. Securities litigation could result in substantial costs
and divert management’s attention and resources from our business.
Future sales of our common stock in the public
market could cause the market price of our common stock to decline.
Sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the
public market following the completion of this offering, or the perception that these sales might occur, could depress the market price of our common stock and could impair our ability to raise capital through the sale of additional equity
securities.
All of our directors and officers and the holders of
substantially all of our capital stock and securities convertible into our capital stock are subject to lock-up agreements that restrict their ability to transfer shares of our capital stock for 180 days from the date of this prospectus. These
lock-up agreements limit the number of shares of capital stock that may be sold immediately following this offering, subject to certain exceptions. Subject to certain limitations, substantially all of these shares will become eligible for sale
upon expiration of the 180-day lock-up period. Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and BofA Securities, Inc. may, in their sole discretion, permit our stockholders who are subject to these lock-up agreements to sell shares
prior to the expiration of the lock-up agreements. For additional information, see the section titled “Underwriting.”
In addition, there were 10,513,531 shares of common stock
issuable upon the exercise of options outstanding as of March 31, 2021. We intend to register all of the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of such outstanding options or other equity incentives we may grant in the future, for public
resale under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or Securities Act. The shares of common stock will become eligible for sale in the public market to the extent such options are exercised, subject to the lock-up agreements described above
and compliance with applicable securities laws.
After this offering, holders of approximately shares of our
common stock will have rights, subject to some conditions, to require us to file registration statements covering the sale of their shares or to include their shares in registration statements that we may file for ourselves or other
stockholders.
The issuance of shares in connection with any subsequent issuance
could depress the market price of our common stock. We are unable to predict the effect that such issuances and/or sales may have on the prevailing market price of our common stock.
If you purchase shares of our common stock
in this offering, you will experience immediate and substantial dilution in your investment. You will experience further dilution if we issue additional equity or equity-linked securities in the future.
The initial public offering price of our common stock is
substantially higher than the pro forma net tangible book value per share of our common stock immediately after this offering. If you purchase shares of our common stock in this offering, you will suffer immediate dilution of $ per share,
representing the difference between our pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share as of March 31, 2021, after giving effect to the sale of shares of common stock in this offering and an anticipated public offering price of $ per
share, the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus. See the section entitled “Dilution.”
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If we issue additional shares of common stock, or securities
convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for shares of common stock, our stockholders, including investors who purchase shares of common stock in this offering, will experience additional dilution, and any such issuances may result in
downward pressure on the price of our common stock.
We are an emerging growth company and the
reduced disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies may make our common stock less attractive to investors.
We are an emerging growth company, as defined in the Jumpstart Our
Business Startups Act, as amended, or JOBS Act. For so long as we remain an emerging growth company, we are permitted by Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, rules and plan to rely on exemptions from certain disclosure requirements that
are applicable to other SEC-registered public companies that are not emerging growth companies.
These exemptions include not being required to comply with the
auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002, as amended, or Sarbanes-Oxley Act, not being required to comply with any requirement that may be adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding
mandatory audit firm rotation or a supplement to the auditor’s report providing additional information about the audit and the financial statements, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation and exemptions from the
requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. As a result, the information we provide stockholders will be different from the
information that is available with respect to other public companies. In this prospectus, we have not included all of the executive compensation related information that would be required if we were not an emerging growth company. We cannot
predict whether investors will find our common stock less attractive if we rely on these exemptions.
In addition, as an emerging growth company the JOBS Act allows us to
delay adoption of new or revised accounting pronouncements applicable to public companies until such pronouncements are made applicable to private companies, unless we later irrevocably elect not to avail ourselves of this exemption. We have
elected to use this extended transition period under the JOBS Act; however, we may choose to early adopt new or revised accounting pronouncements, if permitted under such pronouncements.
Even after we no longer qualify as an emerging growth company, we
may still qualify as a “smaller reporting company” which may allow us to take advantage of many of the same exemptions from disclosure requirements including not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404(b)
of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
If some investors find our common stock less attractive as a result,
there may be a less active trading market for our common stock and our stock price may be more volatile.
We do not expect to pay any dividends for the
foreseeable future. Investors in this offering may never obtain a return on their investment.
You should not rely on an investment in our common stock to
provide dividend income. We have never declared or paid cash dividends on our capital stock, and we do not anticipate that we will pay any dividends to holders of our common stock in the foreseeable future. Instead, we plan to retain all
available funds and future earnings to fund the development and expansion of our business. In addition, our ability to pay cash dividends is currently restricted by the terms of our Revolving Credit Agreement, and any future credit facility or
financing we obtain may contain, terms prohibiting or limiting the amount of dividends that may be declared or paid on our common stock. Accordingly, investors must rely on sales of their common stock after price appreciation, which may never
occur, as the only way to realize any return on their investment. As a result, investors seeking cash dividends should not purchase our common stock.
We have broad discretion in the use of the net proceeds from this
offering and may not use them effectively.
We will have broad discretion in the application of the net proceeds
to us from this offering, including for any of the purposes described in the section titled “Use of Proceeds,” and you will not have the opportunity as part of your investment decision to assess whether the net proceeds are being used
appropriately. Because of the number and variability of factors that will determine our use of the net proceeds from this offering, our ultimate use may vary substantially from our currently intended use. Investors will need to rely upon the
judgment of our management with respect to the use of proceeds. Pending use, we may invest the net proceeds from this offering in short-term,
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investment-grade, interest-bearing securities, such as money market accounts,
certificates of deposit, commercial paper, and guaranteed obligations of the United States government that may not generate a high yield for our stockholders. If we do not use the net proceeds that we receive in this offering effectively, our
business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects could be harmed, and the market price of our common stock could decline.
Concentration of ownership of our common
stock among our executive officers, directors and principal stockholders may prevent new investors from influencing significant corporate decisions.
Based on the number of shares of common stock outstanding as of
March 31, 2021 and including the shares to be sold in this offering, 83,526,065 shares of common stock issuable upon the automatic conversion of our redeemable convertible preferred stock outstanding as of March 31, 2021 into an equal number of
shares of our common stock upon the completion of this offering, our executive officers, directors and current beneficial owners of 5% or more of our common stock will, in the aggregate, beneficially own approximately % of our common
stock (assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase up to additional shares of our common stock). These stockholders, acting together, will be able to significantly influence all matters requiring stockholder approval, including
the election and removal of directors and any merger or other significant corporate transactions. The interests of this group of stockholders may not coincide with the interests of other stockholders.
Some of these persons or entities may have interests different than
those of investors purchasing shares in this offering. For example, because many of these stockholders purchased their shares at prices substantially below the price at which shares are being sold in this offering and have held their shares for a
longer period, they may be more interested in selling our company to an acquirer than other investors, or they may want us to pursue strategies that deviate from the interests of other stockholders. The foregoing discussion does not reflect any
potential purchases by our existing principal stockholders or their affiliated entities of shares of our common stock in this offering.
Delaware law and provisions in our amended
and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws that will be in effect at the completion of this offering could make a merger, tender offer or proxy contest difficult, thereby depressing the trading price of our common
stock.
Provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation
and amended and restated bylaws, which will become effective immediately prior to and upon the completion of this offering, respectively, may delay or discourage transactions involving an actual or potential change in our control or change in our
management, including transactions in which stockholders might otherwise receive a premium for their shares or transactions that our stockholders might otherwise deem to be in their best interests. Therefore, these provisions could adversely
affect the price of our common stock. Among other things, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws:
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permit our board of directors to issue shares of preferred stock, with any rights, preferences and privileges as they may
designate (including the right to approve an acquisition or other change in our control);
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provide that the authorized number of directors may be changed only by resolution of the board of directors;
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provide that the board of directors or any individual director may only be removed with cause and the affirmative vote of the
holders of at least 66 2/3% of the voting power of all of our then outstanding common stock;
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provide that all vacancies, including newly created directorships, may, except as otherwise required by law, be filled by the
affirmative vote of a majority of directors then in office, even if less than a quorum;
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divide our board of directors into three classes;
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require that any action to be taken by our stockholders must be effected at a duly called annual or special meeting of
stockholders and not be taken by written consent;
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provide that stockholders seeking to present proposals before a meeting of stockholders or to nominate candidates for election
as directors at a meeting of stockholders must provide notice in writing in a timely manner and also specify requirements as to the form and content of a stockholder’s notice;
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do not provide for cumulative voting rights (therefore allowing the holders of a majority of the shares of common stock
entitled to vote in any election of directors to elect all of the directors standing for election, if they should so choose); and
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provide that special meetings of our stockholders may be called only by the chairman of the board, our Chief Executive Officer
or by the board of directors pursuant to a resolution adopted by a majority of the total number of authorized directors.
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The amendment of any of these provisions, with the exception of the
ability of our board of directors to issue shares of preferred stock and designate any rights, preferences and privileges thereto, would require approval by the holders of at least 66 2/3% of our then-outstanding common stock.
In addition, as a Delaware corporation, we are subject to Section
203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law. These provisions may prohibit large stockholders, in particular those owning 15% or more of our outstanding voting stock, from merging or combining with us for a certain period of time. A Delaware
corporation may opt out of this provision by express provision in its original certificate of incorporation or by amendment to its certificate of incorporation or bylaws approved by its stockholders. However, we have not opted out of this
provision.
These and other provisions in our amended and restated certificate
of incorporation, amended and restated bylaws and Delaware law could make it more difficult for stockholders or potential acquirors to obtain control of our board of directors or initiate actions that are opposed by our then-current board of
directors, including delay or impede a merger, tender offer or proxy contest involving our company. The existence of these provisions could negatively affect the price of our common stock and limit opportunities for you to realize value in a
corporate transaction.
For information regarding these and other provisions, see “Description of Capital Stock.”
General Risk Factors
We will incur increased costs as a result of
operating as a public company, and our management will be required to devote substantial time to compliance with our public company responsibilities and corporate governance practices.
As a public company, we will incur significant legal, accounting,
and other expenses that we did not incur as a private company, which we expect to further increase after we are no longer an emerging growth company. The Sarbanes–Oxley Act, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, the
listing requirements of the and other applicable securities rules and regulations impose various requirements on public companies. Our management and other personnel devote a substantial amount of time to compliance with these requirements.
Moreover, these rules and regulations will increase our legal and financial compliance costs and will make some activities more time-consuming and costly. We cannot predict or estimate the amount of additional costs we will incur as a public
company or the specific timing of such costs.
As a result of being a public company, we are
obligated to develop and maintain proper and effective internal controls over financial reporting, and any failure to maintain the adequacy of these internal controls may adversely affect investor confidence in our company and, as a result, the
value of our common stock.
We will be required, pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes–Oxley
Act to furnish a report by management on, among other things, the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2022, which is the year covered by the second annual report following the
completion of our initial public offering. This assessment will need to include disclosure of any material weaknesses identified by our management in our internal control over financial reporting. In addition, our independent registered public
accounting firm will be required to attest to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting in our first annual report required to be filed with the SEC following the date we are no longer an emerging growth company if we are
not a non-accelerated filer at such time. We are commencing the costly and challenging process of compiling the information systems, processes and internal controls documentation necessary to perform the evaluation needed to comply with Section
404 of the Sarbanes–Oxley Act, but we may not be able to complete our evaluation, testing and any required remediation in a timely fashion once initiated. Our compliance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes–Oxley Act will require that we incur
substantial accounting expenses and expend significant management efforts. We currently do not have an internal audit group, and we will need to hire additional accounting and financial staff with appropriate public company experience and
technical accounting knowledge and compile the system and process documentation necessary to perform the evaluation needed to comply with Section 404 of the Sarbanes–Oxley Act.
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If we are unable to conclude that our internal control over
financial reporting is effective, or if our independent registered public accounting firm determines we have a material weakness or significant deficiency in our internal control over financial reporting, we could lose investor confidence in the
accuracy and completeness of our financial reports, the market price of our common stock could decline, and we could be subject to sanctions or investigations by the SEC or other regulatory authorities. Failure to remedy any material weakness in
our internal control over financial reporting, or to implement or maintain other effective control systems required of public companies, could also restrict our future access to the capital markets.
For a discussion of material weaknesses that were identified in
connection with the audit of our 2019 and 2020 financial statements see “—We have identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting and may identify material weaknesses in the future or otherwise fail to maintain an
effective system of internal controls in the future, as a result of which, we may not be able to accurately report our financial condition or results of operations, which may adversely affect investor confidence in us and, as a result, the value
of our common stock” above.
Our amended and restated certificate of
incorporation that we intend to adopt effective immediately prior to the completion of this offering will designate the state courts in the State of Delaware or, if no state court located within the State of Delaware has jurisdiction, the federal
court for the District of Delaware, as the sole and exclusive forum for certain types of actions and proceedings that may be initiated by our stockholders, which could discourage lawsuits against us or our directors, officers, or employees.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to be
effective immediately prior to the completion of this offering provides that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (or, if the Court of Chancery of the State of
Delaware does not have jurisdiction, the federal district court for the District of Delaware) shall be the sole and exclusive forum for the following types of proceedings: (1) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, (2) any
action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors, officers, other employees or stockholders to our company or our stockholders, (3) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL or
as to which the DGCL confers jurisdiction on the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or (4) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or bylaws (in each case, as
they may be amended from time to time) or governed by the internal affairs doctrine. This exclusive forum provision will not apply to actions arising under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or any other claim for which federal courts have
exclusive jurisdiction.
These exclusive-forum provisions may limit a stockholder’s ability
to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers or other employees, which may discourage lawsuits against us and our directors, officers and other employees. Any person or entity
purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in any of our securities shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to these provisions. There is uncertainty as to whether a court would enforce such provisions, and the enforceability of
similar choice of forum provisions in other companies’ charter documents has been challenged in legal proceedings. We also note that stockholders cannot waive compliance (or consent to noncompliance) with the federal securities laws and the rules
and regulations thereunder. It is possible that a court could find these types of provisions to be inapplicable or unenforceable, and if a court were to find either exclusive-forum provision in our amended and restated bylaws to be inapplicable
or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving the dispute in other jurisdictions, which could significantly harm our business.
We could be subject to securities class action litigation.
In the past, securities class action litigation has often been
instituted against companies following periods of volatility in the market price of a company’s securities. This type of litigation, if instituted, could result in substantial costs and a diversion of management’s attention and resources, which
would harm our business, operating results, or financial condition. Additionally, the dramatic increase in the cost of directors’ and officers’ liability insurance may cause us to opt for lower overall policy limits or to forgo insurance that we
may otherwise rely on to cover significant defense costs, settlements, and damages awarded to plaintiffs.
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If our estimates or judgments relating to
our critical accounting policies are based on assumptions that change or prove to be incorrect, our results of operation could fall below our publicly announced guidance or the expectations of securities analysts and investors, resulting in a
decline in the market price of our common stock.
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP
requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in our financial statements and accompanying notes. We base our estimates on historical experience and estimates and on various other assumptions that we
believe to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets, liabilities, equity, revenue and expenses that are not readily apparent from other sources. For
example, in connection with the implementation of the new revenue accounting standard if and when we have product sales, management makes judgments and assumptions based on our interpretation of the new standard. The new revenue standard is
principle-based and interpretation of those principles may vary from company to company based on their unique circumstances. It is possible that interpretation, industry practice and guidance may evolve as we apply the new standard. If our
assumptions underlying our estimates and judgements relating to our critical accounting policies change or if actual circumstances differ from our assumptions, estimates or judgements, our operating results may be adversely affected and could
fall below our publicly announced guidance or the expectations of securities analysts and investors, resulting in a decline in the market price of our common stock.
If securities analysts do not publish
research or reports about our business or if they publish negative evaluations of our common stock, the price of our common stock could decline.
The trading market for our common stock will rely in part on the
research and reports that industry or securities analysts publish about us or our business. We do not currently have and may never obtain research coverage by industry or securities analysts. If no or few analysts commence coverage of us, the
trading price of our common stock could decrease. Even if we do obtain analyst coverage, if one or more of the analysts covering our business downgrade their evaluations of our common stock, the price of our common stock could decline. If one or
more of these analysts cease to cover our common stock, we could lose visibility in the market for our common stock, which in turn could cause the price of our common stock to decline.
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CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
AND INDUSTRY DATA
This prospectus contains forward-looking statements that involve
substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, contained in this prospectus, including statements regarding our strategy, future operations, future financial position, future revenue, projected
costs, prospects, plans and objectives of management, are forward-looking statements. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,”
“target,” “will,” “would,” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words.
The forward-looking statements in this prospectus include, among other things, statements
about:
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our expectations regarding our revenue, expenses and other operating results;
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the extent and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact of the end of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business and our
expectations regarding customer and user demand for our COVID-19 test;
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our ability to increase demand for, and the rate of market adoption of, the Cue Health Monitoring System and our platform,
tests and other products generally, including with consumers, healthcare professionals, enterprises, insurers and other payors and public health officials;
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our ability to effectively scale our manufacturing capacity and other operations in a timely manner in order to meet
contractual obligations, market demand and to be able to successfully operate our business;
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our ability to meet our contractual obligations under our agreement with the U.S. Department of Defense or other customers;
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our ability to successfully develop and commercialize additional tests and other products for use with our platform;
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our expectations of the reliability, accuracy and performance of our products and services, as well as expectations of the
benefits to patients, clinicians and providers of our products and services;
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our ability to obtain and maintain regulatory authorizations, clearances or approvals for our tests, including our existing
Emergency Use Authorizations for our COVID-19 test;
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our ability to accurately forecast demand for the Cue Health Monitoring System, our tests and other products;
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our ability to successfully build out our sales and marketing infrastructure, the costs and success of our marketing efforts,
and our ability to promote our brand;
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our ability to increase demand for our products and services, obtain favorable coverage and reimbursement determinations from
third-party payors and expand geographically;
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our intellectual property position and our expectations regarding our ability to obtain and maintain intellectual property
protection;
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the performance of our third-party suppliers and our ability to avoid any disruption in sources of supply;
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our ability to effectively manage our growth, including our ability to retain and recruit personnel, and maintain our culture;
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the impact of government laws and regulations;
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our competitive position and expectations regarding developments and projections relating to our competitors and any competing
products and services; future investments in our business, our anticipated capital expenditures and our estimates regarding our capital requirements, future revenues, expenses, the ability to obtain reimbursement for our products and any
needs for additional financing;
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our expectations regarding technology trends and developments in the healthcare industry and our ability to address those
trends and developments with our offerings;
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our expectations concerning relationships with third parties, including healthcare professionals, enterprises, insurance
companies and other payors, public health officials and other stakeholders in the healthcare system;
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the degree to which we are able to help bring about a new healthcare paradigm, and be a significant participant in any such new
paradigm;
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our ability to grow our business internationally, in addition to within the United States;
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our ability to implement, maintain and improve effective internal controls and remediate material weaknesses;
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our expectations related to the use of proceeds from this offering and the sufficiency of such proceeds, together with our
existing cash and cash equivalents, to fund our operations; and
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our expectations regarding the time during which we will be an emerging growth company under the JOBS Act.
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We may not actually achieve the plans, intentions or expectations
disclosed in our forward-looking statements, and you should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. Actual results or events could differ materially from the plans, intentions and expectations disclosed in the forward-looking
statements we make. We have included important factors in the cautionary statements included in this prospectus, particularly in the “Risk Factors” section, that we believe could cause actual results or events to differ materially from the
forward-looking statements that we make. Our forward-looking statements do not reflect the potential impact of any future acquisitions, mergers, dispositions, collaborations, joint ventures or investments we may make or enter into.
You should read this prospectus and the documents that we reference
in this prospectus and have filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part completely and with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from what we expect. The
forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus are made as of the date of this prospectus, and we do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise,
except as required by applicable law.
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MARKET, INDUSTRY AND OTHER DATA
This prospectus includes statistical and other industry and market
data that we obtained from independent industry publications and research, surveys and studies conducted by independent third parties as well as our own estimates of potential market opportunities. All of the market data used in this prospectus
involves a number of assumptions and limitations, and you are cautioned not to give undue weight to such data. Industry publications and third-party research, surveys and studies generally indicate that their information has been obtained from
sources believed to be reliable, although they do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of such information. Our estimates of the potential market opportunities for our products include several key assumptions based on our industry
knowledge, industry publications, third-party research and other surveys, which may be based on a small sample size and may fail to accurately reflect market opportunities. While we believe that our internal assumptions are reasonable, no
independent source has verified such assumptions.
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We estimate that the net proceeds to us from this offering will be
approximately $ million, or approximately $ million if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares in full, assuming an initial public offering price of $ per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set
forth on the cover page of this prospectus, after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.
Each $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public
offering price of $ per share, which is the midpoint of the estimated price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase (decrease) the net proceeds to us from this offering by approximately $ million, assuming
that the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same and after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. An increase
(decrease) of 1.0 million shares in the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase (decrease) the net proceeds to us from this offering by approximately $ million, assuming no change in
the assumed initial public offering price per share and after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.
As of March 31, 2021, we had cash, cash equivalents and
restricted cash of $118.9 million. In May 2021, we raised an additional $229.5 million in net proceeds from the issuance and sale of Convertible Notes, which Convertible Notes will automatically convert into shares of common stock
immediately prior to the closing of this offering, assuming an initial public offering price of $ per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus. We currently intend to use the net proceeds
from this offering, together with our existing cash and cash equivalents, as follows:
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approximately $ million for the continued scale up of our manufacturing facilities and capabilities;
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approximately $ million for research and development and clinical studies to expand our test menu and to continue to
invest in our Cue Integrated Care Platform;
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approximately $ million for the continued commercial scale up of our activities and build out our corporate infrastructure,
including the hiring and training of sales and marketing personnel and to fund marketing initiatives and for the hiring and training of other personnel; and
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the remainder, if any, for working capital and other general corporate purposes.
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We may use a portion of the net proceeds for acquisitions or
strategic investments in complementary businesses, services, products or technologies. However, we do not have agreements or commitments to enter into any such acquisitions or investments at this time.
Based on our current plans, we believe that the anticipated net
proceeds from this offering, together with our existing cash and cash equivalents, will be sufficient to meet our working capital and capital expenditure needs and debt service obligations for at least the next months. We believe that the
net proceeds from this offering, together with our existing cash and cash equivalents and cash anticipated to be generated by ongoing operations, will be sufficient to fund development and commercialization of our currently contemplated
near-term development pipeline, although we cannot assure you that this will be the case.
This expected use of net proceeds from this offering and our
existing cash and cash equivalents represents our intentions based upon our current plans and business conditions, which could change in the future as our plans and business conditions evolve. As of the date of this prospectus, we cannot predict
with certainty all of the particular uses for the net proceeds to be received upon the completion of this offering, or the amounts that we will actually spend on the uses set forth above. The amounts and timing of our actual expenditures may vary
significantly depending on numerous factors, including cash flows from operations and the anticipated growth of our business. As a result, our management will retain broad discretion over the allocation of the net proceeds from this offering.
Pending our use of the net proceeds from this offering, we intend to
invest the net proceeds in a variety of capital preservation investments, including short-term, investment-grade, interest-bearing instruments and U.S. government securities.
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We have never declared or paid cash dividends on our common stock.
We currently intend to retain all available funds and any future earnings to fund the development and expansion of our business and we do not anticipate paying any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. Any future determination to declare and
pay dividends will be made at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on then-existing conditions, including our results of operations, financial condition, contractual restrictions, capital requirements, business prospects and
other factors our board of directors may deem relevant. In addition, our ability to pay cash dividends is currently restricted by the terms of our Revolving Credit Agreement, and future debt or other financing arrangements may contain terms
prohibiting or limiting the amount of dividends that may be declared or paid on our common stock.
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The following table sets forth our cash and cash equivalents and our capitalization
as of March 31, 2021:
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on a pro forma basis to give effect to (i) the filing and effectiveness of our amended and restated certificate of
incorporation, which will be in effect immediately prior to the completion of this offering, (ii) the issuance and sale by us of convertible promissory notes, or Convertible Notes, in the aggregate principal amount of $235.5 million in
May 2021, which Convertible Notes will automatically convert into shares of common stock immediately prior to the completion of this offering, assuming an initial public offering price of $ per share, which is the midpoint of the
price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, (iii) the automatic conversion of all outstanding shares of our redeemable convertible preferred stock into an aggregate of 83,526,065 shares of our common stock immediately
prior to the completion of this offering, (iv) the automatic conversion of all of our outstanding warrants to purchase redeemable convertible preferred stock into warrants to purchase common stock, and the related reclassification of
our redeemable convertible preferred stock warrant liabilities to additional paid-in capital immediately prior to the completion of this offering, and (v) the repayment of $63.2 million outstanding under our Revolving Credit Agreement
with a portion of the proceeds from our sale and issuance of Convertible Notes in May 2021; and
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on a pro forma as adjusted basis to reflect: (i) the pro forma adjustments set forth above, and (ii) the issuance and sale of
shares of our common stock in this offering at an assumed initial public offering price of $ per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, after deducting estimated underwriting
discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.
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The pro forma and pro forma as adjusted information below is
illustrative only, and our capitalization following the closing of this offering will be adjusted based on the actual initial public offering price and other terms of this offering determined at pricing.
You should read the information in this table together with our
financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus and the section titled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” of this prospectus.
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Cash and cash equivalents
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$ 38,942
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$
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$
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Restricted cash, non-current
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$ 80,000
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Redeemable convertible preferred stock warrant liabilities
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$ 1,331
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$
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$
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Debt
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63,206
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Finance leases, including current portion
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3,314
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Series A redeemable convertible preferred stock, $0.00001 par value per
share; 8,721,437 shares authorized, 8,350,743 shares issued and outstanding, actual; no shares authorized, issued or outstanding, pro forma and pro forma as adjusted
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7,519
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Series B redeemable convertible preferred stock, $0.00001 par value per
share; 46,213,620 shares authorized, 46,176,715 shares issued and outstanding, actual; no shares authorized, issued or outstanding, pro forma and pro forma as adjusted
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66,186
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Series C-1 redeemable convertible preferred stock, $0.00001 par value per
share; 27,308,229 shares authorized, 27,308,227 shares issued and outstanding, actual; no shares authorized, issued or outstanding, pro forma and pro forma as adjusted
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96,436
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Series C-2 redeemable convertible preferred stock, $0.00001 par value per
share; 1,690,380 shares authorized, issued and outstanding, actual; no shares authorized, issued or outstanding, pro forma and pro forma as adjusted
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6,182
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Stockholders’ equity (deficit)
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Common stock, $0.00001 par value: 129,030,355 shares authorized 18,524,568
shares issued and outstanding, actual; shares authorized, shares issued and outstanding, pro forma; shares authorized, shares issued and outstanding, pro forma as adjusted
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—
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Additional paid-in capital
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12,135
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Accumulated deficit
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(97,405 )
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Total stockholders’ equity (deficit)
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(85,270 )
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Total capitalization
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$ 158,904
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$
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$
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Each $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public
offering price of $ per share, the midpoint of the estimated price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase (decrease) the pro forma as adjusted amount of each of cash and cash equivalents, additional paid-in
capital, total stockholders’ (deficit) equity and total capitalization by approximately $ million, assuming that the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same and after deducting
estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. An increase (decrease) of 1.0 million shares in the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase
(decrease) the pro forma as adjusted amount of each of cash and cash equivalents, additional paid-in capital, total stockholders’ (deficit) equity and total capitalization by $ million, assuming no change in the assumed initial public offering
price per share and after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.
The number of shares of our common stock issued and outstanding
and pro forma and pro forma as adjusted in the table above is based on 18,524,568 shares of our common stock outstanding as of March 31, 2021, and after giving effect to the automatic conversion of all outstanding shares of our redeemable
convertible preferred stock into an aggregate of 83,526,065 shares of common stock immediately prior to the completion of this and the automatic
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conversion of outstanding $235.5 million in aggregate principal amount of
Convertible Notes into shares of common stock immediately prior to the closing of this offering, assuming an initial public offering price of $ per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this
prospectus, but excludes:
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10,513,531 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of stock options outstanding as of March 31, 2021, with a
weighted-average exercise price of $4.81 per share;
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shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of stock options granted subsequent to March 31, 2021, with a
weighted-average exercise price of $ per share;
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1,049,043 shares of common stock subject to restricted stock units, or RSUs, outstanding as of March 31, 2021;
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75,744 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of warrants outstanding as of March 31, 2021 to purchase shares of
common stock, with an exercise price of $0.40 per share;
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79,882 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of warrants outstanding as of March 31, 2021 to purchase redeemable
convertible preferred stock that will automatically become warrants to purchase 79,882 shares of common stock immediately prior to the completion of this offering, with a weighted-average exercise price of $1.12 per share;
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1,001,258 shares of common stock reserved for future issuance under our 2014 Equity Incentive Plan, as of March 31, 2021;
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additional shares of common stock that will become available for future issuance under our 2021 Stock Incentive Plan, which
will become effective immediately prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, as well as any automatic increases in the number of shares of common stock reserved for future issuance
under the 2021 Stock Incentive Plan; and
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additional shares of common stock that will become available for future issuance under our 2021 Employee Stock Purchase
Plan, which will become effective immediately prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, as well as any automatic increases in the number of shares of common stock reserved for future
issuance under the 2021 Employee Stock Purchase Plan.
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2021 Convertible Notes
Immediately prior to the completion of this offering, each of the
Convertible Notes will automatically convert into shares of our common stock at a conversion price equal to 80% of the initial public offering price per share set forth on the cover page of this prospectus. The table below shows the number of
shares of our common stock to be issued upon the conversion of the Convertible Notes at assumed initial public offering prices of $ , $ , and $ per share, which represent the low, mid, and high point, respectively, of the price range set
forth on the cover page of this prospectus. However, the actual initial public offering price may be lower or higher than the midpoint of this range, which would increase or decrease, respectively, the number of shares of common stock to be
issued upon the conversion of our Convertible Notes, as described in more detail below. As a result, the total number of shares of common stock to be issued upon the conversion of the Convertible Notes will not be known until the determination
of the actual initial public offering price per share following the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. The initial public offering prices shown in the table below are hypothetical and
illustrative.
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If you invest in our common stock in this offering, your ownership
interest will be diluted immediately to the extent of the difference between the initial public offering price per share of our common stock and the pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share of our common stock immediately after
this offering.
Our historical net tangible book value (deficit) as of March 31,
2021 was $(85.3) million, or $(4.60) per share of common stock. Our historical net tangible book value (deficit) is the amount of our total tangible assets less our total liabilities and the carrying value of our redeemable convertible
preferred stock, which is not included within stockholders’ equity (deficit). Historical net tangible book value (deficit) per share represents historical net tangible book value (deficit) divided by the 18,524,568 shares of common stock
outstanding as of March 31, 2021.
Our pro forma net tangible book value as of March 31, 2021 was
$ million, or $ per share of common stock. Pro forma net tangible book value represents the amount of our total tangible assets less our total liabilities, after giving effect to (i) the filing and effectiveness of our amended and
restated certificate of incorporation, which will be in effect upon completion of this offering, (ii) the issuance and sale by us of Convertible Notes in an aggregate principal amount of $235.5 million in May 2021, (iii) the automatic
conversion of all outstanding shares of our redeemable convertible preferred stock into an aggregate of 83,526,065 shares of our common stock and the automatic conversion of our outstanding $235.5 million in aggregate principal amount of
Convertible Notes into shares of common stock, assuming an initial public offering price of $ per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, in each case, immediately prior to the
completion of this offering, (iv) the automatic conversion of all of our outstanding warrants to purchase redeemable convertible preferred stock into warrants to purchase common stock, and the related reclassification of our redeemable
convertible preferred stock warrant liability to additional paid-in capital immediately prior to the completion of this offering, and (v) the repayment of $63.2 million outstanding under the Revolving Credit Agreement with a portion of the
proceeds from our sale and issuance of Convertible Notes in May 2021. Pro forma net tangible book value per share represents pro forma net tangible book value divided by the total number of shares outstanding as of March 31, 2021, after giving
effect to the pro forma adjustments described above.
After giving further effect to our issuance and sale of shares
of our common stock in this offering at an assumed initial public offering price of $ per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, and after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and
commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, our pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value as of March 31, 2021 would have been $ million, or $ per share. This represents an immediate increase in pro forma as adjusted
net tangible book value per share of $ to existing stockholders and immediate dilution of $ in pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share to new investors purchasing shares of common stock in this offering. Dilution per share
to new investors is determined by subtracting pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering from the assumed initial public offering price per share paid by new investors. The following table illustrates this
dilution on a per share basis:
Assumed initial public offering price per share
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$
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Historical net tangible book value (deficit) per share as of March 31, 2021
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$ (4.60)
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Increase in net tangible book value per share attributable to the pro forma
adjustments described above
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Pro forma net tangible book value per share as of March 31, 2021, before
giving effect to this offering
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Increase in pro forma net tangible book value per share attributable to new
investors participating in this offering
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Pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering
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Dilution in pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share to new
investors participating in this offering
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$
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The dilution information discussed above is illustrative only and
will change based on the actual initial public offering price and other terms of this offering determined at pricing. A $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price of $ per share, which is the midpoint of the price
range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase (or decrease, as applicable) our pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share
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after this offering by $ and dilution per share to new investors purchasing
shares of common stock in this offering by $ , assuming that the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same and after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and
estimated offering expenses payable by us. Similarly, each increase of 1.0 million shares in the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase our pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value
per share after this offering by $ and decrease the dilution per share to new investors purchasing shares of common stock in this offering by $ , assuming no change in the assumed initial public offering price per share and after deducting
estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. A decrease of 1.0 million shares in the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would decrease our pro
forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering by $ and increase the dilution per share to new investors purchasing shares of common stock in this offering by $ , assuming no change in the assumed initial public
offering price and after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.
If the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional
shares in full, our pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering would be $ , representing an immediate increase in pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share of $ to existing stockholders and
immediate dilution in pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share of $ to new investors purchasing shares of common stock in this offering, assuming an initial public offering price of $ per share, which is the midpoint of the
price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, and after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.
The following table summarizes, as of March 31, 2021, on the pro
forma as adjusted basis described above, the total number of shares of common stock purchased from us on an as converted to common stock basis, the total consideration paid or to be paid and the average price per share paid or to be paid by
existing stockholders and by new investors in this offering at an assumed initial public offering price of $ per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, before deducting estimated
underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. As the table shows, new investors purchasing shares of common stock in this offering will pay an average price per share substantially higher than our
existing stockholders paid.
Existing stockholders
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%
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$
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%
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$
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New investors
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$
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Total
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100%
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$
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100%
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Each $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public
offering price of $ per share, which is the midpoint of the estimated price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase (decrease) the total consideration paid by new investors by $ million and, in the case of an
increase, would increase the percentage of total consideration paid by new investors by percentage points and, in the case of a decrease, would decrease the percentage of total consideration paid by new investors by percentage points,
assuming that the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same. An increase (decrease) of 1.0 million shares in the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this
prospectus, would increase (decrease) the total consideration paid by new investors by $ million and, in the case of an increase, would increase the percentage of total consideration paid by new investors by percentage points and, in the
case of a decrease, would decrease the percentage of total consideration paid by new investors by percentage points, assuming no change in the assumed initial public offering price.
The table above assumes no exercise of the underwriters’ option to
purchase additional shares in this offering. If the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares in full, the number of shares of our common stock held by existing stockholders would be reduced to % of the total number of
shares of our common stock outstanding after this offering, and the number of shares of common stock held by new investors purchasing shares of common stock in this offering would be increased to % of the total number of shares of our common
stock outstanding after this offering.
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The foregoing tables and calculations (other than historical
net tangible book value) are based on 18,524,568 shares of our common stock outstanding as of March 31, 2021, after giving effect to the automatic conversion of all outstanding shares of our redeemable convertible preferred stock into an
aggregate of 83,526,065 shares of common stock immediately prior to the completion of this offering and the automatic conversion of our outstanding $235.5 million in aggregate principal amount of Convertible Notes into shares of common
stock immediately prior to the closing of this offering, assuming an initial public offering price of $ per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus), but excludes:
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10,513,531 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of stock options outstanding as of March 31, 2021, with a weighted
average exercise price of $4.81 per share;
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shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of stock options granted subsequent to March 31, 2021, with a
weighted-average exercise price of $ per share;
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1,049,043 shares of common stock subject to restricted stock units, or RSUs, outstanding as of March 31, 2021;
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75,744 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of warrants outstanding as of March 31, 2021 to purchase shares of
common stock, with an exercise price of $0.40 per share;
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79,882 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of warrants outstanding as of March 31, 2021 to purchase redeemable
convertible preferred stock that will automatically become warrants to purchase 79,882 shares of common stock immediately prior to the completion of this offering, with a weighted-average exercise price of $1.12 per share;
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1,001,258 shares of common stock reserved for future issuance under our 2014 Equity Incentive Plan, as of March 31, 2021;
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additional shares of our common stock that will become available for future issuance under our 2021 Stock Incentive Plan,
which will become effective immediately prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, as well as any automatic increases in the number of shares of common stock reserved for future
issuance under the 2021 Stock Incentive Plan; and
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additional shares of our common stock that will become available for future issuance under our 2021 Employee Stock Purchase
Plan, which will become effective immediately prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, as well as any automatic increases in the number of shares of common stock reserved for future
issuance under the 2021 Employee Stock Purchase Plan.
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To the extent stock options are issued and exercised or new awards
are granted under our equity incentive plans, or we issue additional shares of common stock in the future, there will be further dilution to investors purchasing shares of common stock in this offering. In addition, we may choose to raise
additional capital because of market conditions or strategic considerations, even if we believe that we have sufficient funds for our current or future operating plans. If we raise additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt
securities, the issuance of these securities could result in further dilution to our stockholders.
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MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL
CONDITION AND
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following discussion and analysis of the
financial condition and results of operations should be read together with our financial statements and the related notes thereto included elsewhere in this prospectus. The discussion and analysis should also be read together with the section
titled “Business.” The following discussion contains forward-looking statements that reflect future plans, estimates, beliefs and expected performance. The forward-looking statements are dependent upon events, risks and uncertainties that may be
outside of our control. Our actual results may differ significantly from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause future results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements
include, but are not limited to, those discussed in the sections titled “Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.”
Overview
We are a health technology company, and our mission is to enable
personalized, proactive and informed healthcare that empowers people to live their healthiest lives. Our proprietary platform, the Cue Integrated Care Platform, which is comprised of our Cue Health Monitoring System, Cue Data and Innovation
Layer, Cue Virtual Care Delivery Apps, and Cue Ecosystem Integrations and Apps, enables lab-quality diagnostics-led care at home, at work or at the point of care. Our platform is designed to empower stakeholders across the healthcare ecosystem,
including consumers, providers, enterprises and payors with paradigm-shifting access to diagnostic and health data to inform care decisions. We are helping pioneer a new continuous care model that we believe has the potential to significantly
improve the user experience, provide measurable and actionable clinical insights, and increase efficiency within the healthcare ecosystem. We believe this model, powered by our platform, will allow users to actively manage their health, which
we believe will lead to improved health outcomes and a more resilient, connected, and efficient healthcare ecosystem for all stakeholders.
The Cue Integrated Care Platform consists of hardware and software
components: (1) our revolutionary Cue Health Monitoring System, made up of a long-lasting, durable and reusable reader, or Cue Reader, a single-use test cartridge, or Cue Cartridge, and a sample collection wand, or Cue Wand, (2) our Cue Data and
Innovation Layer, with cloud-based data and analytics capability, (3) our Cue Virtual Care Delivery Apps, including our consumer-friendly Cue Health App and our Cue Enterprise Dashboard, and (4) our Cue Ecosystem Integrations and Apps, which
allow for integrations with third party applications and sensors.
Our Cue Health Monitoring System is designed to deliver a broad
menu of tests through one system, enabling two major testing modalities, nucleic acid amplification tests, or NAAT, and immunoassays, in one device. Our system is designed to handle different sample types, including saliva, blood, urine and
swabs, and can detect nucleic acids, small molecules, proteins and cells. We believe this will enable us to address many of the diagnostic tests conducted in clinical laboratories, such as tests addressing indications in respiratory health,
sexual health, cardiac and metabolic health, women's health, men's health, and chronic disease management.
We designed our platform with the consumer in mind. Our platform,
although underpinned by breakthrough technology, is simple to operate and is comprised of the following elements:
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Cue Health Monitoring System
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Cue Reader: The Cue Reader is an
elegantly designed, automated analyzer of test results and is used with Cue Test Kits and the Cue Health App. The Cue Reader runs the Cue Cartridge and communicates
the result of the test digitally via Bluetooth to the Cue Health App.
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Cue Test Kit : Each Cue Test Kit is comprised of a Cue Cartridge and a Cue Wand.
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Cue Cartridge: Our sample-specific, single-use cartridges are designed to handle
different chemistries, which allows us to create a broad menu of tests. Cue Cartridges are designed to be seamlessly inserted into the Cue Reader.
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Cue Wand : Cue Wands are single-use and sterile sample collection devices
that are designed to be universally compatible with the Cue Cartridges. The Cue Wand is designed to permit collection of multiple sample types, including saliva, blood, urine and swabs, with only minor modifications.
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Our cloud-native Cue Data and Innovation Layer stores and
curates the data from our Cue Health Monitoring System and provides a secure environment for users to access current and historical health data. Our Data and Innovation Layer has the ability to collate unstructured and structured data from a
wide variety of data sources, which we believe will give us the ability in the future to store and analyze more holistic sets of health data, including from other testing modalities and wearables. The Cue Integrated Care Platform was built with
data security and regulatory compliance, including HIPAA, at its core.
The Cue Data and Innovation Layer provides the foundation for our
Cue Virtual Care Delivery Apps and has enabled the development of our Cue Ecosystem Integrations and Apps. The Cue Data and Innovation Layer currently contains an API that allows for the data from tests performed on the Cue Health Monitoring
System to be received, stored, and retrieved by the end user. For enterprises deploying the Cue Enterprise Dashboard, the Cue Data and Innovation Layer enables the creation of a network of users affiliated by roles with the enterprise. Within
this network of users, the Cue Data and Innovation Layer provides the engine behind test analytics, creation of groups, scheduling and compliance, reporting, and enterprise-specific privacy policy management. The Cue Data and Innovation Layer
powers the EMR integration with major EMR providers.
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Cue Virtual Care Delivery Apps
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Cue Health App : Our mobile
app creates a secure interface between the user and their health data. For consumers, it allows a single point of entry for their health data; for healthcare professionals, it is designed to provide a unified platform for managing patient histories and , in the future, is expected to allow for telemedicine and e-prescription services. By connecting the diagnostic test results with interventions and outcomes, we believe the Cue Health App will allow users to be more engaged and satisfied with their healthcare experience , which can ultimately drive better outcomes for users.
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Cue Enterprise Dashboard : Our
dashboard is designed to allow enterprises, payors ,
healthcare providers and public health entities to manage population health at the organization al
level and has the potential to track the efficacy of various population health programs. Accessible online, the Cue Enterprise Dashboard has
the potential to help organizations manage a patient’s journey from onboarding to scheduling, care management and inventory management. The Cue Enterprise Dashboard was built with a focus on user experience, simplifying the sharing of communications, such as results,
records, and histories with patients and across providers and streamlining reporting requirements. Powered by our analytics engine and role-based access capabilities, it is designed to provide chief medical officers, environmental health and safety officials, and benefits managers with insight into their organization’s population health, helping to facilitat e efficient decision making. As of April 30, 2021 , we have approximately 20 public sector, enterprise and provider customers who are set-up
to use the Cue Enterprise Dashboard .
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Cue Ecosystem Integrations and Apps : We believe that placing our APIs at the
core of our integrated care platform will enable us to become foundational within Healthcare 2.0. Our Cue Data and Innovation Layer is designed to be able to securely connect with on-demand services, such as telemedicine, and
e-prescription services, which we believe we will enable a truly digital and seamless user experience. In the future, we plan on enhancing our platform to enable third party application development and offerings that complement our
solutions.
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In addition, our ability to integrate with anchor EMR systems,
such as Epic Systems Corporation, or Epic, allows our customers to integrate our platform with their existing systems, creating an agile and responsive workflow for patient monitoring for ongoing care, better intelligence and reporting, and
more efficient provider level health management.
These components of the Cue Integrated Care Platform are designed to
work together seamlessly, creating an easy-to-use workflow for our consumers.
Our first, and currently only, commercially available diagnostic
test for our Cue Health Monitoring System is our Cue COVID-19 Test for ribonucleic acid, or RNA, of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. In June 2020, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, or the FDA, granted an Emergency Use
Authorization, or EUA, for our molecular COVID-19 test for use under the supervision of qualified medical personnel. In March 2021, the FDA granted us an EUA for over-the-counter and at-home use of our COVID-19 test without a prescription. Our
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COVID-19 test is authorized for use by both symptomatic and asymptomatic
individuals, and by adults and children aged two and older with adult assistance.
We have experienced substantial growth since the commercial
launch of our COVID-19 test in June 2020. As of April 30, 2021, we have delivered over 30,000 Cue Readers and over 1.5 million Cue Cartridges across the United States, which have been deployed to over 220 schools, nursing homes, hospitals,
public health facilities and organizations, essential businesses, correctional facilities and other public sector users, as of April 30, 2021, and secured commercial agreements with the U.S. Department of Defense, enterprise health customers,
and healthcare providers. We intend to continue to broaden our product offerings, as well as enhance and further develop our integration into connected healthcare.
Prior to August 2020, we were focused on research and development
of our platform and did not generate any revenue from product sales. We began generating revenue from product sales in August 2020 following the receipt of our first EUA from the FDA for our COVID-19 test in June 2020. Of our approximately
$23.0 million in revenue in the year ended December 31, 2020, approximately $15.4 million was from product sales. Of that amount, $8.9 million of product revenue was from public sector entities, substantially all of which was from the U.S. DoD,
and the remaining $6.5 million of product revenue was generated from other customers. All of our approximately $64.5 million in revenue in the three months ended March 31, 2021 was from product sales. Of that amount, $62.1 million of product
revenue was from public sector entities, substantially all of which was from the U.S. DoD, and the remaining $2.4 million of product revenue was generated from other customers. After the conclusion of the initial U.S. DoD agreement, we
anticipate that the percentage of our revenue derived from non-public sector customers will increase as we continue to ramp up our manufacturing and distribution capabilities and are able to sell more of our products to other customers,
including enterprises and healthcare providers. Our net loss was $47.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 and our net income was $13.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021.
Currently the majority of our product revenue comes from the sale
of Cue Test Kits with a smaller proportion coming from the sale of Cue Readers and, to a lesser extent, Cue Control Swab Packs. While the U.S. DoD agreement is for a fixed volume of Cue Readers, Cue Test Kits and Cue Control Swab Packs, for
other customers those products are generally sold unbundled, with Cue Test Kits sold in packs of 10. Going forward, we continue to expect product revenue to be dominated by the sale of Cue Test Kits, though we expect the proportion of product
revenue coming from Cue Readers to increase as we place more of them in the home where they will likely have lower Cue Test Kit pull-through than those in the hands of public sector, testing administrators or health care providers. Beginning in
2021, we started offering non-U.S. government customers a subscription-based purchasing option. Subscription-based customers can initially purchase a fixed number of Cue Readers at the start of the contract and commit to a fixed number of Cue
Test Kits per month for the duration of the subscription agreement. We believe our subscription-based model offers customers maximum utility and allows them to reduce their purchase costs, while simultaneously creating a recurring revenue
stream for us. Going forward, we may offer alternate forms of subscription or bundling of products as our product offering expands. We did not generate any subscription revenue during the three months ended March 31, 2021. We also provide the
Cue Health App to all customers as well as other software to organizations including the Cue Enterprise Dashboard and the Cue Data and Innovation Layer. Currently all of our software products are available at no cost, though we may charge for
these offerings as we increase functionality and expand our offerings in the future. Beyond product revenue we also generate grant and other revenue which is more variable and in 2020 was exclusively linked to our contract with the U.S.
Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, or BARDA, a division of the U.S. HHS. We did not generate any grant or other revenue during the three months ended March 31, 2021. Going forward we expect to continue to seek these sources
of revenue both as a source of funding for research and development and as an opportunity for collaboration with strategic partners.
We plan to drive our future revenue growth through, among other means:
Increasing the Number of Cue Readers and Cue
Test Kits Shipped: The placement of Cue Readers is critical to the adoption of our platform and products. We view the number of Cue Readers shipped to
both existing and new customers to be a leading indicator of the long-term opportunity for widespread adoption of our platform and potential
pull-through demand for our current and future tests. As of April 30 , 2021, we have shipped over 30,000 Cue Readers and over 1.5 million Cue Cartridges , which have been deployed to over 220 schools, nursing homes,
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hospitals, public health facilities and organizations, essential businesses,
correctional facilities and other public sector users, as of April 30, 2021. We are focused on continuing to significantly increase our placement of Cue Readers to help drive adoption of our platform and sales of Cue Cartridges.
Expanding Our Future Care Offerings: Our ability to successfully develop and commercialize additional tests for our platform is also a key component to our future success. In addition to our FDA-authorized
COVID-19 test, we currently have five tests in late-stage technical development. We believe the flexibility of our platform will allow us to develop and commercialize a wide range of tests for a number of different indications and uses, including respiratory health, sexual health, cardiac and metabolic health, women's health, men's health, and chronic disease management,
with several of these tests expected to be submitted for FDA authorization or clearance by the end of 2022.
Integrating Our Cue Enterprise Dashboard with
Healthcare and Telemedicine Providers and EMR Systems: In July 2020, we launched our web-based Cue Enterprise Dashboard, which has been used by many of our key
customers such as the Mayo Clinic and the National Basketball Association. We are continuously working to expand the capabilities and improving the features of the Cue Enterprise Dashboard with a view towards driving further usage and
adoption by existing and new customers. We have also developed integrations with leading EMR systems
such as Epic . We believe these integrations will increase the value of our solutions , which we believe will ultimately lead to higher levels of adoption of these solutions and allow our customers to easily incorporate our Cue Enterprise Dashboard
into their existing process, allowing for improved patient monitoring, intelligence and reporting and more efficient enterprise level health management. In addition, we also seek to drive
utilization of our Cue Enterprise Dashboard by healthcare providers, including telehealth providers, to further expand our commercial opportunity.
Our U.S. DoD agreement formed a key component of our initial
go-to-market strategy. Funds received under our U.S. DoD agreement allowed us to accelerate commercialization of our COVID-19 test and quickly scale up our manufacturing capabilities and provided us with a significant initial source of product
revenue. In addition, through our U.S. DoD agreement, the U.S. government has placed Cue Readers with end users that represent potential new direct customer opportunities for us. We expect that customer demand for our Cue Readers and the Cue
COVID-19 Test Kits will exceed our manufacturing capacity in 2021. As a result, and in light of our existing commitments under the U.S. DoD agreement and to our other existing customers, we are strategically selecting customers based on select
criteria including order volume, industry diversification and potential interest in our broader anticipated future test menu.
Our direct sales team is comprised of experienced sales
professionals focused on the following four categories:
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Public Sector Sales : Our public sector sales team identifies new opportunities within federal, state and local government agencies. While we expect that
revenue from other categories of customers will become a larger component of our revenue over time, our public sector sales strategy continues to look to identify new opportunities within federal, state and local government agency
customers.
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Enterprise Sales: Our enterprise sales team identifies
major self-insured enterprises, such as Fortune 500 companies with large covered employee populations, as well as small-to-medium sized businesses with healthcare plan partners and employee benefits offerings. We believe that enterprise
customers will want to utilize our integrated care solutions for their employees and their families, both on-premise and at-home.
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Healthcare Provider Sales: Our healthcare provider sales team identifies and targets major healthcare systems and healthcare providers such as hospital
systems, clinic networks, concierge health systems and physicians’ offices. Relationships with our healthcare provider customers, such as our current relationship with the Mayo Clinic, help validate our platform, and we believe will
help accelerate marketplace adoption of our products.
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Direct-to-Consumer Sales: Our direct-to-consumer sales
team identifies opportunities through online and offline retail channels such as e-commerce and in-store sales.
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We also have a distribution agreement with Henry Schein, Inc., or
Henry Schein, pursuant to which Henry Schein acts as our exclusive distributor in the dental market and non-exclusive distributor in other markets.
Our customer agreements contain standard commercial terms and
conditions and include payment terms, quantities, billing frequency, warranties and indemnification. Beginning in 2021, we started offering non-U.S. government customers
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a subscription-based purchasing option. Subscription-based customers can
initially purchase a fixed number of Cue Readers at the start of the contract and commit to a fixed number of Cue Test Kits per month for the duration of the subscription agreement. We believe our subscription-based model offers customers
maximum utility and allows them to reduce their purchase costs, while simultaneously creating a recurring revenue stream for us.
We believe focused efforts on each of our customer segments is
critical given the unique role each plays in the healthcare ecosystem, the total size of their respective addressable markets and the potential benefits that each receive from our platform. Although our initial focus is driving adoption of our
Cue Readers and our Cue COVID-19 Test Kits, we are educating all of our current and prospective customers about the broad applicability of our platform and the potential rollout of our broader test menu. We believe every placement of a Cue
Reader creates a durable, lasting installed base for our broader test menu to serve.
Our automated manufacturing process for the production of Cue
Cartridges was developed in tandem with our platform technology and is designed to be flexible and quickly scalable. Each manufacturing line is built as a self-contained pod and can produce any of the Cue Cartridges contemplated as part of our
planned test menu. In addition, we produce all of our biochemistry in-house, including enzymes, antibodies and primers. We believe this combination of flexible, scalable manufacturing and in-house reagent production allows us to not only scale
quickly but also adapt our production quickly to market demands or evolving consumer needs. Production of our Cue Readers is performed for us by third party contract manufacturers, while production of our Cue Wands is performed by both us and by
third party contract manufacturers. For our Cue Readers and Cue Wands, we own and control all of the intellectual property and rely on multiple suppliers.
During the fall of 2020 we launched a significant expansion of
our manufacturing capacity, leasing two additional facilities, our approximately 197,000 square foot Vista facility and our approximately 63,000 square foot Waples facility. These additional facilities have allowed, and we expect will further
allow, us to further expand our reagent production and cartridge manufacturing, bring additional cartridge component manufacturing in-house, and improve our distribution capabilities. As of May 10, 2021, the Vista facility was producing
cartridges from six production pods (with dedicated space for an additional four production pods) and was serving as our warehousing and distribution hub. Our Waples facility will serve as a second reagent production hub, house certain
cartridge component manufacturing, and has dedicated space for five production pods. Our Nancy Ridge facility is also producing cartridges from one production pod. We believe our existing manufacturing footprint is sufficient to meet our
current needs and planned manufacturing expansion for the foreseeable future, and that we will be able to find appropriate space for expansion when needed in the future.
Certain Key Factors Affecting Our Performance
The performance of our business depends on a number of factors,
including the key factors discussed below. While each of these areas presents significant opportunities for us, they also pose challenges and risks that we must address to sustain the growth of our business and improve our results of operations.
See the section titled “Risk Factors” for additional information on the various challenges and risks we face as we look to grow our business and become profitable.
U.S. Department of Defense Agreement
In October 2020, we entered into a $480.9 million agreement, or
the U.S. DoD agreement, from the U.S. DoD to expand our U.S.-based production capacity, to deploy 6,000,000 Cue COVID-19 Test Kits, 30,000 Cue Readers and 60,000 Cue Control Swab Packs (which include three negative and three positive control
swabs per pack) by April 2021. We received $184.6 million of the $480.9 million agreement amount, or the U.S. DoD Advance, at the time of signing the agreement, with the initial payment meant to facilitate the scaling of our manufacturing. This
payment was intended to help us onshore our supply chain and rapidly increase our production capacity to enable and support domestic production of critical medical resources. The remaining $296.3 million under the agreement was committed to the
federal government’s purchase of Cue Test Kits, Cue Readers and Cue Control Swab Packs under the agreement, with payment to be received against shipments of product at agreed upon pricing.
In March 2021, the U.S. DoD agreement was amended to, among other
things, allow for additional ramp-up time and for delivery of the 6,000,000 Cue COVID-19 Test Kits and other deliverables to be made by October 2021. To satisfy the terms of the arrangement, we are obligated to provide the U.S. government with
the Cue COVID-19 Test Kits, Cue Readers and Cue Control Swab Packs pursuant to a specified delivery schedule and demonstrate our ability to manufacture a sustained average of approximately 100,000 Cue COVID-19 Test Cartridges per day over a
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consecutive 7-day period by October 2021. Subject to exceptions, the U.S.
government is entitled to be the exclusive purchaser of our entire production through the completion of the project. Pursuant to the U.S. DoD agreement, we are permitted to honor certain contractual obligations that existed prior to the
effective date of the U.S. DoD agreement and may use a reasonable number of tests for internal workforce testing as well as for marketing, demonstration and evaluation of our products and business development. Furthermore, we have and are able
to seek waivers from the U.S. government to sell certain of our products to additional customers. In April 2021, we received a waiver from the U.S. DoD, or the U.S. DoD Waiver, effective May 1, 2021, allowing us to distribute commercially up to
50% of our COVID-19 Test production, measured monthly in arrears on a calendar month basis, to non-U.S. federal government customers and other recipients. We anticipate that the U.S. DoD Waiver will remain in effect for the duration of the U.S.
DoD agreement; however, the U.S. government may modify the waiver upon timely written notice to reasonably accommodate changes in U.S. government requirements. Per ASC Topic 606, the initial payment from the U.S. DoD agreement was recorded in
deferred revenue. Deferred revenue will be recognized proportionally to product shipments in the current agreement and a follow-on contract. Due to management estimates related to the size and delivery schedule of a follow-on contract relative
to the size of the initial agreement we expect recognition of deferred revenue related to the initial agreement to decline following final delivery of the products in the initial agreement.
For at least the duration of the initial U.S. DoD agreement, we
expect that at least 50% of our manufacturing capabilities will be dedicated to meet the demand from the U.S. DoD agreement, per the terms of the U.S. DoD waiver. As a result, our ability to acquire new customers will be constrained and we
expect to be unable to satisfy much of the non-U.S. government demand for our products during this time. The U.S. DoD agreement also provides that, as soon as possible after the initial U.S. DoD agreement, we and the U.S. government are
expected to negotiate in good faith to enter into a follow-on supply agreement based on federal acquisition regulations (a FAR-based contract). The future-contract would provide the U.S. DoD with the right to purchase up to 45% of our quarterly
production for the duration of the contract at a specified discount to the lowest price offered by us to a commercial customer for the same products, equivalent quantities and comparable terms of sale, subject to a price floor. Any such
additional contract with the U.S. DoD could constrain our ability to grow our business with non-U.S. government customers.
As of March 31, 2021, we have delivered all the Cue Readers
required to be delivered under the U.S. DoD agreement, as amended. As of April 30, 2021, our daily manufacturing capacity was over 30,000 Cue Cartridges per day, and we are continuing to add daily capacity in order to meet our obligations under
the U.S. DoD agreement. Until we are able to diversify our customer base, the success of our business depends in large part on our ability to fulfill our obligations under the U.S. DoD agreement and any future related contract.
Expanding Our Manufacturing Capacity
The growth of our business depends on our ability to rapidly
expand our current manufacturing capacity to meet the demand for our platform and tests, in particular our COVID-19 test, at least 50% of our current production capacity is dedicated to fulfilling our current contractual obligations under the
U.S. DoD agreement and we expect that customer demand for our COVID-19 test will exceed our manufacturing capacity in 2021. We manufacture all of our Cue Cartridges in our vertically integrated facilities in San Diego, California. We also
produce all of our biochemistry in-house, including critical enzymes, antibodies and primers for our Cue Cartridges. Production of our Cue Readers and our Cue Wands is performed for us by third-party contract manufacturers.
We are currently scaling our manufacturing capabilities,
including our fully automated production pods, to be able to produce approximately 100,000 Cue COVID-19 Cartridges per day, consistent with our obligations under the U.S. DoD agreement, by October 2021. A production pod is a free standing,
modular environmentally-controlled structure containing an automated cartridge production line. Our current manufacturing facilities can accommodate up to 16 production pods. In October 2020, we had one active production pod. As of May
10, 2021, we had seven active production pods. We expect that an additional 5 production pods will be completed by the end of 2021. We expect that the development of our manufacturing facilities will be funded by our available cash resources,
including the proceeds from this offering and cash on hand. As we expand our manufacturing capacity, we expect to see a positive impact on our product gross margins in 2021 and thereafter.
Investments in Our Growth
We expect to make continued significant investments in our business
to drive growth, and therefore we expect our expenses to increase going forward. We expect to invest significant resources in sales and marketing to drive
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demand for our products and services, as well as research and development to enhance
our platform and bring additional tests to market. We also intend to continue investing in our supply chain and logistics operations. As we continue to scale our business, we expect to hire additional personnel and incur additional expenses,
including those expenses in connection with our becoming a public company.
Expanding Our Customer Base
The future commercial success of our diagnostic products is
dependent on our ability to broaden our customer base beyond the U.S. government, to markets including individuals, enterprises and healthcare providers. We believe demand for our diagnostic products from non-government customer channels exceeds
our current production capacity. However, as discussed above, a substantial portion of our current production capacity is dedicated to fulfilling our contractual obligations to the U.S. DoD and our U.S. DoD agreement currently limits our ability
to significantly expand our customer base. The U.S. DoD agreement gives the U.S. DoD the right to contract for up to 45% of our production capacity, funded by the U.S. DoD, in a follow-on contract, which may further limit our ability to expand
our customer base. In addition to the U.S. DoD, our other current key strategic relationships include the U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, or BARDA, the Mayo Clinic, the National Basketball Association and Henry
Schein, Inc. We believe that there is substantial market opportunity for our consumer-oriented diagnostic testing platform that sits at the nexus of healthcare and technology and that allows for clinical lab quality molecular diagnostic testing
of individuals at home, at the point-of-care, in the workplace and in other settings, and on an over-the-counter basis. We intend to leverage our success with our Cue COVID-19 Test and the expansion of our manufacturing capabilities to enable
broad distribution of our Cue Readers and awareness of our platform across different groups of customers and to enhance pull-through of our future tests.
Enhancing and Expanding Our Menu of Tests and Software Capabilities
Currently, our only commercially available test is our molecular
COVID-19 test. A key part of our growth strategy is to expand our menu of tests to include other diseases, ailments and general health markers, which we expect will support our growth and continue to contribute to the utility of our platform,
including the Cue Health Monitoring System. We are currently developing tests in the fields of respiratory health, sexual health, cardiac and metabolic health, women's health, men's health, and chronic disease management, with several of these
tests expected to be submitted to the FDA for authorization or clearance by the end of 2022, at the earliest.
As we continue to develop and expand our menu of tests, we have
made, and will continue to make, significant investments in our business, particularly in research and development, sales and marketing and the hiring of additional personnel. Investing in research and development will allow us to develop new
tests as well as enhance our current product offerings and our Cue Integrated Care Platform. To build out our menu of tests and bring additional products to market, we will need to hire additional personnel, such as engineers and researchers,
as well as develop a robust sales and marketing and customer support team to be able to sell our products.
Regulatory Clearance of Our Diagnostic Products
Our commercial success will depend upon a number of factors, some of
which are beyond our control, including the receipt of regulatory clearances, approvals or authorizations for existing or new product offerings by us, product enhancements, or additions to our proprietary intellectual property portfolio. While we
have received two EUAs for our COVID-19 test, our COVID-19 test has not been FDA cleared or approved and is only authorized for emergency use during the declaration that circumstances exist justifying the authorization of emergency use, and this
declaration could be terminated or our authorization could be revoked in the future. We will need to seek additional regulatory approval for our COVID-19 test if the EUA declaration is terminated or otherwise revised or revoked, and we will need
to seek regulatory approval for our other diagnostic products in development. In addition, we will not be able to commercialize any other tests for our platform unless we obtain required regulatory clearances or other necessary approvals or
authorizations. There are numerous factors associated with the successful development of any diagnostic product and obtaining regulatory clearance or other necessary approvals or authorizations. After a device or other product is cleared,
approved or authorized for marketing, numerous and pervasive regulatory requirements continue to apply. As such, our ability to navigate, obtain and maintain the required regulatory clearances, approvals or authorizations, as well as comply with
other regulatory requirements, for our products will in part drive our results of operations and impact our business. See “Our Business–Government Regulation” for further discussion.
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Reimbursement and Insurance Coverage
We have been granted EUAs by the FDA for our COVID-19 test for
point-of-care and at-home and over-the-counter indications. The commercial success of our COVID-19 test, and any of our subsequently developed tests, is dependent on a customer’s ability to be able to pay for or otherwise be reimbursed for the
purchase of a test, whether out-of-pocket, by insurance or from a governmental or other third-party payor. We believe payment for our products, including our Cue COVID-19 Test Kits, will be billable by a physician, reimbursable by government
payors or insurance companies, paid for by a self-insured employer, or eligible under FSA and HSA guidelines. For example, most of our contemplated future tests that are currently offered by others through central labs are reimbursable by health
plans and governmental payors if properly ordered by a physician. These third-party payors decide which products will be covered and establish reimbursement levels for those products. Coverage criteria and reimbursement rates for clinical
laboratory tests are subject to adjustment by payors, and current reimbursement rates could be reduced, or coverage criteria restricted in the future. We believe that the benefits of our portable, intuitive, accurate and connected system align
incentives for all stakeholders, the user and the payors (self-insured employers and health plans), and that this will encourage payors to pay for or subsidize the Cue Health Monitoring System and associated tests for the end-user. Ultimately,
however, if the Cue Health Monitoring System, including any of our current or future tests, are not reimbursable or covered by insurance, our business may be materially and adversely impacted.
Seasonality
We anticipate that fluctuations in customer and user demand for our
COVID-19 test may be similar to those related to influenza, which typically increases during the fall and winter seasons. Although our products will be available throughout the year, we anticipate that we may experience higher sales during the
fall and winter seasons, relative to the spring and summer seasons. However, as our portfolio of diagnostic offerings increases beyond our COVID-19 test, we expect the impact of this seasonality on our results to decrease.
COVID-19 Impact
While the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic has adversely impacted
global commercial activity, it served as a catalyst to accelerate our product pipeline and commercialization of our platform. We began selling and recording product revenue for our COVID-19 test in August 2020 after obtaining our first FDA EUA in
June 2020. Currently, 100% of our product revenue is related to sales of our Cue COVID-19 test.
In December 2020, the FDA issued EUAs for two COVID-19 vaccines and
in February 2021, the FDA issued a third EUA for a COVID-19 vaccine. The widely administered use of an efficacious vaccine or the availability of therapeutic treatments for COVID-19 may reduce the demand for our COVID-19 test and could cause the
COVID-19 diagnostic testing market to fail to grow or to decline. However, we believe the need for ongoing detection and monitoring will continue to be high even after effective vaccines have been widely distributed and administered. We also
believe COVID-19 will remain endemic for the foreseeable future and people suspected of COVID-19 will want to obtain a fast and accurate COVID-19 test to confirm a diagnosis in order to receive timely and appropriate treatment. Even while vaccine
efforts are underway, public health measures, like testing, will likely need to stay in effect to protect against COVID-19. However, given the unpredictable nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, the development and potential size of the COVID-19
diagnostic testing market is highly uncertain.
Components of Our Results of Operations
Revenue
Product Revenue. Our product revenue currently relates to sales of our COVID-19 test, which began in August of 2020 after we obtained our initial EUA in June of 2020. With respect to the U.S. DoD agreement, the transaction price is fixed and does not include variable consideration. The U.S. DoD Advance of $184.6 million was recorded as deferred revenue and will be recognized upon satisfaction of
performance obligations, such as the delivery of Cue Cartridges, Cue Readers, Cue Wands and Cue Control Swab Packs to the U.S. government. Significant judgment is applied in determining how deferred revenue will be recognized, including estimating future quantities, delivery schedules, pricing and contract duration from the
U.S. government, which can have a significant impact on revenue recognition. Deferred revenue related to the U.S. DoD Advance as of March 31,
2021 was $166.6 million. Of this amount, $118.1 million was classified as current as of March
31, 2021, based on amounts expected to be realized within the next twelve months. Deferred revenue related to the U.S. DoD Advance as of December 31, 2020 was $182.3 million. Of this
amount, $114.9 million was classified as current at December 31, 2020, based on amounts
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expected to be realized during 2021. The remaining $243.3 million of contract
value under the U.S. DoD agreement, excluding deferred revenue, that had not been paid to us as of March 31, 2021 is expected to be recognized by us as revenue upon satisfaction of performance obligations by reference to the total products
expected to be provided under the U.S. DoD agreement, including an estimate of future performance obligations under expected contract renewals, and the corresponding expected consideration. Upon final delivery of products specified in the
current U.S. DoD agreement, we expect a reduction in the recognition of deferred revenue related to the U.S. DoD Advance, and a related negative impact to product revenue growth, as a larger proportion of product sales go to other customers. We
also had substantial product revenue related to customers outside the U.S. government, with approximately 42% of our product revenue in 2020 derived from non-U.S. government customers. While at least 50% of our production capacity in 2021 is
expected to be dedicated to fulfilling our obligations under the U.S. DoD agreement, we expect to continue to grow our revenue from non-government customers over time.
In April 2021, we started offering non-U.S. government customers
a subscription-based purchasing option. Subscription-based customers can initially purchase a fixed number of Cue Readers at the start of the contract and commit to a fixed number of Cue Cartridges per month for the duration of the subscription
agreement. We believe our subscription-based model offers customers maximum utility and allows them to reduce their purchase costs, while simultaneously creating a recurring revenue stream for us.
Grant and Other Revenue . Our grant and other revenue primarily relates to our cost reimbursement research and development agreement with
BARDA, which, as amended, is effective through January 2022 for phase one and January 2023 for phase two. The objective of the contract is to accelerate the development, validation and FDA clearance of our influenza and COVID-19 diagnostic products. We have received $35.5 million in contracts and awards, $21.8 million for phase one and $13.7 million for phase two, from BARDA from June 2018 to date. Income derived
from reimbursement of direct out-of-pocket expenses, overhead allocations and fringe benefits for research costs associated with U.S. government contracts are recorded as grant revenue. We
recognize revenue from our contracts and awards with BARDA at the gross amount of the reimbursement in the period during which the related costs
are incurred, provided that the conditions under which the grants and contracts were provided have been met and only perfunctory performance obligations are outstanding. Grant and other revenue
in 2019 also included $0.4 million related to our collaboration agreement with Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc, or the Janssen Contract. We did not
recognize any revenue related to the Janssen Contract in 2020 and do not expect to recognize significant revenue under the Janssen Contract in 2021. The direct costs associated with both
contracts are reflected as a component of research and development expense in our statements of operations.
Operating Costs and Expenses
Cost of Product Revenue. Our cost of product revenue includes the cost of materials, direct labor, and manufacturing overhead costs used in the manufacture of our Cue Cartridges as well as contract manufacturing
costs associated with production of our Cue Readers, Cue Wands and Cue Control Swab Packs. Prior to August 2020, we had not commenced sales of our diagnostic
products and as such, did not record any cost of product revenue. We expect that our cost of product revenue will increase on an absolute basis for the foreseeable future as we continue to grow and sell a higher volume and wider variety of our diagnostic products. We expect that the cost per Cue Cartridge will decrease over time due to the increase in the
number of production pods, the reduction of scrap, volume efficiencies across the supply chain on materials and
shipping costs, the transition of certain production capabilities to be handled in-house, and through other efficiencies we may gain as manufacturing of reagents increases. In general, we expect our cost of product revenue as a percentage of product revenue to decrease over the long term as our production capacity increases, and we expect corresponding increases in product gross profit margin (product gross profit as a percentage of product revenue).
Sales and Marketing Expense. Our sales and marketing expense consists primarily of salaries and other related costs for personnel in sales and marketing, customer support and business development
functions as well as advertising and marketing costs. We expect that our sales and marketing expense will increase significantly on an absolute dollar basis and vary from period to period as a percentage of revenue for the foreseeable future as we focus on building out our
customer facing organization and expand our brand.
Research and Development Expense. Our research and development expense is primarily comprised of costs and expenses related to salaries and benefits associated with research and development personnel,
contract services, laboratory supplies, facilities, depreciation, outside services and costs associated with clinical studies and regulatory submissions. Costs
associated with our U.S. government agreements and our collaboration contracts (including our
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contracts with BARDA and Janssen, respectively) as well costs associated with Cue
Cartridges we produce for research and development purposes are recorded within research and development expense. We expense research and development costs in the periods in which they are incurred. We expect that our research and development
expense will increase significantly on an absolute dollar basis and vary from period to period as a percentage of revenue for the foreseeable future as we continue to invest in development activities related to our technology platform and our
current and future test menus and continuing to expand our portfolio of diagnostic testing offerings.
We do not track research and development costs on a test by test
basis as there is often significant overlap in research and development efforts between different tests. The work to get certain of our tests into the late-stage technical development phase for the general immunoassay modality and certain
specific immunoassays (including fertility, pregnancy, and inflammation) was largely complete prior to a shift of our focus in mid-2018. From mid-2018 until early 2020, the focus of our research and development efforts was on improving the NAAT
modality within our platform and completing our first automated production line, initially used to build cartridges for research and development purposes. The primary target within NAAT from mid-2018 was respiratory infectious disease testing,
in particular, influenza. The focus on influenza (which also helped advance our very similar RSV test) lasted until COVID-19 came to the forefront in early 2020. Research and development efforts shifted fully to focus on COVID-19 in March of
2020 when our clinical study sites for influenza were closed to those with respiratory illness symptoms due to the pandemic. COVID-19 remained our focus through most of 2020. Starting in early 2021, we began to refocus our research and
development efforts on finalizing our tests in late-stage technical development and restarting development on tests in earlier stages.
General and Administrative Expense. Our general and administrative expense consists primarily of salaries and other related costs, including stock-based compensation, for personnel in our executive, finance,
corporate development and administrative functions. General and administrative expense also includes professional fees for legal, patent, accounting, information
technology, auditing, tax and consulting services, travel expenses and facility-related expenses, which include direct depreciation costs and allocated expenses for rent and maintenance of facilities
and other operating costs. We expect that our general and administrative expense will increase on an absolute dollar basis and vary from period to period as a percentage
of revenue for the foreseeable future as we focus on processes, systems and controls to enable our internal support functions to scale with the growth of our business. We expect to incur increased
expenses associated with being a public company, including costs of accounting, audit, legal, regulatory and tax compliance services, costs related to compliance
with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and exchange listing standards, higher director and officer insurance costs, and investor and public relations costs.
Depreciation and Amortization. Our depreciation and amortization expense consists of depreciation of property and equipment and amortization of intangible assets. Our depreciation and amortization
changes primarily based on changes in our property and equipment and intangible assets.
Interest Expense. Our interest expense primarily consists of expense related to our prior loan and security agreement with Comerica Bank. In February 2021, we entered into a new loan and security agreement
with East West Bank and the other lenders party thereto. See “Liquidity and Capital Resources” below.
Change in Fair Value of
Redeemable Convertible Preferred Stock Warrants . Change in fair value of redeemable convertible preferred stock
warrants relates to our liability-classified redeemable convertible preferred stock warrants which are recorded on the balance sheets at their fair values on the date of
issuance and are revalued on each subsequent balance sheet date, with fair value changes recognized as increases or reductions in the statement of operations.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
Adjusted Product Gross Profit
To supplement our operating results prepared and presented in
accordance with U.S. GAAP, we provide investors and management adjusted product gross profit and adjusted product gross profit margin as key non-GAAP measures in assessing our operating performance and evaluating profitability. We calculate
adjusted product gross profit for a particular period as product revenue less cost of product revenue, excluding depreciation and amortization expense included in cost of product revenue. Adjusted product gross profit margin represents adjusted
product gross profit as a percentage of product revenue.
We believe adjusted product gross profit is helpful to investors,
analysts and other interested parties because it gives them a better understanding of cash generated by product sales prior to operating costs.
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The non-GAAP information in this prospectus should be read in
conjunction with, and not as substitutes for, or in isolation from, our financial statements and accompanying notes included elsewhere in this prospectus.
A reconciliation of product gross profit, the most directly
comparable GAAP financial measure, to adjusted product gross profit is set forth below:
Product revenue
|
|
|
$15,391
|
|
|
$64,499
|
Less: Cost of product revenue
|
|
|
15,481
|
|
|
30,035
|
Product gross profit
|
|
|
$ (90 )
|
|
|
$ 34,464
|
Product gross profit margin
|
|
|
(1 )%
|
|
|
53 %
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Product gross profit
|
|
|
$ (90)
|
|
|
$34,464
|
Plus: Depreciation and amortization included in cost of product revenue
|
|
|
2,649
|
|
|
4,094
|
Adjusted product gross profit
|
|
|
$ 2,559
|
|
|
$38,558
|
Adjusted product gross profit margin
|
|
|
17 %
|
|
|
60 %
|
Results of Operations
The following table sets forth a summary of our results of operations for the
periods indicated:
Revenue:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Product revenue
|
|
|
$ —
|
|
|
$ 15,391
|
|
|
$ —
|
|
|
$64,499
|
Grant and other revenue
|
|
|
6,626
|
|
|
7,562
|
|
|
611
|
|
|
—
|
Total revenue
|
|
|
6,626
|
|
|
22,953
|
|
|
611
|
|
|
64,499
|
Operating costs and expenses:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cost of product revenue (1)(2)
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
15,481
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
30,035
|
Sales and marketing (1)
|
|
|
88
|
|
|
714
|
|
|
20
|
|
|
430
|
Research and development (1)
|
|
|
17,872
|
|
|
25,069
|
|
|
7,309
|
|
|
7,409
|
General and administrative (1)
|
|
|
5,781
|
|
|
23,777
|
|
|
1,279
|
|
|
11,707
|
Depreciation and amortization
|
|
|
3,652
|
|
|
3,038
|
|
|
710
|
|
|
163
|
Total operating costs and expenses
|
|
|
27,393
|
|
|
68,079
|
|
|
9,318
|
|
|
49,744
|
Income (loss) from operations
|
|
|
(20,767)
|
|
|
(45,126)
|
|
|
(8,707)
|
|
|
14,755
|
Interest expense
|
|
|
(152)
|
|
|
(374)
|
|
|
(98)
|
|
|
(535)
|
Change in fair value of redeemable convertible preferred stock warrants
|
|
|
4
|
|
|
(1,289)
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
Loss on debt extinguishment
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
(610)
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
Other income
|
|
|
309
|
|
|
47
|
|
|
42
|
|
|
37
|
Net income (loss) before income taxes
|
|
|
(20,606 )
|
|
|
(47,352 )
|
|
|
(8,763 )
|
|
|
14,257
|
Income tax expense
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
(1,226)
|
Net income (loss)
|
|
|
$(20,606 )
|
|
|
$ (47,352 )
|
|
|
$ (8,763 )
|
|
|
$ 13,031
|
(1)
|
Includes stock-based compensation expense as follows: during the three months ended March 31, 2021, $0.9 million of
stock-based compensation expense was capitalized to inventory during the manufacturing process.
|
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Sales and marketing
|
|
|
$ —
|
|
|
$ 1
|
|
|
$—
|
|
|
$ 15
|
Research and development
|
|
|
45
|
|
|
98
|
|
|
7
|
|
|
396
|
General and administrative
|
|
|
291
|
|
|
3,064
|
|
|
42
|
|
|
1,7 5 6
|
Total stock-based compensation expense
|
|
|
$336
|
|
|
$3,163
|
|
|
$49
|
|
|
$ 2 , 167
|
(2)
|
Includes $2.6 million and $4.1 million of depreciation and amortization expense for the year ended December 31, 2020, and for
the three months ended March 31, 2021, respectively.
|
Comparison of the Three Months Ended March 31,
2020 and 2021
The following table sets forth a summary of our results of
operations for the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2021 and the changes between periods:
Revenue:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Product revenue
|
|
|
$ —
|
|
|
$ 64,499
|
|
|
$ 64,499
|
|
|
n.m.
|
Grant and other revenue
|
|
|
611
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
(611 )
|
|
|
(100.0 )%
|
Total revenue
|
|
|
611
|
|
|
64,4 99
|
|
|
63,888
|
|
|
n.m.
|
Operating costs and expenses:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cost of product revenue
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
30,035
|
|
|
30,035
|
|
|
n.m.
|
Sales and marketing
|
|
|
20
|
|
|
430
|
|
|
410
|
|
|
n.m.
|
Research and development
|
|
|
7,309
|
|
|
7,409
|
|
|
100
|
|
|
1.4%
|
General and administrative
|
|
|
1,279
|
|
|
11,707
|
|
|
10,428
|
|
|
815.3%
|
Depreciation and amortization
|
|
|
710
|
|
|
163
|
|
|
(547 )
|
|
|
(77.0 )%
|
Total operating costs and expenses
|
|
|
9,318
|
|
|
49,744
|
|
|
40,426
|
|
|
433.8 %
|
Income (loss) from operations
|
|
|
(8,707)
|
|
|
14,755
|
|
|
23,462
|
|
|
269.5 %
|
Interest expense
|
|
|
(98)
|
|
|
(535)
|
|
|
(437)
|
|
|
445.9%
|
Other income
|
|
|
42
|
|
|
37
|
|
|
(5 )
|
|
|
(11.9 )%
|
Net income (loss) before income taxes
|
|
|
(8,763 )
|
|
|
14,257
|
|
|
23,020
|
|
|
262.7 %
|
Income tax expense
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
(1,226)
|
|
|
(1,226)
|
|
|
n.m.
|
Net income (loss)
|
|
|
$(8,763 )
|
|
|
$ 13,031
|
|
|
$ 21,794
|
|
|
248.7 %
|
n.m. = not meaningful
Revenue. Revenue increased by $63.9 million to $64.5 million in the three months ended March 31, 2021 from $0.6 million in the
three months ended March 31, 2020. This increase was due to the start of product sales in August 2020. Of the $64.5 million of product revenue recorded in the three months ended March 31, 2021, $48.9 million related to sales of our COVID-19 test, and $15.6 million was related to the amortization of the U.S. DoD Advance.
Grant and other revenue decreased by $0.6 million to $0 in the
three months ended March 31, 2021 from $0.6 million in the three months ended March 31, 2020. During the three months ended March 31, 2020, all of the revenue recognized related to our agreement with BARDA. There was no activity related to this
revenue category during the three months ended March 31, 2021.
Cost of Product Revenue. Cost of product revenue increased by $30.0 million in the three months ended March 31, 2021 from $0 in the three months ended March 31, 2020. This increase was due to the fact that we did not incur cost of product revenue until we received our first FDA EUA in June 2020. Product gross profit was $34.5 million in the three months ended March 31, 2021, up from $0 in the three months ended March 31, 2020, as we did not incur cost of product revenue prior to receipt of our first FDA EUA in June 2020.
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Sales and Marketing
Expense. Sales and marketing expense increased by $0.4 million to $0.4 million in the three months ended March 31, 2021 from an immaterial amount in the three months ended March 31, 2020. This increase was due to the launch of our COVID-19 test in 2020 and the continued ramp-up of our headcount to support the sales of our products.
Research and Development
Expense. Research and development expense increased by $0.1 million to $7.4 million in the three months ended March 31, 2021 from $7.3 million in the three months ended March 31, 2020. This increase was
primarily due to the costs incurred in the further development of our COVID-19 test in the three months ended March 31, 2021 compared to the three months ended March 31, 2020.
General and Administrative
Expense. General and administrative expense increased by $10.4 million in the three months ended March 31, 2021
to $11.7 million from $1.3 million in the three months ended March 31, 2020. This increase was related
to increase in employee-related costs as a result of increased headcount, as well as increases in accounting, legal, and consulting fees to support our growing business and prepare us to operate as a public company.
Depreciation and
Amortization. Depreciation and amortization decreased by $0.5 million to $0.2 million in the three months ended March 31, 2021 from $0.7 million in the three months ended March 31, 2020. This decrease was primarily due to
the continued shift of our manufacturing-related depreciation and amortization into cost of product revenue upon receipt of the EUA for our COVID-19 test in June 2020.
Interest Expense. Interest expense increased by $0.4 million to $0.5 million in the three months ended March 31, 2021 from $0.1 million in
the three months ended March 31, 2020. This increase was primarily due to a higher level of borrowing
under our new Revolving Credit Agreement entered into in February 2021 compared to our level of borrowing under
our prior loan and security agreement with Comerica Bank in the three months ended March 31, 2020.
Income Tax Expense. Income tax expense increased by $1.2 million in the three months ended March 31, 2021 from $0 in the three months ended
2020. This increase was due to the fact that we generated pre-tax income during the three months ended March 31, 2021 which resulted in an income tax payable .
Comparison of the Year Ended December 31, 2019 and 2020
The following table sets forth a summary of our results of
operations for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020 and the changes between periods:
Revenue:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Product revenue
|
|
|
$ —
|
|
|
$ 15,391
|
|
|
$ 15,391
|
|
|
n.m.
|
Grant and other revenue
|
|
|
6,626
|
|
|
7,562
|
|
|
936
|
|
|
14.1 %
|
Total revenue
|
|
|
6,626
|
|
|
22,953
|
|
|
16,327
|
|
|
246.4%
|
Operating costs and expenses:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cost of product revenue
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
15,481
|
|
|
15,481
|
|
|
n.m.
|
Sales and marketing
|
|
|
88
|
|
|
714
|
|
|
626
|
|
|
711.4%
|
Research and development
|
|
|
17,872
|
|
|
25,069
|
|
|
7,197
|
|
|
40.3%
|
General and administrative
|
|
|
5,781
|
|
|
23,777
|
|
|
17,996
|
|
|
311.3%
|
Depreciation and amortization
|
|
|
3,652
|
|
|
3,038
|
|
|
(614 )
|
|
|
(16.8 )%
|
Total operating costs and expenses
|
|
|
27,393
|
|
|
68,079
|
|
|
40,686
|
|
|
148.5 %
|
Loss from operations
|
|
|
(20,767)
|
|
|
(45,126)
|
|
|
(24,359)
|
|
|
117.3%
|
Interest expense
|
|
|
(152)
|
|
|
(374)
|
|
|
(222)
|
|
|
146.1%
|
Change in fair value of redeemable convertible preferred stock warrants
|
|
|
4
|
|
|
(1,289)
|
|
|
(1,293)
|
|
|
n.m.
|
Loss on debt extinguishment
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
(610)
|
|
|
(610)
|
|
|
n.m.
|
Other income
|
|
|
309
|
|
|
47
|
|
|
(262 )
|
|
|
(84.8 )%
|
Net loss
|
|
|
$(20,606 )
|
|
|
$(47,352 )
|
|
|
$(26,746 )
|
|
|
129.8 %
|
n.m. = not meaningful
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Revenue. Revenue increased by $16.3 million, or 246.4%, to $23.0 million in 2020 from $6.6 million in 2019. This increase was primarily due
to the recognition of $15.4 million in product revenue during 2020, beginning in August 2020 after obtaining FDA EUA for our COVID-19 test in June 2020. Prior to August 2020 we did
not generate product revenue. Of the $15.4 million of product revenue recorded in 2020, $2.3 million was related to the amortization of the U.S. DoD Advance, and the remainder related to sales of our COVID-19 test.
Grant and other revenue increased by $0.9 million, or 14.1%, to
$7.6 million in 2020 from $6.6 million in 2019. This increase was due to work associated with our original contract with BARDA, the exercise of an option in March of 2020 for a second phase to accelerate development, validation and FDA clearance
of the Cue COVID-19 Test and an amendment to the initial phase of the contract in May 2020. The March 2020 phase two option exercise increased the total value of our contract with BARDA by $13.7 million with a period of performance through
January 2023. The May 2020 amendment to the initial phase increased the total value of that phase by $7.8 million to $21.8 million and extended the term of that phase to January 2022. The increase in revenue from our contract with BARDA was
offset by a reduction in revenue associated with a pause of work on the Janssen Contract during 2020 to focus on COVID-19.
Cost of Product Revenue. Cost of product revenue increased by $15.5 million in 2020 from $0 in 2019. This increase was due to the fact that we did not incur
cost of product revenue until we received our first EUA in June 2020. Product gross profit was negative $0.1 million in
2020 down from $0 in 2019 as we did not incur cost of product
revenue prior to receipt of our first EUA in June 2020 and due to high per unit cartridge costs associated with the
low levels of production and inefficiency we experienced during the early scale up in production during 2020.
Sales and Marketing Expense.
Sales and marketing expense increased by $0.6 million in 2020, or 711.4%, to $0.7 million from $0.1 million in 2019. This
increase was due to the launch of our COVID-19 test and the ramp-up of our headcount to support the sales of our products.
Research and Development
Expense. Research and development expense increased by $7.2 million in 2020, or 40.3%, to $25.1 million in 2020 from
$17.9 million in 2019. This increase was primarily due to the development and launch of our COVID-19 test.
General and Administrative
Expense. General and administrative expense increased by $18.0 million in 2020, or 311.3%, to $23.8 million in 2020 from
$5.8 million from 2019. This increase was related to a $9.0 million legal settlement of a contract dispute, increases in employee-related costs of $3.5 million and stock-based compensation expense of $2.8 million as a result of increased headcount to support our growing business, and increases in accounting, legal, and consulting fees of $2.2 million.
Depreciation and
Amortization. Depreciation and amortization decreased by $0.7
million, or 16.8%, to $3.0 million in 2020 from $3.7 million in 2019. This decrease was primarily due to the shift of our manufacturing-related depreciation and amortization into cost of product revenue upon receipt of the FDA EUA for our COVID-19 test in June of 2020.
Interest Expense. Interest expense increased by $0.2 million, or 146.1%, to
$0.4 million in 2020 from $0.2 million in 2019. This increase was primarily due to a higher level of borrowing under our prior loan and security agreement with Comerica Bank.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
We measure liquidity in terms of our ability to fund the cash
requirements of our business operations, including primarily working capital and capital expenditure needs to expand our production capabilities. Our principal sources of liquidity to date have included cash from operating activities, including
the U.S. DoD Advance, net proceeds from the sale of our redeemable convertible preferred stock and warrants, and indebtedness. Our ability to expand and grow our business will depend on many factors, including our working capital needs and the
evolution of our operating cash flows.
As of March 31, 2021, we had an accumulated deficit of $97.4
million, and cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash of $118.9 million. For the three months ended March 31, 2021, we had net income of $13.0 million and net cash used in operations of $35.1 million. As of March 31, 2021, we had outstanding
debt of $63.2 million and lease liabilities of $32.7 million. In February 2021, we entered into a $130.0 million Loan and Security Agreement, or the Revolving Credit Agreement, with the lenders from time to time party thereto and East West
Bank, as Administrative Agent and Collateral Agent for the lenders. Per the covenants of the Revolving Credit Agreement, we are required
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to maintain a balance of $80.0 million on deposit with East West Bank. In May
2021, we raised $229.5 million in net proceeds from the issuance and sale of Convertible Notes.
Based on our current business plan, we believe our anticipated
operating cash flows, together with our existing cash and cash equivalents and net proceeds from this offering, will be sufficient to meet our working capital and capital expenditure requirements for at least the next twelve months.
We expect that our near and longer-term liquidity requirements will
consist of working capital and general corporate expenses associated with the growth of our business, including, without limitation, expenses associated with scaling up our operations and continuing to increase our manufacturing capacity, sales
and marketing expense associated with the over-the-counter, at-home consumer rollout of our COVID-19 test and increasing market awareness of our platform and brand generally to individual consumers, enterprises and other target customers,
additional research and development expenses associated with expanding our care offerings, expenses associated with continuing to build out our corporate infrastructure and expenses associated with being a public company. Our short-term capital
expenditure needs relate primarily to the ongoing build out of our manufacturing facilities, and we expect such expenditures to continue throughout 2021. Notwithstanding potential additional capital expenditures related to levels of higher growth
or potential global expansion, we expect our capital expenditures to decrease in 2022 and 2023 from 2021 levels.
We have based our estimates as to how long we expect we will be able
to fund our operations on assumptions that may prove to be wrong, and we could use our available capital resources sooner than we currently expect, in which case we would be required to obtain additional financing sooner than currently projected,
which may not be available to us on acceptable terms, or at all. Our failure to raise capital as and when needed may have a material adverse impact on our financial condition and our ability to pursue our business strategy. We may raise
additional capital through equity or equity-linked offerings, debt financings or other capital sources, including potentially collaborations, licenses and other similar arrangements. If we do raise additional capital through public or private
equity offerings, the ownership interest of our existing stockholders will be diluted, and the terms of these securities may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect our existing stockholders’ rights. If we raise additional
capital through debt financing, we may be subject to covenants limiting or restricting our ability to take specific actions, such as incurring additional debt, making capital expenditures or declaring dividends. If we raise additional funds
through other third-party funding, collaboration agreements, strategic alliances, licensing arrangements or marketing and distribution arrangements, we may have to relinquish valuable rights to our technologies, future revenue streams, research
programs or platform or grant licenses on terms that may not be favorable to us.
Our ability to raise additional funds may be adversely impacted by
then-existing U.S. or global economic or market conditions and the disruptions to, and volatility in, the equity, credit and financial markets in the United States and worldwide, including those relating to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and
actions taken to slow its spread, including any diminished liquidity and credit availability, declines in consumer confidence, declines in economic growth, increases in unemployment rates, and uncertainty about economic stability. If the equity
and credit markets deteriorate, it may make any necessary equity or debt financing more difficult, more costly and more dilutive. If we are not able to secure adequate additional funding when needed, we may need to re-evaluate our operating plan
and may be forced to make reductions in spending, suspend or curtail our product manufacturing, planned new test and other product development programs and commercialization efforts, extend payment terms with suppliers, liquidate assets where
possible, and curtail operations or potentially cease operations entirely. Having insufficient funds may also require us to relinquish rights to technology that we would otherwise prefer to develop and market ourselves, or on less favorable terms
than we would otherwise choose. The foregoing actions and circumstances could materially and adversely impact our business, results of operations and future prospects.
Revolving Line of Credit
On February 5, 2021, we entered into a Loan and Security Agreement,
or the Revolving Credit Agreement, with the lenders from time to time party thereto and East West Bank, as Administrative Agent and Collateral Agent for the lenders. In connection with our entering into the Revolving Credit Agreement, we repaid
outstanding amounts of $5.4 million and terminated our prior Loan and Security Agreement with Comerica Bank, or the 2015 Credit Agreement, that we initially entered into in May 2015. The 2015 Credit Agreement, as amended, provided for a revolving
line with a credit extension of up to $4.0 million and a Growth Capital A Line with a credit extension of up to $6.0 million. The following summary of the Revolving Credit Agreement does not purport to be complete and
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is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Revolving Credit Agreement, a copy
of which is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.
The Revolving Credit Agreement provides for a revolving credit
facility with an aggregate maximum principal amount of $130.0 million and a letter of credit subfacility of $20.0 million. Availability under the Revolving Credit Agreement is subject to a minimum asset coverage test of 1.25 to 1.00, measured as
the ratio of the sum of cash on hand maintained in the deposit accounts with the collateral agent and 50% of eligible accounts of the company to the aggregate amount of the outstanding obligations under the Revolving Credit Agreement.
Amounts under the Revolving Credit Agreement may be borrowed and
repaid at any time without penalty or premium prior to the revolving maturity date of February 5, 2023, at which time all of the outstanding advances with all unpaid interest and fees will immediately be due and payable. The advances bear
interest, on the outstanding daily balance thereof, at a rate equal to 0.75% above the prime rate but in no event shall the interest rate be less than 4.0%. We are required to pay a fee for unused amounts under the Revolving Credit Agreement in
an amount equal to 0.25% of the unused portion of the revolving commitment. In the event that we terminate or permanently reduce the revolving commitment, in whole or in part, at any time before the revolving maturity date, the company will be
required to pay a fee equal to 1.00% of the amount by which the revolving commitment is permanently reduced, or the amount of the outstanding revolving commitment if terminated in full.
The Revolving Credit Agreement includes customary
representations, warranties and negative and affirmative covenants of the company, as well as customary events of default. Subject to certain qualifications and exceptions, the agreement will, among other things, limit our ability to: incur or
guaranty additional indebtedness; create or permit liens on our assets; pay dividends or distributions; make certain investments; make certain fundamental changes, assets dispositions and acquisitions; and engage in certain transactions with
shareholders and affiliates. In addition, the Revolving Credit Agreement requires us to maintain a minimum asset coverage ratio of 1.25 to 1.00, minimum remaining months liquidity of at least six months, and minimum liquidity of at least $80.0
million to be held on deposit with the Administrative Agent for the Revolving Credit Facility.
The obligations under the Revolving Credit Agreement are secured by substantially all
of our assets.
Convertible Notes
In May 2021, we issued and sold convertible promissory notes, or
Convertible Notes, for net proceeds of $229.5 million. The Convertible Notes accrue interest at a simple rate of 3.0% per annum during the first 12-month period and will accrue at a simple rate of 9.0% per annum thereafter.
The Convertible Notes will be converted into shares of our common
stock at the then effective conversion price in the case of a qualified going public transaction: (a) an IPO, (b) a SPAC combination, or (c) a direct listing. If we close an equity financing with gross proceeds of not less than $50.0 million,
then the Convertible Notes, unless previously converted into shares of our common stock, will automatically convert into shares of the same class and series of our capital stock issued to investors in such equity financing. The conversion price
with respect to a qualified conversion event, which would be a qualified going public transaction or an equity financing, will incorporate the applicable discount: (i) a 20.0% discount if the qualified conversion event is consummated on or
prior to September 30, 2021, and (ii) a 25.0% discount if the qualified conversion event is consummated after September 30, 2021. For additional information, see the section titled “Capitalization—2021 Convertible Notes.”
In the event of certain corporate transactions prior to the
conversion of the Convertible Notes or the repayment of the Convertible Notes, each purchaser, in its discretion, shall have the right either (a) to convert, effective immediately prior to the closing of the corporate transaction, all, but not
less than all, of the outstanding principal amount of a Convertible Note and all accrued and unpaid interest on such Convertible Note immediately prior to the closing of a corporate transaction into shares of common stock at the then effective
conversion price, or (b) be paid an amount equal to the sum of 1.75 times the outstanding principal amount of a Convertible Note and all accrued and unpaid interest of such Convertible Note immediately prior to the closing of a corporate
transaction.
The Convertible Notes include customary events of default. In the
event of any default under the Convertible Notes, the interest rate then in effect shall be increased by 3.0%, and then by an additional 3.0% each year thereafter, so long as such event of default continues.
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Cash Flows
The following table summarizes our cash flows for the periods indicated:
Net cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash (used in) provided by
operating activities
|
|
|
$(12,996)
|
|
|
$ 92,655
|
|
|
$(7,581)
|
|
|
$ (35,113)
|
Net cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash used in investing activities
|
|
|
(2,945)
|
|
|
(78,148)
|
|
|
(450)
|
|
|
(31,841)
|
Net cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash provided by (used in)
financing activities
|
|
|
3,610
|
|
|
100,243
|
|
|
(767 )
|
|
|
56,641
|
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash
|
|
|
$(12,331 )
|
|
|
$ 114,750
|
|
|
$(8,798 )
|
|
|
$(10,313 )
|
Cash Flows Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities
Net cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash provided by
operating activities was $92.7 million in the year ended December 31, 2020, primarily reflecting receipt of the U.S. DoD Advance and increases in inventory, prepaid rent, and prepaid expenses and other current assets of $36.8 million, $16.8
million, and $14.2 million, respectively, due to the commencement of product manufacturing and expansion of production facilities and manufacturing capacity.
Net cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash used in operating
activities was $13.0 million in 2019, primarily reflecting our net loss, net of non-cash cost items and changes in operating working capital. Non-cash cost adjustments were primarily driven by depreciation and amortization expenses of $3.7
million and operating working capital adjustments were primarily driven by a decrease in accounts receivable of $4.3 million due to the timing of the reimbursement of costs incurred related to our contract with BARDA.
Net cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash used in operating
activities was $35.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021, primarily reflecting our net income of $13.0 million offset by increases in inventory and accounts receivable of $15.1 million, $9.4 million, respectively, and decreases in
accounts payable and deferred revenue of $14.8 million and $16.0 million, respectively, due to the expansion of production facilities and manufacturing capacity and increase in product revenue.
Net cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash used in operating
activities was $7.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2020, primarily reflecting our net loss of $8.8 million.
Cash Flows Used in Investing Activities
Net cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash used in investing
activities was $78.1 million in 2020, primary reflecting purchases of property and equipment to expand our production capabilities of our COVID-19 Test Kits in relation to the U.S. DoD agreement.
Net cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash used in investing
activities was $2.9 million in 2019, reflecting purchases of property and equipment.
Net cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash used in investing
activities was $31.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021, reflecting purchases of property and equipment to expand our production capabilities of our COVID-19 Test Kits in relation to the U.S. DoD agreement.
Net cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash used in investing
activities was $0.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2020, reflecting purchases of property and equipment.
Cash Flows Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities
Net cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash provided by financing
activities was $100.2 million in 2020, primarily reflecting proceeds received from our issuance of Series C redeemable convertible preferred stock in June 2020.
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Net cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash provided by
financing activities was $3.6 million in 2019, primarily reflecting proceeds from our prior loan agreement with Comerica Bank. See Note 9 to our unaudited financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus.
Net cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash provided by
financing activities was $56.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021, primarily reflecting proceeds received from the Revolving Credit Agreement in February 5, 2021 partially offset by repayment of the borrowings under our prior
loan and security agreement with Comerica Bank. See Note 9 to our unaudited interim condensed financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus. In May 2021, we raised $229.5 million in net proceeds from the issuance and sale of
Convertible Notes.
Net cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash used in financing
activities was $0.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2020, primarily reflecting payments to our prior loan agreement with Comerica Bank. See Note 9 to our audited financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus.
Commitments and Contingencies
See Note 15 to our unaudited interim condensed financial
statements included elsewhere in this prospectus for a summary of our commitments as of March 31, 2021. In addition to the aforementioned debt obligations, our material cash commitments at March 31, 2021 related to finance leases of
manufacturing equipment totaling $3.1 million, real estate leases under non-cancelable operating lease agreements in the amount of $64.9 million, that expire at various dates through 2031 and a legal settlement of a contract dispute totaling
$9.0 million, of which $6.8 million has not been paid. We expect to fund these commitments using our existing cash on hand.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
We did not have during the periods presented, and we do not
currently have, any off-balance sheet arrangements, as defined in the rules and regulations of the SEC.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
Our management’s discussion and analysis of our financial condition
and results of operations is based upon our financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus, which have been prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The preparation of these financial statements requires management to make estimates and
judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue and expenses, and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities, as well as the reported income generated and expenses incurred during the reporting periods. We
base these estimates and judgments on historical experience, the current economic environment and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results may differ materially from these estimates
and judgments.
We believe the following accounting policies and estimates are most
critical to an understanding of our financial statements. Policies and estimates are considered to be critical if they meet both of the following criteria: (i) involve a significant level of estimation uncertainty, and (ii) have had or are
reasonably likely to have a material impact on our financial condition or results of operations. For a detailed discussion on the application of these and other accounting policies and estimates, refer to Note 2 to our financial statements
included elsewhere in this prospectus.
Deferred Revenue Recognition
We recorded the U.S. DoD Advance as deferred revenue and
recognize this liability upon satisfaction of our performance obligations to the U.S. DoD by reference to estimated future performance obligations of a follow-on agreement with the U.S. DoD and the related expected contract consideration.
Changes in the assumptions used in our estimate of the future contract with the U.S. DoD, including the future pricing and the projected term of the contract and quantities purchased, may have a material impact on the timing of recognition of
deferred revenue.
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets
Long-lived assets are reviewed for impairment whenever events or
changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the asset or an asset group may not be recoverable. If such triggering event is determined to have occurred, the asset’s or asset group’s carrying value is compared to the future
undiscounted cash flows expected to be generated. If the carrying value exceeds the undiscounted cash flows of the asset, then an impairment exists. An impairment loss is measured as the excess of the asset’s carrying value over its fair value.
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These analyses require management to make judgments and estimates
about future revenue, expenses, market conditions and discount rates related to these assets. Management’s assessment of whether or not a triggering event has occurred is an area of significant judgment. Additionally, if actual results are not
consistent with management’s estimates and assumptions, the carrying value of our long-lived assets may be overstated and a charge would need to be taken against net earnings which would adversely affect our financial statements. There were no
impairment indicators during, and no impairments were recorded for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019.
Deferred Tax Assets (and Related Valuation Allowance)
We recognize net deferred tax assets to the extent that we believe
these assets are more likely than not to be realized. In making such a determination, management considers all available positive and negative evidence, including future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences, projected future
taxable income, tax-planning strategies, and results of recent operations. If we determine that deferred tax assets may be able to be recognized in the future in excess of their net recorded amount, the deferred tax asset valuation allowance
would be adjusted, which would reduce the provision for income taxes. We record uncertain tax positions on the basis of a two-step process whereby (i) management determines whether it is more likely than not that the tax positions will be
sustained on the basis of the technical merits of the position and (ii) for those tax positions that meet the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold, management recognizes the largest amount of tax benefit that is more than 50% likely to be
realized upon ultimate settlement with the related tax authority.
This requires management to make judgments and estimates regarding:
(i) the timing and amount of the reversal of taxable temporary differences; (ii) expected future taxable income; and (iii) the impact of tax planning strategies. Future changes to tax rates would also impact the amounts of deferred tax assets and
liabilities and could adversely affect our financial statements. All of our deferred tax assets as of December 31, 2020, were fully offset by a valuation allowance.
As of March 31, 2021, the Company continues to maintain a full
valuation allowance on the remaining net deferred tax asset until there is sufficient evidence to support the reversal of all or an additional portion of the allowance. However, given anticipated future earnings and anticipated deferred tax
liabilities, the Company believes that there is a reasonable possibility that by December 31, 2021, sufficient positive evidence may become available to allow the Company to reach a conclusion that a significant portion of the valuation
allowance will no longer be needed. Release of the valuation allowance would result in the recognition of certain deferred tax assets and a decrease to income tax expense for the period the release is recorded. However, the exact timing and
amount of the valuation allowance release are subject to change on the basis of the level of profitability that the Company is able to actually achieve.
Stock-Based Compensation
We measure stock-based compensation expense for stock options
granted to our employees and directors on the date of grant and recognize the corresponding compensation expense of those awards over the requisite service period, which is generally three to four years. Our stock-based payments include stock
options. Stock-based compensation expense is recognized over the requisite service period, which is generally the vesting period, on a straight-line basis. Forfeitures are recorded as they occur.
We estimate the fair value of stock options granted to our employees
and directors on the grant date, and the resulting stock-based compensation expense, using the Black-Scholes-Merton, or BSM, option pricing model. The BSM option-pricing model requires the use of subjective assumptions which determine the fair
value of stock option awards. These assumptions include:
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Fair Value of Common Stock. See the subsection titled “─Common Stock Valuations” below.
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Expected Term. The expected term of options represents the period of time that options
are expected to be outstanding. Our historical stock option exercise experience does not provide a reasonable basis upon which to estimate an expected term due to lack of sufficient data. We estimate the expected term by using the
simplified method, which calculates the expected term as the average of the time-to-vesting and the contractual life of the options.
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Expected Volatility. As there has been no public market for our common stock to date,
and as a result we do not have any trading history of our common stock, expected volatility incorporates the historical volatility over the expected term of the award of comparable companies whose share prices are publicly available. The
comparable companies are chosen based on their similar size, stage in the life cycle or area of specialty.
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Risk-Free Interest Rate. The risk-free interest rate is based on the U.S. Treasury
zero coupon issues in effect at the time of grant for periods corresponding with the expected term of the stock option grants.
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Expected Dividend Yield. We have never paid dividends on our common stock and have no
plans to pay dividends on our common stock. Therefore, we use an expected dividend yield of zero.
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We will continue to use judgment in evaluating the expected terms,
expected volatility, risk-free interest rates and expected dividend yields utilized for our stock-based compensation calculations on a prospective basis. Assumptions we used in applying the BSM option pricing model to determine the estimated fair
value of our stock options granted involve inherent uncertainties and the application of significant judgment. As a result, if factors or expected outcomes change and we use significantly different assumptions or estimates, our equity-based
compensation could be materially different.
See Note 13 to our audited financial statements and Note 12 to
our unaudited interim condensed financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus for more information concerning certain of the specific assumptions we used in applying the BSM option pricing model to determine the estimated fair
value of our stock options.
We recorded stock-based compensation expense of $3.0 million for
the three months ended March 31, 2021. As of March 31, 2021, there was $15.4 million of unamortized compensation cost. Stock-based compensation expense was $3.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. We expect to continue to grant stock
options and other equity-based awards in the future, and to the extent that we do, we expect our stock-based compensation expense recognized in future periods will likely significantly increase.
The intrinsic value of all outstanding options as of , 2021 was $
million based on the assumed initial public offering price of $ per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, of which approximately $ million was related to vested options and
approximately $ million was related to unvested options.
Common Stock Valuations
As there has been no public market for our common stock to date, the
estimated fair value of the common stock underlying our stock options was determined by our board of directors, with input from management. We believe that our board of directors has the relevant experience and expertise to determine the fair
value of our common stock. Our board of directors considered, among other things, valuations of the Company’s common stock prepared by an unrelated third-party valuation firm in accordance with the guidance provided by the American Institute of
Certified Public Accountants Practice Guide, Valuation of Privately-Held-Company Equity Securities Issued as Compensation, or Practice Aid. The Practice Aid identifies various available methods for
allocating enterprise value across classes and series of capital stock to determine the estimated fair value of common stock at each valuation date. In accordance with the Practice Aid, our board of directors considered the following methods:
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Current Value Method. Under the Current Value Method, our value is determined based on
our balance sheet. This value is then first allocated based on the liquidation preference associated with redeemable convertible preferred stock issued as of the valuation date, and then any residual value is assigned to the common stock.
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Option-Pricing Method. Under the option-pricing method, or OPM, shares are valued by
creating a series of call options with exercise prices based on the liquidation preferences and conversion terms of each equity class. The estimated fair values of the preferred and common stock are inferred by analyzing these options.
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Probability-Weighted Expected Return Method. The probability-weighted expected return
method, or PWERM is a scenario-based analysis that estimates value per share based on the probability-weighted present value of expected future investment returns, considering each of the possible outcomes available to us, as well as the
economic and control rights of each share class.
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Historically, based on our early stage of development and other
relevant factors, in accordance with the Practice Aid, we determined that an OPM was the most appropriate method for allocating our enterprise value to determine the estimated fair value of our common stock.
Starting in December 2020, we determined that a hybrid approach
utilizing the OPM and PWERM models was the most appropriate method for determining the estimated fair value our common stock. This approach involves the estimation of the value of our company using multiple future potential outcomes and estimates
the probability of each outcome. The estimated fair value of our common stock is based upon probability-weighted per share values resulting from the various future scenarios, which included a merger with a publicly traded entity and continued
operation as a private company.
In addition, we also considered any secondary transactions involving
our capital stock. In our evaluation of such transactions, we considered the facts and circumstances of each such transaction to determine the extent to which they represented a fair value exchange. Factors considered include transaction volume,
timing, whether such transactions occurred among willing and unrelated parties, and whether such transactions involved investors with access to our financial information.
After the equity value is determined and allocated to the various
classes of shares, a discount for lack of marketability, or DLOM, is applied to arrive at the fair value of the common stock. A DLOM is meant to account for the lack of marketability of a stock that is not traded on public exchanges. For
financial reporting purposes, we considered the amount of time between the valuation date and the grant date of our stock options to determine whether to use the latest common stock valuation or a straight-line interpolation between the two
valuation dates. This determination included an evaluation of whether the subsequent valuation indicated that any significant change in valuation had occurred between the previous valuation and the grant date.
The assumptions we use in the valuation model are based on future
expectations combined with management judgment. In the absence of a public trading market, our board of directors with input from management exercised significant judgment and considered numerous objective and subjective factors to determine the
fair value of our common stock as of the date of each option grant, including the following factors:
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contemporaneous independent valuations performed by an independent third-party valuation firm;
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the prices at which we sold shares of redeemable convertible preferred stock and the superior rights and preferences of the
redeemable convertible preferred stock relative to our common stock at the time of each grant;
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our stage of development and commercialization and our business strategy;
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our actual operating and financial performance;
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our current business conditions and projections;
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external market conditions affecting the diagnostics industry and trends within the diagnostics industry;
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the lack of an active public market for our common stock; and
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the likelihood of achieving a liquidity event, such as an initial public offering or sale of our company in light of prevailing
market conditions.
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The assumptions underlying these valuations represented our board of
directors and management develop best estimates based on application of these approaches and the assumptions underlying these valuations, giving careful consideration to the advice from our third-party valuation expert. Such estimates involve
inherent uncertainties and the application of significant judgment. As a result, if factors or expected outcomes change and we use significantly different assumptions or estimates, our equity-based compensation could be materially different.
Following the closing of this offering, our board of directors will determine the fair market value of our common stock based on its closing price as reported on the date of grant on the primary stock exchange on which our common stock is traded.
Recently Adopted and Issued Accounting Pronouncements
Recently issued and adopted accounting pronouncements are
described in Note 2 to our financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus.
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Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of
deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. In connection with the audits of
our 2019 and 2020 annual financial statements, we identified material weaknesses in internal controls pertaining to information technology general controls, a lack of segregation of duties, documentation and design of formalized processes and
procedures, insufficient complement of qualified resources with an appropriate level of knowledge, experience and training important to our financial reporting requirements, timely reconciliation and analysis of certain key accounts and the
review of journal entries. These material weaknesses could result in material misstatements of our financial statement account balances or disclosures of our annual or interim financial statements that would not be prevented or detected. We have
concluded that these material weaknesses in our internal controls over financial reporting occurred because, prior to this offering, we were a private company and did not have the internal controls necessary to satisfy the accounting and
financial reporting requirements of a public company.
We began to take steps to address our material weaknesses through
our remediation plan, which included the hiring of advisors in the fourth quarter of 2020 and a Chief Financial Officer in the first quarter of 2021 and the continued engagement of additional external advisors to provide financial accounting
assistance in the short term. We have hired and are in the process of hiring additional personnel to improve the segregation of duties in our financial closing and reporting process and timely review of key accounts and journal entries. In
addition, we have engaged external advisors to evaluate and document the design and operating effectiveness of our internal controls and assist with the remediation and implementation of our internal controls as required. We are evaluating the
longer-term resource needs of our various financial functions and plan to significantly expand the size of the financial organization to help address these weaknesses.
We and our independent registered public accounting firm were not
required to, and did not, perform an evaluation of our internal controls over financial reporting as of December 31, 2020 or any prior period in accordance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Accordingly, we cannot assure you that we
have identified all, or that we will not in the future have additional, material weaknesses. Material weaknesses may still exist when we report on the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting as required under Section 404
of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act after the completion of this offering.
Emerging Growth Company Status
We are an “emerging growth company” (as defined in the JOBS Act).
Section 102(b)(1) of the JOBS Act exempts emerging growth companies from being required to comply with new or revised financial accounting standards until private companies (that is, those that have not had a Securities Act registration statement
declared effective or do not have a class of securities registered under the Exchange Act) are required to comply with the new or revised financial accounting standards. The JOBS Act provides that an emerging growth company can elect to opt out
of the extended transition period and comply with the requirements that apply to non-emerging growth companies but any such election to opt out is irrevocable. We have elected to use this extended transition period under the JOBS Act until the
earlier of the date we (i) are no longer an emerging growth company or (ii) 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.
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
We are exposed to certain market risks in the ordinary course of our
business. Market risk represents the risk of loss that may impact our financial position due to adverse changes in financial market prices and rates. To date, we have not been exposed to material risks related to market instruments in the
ordinary course of our business, but we may in the future.
Interest Rate Risk
As of March 31, 2021, we had cash, cash equivalents and
restricted cash of $118.9 million and $63.2 million of debt. The goals of our investment policy are liquidity and capital preservation and we do not enter into investments for trading or speculative purposes. We believe that we do not have any
material exposure to changes in the fair value of these assets as a result of changes in interest rates due to the short-term nature of our cash and cash equivalents.
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Additionally, the interest rate for borrowings under the Revolving Credit Agreement
is variable. We believe a hypothetical 10% increase or decrease in interest rates during any of the periods presented would not have had a material impact on our financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus.
Foreign Currency Exchange Risk
All of our employees and our operations are currently located in the
United States and our expenses and payment obligations are denominated in and have been satisfied with U.S. dollars. There was no material foreign currency risk for the years ended December 31, 2019 or 2020. In the future, our sales may be
denominated in foreign currencies and to the extent they are, we will be subject to foreign currency transaction gains or losses. To date, we have had no foreign currency transaction gains and losses, and we have not had a formal hedging program
with respect to foreign currency. We believe a hypothetical 10% increase or decrease in exchange rates during any of the periods presented would not have a material effect on our financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus.
Effects of Inflation
Inflation generally affects us by increasing our cost of labor and
research, manufacturing and development costs. We believe that inflation has not had a material effect on our financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus.
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Letter from Our Co-Founders
Empowering Individuals to Live Healthier Lives
It all starts with the individual. Empower a person to get more information about
their health and you can change the world. We founded Cue on this belief over a decade ago.
We started with first principles. In order to live their healthiest lives, people
need health data that is accessible, actionable and available when and where they need. We believe we are leading a digital transformation revolution to address this, starting with diagnostics – the one area of healthcare that shapes the
clinical decisions and courses of care for millions of patients.
We are building a new healthcare model – one that is designed to be convenient,
connected and consumer-centric. We plan to enable end-to-end care journeys from diagnostic tests – lab-quality tests with results delivered in minutes – anywhere and anytime – to physician consultation via telemedicine through intervention. We
aim to empower people by making it incredibly simple to get information about their health.
We call this Healthcare 2.0.
Over the last 10 years, we created everything we do at Cue to deliver a great
experience for consumers. From how we designed the Cue Health Monitoring System which fits in the palm of your hand, to the fully guided app, our packaging and everything in between. And we are aiming to make it accessible wherever a person is:
at home, at work, or at the point-of-care. We envision that people will have access to Cue through their employers, healthcare providers, payors and – and ultimately, direct to them as consumers.
Cue’s success during the COVID-19 pandemic revealed the speed and value of our
distinctive platform, but even more, it showed the potential of what could be ahead: the consumer power that will come when a smarter, faster and more accessible diagnostic platform is applied all across healthcare.
We envision tests to address respiratory health, sexual health, cardiac and
metabolic health, women's health, men's health, and chronic disease management.
It is clear that the status quo in healthcare does not work. We believe healthcare
is ready for a simple, convenient and digital approach for empowering each person.
Ultimately, we believe this is how you make big change in the world – by giving
people health data that is accessible, actionable and available when they need it. By starting with the individual. By remembering that healthcare is always personal.
We believe this is the coming revolution.
Cue plans to lead it. And we are only just beginning.
-Ayub Khattak and Clint Sever
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Overview
Reinventing How We Interact with Our Health.
We are a health technology company, and our mission is to enable
personalized, proactive and informed healthcare that empowers people to live their healthiest lives. Digital transformation has revolutionized nearly every industry except healthcare to create new, consumer-first experiences that are both
personalized and empowering. We seek to usher in a new era in healthcare, what we call Healthcare 2.0, to transform how acute and chronic conditions are diagnosed and managed.
We believe the current healthcare system is challenged. Care
delivery can often be uncontextualized and disconnected in an increasingly personalized and connected world. The vast majority of healthcare delivery still relies on in-person encounters at centralized locations while consumers and caregivers
may often be forced to make important health decisions without complete or real-time information. The first step in many healthcare journeys is often diagnosis, a critical part of the healthcare value chain. Despite being a key basis for care
decisions, we believe current diagnostic solutions are suboptimal because they are not timely, convenient, or connected to care delivery. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the shortcomings of our healthcare system and of diagnostics in particular.
A centralized and rigid testing infrastructure, the reliance on in-person encounters, and the lack of timely information illustrate how current diagnostic solutions are not built for modern care delivery to hundreds of millions of people. We
believe consumers want the same tech-enabled convenient, connected, and customized experiences that have transformed their daily lives to transform their care journeys.
We are now witnessing what we believe is the beginning of a
transformational shift as consumers take control of their own health. In industry after industry, disruptors are using technology to transform the consumer experience. From the way we consume content to the way we travel, we believe consumers
and organizations are increasingly looking for a simple, convenient and digital first approach. We further believe that healthcare is finally ripe for a digital transformation and that it will begin with diagnostics, since approximately 70% of
all clinical decisions are made utilizing diagnostic data.
We are helping pioneer this healthcare digital transformation,
beginning with diagnostics. We started from consumer-centric principles and designed our proprietary platform, the Cue Integrated Care Platform, with a relentless focus on user experience, convenience, and accuracy. The Cue Integrated Care
Platform consists of hardware and software components: (1) our revolutionary Cue Health Monitoring System, made up of a long-lasting, portable, durable and reusable reader, or Cue Reader, a single-use test cartridge, or Cue Cartridge, and a
sample collection wand, or Cue Wand, (2) our Cue Data and Innovation Layer, with cloud-based data and analytics capability, (3) our Cue Virtual Care Delivery Apps, including our consumer-friendly Cue Health App and our Cue Enterprise Dashboard,
and (4) our Cue Ecosystem Integrations and Apps, which allow for integrations with third party applications and sensors.
Our platform has been designed to work seamlessly to deliver and
manage health data both within the healthcare system and within the home. Through our application programming interfaces, or APIs, our platform has been engineered so that it can be directly integrated into existing workflows and on-demand
services, such as telemedicine, e-prescription services, and electronic medical record, or EMR, systems. For example, we implemented an integration with one of the U.S.’s leading EMR systems on behalf of one of our customers, a leading
healthcare system, to enable a seamless workflow from test ordering to test result, with our mobile app and the Cue Health Monitoring System. But beyond designing our platform to be able to integrate within the traditional healthcare system, we
have built our platform to enable fast, frequent, lab-quality diagnostics by anyone, anywhere, intended to facilitate a new continuous care model of personalized and contextualized healthcare. We believe this model, driven by our platform, will
empower our users to actively manage their health, which we believe will result in improved health outcomes and a more resilient, connected, and efficient healthcare ecosystem for all. We further believe that our platform positions us to be at
the center of the broader healthcare ecosystem as it continues to undergo a massive virtual and digital shift. Through our connected diagnostic solution, we seek to enable the shift of care to virtual settings, while also connecting the
physical care paradigm to the new digital ecosystem.
As the COVID-19 pandemic was closing the global economy and
filling hospitals in the first quarter of 2020, we rapidly focused our team on developing a COVID-19 Test Kit and did so in a matter of a few months, building on a decade of research and development on our adaptive and flexible system. Our
COVID-19 test (consisting of our Cue Reader and Cue COVID-19 Test Kit) has been validated via an independent clinical study conducted by
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researchers at the Mayo Clinic that demonstrated our test has 97.8% concordance
with tests performed by central labs using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, or RT-PCR technology, the current “gold standard” for central lab testing. Our platform has been designed to uniquely offer fast results and ease-of-use
combined with the high-quality results of central lab technology, all in a device that fits in the palm of your hand.
Our first commercially available diagnostic test for use with our
Cue Health Monitoring System is our COVID-19 Test Kit for ribonucleic acid, or RNA, of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. In June 2020, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, or the FDA, granted an Emergency Use Authorization, or
EUA, for our molecular COVID-19 test for point of care use under the supervision of qualified medical personnel. In March 2021, the FDA granted us an additional EUA for over-the-counter and at-home use of our COVID-19 test without a
prescription. Our COVID-19 test is authorized for use by both symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals, and by adults and children aged two and older with adult assistance. While commercial sales of our COVID 19 Test Kit are authorized pursuant
to our EUA authorizations, we cannot predict how long our EUAs will remain in effect and to date, we have not obtained any 510(k) clearances for our COVID-19 Test Kit, which clearance would be required to sell our COVID-19 Test Kit in the event
that the FDA terminates or revokes our EUAs. In order to be eligible to receive 510(k) clearance from the FDA, we will need to conduct additional clinical studies with larger subject enrollment and more COVID-19 positive tests. We are moving
forward on the additional steps we believe are required to enable us to seek 510(k) clearance, and intend to seek 510(k) clearance as soon as feasible once we have completed these steps.
While our Cue COVID-19 Test Kit is our first, and currently only,
commercially available test, our vision was always to build a broad platform that would reinvent how we interact with our health. Since our early days, we developed our platform to be able to address the majority of diagnostic tests routinely
conducted in clinical laboratories because we believe that users will not only demand a simple, personalized, convenient and connected solution but also a single platform to address their healthcare needs. We are developing solutions to broaden
the diagnostic use cases for our platform and currently have five tests that we consider to be in late-stage technical development: flu, respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, pregnancy, fertility and inflammation. Our additional planned care
offerings include tests in the categories of respiratory health, sexual health, cardiac and metabolic health, women's health, men's health, and chronic disease management. We anticipate that we will begin submitting several tests to the FDA for
authorization or clearance in the second half of 2022. We are also working to expand the functionality of our platform by adding capabilities which will enable telehealth, e-prescription and the ability to connect to third-party services to
facilitate an end-to-end healthcare journey. Our focus is on creating experiences with the user at the center, enabling high satisfaction, measurable health outcomes, and more cost-effective care for the entire ecosystem.
We believe the power of our platform has been demonstrated by our
substantial growth, the quality of our customers, the clinical validation of our COVID-19 Test Kit, the two regulatory authorizations we have received for our Covid-19 Test Kit, including being the first company ever to have a product
authorized by the FDA for molecular-based infectious disease testing available over-the-counter for home use. Our platform was trusted by the National Basketball Association, or NBA, to help it perform COVID-19 testing in its highly publicized
“Bubble” in the 2020 basketball season. We are used by the Mayo Clinic in their hospital network and in their laboratories. In October 2020, we entered into a $480.9 million agreement, or the U.S. DoD agreement, with the U.S. DoD and the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, or U.S. HHS, to scale up our production and deliver 6,000,000 Cue COVID-19 Test Kits and 30,000 Cue Readers. Today our platform is relied upon every day for vital COVID-19 testing across schools,
enterprises, nursing homes, hospitals, physicians’ offices, dental clinics, sports and other live event venues, federal and state agencies, and other settings around the country as well as by individual end-users testing in their homes. As of
April 30, 2021, we had 19 active customers in addition to our largest customer by product volume to date, the U.S. DoD. We define an active customer as an entity that has entered into an agreement with us to purchase the Cue Health Monitoring
System in the past 12 months.
Prior to May 1, 2021, we were required, pursuant to the U.S. DoD
agreement, to deliver to the U.S. government all of our manufacturing output of Cue COVID-19 Test Kits, subject to limited exceptions. The U.S. DoD agreement initially contemplated ramp up of our production to 100,000 COVID-19 Test Kits per day
for a seven-day period and final delivery of the required Cue Readers and Cue COVID-19 Test Kits by March 31, 2021. However, in March 2021, the production ramp up target and final product delivery dates were extended by mutual agreement to
October 2021. In April 2021, the U.S. DoD granted us a waiver whereby, effective May 1, 2021, we are permitted to sell up to 50% of our manufacturing output of Cue COVID-19 Test Kits to additional customers. Notwithstanding the waiver
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granted to us by the U.S. DoD in April 2021, we are still required under our
agreement with the U.S. DoD to deliver 30,000 Cue Readers, 6,000,000 Cue COVID-19 Test Kits and 60,000 COVID-19 Control Swab Packs by October 2021. As of April 30, 2021, we have delivered all of the required Cue Readers and over 1.5 million Cue
COVID-19 Test Kits pursuant to the U.S. DoD agreement. We are further required to ramp up our production capacity to approximately 100,000 Cue COVID-19 Test Kits per day by October 2021. As of April 30, 2021, our production capacity was 30,000
COVID-19 Test Kits per day. We believe that the receipt of our waiver from the U.S. DoD will allow us to more widely commercialize our COVID-19 Test Kit. Since we received the waiver from the U.S. DoD and our second FDA EUA for over-the-counter
at home testing for our COVID-19 Test Kit, we have been able to add several new enterprise customers and extend our business with existing customers. For example, we have added certain major technology and other enterprises as customers who are
providing our solution to their employees for use in their homes as part of return to work initiatives and ongoing employee health benefits. In addition, for the 2021 NBA basketball season, we have been able to extend our relationship with the
NBA to provide our testing solution for use by players, their families and referees, at home and on the road.
We believe our platform will allow us to develop and
commercialize new tests quickly and scale rapidly, driven by our flexible technology and our in-house, vertically-integrated and automated manufacturing facilities. Our platform has the potential to perform a variety of different tests by
accommodating different sample types, including saliva, blood, urine and swabs, and detecting nucleic acids, small molecules, proteins or cells. Because we developed our manufacturing facilities and processes in tandem with our technology, we
were able to scale our production to produce a rate of millions of test cartridges per year using fully automated production pods. A production pod is a free standing, modular environmentally-controlled structure containing an automated
cartridge production line. Additionally, we produce our critical biochemistry in-house, including enzymes, antibodies and primers for our Cue Cartridges. As of April 30, 2021, we were manufacturing Cue Cartridges at a rate equivalent to several
million per year and we anticipate growing our manufacturing capacity to a rate equivalent to tens of millions of Cue Cartridges per year by the end of 2021.
We first began generating revenue from product sales in August
2020 following the receipt of our first EUA from the FDA for our COVID-19 test in June 2020. We generated approximately $64.5 million of revenue in the three months ended March 31, 2021, all of which was from product sales. Of that amount,
$62.1 million, or approximately 96%, of our product revenue was from public sector entities, substantially all of which was from the U.S. DoD, with the remaining $2.4 million of product revenue generated from other customers. We generated $23.0
million of revenue for the year ended December 31, 2020, of which approximately $15.4 million was from product sales. Of this amount, $8.9 million of product revenue was from public sector entities, substantially all of which was from the U.S.
DoD, and the remaining $6.5 million of product revenue was generated from other customers. The U.S. DoD and Henry Schein accounted for approximately 80% of our product revenue in 2020. In 2019, we generated $5.6 million of revenue, none of
which was from product sales. After the conclusion of the initial U.S. DoD agreement, we anticipate that the percentage of our revenue derived from non-public sector customers will increase as we continue to ramp up our manufacturing and
distribution capabilities and are able to sell more of our products to other customers, including enterprises and healthcare providers. For the three months ended March 31, 2021, our net income was $13.0 million. In 2020 and 2019, we incurred
net loss of $47.4 million and $20.6 million, respectively.
Healthcare 1.0
We believe the current healthcare system suffers from
centralization, and is, disconnected, analog and access-limited. We call the current system Healthcare 1.0. Globally, healthcare has become increasingly complex and we believe continues to suffer from significant fragmentation of care, while
costs have continued to expand faster than the growth of the economy. Rising healthcare costs have not necessarily resulted in improved outcomes, as exemplified through the increasing prevalence of chronic conditions in the United States
despite the country’s approximately $4.0 trillion annual spend, the highest per capita healthcare spend in the world.
We believe Healthcare 1.0 does not meet the evolving needs of healthcare consumers who
are demanding:
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control over how they manage their acute and chronic conditions as well as their overall health;
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access to actionable clinical insights;
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affordable and transparent pricing; and
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customer-centric user experiences that connect the entire care journey.
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Centralized Care Limits Access
We believe healthcare that is delivered through centralized,
physical locations limits access due to the inconvenience and time-consuming nature of visiting hospitals, doctors’ offices, and urgent care clinics. We believe this system is also inherently rigid, siloed and disconnected when it comes to
events or disruptions, such as a pandemic, where health information is not easily accessible or actionable. Centralized care also underserves remote populations and others lacking traditional access.
The Centralized Diagnostic Testing Framework Is Challenged
We believe the current centralized diagnostic ecosystem has
significant shortcomings. The patient experience can be slow, costly and inefficient, yielding results that can be difficult to understand and contextualize. A patient first needs to schedule an in-person appointment with a healthcare
professional, after which they often need to travel to a separate testing facility. The sample is then couriered to a lab, during which time the patient may be subject to long wait times and left unaware of the quality or status of the sample.
A number of days later a result is provided through old technology that is difficult to interpret and understand. While this high latency process is unfolding, the patients underlying condition is not being addressed or contained, with the
healthcare provider unable to identify the optimal treatment path required. We believe this legacy system results in underutilization of testing, healthcare professionals having to prescribe treatments without diagnostic context and a
disconnected user experience that leads to suboptimal outcomes.
We believe these shortcomings impact every facet of care
delivery, as brought to the forefront during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the United States today, there are hundreds of thousands of diagnostics access points to serve hundreds of millions of people. Lack of access prevents individuals and care
providers from obtaining access to critical health information. The inadequate response of the healthcare system to the COVID-19 pandemic, especially when it came to simply diagnosing the disease, is a symptom of this larger problem. As of
April 2020, there were only approximately 6,000 hospitals and 2,000 COVID-19 testing centers in the United States. With a daily peak of approximately 300,000 new COVID-19 cases in the United States, in 2020 the turnaround time from sample
collection to receiving a COVID-19 test result in the U.S. was often measured in days or even weeks, with a typical turnaround time of approximately five days. Additionally, in April 2020, concerns of exposure to COVID-19 infection in
healthcare facilities led to a breakdown of routine diagnostic screenings for other conditions, including the 90% decline in cancer screening through May 2020 and 65% decline in the number of new cancer diagnoses in April 2020. Additionally,
according to U.S. HHS, nearly half of Medicare physician exams in April 2020 were conducted remotely, without access to coincident diagnostics. The lack of real-time, convenient, and readily accessible diagnostic solutions is a direct result of
the legacy central lab testing model.
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Legacy Infrastructure Is Not Built for Virtual Care
We believe the current centralized diagnostic and care
infrastructure is even less well suited for the growing virtual care delivery model. Consumer adoption of telehealth rapidly accelerated in large part by the COVID-19 pandemic, from 11% of consumers in the United States using telehealth in 2019
to 46% percent in April 2020. As more and more people use virtual care options, the lack of connected, real-time and distributed diagnostics may become more of an issue and we believe will expose a critical weakness in the growing telehealth
care delivery paradigm. For care to truly be virtual, we believe patients need the ability to obtain a diagnostic result from anywhere and at any time, rather than from a central laboratory with high latency.
Lack of Capabilities to Identify Health Threats
We believe the disconnected and high-latency diagnostic system is
not able to timely deliver the information that public health agencies and healthcare providers need to identify, mitigate and monitor outbreaks of highly contagious diseases, such as COVID-19 or influenza. Without access to diagnostic data
informing policymakers, providers and individuals, the containment of such outbreaks may be difficult. In addition to the issues associated with managing infection spread and population health, the lack of a decentralized and robust testing
framework can also have negative collateral consequences like the capacity constraints the pandemic placed on the already strained healthcare system.
Healthcare 2.0
Digital transformation has revolutionized nearly every industry,
except for healthcare, to create new, consumer-first experiences that are both personalized and empowering. We believe a new era in healthcare is beginning, Healthcare 2.0. We envision that Healthcare 2.0 will be a connected and distributed
care ecosystem with seamless coordination across the physical and virtual care continuums and we believe that abundant and timely testing and real-time data will be at the center of personalized and informed care. As diagnostics-led care moves
away from centralized, geographically defined settings and toward distributed, virtual modalities, we believe a connected diagnostics platform is needed to bring testing to the user, when and where they need it most.
Healthcare Is Shifting to Consumer-Focused Care and Delivery
Across multiple industries, new disruptors have used technology
to transform the consumer experience. A paradigm shift is occurring in healthcare as consumers are both increasingly informed and focused on the user-experience. We believe this shift will become one of the most important factors that shapes
the next decade of healthcare. As healthcare consumers pay more and more out-of-pocket, we expect they will be focused on receiving value and consumer-centric services that fit their lifestyles. New consumer driven healthcare companies and
models are already rapidly growing to enable better in-person primary care experiences, telehealth and management of chronic conditions.
Diagnostics Is at the Center of Healthcare 2.0
To be successful in realizing the vision of Healthcare 2.0, we
need to build platforms centered around the principals of convenience, connectivity and customization that can bridge the gap between the physical and virtual care continuums. The iPhone changed the world by putting the internet in everyone’s
pocket and provided a hardware-software combination that enabled an ecosystem of applications to be built on top of it. We believe diagnostic data is the key to unlocking the full potential of personalized and virtually delivered care. Without
an at-home testing solution, telehealth solutions can likely still be burdened by long turnaround times, requiring individuals to visit, or mail samples to, centralized testing laboratories.
We are committed to changing the traditional diagnostic testing
industry with our universal platform for enterprise, professional and personal use with broad applications. Our platform is designed to offer tangible benefits that we believe will directly address the historic challenges of and consumer
dissatisfaction with the diagnostics industry.
We believe the regulatory climate is shifting in favor of
decentralized diagnostics. Current leading FDA officials have been quoted as having noted the essential role that diagnostics have played in mitigating the COVID-19 pandemic. They have also stated that the lessons learned from the COVID-19
pandemic should be leveraged to drive
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changes of the current diagnostics system to accelerate access to accurate and
reliable tests for a variety of diseases, not just COVID-19. Efforts are currently underway to increase access and facilitate point-of-care and at-home diagnostic solutions to help support public health measures and improve the overall health of
the U.S. population.
We are Well Positioned to Be at the Center of
Healthcare 2.0
We are focused on helping to build a new healthcare ecosystem,
developed around the Cue Integrated Care Platform, that will deliver on the promise of timely, informed and connected healthcare. We are already active across a wide range of stakeholders with our COVID-19 test. We believe participants in the
healthcare ecosystem will benefit from the Cue Integrated Care Platform in various ways: governments will benefit by keeping people healthy and managing population health; enterprises will benefit by maximizing employee productivity while
minimizing healthcare expenses; healthcare payors and providers will benefit by evidence-based care leading to improved outcomes; and consumers will benefit from being able to take control of their healthcare journeys through more consistent
diagnostic testing, leading to personalized care, faster clinical decisions, and better control of their health. We aim to make lab-quality diagnostics, such as our COVID-19 Test Kit, accompanied by real-time results, widely accessible through
the use of our Cue Health Monitoring System and Cue Health App, and providing a hardware-software combination that we believe will enable healthcare stakeholders to have better outcomes.
The Cue Integrated Care Platform is designed to meet the consumer
wherever they are: at-home, at work, or at the point-of-care, aiming to remove the friction and inconvenience of the Healthcare 1.0 centralized diagnostic system. We believe we have the potential to become the new standard of care in
diagnostics, with the ability to bridge the physical and virtual care continuums and benefit everyone by keeping people healthy and productive. Our vision is to bring diagnostics to the right point in the care journey, in any setting, enabling
an end-to-end care solution. Just as monitoring combined with data-driven insights helps people with chronic conditions live healthier lives, we believe our platform will transform the way people manage their health through real-time,
actionable and connected health data.
We believe the Cue Integrated Care Platform has the potential to
allow consumers to reinvent the way they manage their health. There are two envisioned pathways to begin this care journey: one pathway would begin with a conversation with a doctor or telemedicine visit within the Cue Health App, wherein a
doctor guides a consumer and determines a test is necessary; the second pathway would begin with a person having symptoms or knowing what they want to test for, such as COVID-19, strep throat, or flu, and there would not be a need for a
telemedicine visit. We plan on giving consumers on-demand access to Cue Cartridges for a variety of different conditions by leveraging last-mile delivery infrastructure where available such as DoorDash, Amazon, goPuff, Postmates, or others.
This would enable consumers to conveniently take a diagnostic test and receive results within minutes, allowing for interaction with their healthcare provider via telemedicine within the app.
A few examples could include:
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A busy parent has few good options for handling a child sick with cold and flu-like symptoms. Currently, they must take time
off from work to care for the child and will often make an appointment with a
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pediatrician or travel to an urgent care facility. An integrated care solution with
telemedicine, with diagnostics for the common respiratory threats, such as flu, COVID-19, strep throat, and RSV would allow for testing to be done conveniently and easily at-home with the guidance of a telemedicine visit if desired, and with the
results delivered directly to their mobile device in minutes. Prescriptions such as Tamiflu (for influenza) or antibiotics (for strep throat) could be delivered same day to their doorstep, as the telemedicine care provider deems appropriate.
Otherwise, appropriate over-the-counter medications for symptom relief could also be delivered. We believe this type of care model for respiratory diseases will become normative for this number one most common reason for a visit to urgent care in
the developed world.
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A sexually active adult that wants peace of mind before or after a sexual encounter must currently make an appointment, give
a sample, and typically wait days for a result on their sexual transmitted infection, or STI, status. Beyond the inconvenience, the stigma and general friction associated with getting tested is a high barrier for seeking care. We
believe an integrated care solution including quick results for some of the most common STIs, consultation with a telemedicine provider through a virtual care delivery app and potential resolution with the appropriate therapy, such as
an antibiotic for chlamydia delivered to them – all within hours – is an optimal flow that has the potential to become normative for handling STI related matters.
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For an individual managing a chronic condition such as cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disorder or metabolic disorder such
as hypothyroidism, medication adherence and regular diagnostic testing measuring the clinically relevant biomarkers such as cholesterol are critical for effective condition management. Removing significant friction to accessing critical
diagnostic information that informs disease management with doctor-informed care could provide an effective way to drive medication adherence and combined with other sensor data to form a more complete picture of health that helps drive
engagement and effective disease management.
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Further, we believe our platform will have wide applications in a
variety of other markets, including personal health and wellness, community and public health, travel, sports and entertainment, and education. As the healthcare system undergoes the transformation to Healthcare 2.0, we believe diagnostics will
be a crucial component in making virtual care a reality. Current U.S. healthcare spending on outpatient, office, and home health spend has been estimated at $1.25 trillion and the potential for virtual care was estimated at $250 billion. We
believe that by introducing an integrated care solution that features advanced diagnostics, we may be able to access a significant portion of the overall virtual care market and possibly help increase the proportion of the total spend that
could move to virtual care solutions.
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Our Solution – The Cue Integrated Care Platform
Our Cue Integrated Care Platform is simple, fast, and accurate.
Our Platform is designed to harness the power of the cloud and provide consumers and enterprises with real-time access to their data and the broader healthcare ecosystem as part of our planned end-to-end solution.
Development of the Cue Integrated Care Platform is guided by our
focus on the user, whether that be a clinician in a provider office or an individual at home, with a simple goal of enabling individuals and clinicians to have reliable information at their fingertips to make faster and more informed healthcare
decisions. We believe we can transform disease prevention and detection globally by making important healthcare data available to anyone, anywhere, at anytime. Our system is designed to put consumers in control of their information and place
diagnostic information at the center of care, where it belongs.
For consumers, we expect our platform will eliminate the friction
of taking a test and communicating the results to providers. We believe increasing consumer testing at-home will lead to better outcomes. By making our platform widely available to consumers over-the-counter for use anywhere and at anytime, we
aim to redefine the care workflow such that over time our platform will become the standard of care.
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Depicts future product developments.
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Cue Health Monitoring System
Our Cue Health Monitoring System was designed to deliver a broad
menu of tests through one system, enabling two major testing modalities, nucleic acid amplification tests, or NAAT, and immunoassays in one device. Our system is designed to handle different sample types, including saliva, blood, urine and
swabs, and can detect nucleic acids, small molecules, proteins and cells. We believe this flexible design will enable us to address many of the diagnostic tests conducted in clinical laboratories, such as respiratory health, sexual health,
cardiac and metabolic health, women's health, men's health, and chronic disease management.
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Our Cue Health Monitoring System is comprised of the following elements:
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Cue Test Kit: Each Cue Test Kit is comprised of a Cue Cartridge and a Cue
Wand.
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Our Cue Integrated Care Platform is portable, intuitive, fast, and cloud-connected.
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Using the Cue Health Monitoring System
The Cue Health Monitoring System is designed
to be simple to set up and use. Our COVID-19 test delivers results in approximately 20 minutes and we expect our future tests to deliver results in five to twenty-five minutes, depending on the test, and to require a user to follow only a few
simple steps. The Cue Health Monitoring System was designed with a focus on the user, and our intuitive Cue Health App uses clear instructions, videos, and pictures to guide users through the entire testing process from sample collection to
result, to mitigate user errors. The Cue Health Monitoring System also contains multiple safety features, including a mechanism that locks the Cue Wand inside the Cue Cartridge after insertion, and quality checks, such as confirming a Cue
Cartridge is valid and has not expired. The Cue Reader in conjunction with the Cue Health App ensures that the user performs the test correctly. The Cue Health App provides instructions and informs the user of any errors detected by the Cue
Reader to preclude inaccurate results. These are the key steps to operate the Cue Health Monitoring System:
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Cue Data and Innovation Layer
Our cloud-native Cue Data and Innovation Layer stores and curates
the data from our Cue Health Monitoring System and provides a secure environment for users to access current and historical health data. Our Data and Innovation Layer has the ability to collate unstructured and structured data from a wide
variety of data sources, which we believe will give us the ability in the future to store and analyze more holistic sets of health data, including from other testing modalities and wearables. The Cue Integrated Care Platform was built with data
security and regulatory compliance, including HIPAA, at its core.
The Cue Data and Innovation Layer provides the foundation for our
Cue Virtual Care Delivery Apps and has enabled the development of our Cue Ecosystem Integrations and Apps. The Cue Data and Innovation Layer currently contains an API that allows for the data from tests performed on the Cue Health Monitoring
System to be received, stored, and retrieved by the end user. For enterprises deploying the Cue Enterprise Dashboard, the Cue Data and Innovation Layer enables the creation of a network of users affiliated by roles with the enterprise. Within
this network of users, the Cue Data and Innovation Layer provides the engine behind test analytics, creation of groups, scheduling and compliance, reporting, and enterprise-specific privacy policy management. The Cue Data and Innovation Layer
powers the EMR integration with major EMR providers.
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Cue Virtual Care Delivery Apps
Cue Ecosystem Integrations and Apps
We believe that placing our API at the core of our integrated
care platform will enable us to become foundational within Healthcare 2.0, powering the virtual care marketplace. By securely connecting our Cue Data and Innovation Layer with on-demand services, such as telemedicine and e-prescription
services, and integrating with wearable technology, we believe we will enable a truly digital and seamless user experience. In the future, we plan on enhancing our platform to enable third-party application development and offerings that
complement our solutions.
In addition, our ability to integrate with anchor EMR systems,
such as Epic Systems Corporation, or Epic allows our customers to integrate our platform with their existing systems, creating an agile and responsive workflow for patient monitoring for ongoing care, better intelligence and reporting, and more
efficient provider-level health management.
The Cue Virtual Care Marketplace
Our current customers can be categorized as both care consumers,
enterprises and the employees that comprise them, and the care providers, doctor’s offices, healthcare systems, urgent care clinics. We believe that as both care consumers and care providers take advantage of our Cue Integrated Care Platform to
better diagnose and manage
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health, our networked Virtual Care Delivery Apps will allow us to create a
marketplace where virtual care takes place, centered around objective clinical diagnostic information. We believe that the Cue Integrated Care Platform will help improve access to care while driving down healthcare costs and improving outcomes.
In turn, we anticipate payors will begin to reimburse for our tests and other products offered under our Cue Integrated Care Platform. We believe that all of these dynamics will help create what we call the Cue Virtual Care Marketplace.
Our Underlying Diagnostic Technology
Once a test sample is collected via the Cue Wand and inserted into
the Cue Cartridge, the test automatically begins. Depending on the type of Cue Cartridge, our platform uses either a NAAT or immunoassay to perform a test. NAATs and immunoassays are two of the most common in vitro diagnostic product technologies
and make up a significant portion of clinically important tests that are primarily run in centralized laboratories. For NAAT tests, primers amplify carefully selected regions within the target organism’s genome. For immunoassays, antibodies
conjugated to magnetic particles bind target antigens. In both cases, an internal or process control confirms proper assay execution including, as relevant, sample lysis, amplification, sample flow and assay reagent function. If the internal or
process control is not detected, the test will return an invalid result. Once the assay is executed, all heating, mixing, amplification and detection takes place within the Cue Cartridge with no steps by the user. Electrodes generate a current
flow to the Cue Reader which interprets a nanoampere measurement and converts it to a test result based on predetermined thresholds for qualitative tests or standard curves for quantitative tests. The Cue Reader then communicates the test result
digitally, directly and wirelessly to the Cue Virtual Care Delivery Apps, between five and twenty-five minutes from sample collection.
Our Testing Technologies
We believe our ability to use both NAAT and immunoassays to
perform tests will enable us to deliver the broadest menu of tests through our platform using our Cue Reader.
Molecular Tests
Molecular tests, also known as nucleic acid amplification tests
(NAAT), target genetic material (DNA or RNA) in order to detect a broad range of infectious diseases, and are considered to be the most reliable for this purpose. PCR and isothermal amplification are two types of molecular testing techniques. The
NAAT procedure works by first making many copies of a target microbe’s genetic material that is present in a specimen. This enables NAATs to detect very small amounts of DNA or RNA in a specimen, making these tests highly sensitive. In other
words, NAATs can reliably detect small amounts of disease and are unlikely to return a false-negative result. The Centers for Disease
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Control, or CDC, has described molecular tests as the “gold standard” for clinical
diagnostic detection of COVID-19. Our COVID-19 Test was the first molecular diagnostic test authorized for at-home and over-the-counter use. For infectious diseases, molecular tests are more sensitive than antigen tests and have been recommended
by the CDC as the preferred testing technology.
Immunoassay Tests
Immunoassays are widely used in clinical care. In clinical
laboratories, the most common immunoassay technique is the is the Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay, or ELISA, which is a fundamental clinical diagnostic methodology for detecting and quantifying a wide range of analytes and is one of the main
modern lab techniques employed by central labs for a variety of clinical applications. Our ability to perform ELISA-like chemistry within the same cartridge structure we use to run our molecular tests enables us to detect and quantify the
biomarkers necessary to expand our care offerings for use cases, including in cardiometabolic health (cholesterol, inflammation, HbA1c), men’s health (testosterone, prostate specific antigen), women’s health (pregnancy, fertility), other cardiac
care (troponin, brain natriuretic peptide), wellness (vitamin D), and other tests.
Our Key Differentiators
We believe the following attributes differentiate us from other
diagnostic solutions and digital health companies:
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Consumer-centric . The Cue Integrated Care Platform is
intended to revolutionize the way individuals and healthcare providers access diagnostic testing at home, at work, or at the point-of-care. Our Cue Integrated Care Platform is designed to deliver a superior user experience in any
setting, one that is fully-guided, fast, accurate, and easy to use and that puts the consumer in control of their health data. Users only have to take the test and the Platform does the rest, obviating the need for many in-person
testing visits and sample shipments, with a focus on at-home testing which we believe is the most consumer-centric and convenient setting. Results are presented in an easy-to-understand format through our Cue Health App and Cue
Enterprise Dashboard. The digital nature of our results allows consumers to access their medical data immediately. By connecting this data to the wider healthcare ecosystem, consumers will be able to securely share their data with key
stakeholders in their care journey and further streamlining the user experience. This will allow for more testing to be performed at the right point in the care journey, enabling diagnostics to drive care decisions.
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Lab-quality diagnostics anywhere in minutes. By
combining the sophistication and accuracy of complex molecular testing platforms with the simplicity, convenience and speed of a consumer electronic device, our Cue Health Monitoring System has been developed to deliver highly specific
and sensitive results within minutes. As a result, we believe our tests will provide a better, more convenient user experience compared to traditional lab tests while also delivering “gold standard” molecular testing results - all from
a device that fits in the palm of your hand. The accuracy of the Cue Health Monitoring System was confirmed by a recent independent study, conducted by researchers at the Mayo Clinic, that found that the overall concordance between our
COVID-19 test and clinical laboratory tests using NAAT was 97.8%.
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Extensible platform approach. We designed our technology,
platform and infrastructure to be versatile in accommodating a wide range of tests by addressing both main analytical modalities used in diagnostic testing, immunoassays and NAAT. We believe our flexible platform will permit our planned
future menu of tests to cover a large portion of diagnostic solutions typically offered by a traditional lab. The extensibility of our platform is due to the reusability of the Cue Reader, the uniform design of single-use Cue Cartridges
and the synergies in chemistry across our pipeline of contemplated future tests, which we believe will allow us to quickly expand and upsell our menu in a cost-efficient manner. We have demonstrated our ability to quickly develop tests,
having developed our highly accurate COVID-19 test within weeks. Our digitally native results enable seamless integration into our apps and cloud-based software platform as well as allow for integration with the broader healthcare and
partner ecosystem.
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Vertically-integrated, automated and scalable production
infrastructure. Our proprietary technology was designed to enable us to optimize our system across the full product life cycle from design to manufacturing. Our integrated cartridge manufacturing and bio-production,
including enzymes and chemistry, ensure the quality of our finished product. Our vertically-integrated and highly automated manufacturing facilities, which we developed alongside our science and technology and where we manufacture our
Cue Cartridges, result in what we believe is a highly cost efficient and rapidly scalable
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manufacturing process. We further designed our manufacturing production pods to
scale rapidly and allow for the production of any type of test cartridge in our planned future menu. We believe this will allow us to dramatically shorten our time to market when compared to traditional diagnostic manufacturing and to adapt to
new market demands quickly and efficiently.
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Scaled and growing installed base. We have shipped over
30,000 Cue Readers across the United States as of April 30, 2021, including Cue Readers placed through our agreement with the U.S. DoD and through our other customer agreements, resulting in a broad installed base, diversified across
industries, locations and end-markets such as schools, essential businesses, nursing homes, hospitals, physicians' offices, dental clinics, sports and other live events, and other settings around the country. With our recent EUA for
at-home and over-the-counter COVID-19 testing, we expect to significantly grow our install base over the coming months and gain a place in more consumer households across the U.S. and internationally. Given our Cue Readers are reusable
and universally compatible with our current and planned future Cue Cartridges, we believe this installed base and population of active users will position us well as we expand our testing menu. In addition, our installed base provides
us with a wealth of data generation for our own use, and which we intend to use to improve our current and future product offerings.
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Our Market Opportunity
We believe that there is substantial market opportunity for a
consumer-oriented platform that sits at the nexus of healthcare and technology. We estimate that global healthcare expenditures in 2021 will reach $8.8 trillion. We estimate that the total addressable markets, or TAM, for digital health and
diagnostics were approximately $120 billion and $85 billion, respectively, in 2020. Of the estimated $85 billion diagnostics market, we estimate that at-home and point-of-care testing solutions account for approximately $30 billion, of which,
according to our internal estimates, approximately $20 billion is attributable to point-of-care testing solutions while approximately $10 billion is attributable to at home testing solutions. We further estimate that the TAM for point-of-care
diagnostics will grow to up to $51 billion by 2025. In 2021, we estimate the COVID-19 point-of-care diagnostic market alone to be at approximately $12 billion. We believe that the digital health and diagnostics markets that we are targeting are
not only capable of being quickly disrupted by our Cue Integrated Care Platform, but that our TAM will continue to expand as individuals increasingly seek convenience and accessibility in their healthcare services, as awareness of our brand and
platform offering grows, and as we build out our planned integrated service offering, including telehealth and e-prescription capabilities. Additionally, we believe healthcare providers and payors will continue to look for creative solutions to
optimize care and cost efficiency, while employers will aim to maintain productivity and continuity.
Our Growth Strategy
Key elements of our growth strategy include:
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Expand our menu of tests and continue to innovate and enhance our
platform. We plan to expand our test menu, including in the fields of respiratory health, sexual health, cardiac and metabolic health, women's health, men's health, and chronic disease management, with several of these
tests expected to be submitted for FDA authorization or clearance by the end of 2022. Our broad planned future test menu is aimed to appeal to consumers, self-insured employers, and health plans alike and will allow for care that can be
personalized to the consumer. We intend to further continue to expand our platform capabilities to provide a comprehensive user experience.
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Drive ecosystem adoption. We have been successful in our ability to
integrate our platform into existing enterprise-level health management systems, allowing customers to automate workflows while allowing us to garner long-term commercial partnerships. As we enhance our Cue Integrated Care Platform, we
intend to extend our integrations with leading EMR systems and to build-out additional capabilities to integrate with telemedicine and digital health providers, e-prescription, e-commerce, and other connected services, to offer consumers
a frictionless, virtual-to-physical care solution that positions them for better outcomes
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Continue to expand our installed base and distribution network to
enable pull-through of our future exten ded care off ering s .
We believe that the ability of customers to experience our platform for COVID-19 testing will facilitate market adoption and awareness that will benefit us as we continue to expand our test menu. We have shipped more than 30,000 Cue
Readers as of April 30, 2021, but we believe we are just at the beginning of our market adoption. COVID-19 has served as an accelerant for increasing the installed base of our customers, which we believe will drive natural demand to try
our additional tests in
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development. We have significant interest from individuals, enterprises, and
healthcare providers to purchase our COVID-19 test as well as interest in our future test menu. We further plan to leverage our installed base, established distribution network, and direct customer relationship through our apps to drive sales of
our future test menu.
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Increase adoption through value-based selling and payor reimbursement . Our platform enables enterprise customers and payors to capture consistent, convenient and simple diagnostic information to inform key decisions. We believe this will help create positive
outcomes for all stakeholders, especially our customers, as we expand our test menu. For example, helping customers test their HbA1c to manage diabetes or assess their HIV viral load to determine whether their treatment plan is
effective would help payors and enterprises incur fewer costs. We believe this strategy will help accelerate our growth and drive further adoption of our platform.
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Continue to build the Cue brand. We believe that there
are significant opportunities to drive increased brand awareness, educate consumers and enterprises on the benefits of diagnostics and our connected health platform, and build a lasting consumer brand. As we continue to invest in
marketing, we anticipate that many customers who are not aware of our platform or the benefits of continuous, virtual care will begin using our platform. We further intend to increase our brand awareness through our partnership program.
We believe the validation of leading institutions, such as the Mayo Clinic, the NBA and others, will help us to become the testing solution of choice in the enterprise and employer, travel, sports and entertainment, education, personal
health and wellness, community and population health, and government market.
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Scale manufacturing capabilities to capitalize on demand.
In the fall of 2020, we leased two new manufacturing facilities in an effort to scale our capabilities, and we have since commenced construction on a number of new production pods. As of March 31, 2021, we are manufacturing Cue
Cartridges at a rate equivalent to several million per year and we anticipate growing our manufacturing capacity to a rate equivalent to tens of millions of Cue Cartridges per year by the end of 2021.
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Expand our global footprint. We believe in the broad
suitability of our platform and intend to grow our international customer base. In countries with developed healthcare systems, our value proposition is similar to that of the United States and will offer individuals, enterprises, and
healthcare providers with the ability to positively impact health outcomes. In December 2020, our COVID-19 test received the CE mark, clearing it for sale and distribution in the European Union. In countries with underdeveloped
healthcare systems and infrastructure, we believe our platform will be able to provide front-line healthcare providers with access to lab-quality testing to better diagnose and treat underserved patient populations.
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Our First Product Offering – Cue COVID-19 Test Kit
The Cue COVID-19 Test Kit is our first, and currently only,
commercially available test. It is designed to detect SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Our COVID-19 test was the first FDA-authorized molecular diagnostic test for at-home and over-the-counter use, without physician supervision or a
prescription. It provides highly accurate, lab-quality results, including for emerging variants, directly to connected mobile smart devices in about 20 minutes. A recent independent study conducted by researchers at the Mayo Clinic found that
the overall concordance between our COVID-19 test and clinical laboratory tests using NAAT was 97.8%. In December , 2020, our COVID-19 test was ranked by the FDA Reference Panel testing as the most sensitive among direct nasal swab
point-of-care tests.
The COVID-19 Test Kit is authorized for use by both symptomatic and
asymptomatic individuals, adults and children aged two and older with adult assistance. With an easy-to-use, fully guided experience, the Cue COVID-19 Test Kit offers convenience, privacy, and the ability to test frequently.
The Cue COVID-19 Test Kit runs on our Cue Reader, using our single
use Cue COVID-19 Cartridge, which contains the specific reagents and associated materials required to detect the virus, and a Cue Wand.
Given our versatile platform and our team’s experience in
respiratory infectious disease testing, we were well-positioned to respond to the COVID-19 global pandemic. Building on our existing relationship, established in 2018, with the U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, or
BARDA, a division of the U.S. HHS, we received funding from BARDA in March 2020 to accelerate the development, validation and FDA
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clearance of our COVID-19 test to help curb the spread of COVID-19. Our flexible
technology and manufacturing capabilities allowed us to develop the Cue COVID-19 Test Kit in a few months. We received EUA from the FDA for point-of-care use of our COVID-19 test in June 2020 and EUA for over-the-counter and at-home use of our
COVID-19 test in March 2021.
Persistence of COVID-19: The Ongoing Importance of Testing
Many prominent immunologists and infectious disease researchers have
now forecasted that COVID-19 will become endemic, remaining with us for years to come. Of concern are the new COVID-19 variants which have the potential to be more transmissible, more severe, and/or have the potential to reduce the effectiveness
of vaccines. On April 12, 2021, 17 months after COVID-19 was first identified, the World Health Organization or WHO indicated that trajectory of the coronavirus pandemic is now growing exponentially and noted that the virus is stronger and faster
due to the emergence of new variants. Prior to the actual rise of new variants, the scientific consensus was that SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19 had a slow rate of mutation compared to other RNA-based viruses like influenza and
HIV and was unlikely to have significant variation due to this slow mutation rate. As the new variants are demonstrating, this consensus was not accurate.
We believe that a number of factors and unknowns will drive the need
for testing as part of an ongoing and global, multimodal approach to manage the virus into the future.
Several new COVID-19 variants are already circulating globally
and within the U.S. and additional new variants are expected to occur over time. On May 17, 2021, the CDC issued an update on variants and it included five “Variants of Concern,” or VOC, for which there is evidence of an increase in
transmissibility, reduced efficacy of vaccination, and other factors. These VOC include: the “U.K. Variant” B.1.1.7 which is highly transmissible and might carry a higher risk of being fatal and as of April 30, 2021, the “U.K Variant” is the
most common source of new infections in the U.S. and Europe, is infecting more children with more young people ending up in the hospital; the “Brazil Variant” P.1 is believed to be even more transmissible than other variants, and is the second
most common variant in the U.S. and has been found in over 20 countries worldwide; the “South Africa Variant” B.1.351 which is highly transmissible and the third most common variant in the U.S.; and the “California Variants” B.1.427 and B.1.429
which are believed to be more contagious than the original virus. The “South Africa Variant” has been found to reduce the effectiveness of all of the major vaccines. A recent clinical trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine
showed a double dose of AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine was not effective in combating the variant “South Africa” B.1.351 variant. A study done by a team of scientists from Tel Aviv University and the Clalit healthcare organization found
increased evidence that the South African variant was able to break through the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. In addition, the “India Variant” B.1.617, which is highly transmissible, was labeled a Variant of Concern by the World Health Organization
on May 11, 2021.
While the above variants have been identified and are among the
most well known, there are many other notable variants and it is not yet clear whether there already exist even more potent immune and vaccine evading variants or when or whether they will arise. The unprecedented speed of developing powerful
vaccines against the variants represents the power of advanced healthcare technology. However, the vaccines and human ingenuity face an incredibly successful and fit virus that has exhibited more highly divergent behavior than expected from the
scientific community. At the beginning of the pandemic many scientists were skeptical of early anecdotes that asymptomatic spread could be a factor in spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus until evidence mounted that this was in fact occurring. The
skepticism of asymptomatic spread of COVID-19 was due to the lack of historical precedent of a virus that had significant spread driven by asymptomatic carriers. COVID-19 is a black swan event and continues to surprise scientists.
A real-world example of the impact of a variant can be seen in
Manaus, Brazil, a city with 2.2 million people. Manaus, the Amazon’s largest city, was highly impacted with a first wave of COVID-19 and it is estimated that 75 percent of the population was infected with the virus by October 2020. Scientists
originally believed that at a 70 percent level of prior infection, a population was close if not beyond the threshold for herd immunity. However, high levels of natural immunity can also create a selection pressure that forces the virus to adapt
to the immune landscape. This may explain how the new “Brazil Variant” P.1 arose in Manaus, likely in November 2020, and created a second wave of infections with a record-breaking spike in COVID-19 infections. A second wave continued throughout
Brazil, and the country experienced a wave of infection from the new variant that surpassed the death rate of the first devastating wave from the original virus strain.
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Despite more than a year of continuous and global COVID-19
spread, the virus is continuing to spread in parts of the world nearly unabated. The continued spread of COVID-19 provides more opportunity for the virus to accumulate mutations that confer properties that enhance its spread, especially to
counter natural and vaccine based immunity. India recently reported the largest daily surge in COVID-19 infections since the pandemic began. Additionally, in Asia, cases are surging in India, the Philippines and Bangladesh and in Europe,
Turkey, France and Ukraine are seeing sharp increases in infections once again. A global roll-out of vaccines is necessary to protect against severe infection, and, to date, many countries around the world haven’t made progress with
vaccinations. Even in highly developed countries such as the United States, the virus continues to spread regionally and in some areas like Michigan cases have risen dramatically, despite any surge to date, despite a relatively high prevalence
of vaccinated individuals, estimated at 20% of the population or greater. The emergence of new variants will require a global and coordinated public health effort for several years to combat and there is no guarantee that COVID-19 and its many
variants will be fully suppressed into the future.
We believe it is unlikely that any vaccine will be 100% effective
against COVID-19 and global health organizations and scientists are working to understand the impact of new variants on vaccine effectiveness. Even after full vaccination, research shows that there is still risk of contracting and spreading
COVID-19. Furthermore, scientists believe that immunity weakens over time and that the current vaccines do not provide permanent protection from the disease thus there will be a need for booster shots over time.
We believe that achieving herd immunity is becoming increasingly
unlikely. In February 2021, the CDC indicated that the U.S. is far from having herd immunity. In addition, viral infections are often seasonal and new research suggests that seasonality could be a factor in the spread of COVID-19.
As organizations across the country start to return to the office
and put plans in place to return to the office, not all returning employees will be vaccinated and employers cannot mandate vaccines. Federal law prohibits requiring vaccination from a COVID-19 vaccine under an EUA. There is ongoing debate about
the need for vaccine disclosure in the workplace. The likely scenario is that there will be vaccinated and non-vaccinated individuals returning to the office, increasing the risk of the spread of COVID-19. In addition, immunosuppressed patients
have shown to raise very minimal responses and may be susceptible to COVID-19 even after vaccination. Employers’ Chief Medical Officers and EH&S leaders cannot assume that everyone has a sufficient immune response raised against the virus
even if vaccinated and will continue to have to test their employees in order to create safer workplaces.
Given these factors and the number of unknowns, as well as the
highly infectious nature of COVID-19, we believe that testing, along with vaccines, will be an important part of a multi-modal approach to managing COVID-19. In January 2021, the Biden Administration issued a National Strategy for the COVID-19
Response and Pandemic Preparedness plan and in it noted “To control the COVID-19 pandemic and safely reopen schools and businesses, America must have wide-spread testing.” President Biden established a $50 billion plan for increased COVID-19
testing, of which $10 billion is dedicated to testing specifically to help schools re-open. Additionally, we believe, based on various market models, that the market size for COVID-19 testing could be approximately $24 billion in 2022, $12
billion in each of 2023 and 2024, and $7 billion to $9 billion per annum thereafter. These are illustrations of how COVID-19 is expected to continue to impact the United States and how testing will be a regular part of life.
Development and Commercialization Timeline
Since the first FDA EUA authorization of the Cue COVID-19 Test in
June 2020, we have been working around the clock to scale our manufacturing and focus our commercialization efforts to get as many tests as possible in the market in the midst of a pandemic. We made significant developments on regulatory
authorizations, commercial activities, and manufacturing capacity.
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The development and commercialization timeline for our Cue COVID-19 Test Kit is set
forth below:
We continue to monitor the development and variation of
SARS-CoV-2 to ensure compatibility of the Cue COVID-19 Test Kit. Based on our own internal testing, our COVID-19 test has demonstrated a greater than 99% match for the “U.K. Variant” B.1.1.7 first detected in October 2020, the “South African
Variant” B.1.351 first detected in December 2020, the “Brazilian Variant” P.1 first detected in January 2021, the “California Variant” B.1.429, first detected in July 2020 and the “Indian Variant” B.1.617 first detected in October 2020. As
SARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve through mutation, we intend to continue to test our system to ensure our COVID-19 test delivers fast and accurate results for emerging variants.
Clinical Results
In January 2021, Mayo Clinic Laboratories published the results
of an independent clinical validation study that evaluated the clinical performance of our COVID-19 test in Diagnostic Microbiology & Infection Disease, a leading peer-reviewed scientific and medical journal in the fields of clinical
microbiology and the diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases. The study was performed using lower nasal swabs and the results were compared to a reference central laboratory NAAT in 292 symptomatic and asymptomatic adults who were
referred for COVID-19 testing in a community drive though collection setting operated by the Mayo Clinic. The study protocol was approved by the Mayo Clinical Institutional Review Board. The samples were collected in August 2020. Patient health
status was not collected at the time of testing. The study concluded that Cue COVID-19 test was both sensitive and specific compared to central laboratory testing and that the Cue COVID-19 test for SARS-CoV-2 can be considered a feasible
solution to implement at sites requiring a point-of-care solution.
The reference panel testing of 206 patients was conducted using
the Hologic Aptima SARS-CoV-2 assay on a Hologic Panther instrument and the reference panel testing of 85 patients was conducted using the Mayo Clinic laboratory for testing by a RT-PCR testing on the Roche Light Cycle 480. The primary outcome
was positive and negative percent agreement between the Cue COVID-19 test and the laboratory tests. The Mayo Clinic used a tie-breaker method for any sample with positive result by the laboratory test but a negative test result by the Cue
COVID-19 test. If the patient had received testing by more than one reference method within 14 days of study enrollment, the tie-breaker system referred the reference result to be the result obtained by two of the three methods (Cue, Hologic
Aptima and laboratory-development RT-PCR). The study did not have a method for resolving all discrepant results observed and an incorrect reference method result cannot be ruled out. It was also not possible to perform a formal limit of
detection study due to the design of the assay at that time. Invalid or cancelled results were not able to be retested as directed by the instructions in the Cue COVID-19 test because study participants left the facility before point-of-care
testing was completed.
The overall concordance between our COVID-19 test and the
reference laboratory test was 97.8%. The positive test agreement between our COVID-19 test and the reference test was 91.7% (22/24) and 95.7% (22/23) when one patient with no tie-breaker method was excluded. The negative test agreement was
98.4% (239/243). There were 25 (8.6%) invalid or cancelled results. Since the time of the study, we have lowered the cut-off value for the internal control that detects the presence of human cellular material in the nasal sample such that 12
invalid results obtained during the study would now return a concordant negative result, and with this change there would have been 13 invalid or cancelled results.
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The results of the study are presented in the table below:
Positive
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22
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4
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26
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Negative
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2 (1)
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239
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241
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Positive percent agreement
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91.7%
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Negative percent agreement
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98.4%
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Total
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24
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243
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267
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(1)
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One discrepant positive reference sample did not have a tie-breaker method available, so positive percent agreement would be
22/23 (95.7%) excluding that sample.
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The discordant results are presented in the table below.
1
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Negative
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Positive (Hologic)
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None
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Positive
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2
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Negative
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Positive (Hologic)
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Negative (LTD-PCR)
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Negative
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3
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Negative
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Positive (LTD-PCR)
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Positive (Hologic)
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Positive
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4
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Positive
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Negative (Hologic)
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None
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Negative
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5
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Positive
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Negative (Hologic)
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None
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Negative
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6
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Positive
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Negative (Hologic)
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None
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Negative
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7
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Positive
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Negative (Hologic)
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Negative (Hologic)
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Negative
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The Mayo Clinic study concluded that the Cue COVID-19 Test Kit
using a lower nasal swab collection method is accurate and is both sensitive and specific compared to central laboratory testing using an NPS collection. Additionally, the study noted the Cue COVID-19 Test Kit is easy to use with minimal
training or previous laboratory testing experience.
In March 2021, the FDA issued an EUA for the Cue COVID-19 Test
Kit for at-home and over-the-counter use without a prescription or physician supervision, making it the first molecular diagnostic test to receive such authorization. In September 2020, the FDA required us to evaluate the analytical limit of
detection and to assess the traceability of our COVID-19 test with FDA reference materials. Between December 2020 and February 2021, we conducted prospective studies at four urgent care locations and at two of our own locations to evaluate the
use of the Cue COVID-19 Test Kit for at home and over-the-counter use by lay users in a simulated home use environment. Adult lay users (≥18 years of age) self-collected or collected from their child (<18 years of age) a Cue Wand nasal swab
and ran the test. Adult and child subjects were enrolled in an “all comers” style at the urgent care locations. A total of 286 subjects were enrolled: 276 adults self-swabbing and self-testing to run the Cue COVID-19 Test Kit for at home and
over-the-counter use and 10 children where their parent collected the nasal sample and ran the Cue COVID-19 Test Kit.
There were 38 subjects who tested positive for COVID-19, 233
subjects who tested negative for COVID-19 and 2 subjects with inconclusive results by the FDA Emergency Use Authorized molecular comparator method. Among the subjects, 10 subjects were asymptomatic positive, 123 subjects were asymptomatic
negative, and 1 subject was asymptomatic inconclusive by the comparator. In this clinical study, our COVID-19 test correctly identified 96% (27/28) of positive samples from individuals known to have symptoms and correctly identified 100%
(10/10) of positive samples from individuals without symptoms. Our COVID-19 test correctly identified 99.1% (231/233) of negative samples. Additionally, in September 2020, we submitted a post-market clinical data report to the FDA as required
under our EUA, which included results from the Mayo Clinic's evaluation of Cue versus an institutional reference panel.
Regulatory Status of the Cue COVID-19 Test Kit
In June 2020, the FDA granted us an EUA for our COVID-19 test for
point of care use under the supervision of qualified medical personnel. In March 2021, the FDA granted us an additional EUA for over-the-counter and at-home use of our COVID-19 test without a prescription. Our COVID-19 test is authorized for
use by both
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symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals, and by adults and children aged two and
older with adult assistance. While commercial sales of our COVID-19 Test Kit are authorized pursuant to our EUA authorizations, to date we have not obtained a 510(k) clearance for our COVID-19 Test Kit, which clearance would be required in the
event that the FDA terminates or revokes our EUAs. In order to be eligible to receive 510(k) clearance from the FDA, we will need to conduct additional clinical studies with larger subject enrollment and more COVID-19 positive tests.
Among other things, prior to seeking 510(k) clearance, we will
need to execute a lot-to-lot precision study using three lots of Cue COVID-19 Test Cartridges. We plan to seek agreement from the FDA that we do not need to repeat any of the analytical performance studies already submitted to the FDA for our
EUAs. We will need to conduct another clinical study with lay users who will self-swab and self-test. The FDA requires a larger subject enrollment and more COVID-19 positive samples for 510(k) clearance than was required for an EUA. FDA
guidance has indicated that 120 samples positive for COVID-19 with at least 30 positive samples from asymptomatic individuals would potentially be sufficient for a clinical study. As part of our pre-submission packet, we intend to request that
the FDA apply the samples positive for COVID-19 from the EUA lay user study we already conducted towards this “requirement” (i.e., 28 symptomatic positive samples and 10 asymptomatic positive samples. Once the study is complete, we will plan to
draft the submission for 510(k) clearance for home use available over-the-counter without a prescription. With 510(k) clearance for over-the-counter at home use, the FDA grants automatic clearance for point-of-care, CLIA Waived environment use.
We have an agreement with BARDA which covers the development, EUA
and 510(k) clearance of our COVID- 19 Test Kit. There is approximately $5.5 million of funding remaining on this agreement to fund the required analytical and clinical studies necessary to complete the procedures to receive 510(k) clearance. We
have contracted with a CRO to conduct the external clinical study with lay users and the external site reproducibility study. We believe the funds from our agreement with BARDA will be sufficient to cover the required expenses, including the
approximately $2.5 million CRO contract, to complete the clinical studies necessary to seek 510(k) clearance. We expect the external clinical studies to begin in the third quarter of 2021, with expected completion in early 2022. Assuming
successful completion of these clinical studies, we intend to see 510(k) clearance from the FDA by the second half of 2022.
Our Go-To-Market Strategy
Our go-to-market strategy is powered by an in-house direct sales
team focused on target customer segments including; the public sector, healthcare providers, large enterprises, and individual consumers. Our go-to-market strategy is further complimented by our marketing team’s strategy on raising Cue’s
overall brand awareness and value proposition.
Marketing
Our marketing strategy is focused on building strong brand awareness
for the Cue Integrated Care Platform as a next-generation healthcare solution, with relevant, measurable value for all of our customer segments. Our marketing drives across our owned media channels (website and social networks), press releases,
scientific publications, industry engagement with key stakeholders, partnerships with key opinion and market leaders, and targeted marketing through digital and non-digital channels. We anticipate investing further, using account-based marketing
strategies to accelerate brand awareness and increase demand, and thus sales opportunities, across our targeted markets.
Sales
Our direct sales team engages with prospective clients and seeks
to identify the best sales channel based on each client’s needs. Our go-to-market strategy is focused on allowing us access to the end user, through our Cue Integrated Care Platform, even if the individual was acquired via our direct sales
organization or through an outside sales channel. For example, if an individual obtained a Cue Health Monitoring System through their self-insured employer's COVID-19 return-to-work efforts or as a result of government-supported distribution,
we can nonetheless directly engage with the end user through the Cue Health App and potentially convert them to using our planned future tests and other products we may develop. As a result, we expect that we will be able to fulfill market
demand through our internal and external sales channels, while maintaining an important direct relationship for our product enhancements and care offerings.
Additionally, our relationship with U.S. DoD formed an important
foundation of our initial go-to-market strategy. Our relationship with U.S. DoD helped establish our domestic manufacturing infrastructure as a critical
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component of ongoing national healthcare infrastructure. Our relationship with
the U.S. DoD also helped commercialize the Cue Health Monitoring System as part of a critical, decentralized national diagnostic infrastructure for ongoing pandemic management. In addition, the development of Cue Readers alongside our Cue
COVID-19 Test Kits, has significantly accelerated our installed base, growth, which we believe will enable continued distribution of our Cue COVID-19 Test Kit as well as pull-through of our planned future Cue Test Kits to key federal, state and
local government agencies. Through our U.S. DoD agreement, the Cue Health Monitoring System and COVID-19 Test Kits has been deployed to over 220 schools, nursing homes, hospitals, public health facilities and organizations, essential
businesses, correctional facilities and other public sector users, as of April 30, 2021.
We expect that customer demand for our Cue Health Monitoring
System and the Cue COVID-19 Test Kit will exceed our manufacturing capacity in 2021. As a result, and in light of our existing commitments under the U.S. DoD agreement and to existing customers, we are strategically selecting new customers
based on the following considerations: order volume, industry diversification and potential interest in our expected future test menu.
Our direct sales team is comprised of experienced sales
professionals focused on the following four categories:
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Public Sector Sales : Our
public sector sales team identifies new opportunities within federal, state and local government agencies. While we expect that revenue from other categories of customers will become a larger component of revenue over time, our public
sector sales strategy continues to look to identify opportunities with new and existing federal, state and local government agency customers.
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Enterprise Sales: Our enterprise sales team identifies major self-insured enterprises
such as Fortune 500 companies with large-covered employee populations as well as small to medium sized businesses with healthcare plans partners and employee benefits offerings. We believe that enterprise customers will want to utilize
our integrated care solutions for their employees and their families, both on-premise and at-home.
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Healthcare Provider Sales : Our healthcare provider sales strategy targets
major healthcare systems and healthcare professionals such as hospital systems, private clinics and concierge health systems, and physicians’ offices. Relationships with our customers, like our current relationship with the Mayo Clinic,
help validate our platform, and we believe will help accelerate marketplace adoption of our products.
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Direct-to-Consumer Sales : Our direct-to-consumer sales team identifies
opportunities through online and offline retail channels such as e-commerce and in-store sales.
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Our customer agreements contain standard commercial terms and
conditions and include payment terms, quantities, billing frequency, warranties and indemnification. Beginning in 2021, we started offering non-U.S. government customers a subscription-based purchasing option. Subscription-based customers can
initially purchase a fixed number of Cue Readers at the start of the contract and commit to a fixed number of Cue COVID-19 Test Kits per month for the duration of the subscription agreement. We believe our subscription-based model offers
customers maximum utility and allows them to reduce their purchase costs, while simultaneously creating a recurring revenue stream for us.
We believe focused efforts on each of our customer categories is
critical given the unique role each plays in the healthcare ecosystem, the total size of their respective addressable markets and the potential benefits that each receive from our platform. Although our initial focus is driving adoption of our
Cue Health Monitoring System and our Cue COVID-19 Test Kits, we are educating all of our current and prospective customers about the broad applicability of our Cue Integrated Care Platform and the potential roll-out of our broader test kit menu.
We believe every sale of a Cue Health Monitoring System for COVID-19 testing creates a durable lasting install base for our future offerings and test kits.
Our direct go-to-market strategy is tailored to our key customer categories:
Public Sector
We have worked closely with BARDA for approximately three years,
developing the Cue Health Monitoring System as a field-deployable, rapid molecular connected diagnostic technology. As a result, our first major customer agreement was in October 2020 with the U.S. HHS and the U.S. DoD. In connection with the
agreement, we have shipped over 30,000 Cue Readers and over 1.5 million Cue Cartridges which have been deployed to over 220 schools, nursing homes, hospitals, public health facilities and organizations, essential businesses, correctional
facilities and other public sector users, as of April 30, 2021. Specifically, the Cue Readers and Cue Cartridges are deployed to Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Minnesota and Texas Departments of Public Health, among others. These
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represent some of the largest public health systems in the United States and play a
key role in the ongoing fight against COVID-19 as well as the supervision of the overall health and wellness of large state populations. State level Department of Public Health systems guide health protocols for their respective public community
clinics and public K-12 schools and as a result the Cue Health Monitoring System is in use at hundreds of K-12 schools, as well as some state sponsored community clinics. The Cue Health Monitoring System brings a valuable tool to these state
level Departments of Public Health systems and other state-level end-users so they are better equipped to manage future public health needs, including those that we anticipate will be covered by our expected future test menu.
Our government sales team is currently pursuing additional
agreements with the U.S. federal government as well as direct contracts with over 300 government-supplied end-users who have received the Cue Health Monitoring System as a result of our U.S. HHS and U.S. DoD deployments. We believe these
end-users will have lower customer acquisition costs, with strong potential of conversion into one of our other customer categories given their experience with the platform. For example, hospitals that have received our platform are integrating
the Cue Health Monitoring System into their EMRs, such as Epic, in order to seamlessly onboard, test, and deliver results to their patients. We believe these integrations, catalyzed by our COVID-19 test, will create lasting connectivity between
us and our end-users and create an important foundation on which our expanded test menu can follow.
Additionally, through our agreement with the U.S. HHS and the U.S.
DoD, we have deployed Cue Health Monitoring Systems to various U.S. DoD end-users. We believe our portable, accurate, intuitive and fast platform offers an especially high degree of utility for U.S. DoD applications as well as provides a new
capability to bring our connected diagnostic solution to the U.S. DoD. We believe we can pursue additional direct contracts with the U.S. DoD to further support their ongoing deployments and use of the Cue Health Monitoring System.
Enterprise
Our enterprise sales team develops direct relationships with
enterprises of all sizes, from small businesses to large Fortune 500 companies, across a wide variety of industries. For employers, including self-insured enterprises, we believe we provide a new ability to provide near real-time information to
benefit managers and population health employees that drives decision-making, better health outcomes and ultimately cost savings at the enterprise level. We are initially supporting enterprises in their efforts to shift their large remote
workforces back to in-person activities safely, by providing large-scale and real-time decentralized COVID-19 testing. Our Cue Integrated Care Platform provides a unique solution for enterprises looking to provide their employees with the
ability to test themselves regularly from the comfort and convenience of their homes. Now more than ever, our enterprise customers want their employees and family units to be healthy and safe. They are seeking approved solutions that people can
choose to participate in, at scale and that we believe will help save the enterprise costs over time. We form relationships with enterprises with our expected future test menu in mind and aim to partner with enterprises that will benefit from
our anticipated broader test menu over time.
Healthcare Providers
We are targeting large, regional health systems with associated
clinic networks as we seek to accelerate our presence in the provider segment of the market. We believe our diagnostic solution provides a unique value proposition to providers in both the acute and non-acute levels of care that has
historically lacked connected platform testing and capabilities. Our healthcare sales team has already developed relationships with key healthcare providers, such as the Mayo Clinic and other leading health systems. In each of these provider
systems, we have successfully integrated, or are in the process of integrating, directly into their EMR systems, such as Epic. We believe our Cue Integrated Care Platform provides seamless use of our test kits, as patient ordering and results
can happen within the healthcare provider's existing EMR workflow. Our healthcare sales team offers our integration capability when selling to this customer group.
Direct-to-Consumer
In March 2021, we received an EUA from the FDA for our COVID-19
Test Kit, allowing us to be the first molecular diagnostic test authorized for at-home and over-the-counter use. We are developing our expected future care offerings to be available in an over-the-counter setting as well, and direct-to-consumer
marketing is one of our key initiatives to increase awareness of our Cue Integrated Care Platform. We are initially targeting direct-to-consumer sales through our owned sales platform, on our website and through our Cue Health App.
Additionally, we are exploring direct-to-consumer sales through channel partnerships and retail distributors to further provide our platform to individuals.
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Strategic Collaborations and other Agreements
U.S. Government
•
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BARDA - We have partnered with BARDA since June 2018, initially focusing on a
molecular influenza test using the Cue Health Monitoring System pursuant to a contract that was originally effective through January 2021 and that provided $14.0 million in base funding. In March 2020, BARDA exercised an option to
accelerate development, validation and FDA clearance of our COVID-19 test for a $13.7 million award. This funding enabled us to accelerate the development and validation of our COVID-19 test. In May 2020, our original contract with BARDA
was amended to increase the base value from $14.0 million to $21.8 million and to extend the contract term to January 2022. Pursuant to our agreement with BARDA, we agreed to provide regular reports to BARDA regarding our progress and
certain customary oversight provisions. BARDA can terminate this agreement for convenience or if we fail to meet our obligations, subject to our opportunity to cure such defaults.
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Department of Defense/Department of Health and Human Services
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In October 2020, we entered into an agreement, as amended in March 2021, for an aggregate of $480.9 million, with the U.S. DoD to expand our U.S.-based production capacity, to deploy 6,000,000 Cue COVID-19 Test Kits , 30,000 Cue Readers and 60,000 Cue Control Swab Packs ( which is comprised of three positive and three negative control swabs per pack ) pursuant to the delivery schedule under the agreement and demonstrate our ability to manufacture an average of approximately 100,000
Cue COVID-19 Cartridges per day over a consecutive 7-day period by October 2021. Included as part of the $480.9 million contract amount was an upfront payment of $184.6 million to scale our manufacturing. This payment was intended to help us onshore our supply chain and rapidly increase our production capacity to enable and support domestic
production of critical medical resources. As of April 30 , 2021, we have shipped all of the required Cue Readers and over 1.5 million Cue COVID-19 Test Kits under the agreement.
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In November 2020, as part of our agreement with the U.S. DoD, we started deployment of a pilot program in coordination with the U.S. HHS to assess how to best integrate our diagnostic
technology into public health strategies for disease surveillance and infection control in institutions such as nursing homes. Through this program, our
COVID-19 test is currently being used in the U.S. in point-of-care settings with high-concern populations and congregate care settings, such as nursing homes,
long-term care, assisted living facilities, veterans’ homes, K-12 schools, correctional facilities, homeless populations, essential businesses, remote and tribal communities, and hospitals. In the
pilot program, U.S. HHS is using our COVID-19 test to verify antigen test results, which are less sensitive than molecular and PCR tests and occasionally
prone to false positives. This pilot program was expanded to ten states in January 2021. As part of this pilot program, we have the ability to directly work with the state or local authorities that decide how to distribute our COVID-19 tests in their jurisdictions, including the ability to offer support and to sell our
COVID-19 test directly to such state and local authorities.
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During the term of our agreement with the U.S. DoD, we agreed that the U.S. government would
be the exclusive purchaser of our entire production until our development obligations under this agreement have been completed, except for
previously existing contracts and subject to agreed upon waivers . In April 2021, we received the U.S. DoD Waiver, effective May 1, 2021, which now allows us to distribute commercially up to 50% of our COVID-19 Test production,
measured monthly in arrears on a calendar month basis, to non-U.S. federal government customers and other recipients. We expect that the U.S. DoD Waiver will remain in effect for the duration of the U.S. DoD agreement; however, the U.S. government may modify the waiver upon timely written notice to reasonably accommodate changes in U.S. government requirements. We also agreed to provide regular reports as to the status of our production and distribution. We have the right to
terminate this agreement without penalty if we cease to undertake development as a result of emerging safety or efficacy data, and the U.S.
government can terminate the agreement if we materially fail to comply with our obligations under the agreement. If the agreement is terminated by the U.S. DoD for cause, the U.S.
government may be entitled to certain remedies, including grants of licenses and penalty payments. The U.S.
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government may also terminate the agreement for convenience upon 30 days’ notice,
subject to the U.S. government retaining the right to place priority orders for up to a year following termination for other diagnostic tests manufactured using the manufacturing equipment purchased with U.S. government funds under the agreement.
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Under the agreement, following completion of our development, we have agreed to negotiate in good
faith with the U.S. DoD for a new production agreement under which the U.S. DoD would have the right to purchase up to 45% of our quarterly production at a
discount to the lowest price offered by us to a commercial customer for the same products, equivalent quantities and comparable terms of sale, subject to a
price floor.
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Mayo Clinic
In November 2020, we established a commercial relationship with the
Mayo Clinic to supply our COVID-19 test kits for use at the Mayo Clinic following an independent clinical validation of our COVID-19 test by the Mayo Clinic. We entered into a purchase agreement with the Mayo Clinic under which they may purchase
the Cue Health Monitoring System and Cue COVID-19 Test Kits on a purchase order basis. The purchase agreement has an initial one-year term and provides for automatic one-year renewals thereafter, unless the agreement is earlier terminated in
accordance with its terms.
In April 2021, we entered into a collaboration agreement with the
Mayo Clinic in which the Mayo Clinic agreed to identify us, to employers, hospitals and other U.S. clients, as a preferred partner for providing clinical diagnostic testing using our Cue Health Monitoring System, and we agreed to identify the
Mayo Clinic as a preferred partner for lab and advisory services, and we jointly agreed to work together to develop go-to-market strategies for clinical diagnostic testing services. The collaboration agreement has a three-year term, unless it is
earlier terminated in accordance with its terms.
NBA
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In July 2020, we entered into a services agreement with the NBA to provide the Cue Health Monitoring System and our Cue
COVID-19 Test Kits to the NBA to support testing within the “Bubble” established by the NBA at Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida in order to complete the 2019-2020 NBA season, as well as community-facing testing that the NBA was
engaging in as part of its operations in Orlando. We worked with the NBA to design the testing workflow, such that our test could be administered with speed, scale, and efficiency, adhering to the NBA’s health and safety protocols. The
Cue COVID-19 Test was used in an assessment at high exposure points to test vendors who needed frequent access, further securing this Bubble, as part of the NBA’s overall strategy, and contributing to safe, uninterrupted operations.
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Under the services agreement, we agreed to supply the NBA with, among other things, tests each week through November 1,
2020, subject to preferences for essential healthcare workers, governmental entities, and certain non-profits. In November 2020, we amended our services agreement with the NBA to include a fan testing program pursuant to which we agreed
to make available Cue COVID-19 Tests to all NBA member teams in order to test certain individuals who wish to attend NBA games. Under the agreement, we are a preferred provider of COVID-19 testing for NBA members through the 2021 NBA
season, with our testing solution being used by players, their families and referees, at home and on the road.
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Henry Schein
In August 2020, we entered into an exclusive distribution and supply
agreement with Henry Schein, pursuant to which Henry Schein acts as our exclusive distributor in the dental market and non-exclusive distributor in other markets. Henry Schein is one of the leading distributors of products to the global dental
market, with reported sales of approximately $10.1 billion in 2020. The Henry Schein agreement provides for an initial term of three years, unless earlier terminated in accordance with its terms, and provides for automatic one-year renewals
thereafter, subject to either party’s notice of intent not to renew.
Research and Development
Our research and development strategy focuses on developing
gold-standard diagnostic science that seamlessly integrates with a connected, end-to-end digital platform. Our platform was developed over a ten-year period in our San Diego, California facilities. All of our core technology, including the
chemistry, the Cue Reader and Cue Cartridge design, the Cue Health App and Cue Enterprise Dashboard is proprietary and developed in-house by us.
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Our research and development team is responsible for the design,
functionality and quality of our products and services. Our team is interdisciplinary in nature, including scientists, statisticians, chemists, engineers and regulatory experts. Our research and development team currently consists of
approximately 30 team members located across our Carroll Canyon Road and Waples facilities.
Expected Future Care Offerings
Our expected future care offerings include tests and other
products across multiple categories, including respiratory health, sexual health, cardiac and metabolic health, women's health, men's health, and chronic disease management. We are currently developing both the actual diagnostic test and the
accompanying software solutions in the virtual care delivery applications to support our planned holistic care offerings as part of our Cue Integrated Care Platform. We expect to begin submitting additional tests for FDA authorization or
clearance in the second half of 2022. Further, we intend to pursue future authorizations, clearances and approvals globally, including in the European Union, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan, within the Middle East, and the United Kingdom, and
other countries. In public communications, FDA officials have indicated that they would be more amenable to approving tests for many diseases for home use as a result of lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, especially testing solutions
with telehealth capabilities.
We believe our expected future test menu expansion benefits from:
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our technical development capabilities that have led to an authorized COVID-19 test and multiple tests in late-stage
technical development;
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our understanding of the regulatory pathways, including FDA authorization or clearance, for the various diagnostic tests; and
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our test-agnostic production capacity that we believe will provide us the flexibility to meet our customers’ needs.
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We believe our expected future care offerings will align all key
healthcare stakeholders – consumers, providers, enterprises, and payors – around better health outcomes.
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Luteinizing Hormone (LH)
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Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)
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The graphic below sets forth the status of our planned future
care offerings that are furthest along in development:
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This chart does not reflect our full development pipeline but rather those of our tests that are furthest along in development.
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Our COVID-19 test has been authorized by the FDA under two EUAs.
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Throat swab sample may be required.
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There are four phases to our product development process:
(1) Concept: The concept of the Cue Health Monitoring System, test cartridges and
associated sample wands was established with the Cue Health Monitoring System and our COVID-19 Test Kit. Our planned future tests currently in development are built on the same system and concept.
(2) Development: In this phase we design and select primer pairs (in the case of a
molecular test) or antibodies (in the case of an immunoassay) as part of our initial discovery process. We also develop and optimize run, wash and detection buffers as well as biosensor components. Once we have proof-of-concept for the test
chemistry, we assemble cartridges with the relevant sample-input wand components and test in an iterative cycle until the system meets its design goals. At this point, when the working prototype is developed in its final form factor and is
capable of running its intended sample type using the relevant sample-input wand, we consider the test to be in late-stage technical development. Once we have a final prototype we are ready to move to the qualification phase.
(3) Qualification: In this phase we initiate validation studies to execute design
verification, software and firmware verification and validation, human factors studies (if needed) and analytical performance validation. The final step of the qualification phase is one or more clinical studies to determine the product's
performance in the hands of end users with clinical samples.
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(4) Regulatory Review: At the beginning of this phase we will collect all the
data from the validation and clinical studies to draft the relevant regulatory submissions, i.e., FDA 510(k) submission or a technical file for CE-mark. During this phase, our Clinical and Regulatory teams will work closely with regulators to
complete their review and obtain clearance or authorization. Once we have received authorization or clearance, this phase is complete and the product is ready to be launched and marketed.
Throughout all phases we draft and maintain the relevant design
control documentation, including user needs, design inputs, verification and validation plans and protocols, design trace matrices and design outputs.
The design of our platform is such that the majority of the
components, including the printed circuit board, plastics and assembly are identical among tests. Only the chemistry pellet is different between two tests that use the sample type and sample wand. For example, influenza A/B, or flu, COVID-19
and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, are identical tests but for the chemistry pellet. This means that the majority of the technical development for the tests in our pipeline have been completed and verified.
We currently have five tests in late-stage technical development:
flu, RSV pregnancy, fertility, and inflammation. We consider a test to be in late-stage technical development when we have developed a working prototype Cue Cartridge in its final form factor, capable of running its intended sample type using
its relevant Cue Wand. When a test is in late-stage technical development, we believe that all or the majority of the technical risk has been eliminated and the test performance is expected to meet regulatory and marketplace requirements. At
this stage, the relevant test is ready or nearly ready for verification and validation studies. In addition to completing late-stage technical development, all of our planned tests will be required to complete validation and clinical studies.
With the exception of our fertility test for over-the-counter at-home use, we generally expect that our expected future tests will then need to receive regulatory authorization, clearance or approval before they can be commercialized. Although
we expect the costs associated with getting any one of our tests authorized, cleared or approved by the FDA to vary, we estimate that the clinical study costs per study for those tests requiring 510(k) clearance (which is substantially all of
our expected future tests in our near-term development pipeline) range from $2.0 million to $5.0 million, with costs associated with infectious disease tests, such as flu and RSV, likely to be higher than those for other tests. In general, our
tests in our near-term development pipeline will require one clinical study for clearance, though we may choose to run two clinical studies for such tests that we believe have a substantial difference in risk between obtaining clearance for
over-the-counter at-home use and for use at CLIA-waived facilities. These are general estimates as it is difficult to predict with certainty how much a given test will cost to be authorized, cleared or approved by the FDA as estimated costs are
subject to a number of factors, some of which are outside of our control, and are likely to vary from test to test.
The following discussion highlights indications and tests that we
are focusing on for current and future development.
Respiratory
We believe respiratory diseases and illnesses exemplify the
potential benefits and alignment between various stakeholders for our Cue Integrated Care Platform with its closed-loop healthcare solutions. Cold and flu-like symptoms are the number one reason for visiting an urgent care facility and result in
over 100 million out-patient visits per year in the U.S. alone. In the US, the seasonal flu accounts for billions in direct medical costs per year due to urgent care visits, hospitalizations, and other treatments as well as indirect costs such as
loss of productivity. These indirect costs also include the working days lost per year by those individuals who must miss work to care for themselves or a loved one.
Respiratory diseases are contagious and easily spread to others at
work, the doctor’s office, schools, within the family, and other settings. Current testing solutions for the flu, strep, and other respiratory diseases require an individual to travel to a healthcare provider or lab for testing, limiting the
number of people who get tested which contributes to further spread of disease. We believe access to our lab-quality testing at home combined with the context of our Cue Integrated Care Platform will result in direct and indirect savings for
consumers, the healthcare system, and enterprises alike by improving health outcomes. As we continue to build out our platform, we anticipate that a user will be able to start a test, receive their test result, use telemedicine to consult with a
physician about their result, order medication, and have it delivered, all from the Cue Health App. All of this could be accomplished
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without the user leaving their home. Employers benefit when their employees take
fewer sick days and avoid spreading illness in the workplace. The healthcare providers benefit from less demand on their limited resources. Consumers benefit by catching a disease early, allowing them the opportunity to seek treatment earlier in
order to feel better faster and reduce spread within their family.
Our pipeline of respiratory tests includes flu, flu + COVID-19
Multiplex, Group A Streptococcus and Respiratory Syncytial Virus, or RSV, all of which are already in technical development. For those indications that already have treatments commercially available, we envision our platform providing a
closed-loop, end-to-end care journey from diagnostic test to physician consultation via telemedicine and through to intervention and follow-up.
Influenza A/B
Influenza, or the flu, is an infectious respiratory disease caused
by an influenza virus. The CDC estimates that influenza has been responsible for between 12,000 and 61,000 deaths in the United States annually since 2010. In the United States, seasonal influenza is estimated to result in billions of dollars of
direct and indirect economic costs. According to industry estimates, a future influenza pandemic could cause hundreds of billions of dollars in direct and indirect costs. Given that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused an estimated economic cost of
$16.0 trillion dollars, we expect these estimates may be low.
The Cue influenza test is in late-stage technical development. In
early 2020, we had fully functioning influenza tests and associated software that had progressed through analytical validation and had begun clinical validation. We started our external influenza clinical study in January 2020. The study
utilized a number of sites throughout the country. Many of these sites were research facilities that focused on clinical studies and do not provide clinical care. When the COVID-19 pandemic began spreading in the U.S. in early February and
March 2020, many of these facilities began preventing potential enrollees from entering the sites if they exhibited any respiratory disease systems. This significantly impacted the enrollment of participants into our influenza test studies. We
subsequently chose to pause, and ultimately stop, the study due to very low enrollment.
The year-long delay has given us an opportunity to further
optimize the performance of our influenza test. We expect to resume the study in late 2021, with the goal of completing the study in the spring of 2022, followed by submission for over-the-counter 510(k) clearance. Assuming successful
completion of the study, we expect we would expect to seek FDA clearance by the end of 2022, and assuming receipt of the 510(k) clearance, to be able to commercialize this test shortly thereafter. Since the sample type for the Cue influenza
test will be a lower nasal swab collected using the same Cue Wand as the Cue COVID-19 Test, the sample collector wand and interface is complete and no further optimization is needed or expected.
Influenza A/B + COVID-19 Multiplex
Recent research states that SARS-CoV-2 is likely to become a
reoccurring seasonal virus, similar to the flu. With the seasonal flu and COVID-19 having similar symptoms including fever, cough and fatigue, a multiplex test that can test for both viruses at the same time will be beneficial in order to
differentially diagnose and appropriately treat these patients.
Technical development for the Cue Influenza A/B + COVID-19
Multiplex test is in the chemistry proof-of-concept stage of the development phase. We have substantially completed the development of the enzyme chemistry and continue to optimize the performance of the chemistry. Additional detection
chemistry is also under development. We are in the process of updating the printed circuit board design of the cartridge to accommodate additional detection chemistry. The Cue Influenza A/B + COVID-19 Multiplex test will use the same Cue Wand
configuration for lower nasal swab collection that our Cue COVID-19 Test uses. Given the ongoing and urgent need for COVID-19 testing, we intend to complete technical development, conduct appropriate clinical studies as needed and apply for an
EUA between the end of 2021 and early 2022 for our Cue Influenza A/B + COVID-19 Multiplex test. If we are successful in obtaining an EUA, we would expect to commercialize this test shortly thereafter.
Group A Streptococcus
The incidence of Group A Streptococcus, commonly known as strep
throat, is consistently high with 616 million people contracting strep, and half a million people dying due to severe strep throat, each year. Studies show that accurate and rapid diagnosis of strep throat may reduce the overuse of antibiotics.
Literature shows that 37% of children visiting the doctor in 2010-2011 with sore throat tested positive for strep throat, but 56% of visits were
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associated with antibiotic prescriptions. Similarly, 18% of adults visiting the
doctor with a sore throat tested positive for strep throat, but 72% were treated with antibiotics. Our Cue Group A Strep test, which has the potential to provide fast and accurate results at home, may improve clinical outcomes by facilitating
quick diagnosis and treatment with antibiotic therapy if indicated by a physician within the integrated care offering; or, conversely, if not indicated, antibiotic resistance will be reduced by avoiding unnecessary prescriptions both for the
individual and in aggregate across the human population.
Our strep test is in the planning/development, stage of
development. Additionally, we are in the process of developing run buffer for bacterial lysis. Our preliminary research shows the sample type for the Cue Group A Strep test can be a buccal/tongue swab sample, but it is possible that for maximal
sensitivity of detection, the test may require a throat swab.
Respiratory Syncytial Virus
RSV is one of the most common causes of childhood illness. Each year
in the United States, RSV leads to approximately 2.1 million outpatient visits among children younger than 5 years old, 58,000 hospitalizations among children younger than 5 years old, and can result in death. Similar to the flu, a readily
available at-home RSV test could help greatly reduce the severity and spread of RSV annually by allowing individuals to test themselves at home easily and safely when experiencing symptoms, avoiding exposure to others at work, school and in other
settings.
Our RSV test is in phase 2, late-stage technical development.
While we have fully functioning prototypes of the cartridges and associated testing software for RSV, we continue to optimize the RSV test with more rounds of primer design. We also continue to develop the associated software. We anticipate
that collection of the sample will be with a lower nasal swab, the same method used for our Cue COVID-19 Test. We expect to start and complete analytical performance validation in the summer of 2021 and to begin clinical studies in late 2021.
We anticipate the study will be completed in the spring of 2022, followed by submission for over-the-counter 510(k) clearance. We expect to seek FDA clearance by the end of 2022 and, assuming receipt of 510(k) clearance, to be able to
commercialize this test shortly thereafter.
Sexual Health
Sexual Health, as a category, provides another example of how our
integrated care solution can create alignment between all key healthcare stakeholders. It is estimated that 1 in 5 people in the U.S. have a Sexually Transmitted Infection or STI. CDC speculates that the rise of dating apps and behavior changes
among sexually active individuals (Dating 2.0) has led to various STDs being on the rise for the first time since 2006. STIs can have serious health consequences including infertility, liver problems, and other issues. The majority of STIs are
treatable with simple interventions.
Yet, many consumers are hesitant to visit a healthcare provider
office to consult or get tested for STIs, which can result in continued spread of the disease and sometimes serious health conditions for the individual due to untreated infections. We believe an accessible test that can be taken from the privacy
of the home would result in more frequent and timely testing, allowing for the individual to avoid downstream negative health consequences. Additionally, in aggregate, the effect of testing could potentially drive reduced spread of these
infections.
Enterprises can benefit from an integrated care solution for STIs
for their employee population. While this data would not typically be shared with an enterprise, they still benefit from employees who catch an infection sooner and treat it more quickly. The more efficient diagnosis and treatment by testing
earlier in an integrated care context reduces the risk of employees becoming seriously ill, resulting in fewer sick days and less associated direct medical care costs.
In addition to benefiting from lower direct medical costs associated
with downstream consequences of undiagnosed and unmanaged STIs in their covered populations, payors benefit from the screening because STIs are part of the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set, or HEDIS, measure. HEDIS scores are
determined by up to 81 health measures and are a tool to judge care and service performance of health plans. Ultimately, the HEDIS score is used by the CMS to determine Medicare Advantage Quality Bonus Payments – a direct impact on the health
plan’s bottom line. One such HEDIS measure is based on the percentage of women in the health plan 16-24 years old who are sexually active and have at least one test for chlamydia during the year. The higher the percentage, the better the HEDIS
score for that health plan, resulting in higher revenue for the health plan. Therefore, the payor benefits from an accessible at-home test that encourages testing by the consumer.
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Our pipeline of sexual health tests includes Chlamydia and
Gonorrhea, or CT/NG, HIV, Herpes and Hepatitis C, with the following tests representing some of our near-term priorities:
Chlamydia and Gonorrhea
Chlamydia and gonorrhea, or CT/NG, are two of the most common, yet
easily treatable, STIs in the United States. When left untreated, these diseases can lead to a variety of serious issues, including infertility, pelvic inflammatory disease, pregnancy complications, and increased risk of HIV acquisition.
According to the CDC, in 2018, new infections of chlamydia and gonorrhea accounted for $962 million in direct medical costs alone, which does not include indirect costs (such as lost productivity and other non-medical costs). The American
Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends annual CT/NG screening of all sexually active women ages 25 and younger and of all women over the age of 25 with certain risk factors. We believe the availability of a reliable testing option
that can be performed in the privacy of the home and that provides fast results will increase testing for these STIs and which will drive immediate and increased intervention.
Our CT/NG test is in the phase 2, planning/discovery, stage of
development with initial bioinformatic analysis and primer design underway. Development of run buffer for bacterial lysis is underway and primer design has started. Additional detection chemistry is also under development. The sample for this
test can be either urine, collected by the Cue fluid collection wand, or a vaginal swab, taken with the Cue Wand.
Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C is a viral infection that causes liver inflammation,
sometimes leading to serious liver damage. It is caused by the hepatitis C virus, or HCV, spreading through contaminated blood. The virus can cause both acute and chronic hepatitis and its severity ranges from a mild, few weeks, and more than
half of people infected, it becomes a chronic illness. It is also a major cause of liver cancer.
About 50 percent of people with HCV, do not know that they are
infected as symptoms can take decades to appear. In fact, millions of people in the United States have hepatitis C and don’t know they have the virus. Today, chronic HCV is usually curable with oral medications taken every day for two to six
months. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that all adults ages 18 to 79 years be screened for hepatitis C, even people without symptoms. We believe the availability of a reliable testing option that can be performed in the
privacy of the home or easily at the point-of-care and that provides fast results will increase testing for hepatitis C, which could in turn will drive immediate and increased intervention for this curable disease.
Our HCV test is in the phase 2, planning/discovery, stage of
development. We plan on developing a test for HCV using the Cue blood collection wand for a fingerstick of blood and using the test cartridge to detect the presence of antibodies against HCV. Later developments could include a quantitative HCV
measurement from plasma to monitor the progression and effectiveness of the therapies used to treat the individuals that have had HCV diagnosis and are undergoing antiviral therapy.
Herpes Simplex Virus
Estimates show that about half a billion people globally are living
with genital herpes, and several billion have an oral herpes infection. Herpes simplex virus, or HSV, is a common and easily transmissible virus that causes lifelong viral infection. HSV-1 and HSV-2, the two known subtypes, can cause painful oral
and genital infections, with HSV-2 being the major cause of genital herpes. Most people living with HSV are unaware they have the infection. Symptoms are generally mild or not present at all, which makes diagnosis difficult. HSV infections are
most contagious when symptoms are present, however, the infection can be spread in the absence of symptoms. Infection with HSV-2 infections increase the risk of acquiring and transmitting HIV. After becoming infected, HSV becomes latent in nerve
roots and can reactivate, resulting in symptom recurrence.
Genital herpes can lead to stigma and psychological distress and
can have an important impact on quality of life and sexual and reproductive health. Preventing acquisition of a new genital herpes infection is particularly important for women in late pregnancy, as this is when the risk for neonatal herpes is
greatest. Immunocompromised individuals, including those who are HIV positive and those who have undergone transplants, can be at higher risk for more severe HSV infections. We believe the availability of a reliable testing option that can be
performed in the privacy of the home or easily at the point-of-care and that provides fast results will increase testing for HSV, which could in turn will drive immediate and increased intervention. Our HSV test is in the phase 2,
planning/discovery, stage of development.
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Human Immunodeficiency Virus
Human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, the virus that causes
acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, or AIDS, is one of the most significant global public health challenges. There are over 35 million people living with HIV, most of which are located in Sub-Saharan Africa. For individuals diagnosed with HIV,
measurement of HIV viral load, or VL, in HIV-1 infected individuals is the most important indicator of response to antiretroviral therapy. However, due to logistical challenges, result mismanagement, high cost, and lack of trained personnel,
implementation of VL monitoring tests has been difficult in resource limited settings. Our HIV-1 viral load monitoring test is designed to provide results at the point-of-care and improve availability of diagnostic information and better inform
treatment pathways. In collaboration with Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (Janssen), we developed a cartridge to differentiate between patients with VL above and below 1,000 copies (cps)/mL from a finger prick blood sample within 20 minutes.
Our HIV viral load test is in late-stage technical development
and has completed feasibility testing to detect HIV-1 samples in accordance with the intended use population. We have completed the fundamental HIV-1 chemistry development and have built multiple prototype lots of cartridges. Cartridges were
tested using clinical samples and the relevant Cue fluid collection want, in the Cue Reader connected to the Cue App. The test demonstrated the ability to detect selected HIV-1 Group M subtypes, Group O and N viruses and preliminary capability
to achieve analytical sensitivity. We intend to build on this technical development to pursue commercialization of a nucleic acid amplification test for HIV detection from blood or plasma samples.
Chronic Disease Management
Chronic diseases are the leading driver of the nearly $4.0 trillion
dollar annual direct medical expenditures in the U.S. Chronic disease management represents one of the largest opportunities for an integrated care solution to drive improved outcomes for all stakeholders. Chronic diseases such as heart disease,
diabetes, autoimmune disorders, and cancer are the leading causes of death and disability in the United States. It is estimated that six in ten adults have one chronic disease and four in ten have two or more. For individuals living with a
chronic disease, ongoing disease management is required including regular in-person testing with in-person consultation with a healthcare provider. These visits are time-consuming, inefficient and we believe often leads to poor disease management
because of the various friction points and lack of contextualized and connected care.
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We believe the Cue Integrated Care Platform has the potential
to streamline how consumers with chronic conditions access the diagnostic data they need and the associated provider consultations. By making it more convenient to measure the diagnostic information that measures the present state of a chronic
condition, the platform can help drive adherence as people can see the impact more quickly of the various interventions such as medications and digital health interventions. In addition, we believe this end-to-end solution to ongoing care
management can allow people to have a more comprehensive picture of one’s health through Cue Ecosystem Integration & Apps from third party sensors which help monitor layers of health information including activity levels, diet, and sleep.
The graphic below illustrates one example of how we anticipate that the Cue Integrated Care Platform will be able to be used for chronic disease management.
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Depicts future product developments.
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Furthermore, as more health layers such as genetic predisposition
information becomes available within the ecosystem of integrations, we believe chronic disease populations will be able to be subclassified in order to personalize the care patterns. Other ways to subclassifying the larger cohort of affected
consumers could be to use some of the clinical biomarkers such as hsCRP in the case of heart disease to help stratify risk levels and thereby subclassify by risk level. Over time, by having the diagnostic data that actually measures the outcomes,
we believe that a feedback loop to improve care can be optimized.
Key healthcare stakeholders all benefit from alleviating some
of the high costs associated with chronic diseases.
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Our pipeline of care offerings for chronic disease management and
general health and wellness includes products for measuring cholesterol, inflammation, HbA1c, vitamin D, cortisol, and thyroid hormones. The following products represent some of our near-term priorities:
Cardiometabolic Health
Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United
States. It is estimated that 47 million people in United States have cardiometabolic disorders, putting them at an increased risk of developing heart disease or type 2 diabetes. Cardiometabolic risk factors are a group of conditions that often
occur together and are a major cause of heart and vascular disease and they include diabetes.
Cardiometabolic disorders represent a cluster of interrelated risk
factors, primarily hypertension, elevated fasting blood sugar, dyslipidemia, abdominal obesity and elevated triglycerides. This strong association between diabetes and cardiovascular health provides a compelling reason for health care providers
to work together to reduce cardiometabolic risk factors through early assessment and targeted interventions.
Our planned cardiometabolic offerings are an illustration of how
consistent testing and our natively digital and connected system could benefit health plans as well as the consumer. Continuous tracking of measures like inflammation, HbA1c, and cholesterol can indicate to the consumer and their healthcare
provider signs of a more serious disease, which would help prevent those other diseases. The ability to view current as well as historical diagnostic data side-by-side in a natively digital system directly connected to the healthcare provider can
initiate immediate changes in behavior based on real-time data. The continuous monitoring of health indicators such as inflammation, HbA1c, and cholesterol is made easy by our convenient and connected platform and we believe will result in early
detection, prevention, and control of heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases, saving money and lives, benefiting all the key stakeholders in healthcare.
Inflammation
Heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases cause one
in three deaths in the United States. These diseases cost the U.S. healthcare system $214 billion per year and cause $138 billion in lost productivity from premature death alone. The C-reactive protein, or CRP, is produced by the liver when
inflammation is present somewhere in the body. The high sensitivity CRP, or hsCRP, test measures small amounts of CRP in the blood. Research has shown that elevated hsCRP levels can indicate heart attack and stroke risk, even in apparently
healthy individuals. Elevated hsCRP levels are also a risk factor for people who do not have other risk factors that medical practitioners commonly look for such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure. For people who have had a heart attack,
elevated hsCRP levels may indicate if they are at risk for another heart attack or an ischemic stroke. The periodic monitoring of hsCRP could be made easy by our convenient and connected platform and we believe will result in early detection,
prevention, and control of heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases.
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The measurement of hsCRP, since it is a measure of inflammation
generally, could also have significant implications in monitoring other chronic conditions that often have chronic inflammation as a unifying factor and indication of underlying disease state. These diseases include autoimmune disorders such as
rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
Our hsCRP test is in phase 2, late-stage technical development
and includes working test cartridge prototypes that have demonstrated concordance with other laboratory predicate methods for quantified hsCRP determination across the clinically relevant range from a small blood sample collected on the blood
collection sample wand. We have designed and developed the blood collector wand and its interface with the cartridge. We are currently completing development work prior to starting verification and validation studies, including scaling up
manufacturing of the test chemistry pellet and blood collection wand, and increasing supply of other components needed for manufacture of the test. Clinical studies for the inflammation test are not driven by seasonality. We expect to start
these studies in the second half of 2022 and, assuming successful completion of these studies, seek 510(k) clearance in 2023. Assuming we are successful in obtaining FDA clearance, we would expect to be able to commercialize this test shortly
thereafter.
HbA1c
Early detection of heart disease risk through biomarker
measurement can enable interception of the disease state and allow the individual the opportunity to make lifestyle changes. Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) is a important biomarker which is used to measure of the percentage of hemoglobin proteins
in the blood which have glycated, or bound with sugar molecules. Elevated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels are strongly associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in people with and without diabetes. An HbA1C measurement
reflects the average blood sugar levels over the previous of 60-90 days which is used in conjunction with other factors to assess risk of cardiovascular disease.
Technical development for the Cue HbA1c test is in the chemistry
proof of concept stage of the development phase. We have substantially completed the development of the test chemistry including screening and selection of antibody pairs and performed testing with relevant run, wash and detection buffers,
using clinical blood samples. The HbA1c test shares the same the blood collector wand and cartridge interface as hsCRP.
Remaining development work includes optimizing the performance of
the chemistry and biosensor components, scaling up manufacturing of the test chemistry pellet and blood collection wand, and increasing supply of other components needed for manufacture of the test.
Women’s Health
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Depicts future product developments.
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We believe that the women’s health market around fertility,
conception, and pregnancy monitoring could be well served with an integrated care solution that brings together the Cue Ecosystem & Integration App layer for incorporating cycle monitoring, the Virtual Care Delivery App for connecting
consumers to reproductive health specialist providers via telemedicine, and the Cue Health Monitoring System for occasional monitoring of the biomarkers indicative of ovulation, such as quantitative measurements of luteinizing hormone, and
pregnancy detection via human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG).
Consumers who have reproductive health goals will have a natural
alignment with enterprises that want to support their female employee workforce's personal goals, which promote employee satisfaction and do so in a way that minimizes the hassle of having to take time out of the workday for a significant number
of in-person visits with reproductive health specialists. We believe that a woman's reproductive health journey can be made significantly more convenient and potentially more effective.
Some of the near-term priorities on the actual test cartridge
development side include fertility testing via quantitative LH measurement, hCG detection for pregnancy test and post-conception support around quantitative hCG measurement for preeclampsia monitoring. Folic acid quantification will be a new area
of development but we expect to be able to develop the test around a fingerstick of blood, rather than urine.
Fertility
Luteinizing hormone, or LH, plays a key role in the female
reproductive system. LH levels increase or decrease at various stages of pregnancy, puberty, and ovulation. LH levels can indicate whether a woman is having problems with egg supply and consistent monitoring of LH levels can signal how fertile a
woman is on different days of the menstrual cycle. While at-home LH tests are readily available, we believe our natively digital platform will provide a unique offering to accurately compare historical datapoints day-by-day and month-by-month.
The sample type for our Cue LH test will be urine.
Our LH test is in phase 2, late-stage technical development. We
have created and successfully tested LH test cartridges that are able to quantitatively determine LH levels in urine. We have completed the LH chemistry development and built multiple prototypes of the cartridge. Cartridges were tested using
clinical urine samples and the relevant fluid Cue Wand, in the Cue Reader connected to the Cue App. The fluid collection Cue Wand for collecting urine has been designed, developed and successfully interfaces with the cartridges. The software
for helping create the integrated care solution around the Cue Health Monitoring System requires further development. We have also built the manufacturing unit to mass produce the fluid collection wand.
We are currently completing development work prior to starting
verification and validation studies, including scaling up manufacturing of the test chemistry pellet and fluid collection wand, and increasing supply of other components needed for manufacture of the LH test. Clinical studies for the LH test
are not driven by seasonality. We expect to start these studies in the first half of 2022 LH tests for over-the-counter at-home use are exempt from the requirement for a 510(k). We intend to commercialize the LH test for over-the-counter at
home use upon successful completion of our clinical studies. For professional use, assuming successful completion of our clinical studies, we expect FDA clearance by the end of 2022 and, if we are able to obtain FDA clearance, to be able to
commercialize this test shortly thereafter.
Pregnancy
Human chorionic gonadotropin, or hCG, is a hormone produced by the
placenta of pregnant women. Early in pregnancy, the level of hCG increases in the blood and is eliminated in the urine. Detection of hCG in blood or urine confirms and rules out pregnancy, respectively.
Our hCG test is in phase 2, late-stage technical development. We
have created and successfully tested hCG test cartridges that are able to qualitatively determine hCG levels above and below a pregnancy cutoff threshold. The sample type for our hCG test will be urine. We intend to continue to develop the test
cartridge but consider this in an advanced stage of development. However, given the wide dynamic range required for quantitative hCG monitoring for preeclampsia, there is more work required to make the hCG test cartridges capable of effectively
monitoring for preeclampsia. In addition, the software for helping create the integrated care solution around the Cue Health Monitoring System requires further development. We have completed the hCG chemistry development and built multiple
prototype lots of cartridges. Cartridges were tested using clinical urine samples and the relevant fluid sample wand, in the Cue Reader connected to the Cue App. We are completing development work prior to starting
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verification and validation studies, including scaling up manufacturing of the
test chemistry pellet and fluid collection wand, and increasing supply of other components needed for manufacture of the test. Clinical studies for our hCG test are not driven by seasonality. We expect to start these clinical studies in the
first half of 2022. If the clinical studies are successful, we expect to submit for over-to-counter 510(k) clearance in the second half of 2022. Assuming we receive FDA clearance, we would expect to be able to commercialize this test shortly
thereafter.
Men’s Health
Testosterone
Although testosterone is the primary male sex hormone, both men
and women require it for proper physical development. Testosterone is responsible for building muscle mass and strength, bone mass, and the production of red blood cells. Millions of people globally suffer from chronically low testosterone
levels due to genetic, lifestyle, and environmental factors. If diagnosed, a healthcare provider can determine a treatment pathway to better regulate the patient’s testosterone levels and improve their quality of life.
Testosterone levels follow diurnal patterns and vary throughout
the day. They are typically at their peak in the morning and reach their lowest levels in the middle of the night. This diurnal pattern makes testing challenging, because measurements must be taken in the middle of the night. More convenient
access to testosterone testing can allow monitoring of endogenous levels and determine if they remain within the age-specific normal range. This data can be utilized by the healthcare provider to better assess and treat the patient.
Technical development for the Cue free testosterone test is in
the chemistry proof of concept stage of the development phase. We have substantially completed the development of the test chemistry including screening and selection of antibody pairs and performed testing with relevant run, wash and detection
buffers, using processed clinical saliva samples. The free testosterone test shares the same the fluid collection wand and cartridge interface as fertility and pregnancy. The Cue free testosterone test may be paired with a saliva processing
device, which works to condition the saliva sample before it’s loaded into the cartridge, without the use of laboratory equipment. Prototype saliva processing devices have been developed and tested in conjunction with the fluid wand.
Remaining development work includes optimizing the performance of
the chemistry and biosensor components, scaling up manufacturing of the test chemistry pellet and fluid collection wand, and increasing supply of other components needed for manufacture of the test.
Wellness
Vitamin D
Vitamin D (25(OH) Vitamin D) is a hormone produced by the body
when ultraviolet rays from sunlight strike the skin and trigger Vitamin D synthesis. Vitamin D helps regulate the immune system and the neuromuscular system and also plays major roles in the life cycle of human cells and to reduce the risk of
osteoporosis. The prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency is high and often present in persons without any obvious risk factors.
To boost Vitamin D levels, many people take supplementation,
either unmonitored or in concert with advisement from an HCP. Inappropriately high levels of vitamin D supplementation can lead to arterial calcification. A 25(OH) Vitamin D test result measures the levels of Vitamin D circulating in the body.
Technical development for the Cue Vitamin D test is in the chemistry proof of concept stage of the development phase. We have substantially completed the development of the test chemistry including screening and selection of antibody pairs, and
performed testing with relevant run, wash and detection buffers, using clinical blood samples. The Vitamin D test shares the same the blood collector-style wand and cartridge interface as hsCRP.
Remaining development work includes optimizing the performance of
the chemistry and biosensor components, scaling up manufacturing of the test chemistry pellet and blood collection wand, and increasing supply of other components needed for manufacture of the test.
Cortisol
Cortisol is a steroid hormone released from the adrenal glands in
response to physical and psychological stressors. Cortisol helps to regulate stress response, nervous system function, and metabolism of fats, carbohydrates, and protein.
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Measuring cortisol levels can help evaluate the function of
pituitary and adrenal glands and can help diagnose conditions such as Cushing’s disease. Chronically elevated or deficient cortisol levels is associated with undesirable changes in body composition, immune response, and high blood pressure.
Technical development for the Cue cortisol test is in the
chemistry proof of concept stage of the development phase. We have substantially completed the development of the test chemistry including screening and selection of antibody pairs and performed testing with relevant run, wash and detection
buffers, using processed clinical saliva samples. The cortisol test shares the same the fluid collection wand and cartridge interface as fertility and pregnancy. The Cue cortisol test may be paired with a saliva processing device, which works
to condition the saliva sample before it’s loaded into the cartridge, without the use of laboratory equipment. Prototype saliva processing devices have been developed and tested in conjunction with the fluid wand.
Remaining development work includes optimizing the performance of
the chemistry and biosensor components, scaling up manufacturing of the test chemistry pellet and fluid collection wand, and increasing supply of other components needed for manufacture of the test.
Vertically-Integrated Manufacturing Solutions
Our manufacturing facilities were developed alongside our science
and technology and are vertically-integrated, fully automated and scalable. Our integrated manufacturing and bioproduction gives us complete control over the quality of our finished product.
We own and control the intellectual property that makes the platform
possible. Our manufacturing process is replicable, and our manufacturing production pods can produce any type of test in our expected future test menu. We believe our manufacturing capabilities are differentiated and allow us not only to scale
quickly and efficiently, but also to adapt our production quickly to market demands or evolving consumer needs.
We produce our Cue Cartridges in-house, including critical enzymes,
antibodies, and primers for the test cartridges. We have complete production oversight and quality control over finished products and protection against global fluctuations in supply chain and costs. We achieve this by manufacturing all of our
Cue Cartridges in our state-of-the-art facilities in San Diego, California using our modular, scalable production pods. Our fully automated production pods build raw components into fully assembled, packaged cartridges.
Our Cue Readers are manufactured by our partners. Our Cue Wands are
manufactured by us or our partners. For our Cue Readers and Cue Wands, we own and control all of the intellectual property and rely on multiple suppliers.
On October 13, 2020, we announced a $480.9 million agreement with
the U.S. DoD, on behalf of U.S. HHS, to expand our U.S.-based production capacity and deploy six million Cue COVID-19 Test Kits by March 2021, which agreement with the U.S. DoD was subsequently amended to require delivery by October 2021. This
agreement included an upfront payment of $184.6 million to scale our manufacturing. This payment was intended to help us onshore our supply chain and rapidly increase our production capacity to enable and support domestic production of critical
medical resources. In connection with this effort, we were able to rapidly scale our production, going from producing hundreds of Cue Cartridges per day to tens of thousands in a matter of months.
Reimbursement
We believe payment for our products, including our Cue COVID-19 Test
Kits, will be billable by a physician, reimbursable by government payors or insurance companies, paid for by a self-insured employer, or eligible under FSA and HSA guidelines. For example, most of our contemplated future tests that are currently
offered by others through central labs are reimbursable by third-party payors, including commercial health plans and governmental payors if properly ordered by a physician. These third-party payors decide which products will be covered and
establish reimbursement levels for those products. Coverage criteria and reimbursement rates for clinical laboratory tests are subject to adjustment by payors, and current reimbursement rates could be reduced, or coverage criteria restricted in
the future. We believe that the benefits of our portable, intuitive, accurate and connected system align incentives for all stakeholders, the user and the payors (self-insured employers and health plans), and that this will encourage payors to
pay for or subsidize the Cue Health Monitoring System and associated tests for the end-user.
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Coverage and reimbursement for our Cue COVID-19 Test Kit will
vary by setting of care, payor type, and region. In the United States, we believe that healthcare providers that purchase our Cue COVID-19 Test Kit will likely look to various third-party payors, such as Medicare, Medicaid, private commercial
insurance companies, health maintenance organizations, accountable care organizations and other healthcare-related organizations, to cover and pay for our Cue COVID-19 Test Kit.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act of 2020, or
the CARES Act, provides coverage for EUA COVID-19 tests when such tests are medically appropriate and ordered by a healthcare provider. Presently, COVID-19 testing coverage exists for tests run in clinical laboratories and point-of-care settings.
Under the first EUA we received, our COVID-19 test is eligible for reimbursement in point-of-care settings as a molecular point-of-care test.
CMS covers medically appropriate COVID-19 testing and currently
reimburses $100 for high throughput laboratory tests to detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus if they return results within two days, $75 for such high throughput laboratory tests that take longer than two days to return results, $51 for such tests when
not performed in high throughput laboratories (which would include our Cue COVID-19 Test Kit) and around $42 for antibody tests. However, one payor’s determination to provide coverage for a product does not assure that other payors will also
provide coverage for the product. Adequate third-party reimbursement may not be available to enable us to maintain price levels sufficient to ensure profitability. We have active engagement with the relevant federal agencies regarding
reimbursement status of our Cue COVID-19 Test Kit. We continue to explore and enhance our coverage efforts with public and private payors.
Since we received an EUA for over-the-counter use in March 2021, we
expect to receive payment directly from point-of-care customers and not to bill third-party payors directly. For point-of-care use, the success of our Cue COVID-19 Test Kit will depend substantially on the extent to which the costs of our Cue
COVID-19 Test Kit will be covered by third-party payors, such as government health programs, commercial insurance and management healthcare organizations. These third-party payors decide which products will be covered and establish reimbursement
levels for those products.
We believe that automation at scale would allow us to achieve a cost
structure that would optimize value to the over-the-counter consumer and also reduce the impact of reimbursement on our sales.
Intellectual Property
Our commercial success depends in part on our ability to obtain and
maintain patent and other proprietary protection for our commercially important technology, inventions and know-how, including our Cue Reader, our Cue Cartridge, and our Cue Wand; to defend and enforce our patents; to operate without infringing,
misappropriating or violating the proprietary rights of others; and to prevent others from infringing, misappropriating or violating our proprietary rights. We rely on a combination of patent, trademark and trade secret laws, and confidentiality
and invention assignment agreements to protect our intellectual property rights. We also rely on know-how and continuing technological innovation to develop and maintain our competitive position. Notwithstanding these efforts, we cannot be sure
that patents will be granted with respect to any patent applications we have filed or may license or file in the future, and we cannot be sure that any patents we own or license or patents that may be licensed or granted to us in the future will
not be challenged, invalidated, or circumvented or that such patents will be commercially useful in protecting our test kits and technology. For more information regarding the risks related to our intellectual property, see “Risk Factors—Risks
Related to Our Intellectual Property.”
As of April 30, 2021, we owned twenty (20) issued U.S. utility
patents, five (5) pending U.S. utility patent applications, thirty-five (35) issued foreign utility patents (including patents in Australia, Canada, China, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Japan, South Korea, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and
various European countries), and twenty-five (25) pending foreign utility patent applications.
Our utility patents and patent applications are directed to many
different aspects of our platform. By way of example, our granted patents and pending patent applications cover various structural features of our Cue Cartridge, sensors within the Cue Cartridge for use in detecting target analytes, systems and
methods for analyte detection and quantification, and our Cue Reader.
The term of individual patents depends on the legal term for patents
in the countries in which they are granted. In most countries, including the United States, the patent term for a utility patent is generally 20 years from the earliest claimed filing date of a nonprovisional patent application in the applicable
country. Our issued U.S. and
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foreign utility patents are anticipated to naturally expire between 2034 and 2036,
and our U.S. pending utility patent applications and pending PCT applications, if issued into patents, are anticipated to naturally expire between 2034 and 2038, excluding any additional patent term adjustment(s) or extension(s), and assuming
payment of all applicable maintenance or annuity fees. Once a patent expires, patent protection ends and an invention enters the public domain allowing anyone to commercially exploit the invention without infringing the patent.
In addition, we hold design patents and patent applications that
cover various ornamental features of our Cue Reader, our Cue Cartridge, and our Cue Wand. As of April 30, 2021, we owned nine (9) granted U.S. design patents, two (2) pending U.S. design patent applications, thirty-six (36) granted foreign
design patents and design registrations (with protection in Canada, China, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the European Union), and four (4) pending foreign design applications. Our granted U.S. design patents are anticipated to naturally expire
between 2029 and 2036. Our foreign design patents and design registrations are anticipated to naturally expire between 2024 and 2042.
We cannot guarantee that patents will be issued from any of our
pending applications or that issued patents will be of sufficient scope or strength to provide meaningful protection for our technology. Notwithstanding the scope of the patent protection available to us, a competitor could develop methods or
devices that are not covered by our patents or circumvent these patents. Furthermore, because patent applications can take many years to publish, there may be applications unknown to us which may result in issued patents that our existing or
future products or technologies may be alleged to infringe.
There has been substantial litigation regarding patent and other
intellectual property rights in the medical device industry. We may need to engage in litigation to enforce patents issued to us, to protect our trade secrets or know-how, to defend against claims of infringement of the rights of others or to
determine the scope and validity of the proprietary rights of others. Such litigation could be costly and could divert our attention from other functions and responsibilities. Furthermore, even if our patents are found to be valid and infringed,
a court may refuse to grant injunctive relief against the infringer and instead grant us monetary damages or ongoing royalties. Such monetary compensation may be insufficient to adequately offset the damage to our business caused by the
infringer’s competition in the market. Adverse determinations in litigation could subject us to significant liabilities to third parties, require us to seek licenses from third parties or prevent us from manufacturing, selling or using the
product determined to be infringing, any of which could harm our business. See “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Intellectual Property” for additional information regarding these and other risks related to our intellectual property portfolio.
We also rely upon trademarks to build and maintain the integrity
of our brand. As of April 30, 2021, we owned three (3) U.S. trademark registrations, forty-four (44) foreign trademark registrations (including registrations in China, Hong Kong, the European Union, India, Israel, Japan, Mexico, Russia, South
Korea, and Singapore), and two (2) pending trademark applications in Mexico. We also rely, in part, on unpatented trade secrets, know-how, continuing technological innovation, and confidential information, to develop and maintain our
competitive position and protect aspects of our business that are not amenable to, or that we do not consider appropriate for, patent protection. However, such proprietary rights are difficult to protect. We seek to protect our proprietary
rights through a variety of methods, including confidentiality and assignment agreements with suppliers, employees, consultants and others who may have access to our proprietary information. However, these agreements may not provide meaningful
protection. These agreements may be breached, and we may not have an adequate remedy for any such breach. We also seek to preserve the integrity and confidentiality of our data and trade secrets by maintaining physical security of our premises
and physical and electronic security of our information technology systems. While we have implemented measures to protect and preserve our trade secrets, such measures can be breached, and we may not have adequate remedies for any such breach.
In addition, our trade secrets may otherwise become known or be independently discovered by competitors or misused by any collaborator to whom we disclose such information. Despite any measures taken to protect our intellectual property,
unauthorized parties may attempt to copy aspects of our Cue Health Monitoring System or any of our current or expected future tests or to obtain or use information that we regard as proprietary. As a result, we may be unable to meaningfully
protect our trade secrets and proprietary information. For more information regarding the risks related to our intellectual property, see “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Intellectual Property.”
Competition
We do not believe there are currently any competitors that offer the
portable, intuitive, accurate and connected platform provided we provide, comprised of the Cue Health Monitoring System and associated tests, our Cue Health
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App and our Cue Enterprise Dashboard. That said, the traditional diagnostic testing
industry is highly competitive and rapidly changing. For our Cue COVID-19 Test specifically, we expect ongoing intense competition from different sources, including from manufacturers and producers of diagnostic tests, as well as vaccines and
therapeutic treatments that may decrease demand for COVID-19 tests. Notably, however, we are the first molecular COVID-19 test approved for at-home and over-the-counter use without a prescription. As we broaden our test menu, we expect ongoing
intense competition from companies that develop or have already developed molecular tests, whether for at-home and over-the-counter use or at the point-of-care, as well as companies that have or are developing antigen and antibody tests. While we
believe that our differentiated technology, customer-centric design, and vertically-integrated manufacturing provide us with competitive advantages, we face potential competition from many different sources, including public and private
companies, academic institutions, public and private research institutions and governmental agencies.
Competitors with diagnostic testing platforms include private and
public companies, such as Abbott Laboratories, Becton, Dickinson and Company, BioMerieux SA, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., Danaher Corp., Ellume Limited, Everly Health, Inc., F. Hoffman-La Roche Ltd., Fluidigm Corporation, GenMark Diagnostics
Inc., Ginkgo Bioworks, Inc., Helix OpCo, LLC, Mammoth Biosciences, Inc., LetsGetChecked, Lucira Health, Inc., Qiagen N.V., Quidel Corporation, Sherlock Biosciences, Inc., Siemens AG, Talis Biomedical Corporation, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.
and Visby Medical, Inc. as well as several retailers, such as The Kroger Company, Walmart Inc. and Alberstons Companies, Inc. Large lab companies like Quest Diagnostics, Inc. and Laboratory Corporation of America have also expanded beyond
centralized laboratory testing into at-home sample collection.
As we expand our service offerings, we anticipate integrating
with a variety of technology platforms. These platforms may have products or services that compete with our offerings, and include companies such as 1Life Healthcare, Inc. (d/b/a OneMedical), American Well, Inc., Hims & Hers Health, Inc.,
Livongo Health Inc., and Teladoc Health, Inc. We may also face competition from other companies, including other technology companies. For example, it has been public reported that Amazon.com, Inc. may be considering launching an at-home
diagnostic testing business.
Many of the companies we currently compete with or which we may
compete with in the future have significantly greater financial resources and more experience in research and development, manufacturing, pre-clinical and clinical development, obtaining regulatory approvals and marketing approved tests. Smaller
or early-stage companies may also prove to be significant competitors, whether independently or with strategic partners. These competitors also compete with us in recruiting and retaining qualified scientific and management personnel,
establishing clinical trial sites and enrolling subjects for our clinical trials, as well as in acquiring technologies complementary to, or necessary for, our programs.
We believe key competitive factors impacting our success in the
market include accuracy of results, ease-of-use, accessibility, time to result, clinical performance, pricing, ability to meet consumer demand, and reimbursement levels.
Employees and Human Capital Resources
As of April 30, 2021, we had 813 full-time employees. Our
employees are primarily located in the San Diego, California area. None of our employees are represented by a labor union or are subject to a collective bargaining agreement. We consider our relationship with our employees to be good.
Our human capital resources objectives include, as applicable,
identifying, recruiting, retaining, incentivizing and integrating our existing and new employees, advisors and consultants. The principal purposes of our equity and cash incentive plans are to attract, retain and reward personnel through the
granting of stock-based and cash-based compensation awards, in order to increase stockholder value and the success of our company by motivating such individuals to perform to the best of their abilities and achieve our objectives.
Facilities
We follow Good Manufacturing Practice, or GMP, guidelines and are
ISO 13485 certified, the key certification for medical device manufacturing, providing confidence and assurance in our final product. We are routinely audited to maintain our ISO 13485:2016 status.
During the fall of 2020, we launched a significant expansion of our
manufacturing capacity, leasing an approximately 197,000 square-foot facility in Vista, California and an approximately 63,000 square-foot facility in
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San Diego, California. The Vista facility is currently producing cartridges from
six production pods (with space for an additional four production pods) and is serving as our warehousing and distribution hub. Our Waples facility will serve as a second reagent production hub, house certain cartridge component manufacturing,
and has space for five production pods. Our Nancy Ridge facility is also producing cartridges from one production pod. We believe our current facilities are sufficient to meet our current needs, and that we will be able to find appropriate
space for expansion when appropriate. Our Vista facility lease expires on July 1, 2026 and our Waples facility lease expires on July 1, 2031.
Government Regulation
Regulation of Medical Devices in the United States
Our product and operations are subject to extensive and ongoing
regulation by the FDA under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act of 1938 and its implementing regulations, collectively referred to as the FDCA, as well as other federal and state regulatory bodies in the United States. The laws and
regulations govern, among other things, product design and development, pre-clinical and clinical testing, manufacturing, packaging, labeling, storage, record keeping and reporting, clearance or approval, marketing, distribution, promotion,
import and export and post-marketing surveillance.
The FDA regulates the development, design, pre-clinical and clinical
research, manufacturing, safety, efficacy, labeling, packaging, storage, installation, servicing, recordkeeping, premarket clearance or approval, import, export, adverse event reporting, advertising, promotion, marketing and distribution of
medical devices in the United States to ensure that medical devices distributed domestically are safe and effective for their intended uses and otherwise meet the requirements of the FDCA. Failure to comply with applicable requirements may
subject a device and/or its manufacturer to a variety of administrative sanctions, such as FDA refusal to approve pending premarket applications, issuance of warning letters, mandatory product recalls, import detentions, civil monetary penalties,
and/or judicial sanctions, such as product seizures, injunctions and criminal prosecution.
FDA Premarket Clearance and Approval Requirements
Unless an exemption applies, each medical device commercially
distributed in the United States requires either FDA clearance of a 510(k) premarket notification, approval of a premarket approval, or PMA, or grant of a de novo request for classification. During public emergencies, the FDA also may grant
emergency use authorizations, or EUA, to allow commercial distribution of devices intended to address the public health emergency. Under the FDCA, medical devices are classified into one of three classes—Class I, Class II or Class III—depending
on the degree of risk associated with each medical device and the extent of manufacturer and regulatory control needed to provide reasonable assurance of its safety and effectiveness. Classification of a device is important because the class to
which a device is assigned determines, among other things, the necessity and type of FDA review required prior to marketing the device.
Class I devices include those with the lowest risk to the patient
and are those for which safety and effectiveness can be reasonably assured by adherence to the FDA’s “general controls” for medical devices, which include compliance with the applicable portions of the FDA’s Quality System Regulation, or QSR,
facility registration and product listing, reporting of adverse medical events and malfunctions through the submission of Medical Device Reports, or MDRs, and appropriate, truthful and non-misleading labeling, advertising, and promotional
materials. Some Class I or low risk devices also require premarket clearance by the FDA through the 510(k) premarket notification process described below.
Class II devices are moderate risk devices subject to the FDA’s
general controls, and any other “special controls” deemed necessary by the FDA to ensure the safety and effectiveness of the device, such as performance standards, product-specific guidance documents, special labeling requirements, patient
registries or post-market surveillance. Premarket review and clearance by the FDA for Class II devices is accomplished through the 510(k) premarket notification process, though certain Class II devices are exempt from this premarket review
process. When required, the manufacturer must submit to the FDA a premarket notification, or 510(k), submission demonstrating that the device is “substantially equivalent” to a legally marketed predicate device, which in some cases may require
submission of clinical data. Unless a specific exemption applies, 510(k) premarket notification submissions are subject to user fees. If the FDA determines that the device, or its intended use, is not substantially equivalent to a legally
marketed device, the FDA will place the device, or the particular use of the device, into Class III, and the device sponsor must then fulfill more rigorous premarketing requirements.
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Class III devices include devices deemed by the FDA to pose the
greatest risk, such as life-sustaining, life-supporting or implantable devices and devices deemed not substantially equivalent to a predicate device following a 510(k) submission. The safety and effectiveness of Class III devices cannot be
reasonably assured solely by general or special controls. Submission and FDA approval of a PMA application is required before marketing of a Class III device can proceed. As with 510(k) submissions, unless an exemption applies, PMA submissions
are subject to user fees. The PMA process is much more demanding than the 510(k) premarket notification process. A PMA application, which is intended to demonstrate that the device is reasonably safe and effective for its intended use and must be
supported by extensive data, typically including data from pre-clinical studies and clinical trials.
The FDA also has the authority to allow the commercialization of
unapproved medical devices, or new uses of existing devices in times of emergency, such as during a pandemic.
Emergency Use Authorization
In emergency situations, such as a pandemic, the FDA has the
authority to allow unapproved medical products or unapproved uses of cleared or approved medical products to be used in an emergency to diagnose, treat or prevent serious or life-threatening diseases or conditions caused by chemical, biological,
radiological or nuclear warfare threat agents when there are no adequate, approved, and available alternatives.
Under this authority, the FDA may issue an EUA for an unapproved
device if the following four statutory criteria have been met: (1) a serious or life-threatening condition exists; (2) evidence of effectiveness of the device exists; (3) a risk-benefit analysis shows that the benefits of the product outweigh the
risks; and (4) no other alternatives exist for diagnosing, preventing or treating the disease or condition. Evidence of effectiveness includes medical devices that “may be effective” to prevent, diagnose, or treat the disease or condition
identified in a declaration of emergency issued by the Secretary of U.S. HHS. The “may be effective” standard for EUAs requires a lower level of evidence than the “effectiveness” standard that FDA uses for product clearances or approvals in
non-emergency situations. The FDA assesses the potential effectiveness of a possible EUA product on a case-by-case basis using a risk-benefit analysis. In determining whether the known and potential benefits of the product outweigh the known and
potential risks, the FDA examines the totality of the scientific evidence to make an overall risk-benefit determination. Such evidence, which could arise from a variety of sources, may include (but is not limited to) results of domestic and
foreign clinical trials, in vivo efficacy data from animal models, in vitro data, as well as the quality and quantity of the available evidence.
Once granted, an EUA will remain in effect and generally terminate
on the earlier of (1) the determination by the Secretary of U.S. HHS that the public health emergency has ceased or (2) a change in the approval status of the product such that the authorized use(s) of the product are no longer unapproved. After
the EUA is no longer valid, the product is no longer considered to be legally marketed and one of the FDA’s non-emergency premarket pathways would be necessary to resume or continue distribution of the subject product.
The FDA also may revise or revoke an EUA if the circumstances
justifying its issuance no longer exist, the criteria for its issuance are no longer met, or other circumstances make a revision or revocation appropriate to protect the public health or safety.
On January 31, 2020, the Secretary of U.S. HHS issued a declaration
of a public health emergency related to COVID-19. On February 4, 2020, U.S. HHS determined that COVID-19 represents a public health emergency that has a significant potential to affect national security or the health and security of U.S. citizens
living abroad and, subsequently, declared on March 24, 2020, that circumstances exist to justify the authorization of emergency use of medical devices, including alternative products used as medical devices, during the COVID-19 pandemic, subject
to the terms of any authorization as issued by the FDA. On February 29, 2020, the FDA issued an immediately in effect guidance with policy specific to development
of in vitro diagnostic tests during the COVID-19 public health emergency. This guidance was updated on March 16, 2020, May 4, 2020 and May 11, 2020.
We received an EUA from the FDA on June 10, 2020 for our Cue
COVID-19 Test Kit for use at the point-of-care with specimens collected using the Cue Wand from individuals who are suspected of having COVID-19 by their healthcare provider. On August 20, 2020, the FDA granted an amendment to our EUA to add
testing of previously collected nasal specimens in viral transport media from individuals who are suspected of having COVID-19 by their healthcare provider.
In September 2020, the FDA required us to evaluate the analytical
limit of detection and to assess the traceability of our Cue COVID-19 Test with FDA reference materials, which requirements we have complied with. Additionally,
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in September 2020, we submitted a post-market clinical data report required under
our EUA, which included results from the Mayo Clinic’s evaluation of Cue versus an institutional reference panel. The FDA subsequently notified us that our post-market study and report were sufficient to satisfy the conditions in our EUA.
We received a second EUA from the FDA on March 5, 2021 for our Cue
COVID-19 Test Kit for home and over-the-counter use without a prescription with specimens collected using the Cue Wand from adults or children greater than or equal to two years of age (swabbed by an adult) with or without symptoms or other
epidemiological reasons to suspect COVID-19.
510(k) Clearance Marketing Pathway
Our current products are Class II and, but for the immediate ability
to seek an EUA, would be subject to premarket notification and clearance under section 510(k) of the FDCA. To obtain 510(k) clearance for a medical device, an applicant must submit to the FDA a 510(k) submission demonstrating that the proposed
device is “substantially equivalent” to a legally marketed device, known as a “predicate device.” A legally marketed predicate device may include a device that was legally marketed prior to May 28, 1976 (a pre-amendment device), a device that has
been reclassified from Class III to Class II or Class I, or a device that was found substantially equivalent through the 510(k) process. A device is substantially equivalent if, with respect to the predicate device, it has the same intended use
and has either (1) the same technological characteristics, or (2) different technological characteristics, but the information provided in the 510(k) submission demonstrates that the device does not raise new questions of safety and effectiveness
and is at least as safe and effective as the predicate device. A showing of substantial equivalence sometimes, but not always, requires clinical data. Once the 510(k) submission is accepted for review, by regulation, the FDA has 90 calendar days
to review and issue a determination. As a practical matter, clearance may take and often takes longer. Upon review, the FDA may require additional information, including clinical data, to make a determination regarding substantial equivalence. In
addition, the FDA collects user fees for certain medical device submissions and annual fees and for medical device establishments. For fiscal year 2021, the standard user fee for a 510(k) premarket notification application is $12,432.
Before the FDA will accept a 510(k) submission for substantive
review, the FDA will first assess whether the submission satisfies a minimum threshold of acceptability. If the FDA determines that the 510(k) submission is incomplete, the FDA will issue a “Refuse to Accept” letter which generally outlines the
information the FDA believes is necessary to permit a substantive review and to reach a determination regarding substantial equivalence. An applicant must submit the requested information within 180 days before the FDA will proceed with
additional review of the submission.
If the FDA agrees that the device is substantially equivalent to a
predicate device currently on the market, it will grant 510(k) clearance to commercially market the device. If the FDA determines that the device is “not substantially equivalent” to a previously cleared device, for example, due to a finding of a
lack of a predicate device, that the device has a new intended use or different technological characteristics that raise different questions of safety or effectiveness when the device is compared to the cited predicate device, the device is
automatically designated as a Class III device. The device sponsor must then fulfill more rigorous PMA requirements, or can request a risk-based classification determination for the device in accordance with the “de novo” process, which is a
route to market for novel medical devices that are low to moderate risk and are not substantially equivalent to a predicate device. If the FDA determines that the information provided in a 510(k) submission is insufficient to demonstrate
substantial equivalence to the predicate device, the FDA generally identifies the specific information that needs to be provided so that the FDA may complete its evaluation of substantial equivalence, and such information may be provided within
the time allotted by the FDA or in a new 510(k) submission should the original 510(k) submission have been withdrawn.
After a device receives 510(k) marketing clearance, any modification
that could significantly affect its safety or effectiveness, or that would constitute a major change or modification in its intended use, will require a new 510(k) marketing clearance or, depending on the modification, PMA approval. The
determination as to whether or not a modification could significantly affect the device’s safety or effectiveness is initially left to the manufacturer using available FDA guidance. Many minor modifications today are accomplished by a “letter to
file” in which the manufacturer documents the rationale for the change and why a new 510(k) submission is not required. However, the FDA may review such letters to file to evaluate the regulatory status of the modified product at any time and may
require the manufacturer to cease marketing and recall the modified device until 510(k) marketing clearance or PMA approval is obtained. The manufacturer may also be subject to significant regulatory fines or penalties.
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Over the last several years, the FDA has proposed reforms to its
510(k) clearance process, and such proposals could include increased requirements for clinical data and a longer review period, or could make it more difficult for manufacturers to utilize the 510(k) clearance process for their products. For
example, in November 2018, FDA officials announced forthcoming steps that the FDA intends to take to modernize the premarket notification pathway under Section 510(k) of the FDCA. Among other things, the FDA announced that it planned to develop
proposals to drive manufacturers utilizing the 510(k) pathway toward the use of newer predicates. These proposals included plans to potentially sunset certain older devices that were used as predicates under the 510(k) clearance pathway, and to
potentially publish a list of devices that have been cleared on the basis of demonstrated substantial equivalence to predicate devices that are more than 10 years old. In May 2019, the FDA solicited public feedback on these proposals. The FDA
requested public feedback on whether it should consider certain actions that might require new authority, such as whether to sunset certain older devices that were used as predicates under the 510(k) clearance pathway. These proposals have not
yet been finalized or adopted, and the FDA may work with Congress to implement such proposals through legislation. More recently, in September 2019, the FDA finalized the aforementioned guidance to describe an optional “safety and performance
based” pre-market review pathway for manufacturers of “certain, well-understood device types” to demonstrate substantial equivalence under the 510(k) clearance pathway, by demonstrating that such device meets objective safety and performance
criteria established by the FDA, obviating the need for manufacturers to compare the safety and performance of their medical devices to specific predicate devices in the clearance process. The FDA intends to maintain a list of device types
appropriate for the “safety and performance based pathway” and develop product-specific guidance documents that identify the performance criteria for each such device type, as well as the testing methods recommended in the guidance documents,
where feasible.
We expect that many of our future tests will require clearance under
the 510(k) regulatory pathway, unless otherwise authorized pursuant to and EUA.
PMA Approval Pathway
Class III devices require PMA approval before they can be marketed
although some pre-amendment Class III devices for which FDA has not yet required a PMA are cleared through the 510(k) process. The PMA process is generally more demanding than the 510(k) premarket notification process. In a PMA, the manufacturer
must demonstrate that the device is reasonably safe and effective, and the PMA must be supported by extensive data, including data from pre-clinical studies and clinical trials. The PMA must also contain a full description of the device and its
components, a full description of the methods, facilities and controls used for manufacturing, and proposed labeling. Following receipt of a PMA, the FDA determines whether the application is sufficiently complete to permit a substantive review.
If the FDA accepts the application for review, it has 180 days under the FDCA to complete its review of a PMA, although in practice, the FDA’s review may take and often takes significantly longer, and can take up to several years. An advisory
panel of experts from outside the FDA may be convened to review and evaluate the application and provide recommendations to the FDA as to the approvability of the device. The FDA may or may not accept the panel’s recommendation. In addition, the
FDA will generally conduct a pre-approval inspection of the applicant or its third-party manufacturers’ or suppliers’ manufacturing facility or facilities to ensure compliance with the QSR.
The FDA will approve the new device for commercial distribution if
it determines that the data and information in the PMA constitute valid scientific evidence and that there is reasonable assurance that the device is safe and effective for its intended use(s). The FDA may approve a PMA with post-approval
conditions intended to ensure the safety and effectiveness of the device, including, among other things, restrictions on labeling, promotion, sale and distribution, and collection of long-term follow-up data from patients in the clinical trial
that supported PMA approval or requirements to conduct additional clinical trials post-approval. The FDA may also condition PMA approval on some form of post-market surveillance when deemed necessary to protect the public health or to provide
additional safety and efficacy data for the device in a larger population or for a longer period of use. In such cases, the manufacturer might be required to follow certain patient groups for a number of years and to make periodic reports to the
FDA on the clinical status of those patients. Failure to comply with the conditions of approval can result in material adverse enforcement action, including withdrawal of the approval.
Certain changes to an approved device, such as changes in
manufacturing facilities, methods, or quality control procedures, or changes in the design performance specifications, that affect the safety or effectiveness of the device, require submission of a PMA supplement. PMA supplements often require
submission of the same type of information as a PMA, except that the supplement is limited to information needed to support any changes from the device covered by the original PMA and may not require as extensive clinical data or the convening of
an advisory
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panel. Certain other changes to an approved device require the submission of a new
PMA, such as when the design change causes a different intended use, mode of operation, and technical basis of operation, or when the design change is so significant that a new generation of the device will be developed, and the data that were
submitted with the original PMA are not applicable for the change in demonstrating a reasonable assurance of safety and effectiveness.
None of our tests are currently approved under a PMA, nor are we
currently seeking approval under a PMA for our Cue COVID-19 Test or any additional test. However, we may in the future develop devices which will require the approval of a PMA.
De Novo Classification
Medical device types that the FDA has not previously classified as
Class I, II or III are automatically classified into Class III regardless of the level of risk they pose. To market low to moderate risk medical devices that are automatically placed into Class III due to the absence of a predicate device, a
manufacturer may request a de novo down-classification. This procedure allows a manufacturer whose novel device is automatically classified into Class III to request classification of its medical device into Class I or Class II on the basis that
the device presents low or moderate risk, rather than requiring the submission and approval of a PMA application. A medical device may be eligible for de novo classification if the manufacturer first submitted a 510(k) premarket notification and
received a determination from the FDA that the device was not substantially equivalent or a manufacturer may request de novo classification directly without first submitting a 510(k) premarket notification to the FDA and receiving a not
substantially equivalent determination. The FDA is required to classify the device within 120 calendar days following receipt of the de novo application, although in practice, the FDA’s review may take significantly longer. During the pendency of
the FDA’s review, the FDA may issue an additional information letter, which places the de novo request on hold and stops the review clock pending receipt of the additional information requested. In the event the de novo requestor does not provide
the requested information within 180 calendar days, the FDA will consider the de novo request to be withdrawn. If the manufacturer seeks reclassification into Class II, the manufacturer must include a draft proposal for special controls that are
necessary to provide a reasonable assurance of the safety and effectiveness of the medical device. In addition, the FDA may reject the de novo request for classification if it identifies a legally marketed predicate device that would be
appropriate for a 510(k) or determines that the device is not low to moderate risk or that general controls would be inadequate to control the risks and special controls cannot be developed. In the event the FDA determines the data and
information submitted demonstrate that general controls or general and special controls are adequate to provide reasonable assurance of safety and effectiveness, the FDA will grant the de novo request for classification. When the FDA grants a de
novo request for classification, the device is granted marketing authorization and further can serve as a predicate for future devices of that type, through a 510(k) premarket notification.
Clinical Trials
Clinical trials are typically required to support a PMA, oftentimes
for a de novo request for classification, and are sometimes required to support a 510(k) submission. All clinical investigations of devices to determine safety and effectiveness must be conducted in accordance with the FDA’s investigational
device exemption, or IDE, regulations which govern investigational device labeling, prohibit promotion of the investigational device, and specify an array of recordkeeping, reporting and monitoring responsibilities of study sponsors and study
investigators. If the device presents a “significant risk,” as defined by the FDA, to human health, the FDA requires the device sponsor to submit an IDE application to the FDA, which must be approved prior to commencing clinical trials. A
significant risk device is one that presents a potential for serious risk to the health, safety or welfare of a patient and either is implanted, purported or represented to be used in supporting or sustaining human life, is for a use that is
substantially important in diagnosing, curing, mitigating or treating disease or otherwise preventing impairment of human health, or otherwise presents a potential for serious risk to a subject. An IDE application must be supported by appropriate
data, such as animal and laboratory test results, showing that it is safe to test the device in humans and that the testing protocol is scientifically sound. A clinical trial may begin 30 days after receipt of the IDE by the FDA unless the FDA
notifies the company that the investigation may not begin. If the FDA determines that there are deficiencies or other concerns with an IDE for which it requires modification, the FDA may permit a clinical trial to proceed under a conditional
approval. Acceptance of an IDE application for review does not guarantee that the FDA will approve the IDE and, if it is approved, the FDA may or may not determine that the data derived from the trials support the safety and effectiveness of the
device or warrant the continuation of clinical trials. An IDE supplement must be submitted
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to, and approved by, the FDA before a sponsor or investigator may make a change to
the investigational plan that may affect its scientific soundness, study plan or the rights, safety or welfare of human subjects.
In addition, the clinical trials must be approved by, and conducted
under the oversight of, an Institutional Review Board, or IRB, for each clinical site. The IRB is responsible for the initial and continuing review of the IDE and may pose additional requirements for the conduct of the study. If an IDE
application is approved by the FDA and one or more IRBs, clinical trials may begin at a specific number of investigational sites with a specific number of patients, as approved by the FDA.
If the device is considered a “non-significant risk,” IDE submission
to FDA is not required. Instead, only approval from the IRB overseeing the investigation at each clinical trial site is required. Abbreviated IDE requirements, such as monitoring the investigation, ensuring that the investigators obtain informed
consent, and labeling and record-keeping requirements also apply to non-significant risk device studies.
During a study, the sponsor is required to comply with the
applicable FDA requirements, including, for example, trial monitoring, selecting clinical investigators and providing them with the investigational plan, ensuring IRB review, adverse event reporting, record keeping and prohibitions on the
promotion of investigational devices or on making safety or effectiveness claims for them. The clinical investigators in the clinical trial are also subject to FDA’s regulations and must obtain patient informed consent, rigorously follow the
investigational plan and study protocol, control the disposition of the investigational device, and comply with all applicable reporting and record keeping requirements.
Additionally, after a trial begins, we, the FDA or the IRB could
suspend or terminate a clinical trial at any time for various reasons, including a belief that the risks to study subjects outweigh the anticipated benefits. Even if a clinical trial is completed, there can be no assurance that the data generated
during a clinical trial will meet the safety and effectiveness endpoints or otherwise produce results that will lead the FDA to grant marketing clearance or approval.
Post-market Regulation
After a device is cleared or approved for marketing, numerous and
pervasive regulatory requirements continue to apply. These include:
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establishment registration and device listing with the FDA;
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QSR requirements, which require manufacturers and contract manufacturers, including any third-party manufacturers, to follow
stringent design, testing, control, documentation and other quality assurance procedures during all aspects of the design and manufacturing process;
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labeling regulations and FDA prohibitions against the promotion of investigational products, or “off-label” uses of cleared or
approved products;
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requirements related to promotional activities;
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clearance or approval of product modifications to 510(k)-cleared devices that could significantly affect safety or
effectiveness or that would constitute a major change in intended use of one of our cleared devices;
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medical device reporting regulations, which require that a manufacturer report to the FDA if a device it markets may have
caused or contributed to a death or serious injury, or has malfunctioned and the device or a similar device that it markets would be likely to cause or contribute to a death or serious injury, if the malfunction were to recur;
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correction, removal and recall reporting regulations, which require that manufacturers report to the FDA field corrections,
product removals or recalls if undertaken to reduce a risk to health posed by the device or to remedy a violation of the FDCA that may present a risk to health;
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the FDA’s recall authority, whereby the agency can order device manufacturers to recall from the market a product that is in
violation of governing laws and regulations; and
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post-market surveillance activities and regulations, which apply when deemed by the FDA to be necessary to protect the public
health or to provide additional safety and effectiveness data for the device.
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Advertising and promotion of medical devices, in addition to being
regulated by the FDA, are also regulated by the Federal Trade Commission, or FTC, and by state regulatory and enforcement authorities. Recently, promotional activities for FDA-regulated products have been the subject of enforcement action brought
under healthcare
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reimbursement laws and consumer protection statutes. In addition, under the federal
Lanham Act and similar state laws, competitors and others can initiate litigation relating to advertising claims. In general, if the FDA determines that our promotional materials or training constitutes promotion of an unapproved or uncleared
use, it could request that we modify our training or promotional materials or subject us to regulatory or enforcement actions. It is also possible that other federal, state or foreign enforcement authorities might take action if they consider our
promotional or training materials to constitute promotion of an unapproved or uncleared use, which could result in significant fines or penalties under other statutory authorities, such as laws prohibiting false claims for reimbursement.
Manufacturing processes for commercial products are required to
comply with the applicable portions of the QSR, which cover the methods and the facilities and controls for the design, manufacture, testing, production, processes, controls, quality assurance, labeling, packaging, distribution, installation and
servicing of finished devices intended for human use. The QSR also requires, among other things, maintenance of a device master file, design history file, device history records, and complaint files. As a manufacturer, we are subject to periodic
scheduled or unscheduled inspections by the FDA. Failure to maintain compliance with the QSR requirements could result in the shut-down of, or restrictions on, manufacturing operations and the recall or seizure of products, which would harm our
business. The discovery of previously unknown problems with any of our Cue Health Monitoring Systems or any of our tests, including unanticipated adverse events or adverse events of increasing severity or frequency, whether resulting from the use
of the device within the scope of its clearance or off-label by a physician in the practice of medicine, could result in restrictions on the device, including the removal of the product from the market or voluntary or mandatory device recalls.
The FDA has broad regulatory compliance and enforcement powers. If
the FDA determines that we failed to comply with applicable regulatory requirements, it can take a variety of compliance or enforcement actions, which may result in any of the following sanctions:
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untitled letters, warning letters, fines, injunctions, consent decrees and civil penalties;
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unanticipated expenditures to address or defend such actions;
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customer notifications for repair, replacement, refunds;
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recall, withdrawal, administrative detention or seizure of our Cue Health Monitoring System or any of our current or future
test cartridges;
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operating restrictions or partial suspension or total shutdown of production;
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refusal of or delay in granting our requests for 510(k) clearance or PMA approval of new tests or modified tests;
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operating restrictions, partial suspension or total shutdown of production;
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withdrawing 510(k) clearance or PMA approvals that are already granted;
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refusal to grant export approval for our Cue Health Monitoring System or any of our current or future tests; or
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Clinical Laboratory Improvements Amendments of 1988
CLIA Regulations Relating to In Vitro Diagnostic Tests
The Cue Health Monitoring system and our Cue COVID-19 Test also are
subject to categorizaion by the FDA pursuant to CLIA and its implementing regulations in the United States which establish quality standards for all laboratory testing to ensure the accuracy, reliability and timeliness of patient test results
regardless of where the test is performed. A laboratory is broadly defined to include any facility that performs laboratory testing on specimens derived from humans for the purpose of providing information for the diagnosis, prevention or
treatment of disease, or the impairment of, or assessment of health. CLIA regulations establish standards for proficiency testing; facility administration; general laboratory systems; pre-analytic, analytic systems, post-analytic systems;
personnel qualifications and responsibilities; quality control, quality assessment; and specific provisions for laboratories performing moderate to high complexity tests.
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The regulations promulgated under CLIA establish three levels of
in vitro diagnostic tests: (1) waived; (2) moderately complex; and (3) highly complex. When a test is categorized as waived, it may be performed by laboratories that have a Certificate of Waiver.
Tests that are waived by the CLIA regulations are automatically
categorized as waived following 510(k) clearance or PMA approval. Otherwise, following clearance or approval, the FDA will classify in vitro diagnostics in accordance with the CLIA regulations. Manufacturers of clinical laboratory test systems,
such as in vitro diagnostics, that are categorized as moderate complexity according to the CLIA categorization criteria may request categorization of the text as waived through a CLIA Waiver by Application submission to FDA. Waived tests are
simple laboratory examinations and procedures that have an insignificant risk of an erroneous result, including those that (A) employ methodologies that are so simple and accurate as to render the likelihood of erroneous results negligible or (B)
FDA has determined pose no reasonable risk of harm to patients if the examinations or procedures are performed incorrectly. These tests are waived from regulatory oversight of the user other than the requirement to follow the manufacturer’s
labeling and directions for use. Further, when FDA authorizes tests for use at the point-of-care under an EUA, such tests are deemed to be CLIA waived tests. As such, such tests can be performed in a patient care setting that is qualified to have
the test performed there as a result of operating under a CLIA Certificate of Waiver for the duration of the emergency declaration. We are also required to maintain a license to conduct testing in California. California laws establish standards
for day-to-day operation of our clinical laboratory, including the training and skills required of personnel and quality control. We provide testing services only to our employees, visitors, and contractors and do not provide laboratory testing
services for purposes other than operation of our business.
Licensing and Regulation of Medical Device Manufacturers and Distributors
We are licensed by the California Department of Public Health as a
medical device manufacturer. As a medical device manufacturer, one of the criteria is that Our Quality Management System, or QMS, holds an ISO 13485:2016 certificate. The ISO is an independent, non-governmental international organization that
defines world-class specifications for products, services and systems, to ensure quality, safety and efficiency. ISO 13485:2016 is a harmonized, international regulatory benchmark for quality management systems that addresses most or all of the
QMS requirements in markets including the United States, European Union, Australia, Japan and Canada. The ISO 13485:2016 certificate confirms that an organization operates a QMS that conforms to the standards established by ISO. The FDA recently
proposed a rule to harmonize and modernize its QSR, which would supplant the existing requirements with ISO 13485:2016.
In addition, we may be required to obtain additional licenses as we
increase our direct sale and distribution of tests. Medical device manufacturers who distribute over-the-counter devices are subject to complex and varying state licensing requirements that can attach to their manufacturing and/or distribution
activity. While some states have no licensing regimen for medical device manufacturing and distribution at all, others, such as California, regulate certain types of distribution activity. For example, California separately licenses home use
medical device retail facilities. Massachusetts has codified a Code of Conduct that applies to any entity that employs or contracts with any person to sell or market prescription drugs or medical devices in Massachusetts. In preparation for our
expansion of direct marketing of its home use tests, we are reviewing state regulatory requirements that may apply to us as a medical device manufacturer or distributor.
European Medical Device Regulation
Sales of in vitro diagnostics in the European Economic Area are
subject to the European regulatory framework. The time required to obtain clearance or approval by a foreign country may be longer or shorter than that required for FDA clearance or approval, and the requirements may be different. Set forth below
are highlights of the key European regulatory schemes applicable to our business.
European Conformity Marking (“CE Mark”) and Certifications
In order to place an in vitro diagnostic, or an accessory to an in
vitro diagnostic, on the market in the European Union/European Economic Area, the device must be designed, developed, manufactured, and marketed in compliance with the relevant legal framework. Currently, in vitro diagnostics must be compliant
with Directive 98/79/EEC, or the Directive; however, from May 26, 2022 Regulation (EU) 2017/746, or the Regulation, will replace the Directive. While the Regulation will have direct effect in all European Economic Area countries, the Directive
required national implementing legislation in each country, which had historically led to some variation in the regimes in each country.
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Prior to May 26, 2022, in vitro diagnostics that have been
assessed for conformity with the requirements of the Directive, including notably the “essential requirements” set out in Annex I of the Directive, are entitled to bear a CE Mark indicating that the device conforms to the standards required by
the Directive. In vitro diagnostics that have been CE marked may be placed on the market throughout the Member States of the European Union and the European Economic Area, and other countries that comply with or mirror the Directive.
The method of assessing conformity of in vitro diagnostics will
depend on the type and classification of the in vitro diagnostic. For in vitro diagnostics that are in the lowest risk classification (meaning that they do not appear in the list set out in Annex II of the Directive nor are they used for the
purpose of self-testing by the user/patient), the manufacturer can self-assess that the in vitro diagnostics comply with the essential requirements in the Directive without any review or intervention by any regulatory body and/or third-party. In
doing so, the manufacturer must comply with Common Technical Specifications adopted by the European Commission for certain diagnostic tests, unless they can justify not doing so. The manufacturer may choose to comply with harmonized technical
standards adopted by European standards bodies. Although compliance with these standards is not mandatory, compliance raises a presumption of conformity with the essential requirements that each standard addresses.
Once the manufacturer has gathered the technical documentation
necessary to demonstrate this in the form of a technical file, it must draw up a declaration of conformity and can then affix a CE Mark to the device and place it on the market. The only additional requirements are (i) that the manufacturer (or
its authorized representative if the manufacturer is outside the European Economic Area) must maintain a copy of the relevant technical file, so that it can be inspected by national device regulators; (ii) that the manufacturer and, where
relevant, its authorized representative must register themselves and their in vitro diagnostics, so that these authorities know when the products are to be marketed; and (iii) that the manufacturer must perform device vigilance to monitor the
safety and performance of the in vitro diagnostics on the market, reporting both adverse incidents and any field safety corrective actions, or FSCAs, to the authorities, as appropriate. Challenges by European regulatory authorities may arise
subsequently if there is an issue related to the compliance, safety or performance of the device. Such challenges may arise from a routine audit or enquiry by a regulatory authority or following device vigilance reports by the company or others,
or reports of FSCAs by the company, or complaints made by competitors.
Under the Directive, any in vitro diagnostic that is for
self-testing or that appears in Annex II (meaning that these devices cannot use the self-certification process) must have their compliance with the Directive reviewed and certified by a European Notified Body. Notified bodies are usually private,
non-governmental, independent bodies that are authorized/licensed by governmental authorities to perform conformity assessments. They enter into a contractual arrangement with manufacturers to carry out the conformity assessment of in vitro
diagnostics. The Notified Body will review the technical documentation, including assessing the available clinical evidence, literature data for the product and any available post-market experience. There is some flexibility regarding the
conformity assessment procedure the manufacturer uses. If the manufacturer decides to base its conformity assessment on an assessment of its Full Quality Assurance System (rather than a more product-focused “Type Examination”), the Notified Body
will also perform an audit of the manufacturer’s quality system against an international standard, EN ISO 13485:2016. If the Notified Body deems the in vitro diagnostic (and where applicable the manufacturer’s quality system) conforms to the
Directive it will issue a certificate of conformity for the device and, where applicable, a certificate of conformity for the manufacturer’s quality system, which the manufacturer can use as the basis for its declaration of conformity, then affix
a CE Mark and thus place the in vitro diagnostic on the market in the European Union / European Economic Area.
On May 26, 2017 the Regulation entered into force and, from May 26,
2022, the Regulation will apply and will replace the Directive. From that date, in vitro diagnostics should have been assessed for conformity with the Regulation and should not be CE marked and placed on the market unless they are in compliance.
However, the Regulation provides for a transition period that allows manufacturers or products that benefit from certificates of conformity issued by European Notified Bodies under the Directive prior to May 26, 2022 to continue to place those
products on the market until May 26, 2024. Where they have been placed on the market prior to that date, they may then be distributed and supplied to end-users until May 26, 2025. However, this transition period does not apply to in vitro
diagnostics that have undergone manufacturer self-certification nor does it to products that benefit from Notified Body certificates of conformity but where the manufacturer has made significant changes to a device since the certificate was
issued. These products must be in compliance with the Regulation from May 26, 2022, or from the date of the change if that occurs prior to May 26, 2024.
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As with the Directive, the Regulation requires that in vitro
diagnostics must undergo a conformity assessment procedure, have a declaration of conformity drawn up and bear the CE Mark before a manufacturer can place them on the European Union / European Economic Area market. However, the Regulation will
up-classify many in vitro diagnostics that the Directive currently allows manufacturers to self-assess and declare conformity, so that the vast majority of in vitro diagnostics, including all diagnostic tests, will require a European Notified
Body conformity assessment as part of the conformity assessment process. In practice, manufacturers may only be able to self-assess and declare the conformity of consumables and apparatus that are regulated as in vitro diagnostics but are not the
tests themselves. The Regulation will also provide for greater use of common specifications that are presumed to be binding, unless a manufacturer can justify not doing so.
Following the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union on
January 31, 2020, the United Kingdom continued to follow the same regulations as the European Union during a Transition Period until the end of 2020. Now that the Transition Period has ended, the United Kingdom has implemented Directive 98/79/EC
into U.K. law (along with other European Union legislation on medical devices) through the Medical Devices Regulations 2002. Therefore, the two regulatory systems are independent but currently broadly aligned (although under the Northern Irish
Protocol, the European Union regulatory framework will continue to apply in Northern Ireland). The United Kingdom has implemented certain new regulatory requirements, including that all medical devices and in vitro diagnostics must be registered
with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority before being placed on the market in Great Britain. There is a grace period to allow time for compliance with the new registration process, with higher risk devices (i.e. List A
products) requiring registration by May 1, 2021, and lower risk devices requiring registration later in 2021 (List B products from September 1, 2021 and general in vitro diagnostics from January 1, 2022). CE marking will continue to be recognized
in Great Britain for medical devices until June 30, 2023, following which a UK Conformity Assessment mark will be required for a medical device or in vitro diagnostic device to be marketed in Great Britain. The new European Union medical device
and in vitro diagnostics regulations will not apply in Great Britain and it remains uncertain at present how the U.K. regulatory regime will change in future and the extent to which it will diverge from European Union regulations.
Privacy Regulation
U.S. Privacy Regulation
The privacy and security regulations under HIPAA, as amended by
the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, or HITECH, collectively referred to herein as HIPAA, establish uniform standards governing the conduct of certain electronic healthcare transactions and require covered
entities, such as certain healthcare providers, health plans, and healthcare clearinghouses and their respective business associates, as well as their covered contractors, that perform services for them which involve the creation, receipt, use,
maintenance, transmission or disclosure of, individually identifiable health information for or on behalf of a covered entity, to comply with standards that relate to the privacy and security of protected health information, or PHI. HIPAA also
sets forth certain rights that an individual may have with respect to his or her PHI maintained by a covered entity, including the right to access or amend certain records containing PHI, or to request restrictions on the use or disclosure of
PHI. HIPAA’s breach notification provisions require covered entities to report breaches of PHI that have not been encrypted or otherwise secured in accordance with guidance from the Secretary of the U.S. HHS. Required breach notices must be
made as soon as is reasonably practicable, but no later than sixty (60) days following discovery of the breach. Reports must be made to affected individuals and to the Secretary of the U.S. HHS and, in some cases depending on the size of the
breach, they must be reported through local and national media. HIPAA further requires that covered entities enter into agreements meeting certain regulatory requirements with their business associates, which are independent contractors or
agents of covered entities that create, receive, maintain or transmit PHI in connection with providing a service on behalf of the covered entity. These agreements require business associates to safeguard the covered entity’s PHI against
improper use and disclosure. Certain of HIPAA’s privacy and security standards are directly applicable to business associates. In the event we begin to bill health plans or health insurers for our Cue Health Monitoring System and our associated
tests, using standard electronic transactions, we would become a covered health care provider subject to HIPAA. Because we maintain PHI on behalf of the laboratories that are covered entities and conduct testing with the Cue COVID-19 Test, and
we create, receive, maintain, and use or disclose PHI on our behalf, we are considered a business associate subject to certain provisions of HIPAA and the terms of any business associate agreements we enter into with such healthcare providers
or health plans and our vendors that may access, use or disclose PHI. Covered entities and business associates may be subject to significant civil and criminal penalties for noncompliance with HIPAA. Both the Office for Civil Rights within the
U.S. HHS and state attorneys general have authority to enforce HIPAA.
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In addition, various states in the United States have laws and
regulations governing the use and disclosure of health information, such as the California Confidentiality of Medical Information Act; these laws are not preempted by HIPAA to the extent they are more stringent than HIPAA. These laws frequently
change, and we may not be able to maintain compliance in all jurisdictions in which we do business. To the extent that any of these laws were to apply to medical device manufacturers or mobile applications, we would be required to comply.
However, other than the Confidentiality of Medical Information Act, or CMIA, which governs mobile applications, most of these laws apply to either health care providers or certain sensitive information, such as sexually transmitted diseases. If
we were to obtain approval for tests which involved the collection and maintenance of sensitive information, we may be subject to laws in certain jurisdictions. These laws frequently change, and we may not be able to maintain compliance in all
jurisdictions in which we do business.
Specifically, the CMIA deems to be a “health care provider” subject
to its requirements any business that, as one of its purposes, maintains medical information for health care providers or individuals, or offer mobile applications or other related devices to consumers that maintains medical information in order
to make the information available to an individual or a provider of health for purposes of allowing the individual to manage his or her information, or for the diagnosis, treatment, or management of a medical condition, in addition to other types
of entities. Further, under CMIA, an affected individual whose privacy is breached has a private right of action for actual or nominal damages.
Additionally, the FTC and many state attorneys general are
interpreting existing federal and state consumer protection laws (including online privacy laws) to impose evolving standards for the online collection, use, dissemination and security of health-related and other personal information.
State laws, such as the California Online Privacy Protection Act,
similarly regulate such practices for mobile applications. Consumer protection laws such as these require us to publish statements that describe how we handle personal information and choices individuals may have about the way we handle their
personal information. If such information that we publish is considered untrue, we may be subject to government claims of unfair or deceptive trade practices at the federal or state level, which could lead to significant liabilities and
consequences. Furthermore, according to the FTC violating consumers’ privacy rights or failing to take appropriate steps to keep consumers’ personal information secure may constitute unfair acts or practices in or affecting commerce in violation
of Section 5(a) of the FTC Act.
We seek to utilize biological samples and data from participants in
our clinical trials in accordance with applicable law, IRB stipulations, and participant permissions (through consent forms and HIPAA authorizations). If we are unable or significantly restricted in using participant samples and data for
secondary research purposes, our ability to develop additional products and/or improve or refine existing products will be limited, which may impact our business and prospects.
The California Consumer Privacy Act, or the CCPA, became effective
in January 2020 and imposes many requirements on covered businesses that collect or process the personal information of California residents, including providing notice to data subjects regarding the information collected about them and providing
data subjects the right to restrict the use of their personal information and to request access to or removal of such personal information. The CCPA contains significant penalties for companies that violate its requirements. The CCPA currently
excepts HIPAA covered entities, business associates, or health care providers subject to CMIA. In addition, many states have enacted laws that impose fines on entities that experience a data breach involving certain types of personal data, permit
consumers to bring private actions against parties that experience a breach involving their data or requiring notification of data subjects and state authorities in the event of a data breach. Further, the California Privacy Rights Act, or the
CPRA, was recently voted into law by California residents. The CPRA significantly amends the CCPA, and imposes additional data protection obligations on covered companies doing business in California, including additional consumer rights
processes and opt outs for certain uses of sensitive data. We may become subject to laws such as CCPA and CPRA in the future, in relation to some of the personal information that our business holds on customers and/or our employees. If we violate
any of these laws applicable to our operations, we could face significant financial penalties and reputational damage.
There are also foreign privacy and security laws and regulations
that impose restrictions on the access, use, and disclosure of personal information. As a business that operates both internationally and throughout the United States, any wrongful use or disclosure of personally identifiable information, even if
it does not constitute PHI, by us or our
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third-party contractors, including disclosure due to data theft or unauthorized
access to our or our third-party contractors’ computer networks, could subject us to fines or penalties that could adversely affect our business or impose additional costs on our operations, including the cost of providing credit monitoring and
identity theft prevention services to affected consumers.
If we or our operations are found to be in violation of HIPAA, as
amended by HITECH or their implementing regulations, and similar state laws, we may be subject to significant penalties, including civil, criminal and administrative penalties, fines, imprisonment, and the curtailment or restructuring of our
operations. HIPAA has four tiers of civil monetary penalties, as well as criminal penalties, both of which may be applied to business associates as well as covered entities, and state attorneys have authority to file civil actions for damages or
injunctions in federal courts to enforce the federal HIPAA laws and seek attorneys’ fees and costs associated with pursuing federal civil actions. State privacy and security laws also may include penalties for noncompliance, as well as a private
right of action.
General Data Protection Regulation and the United Kingdom Data Protection Act 2018
The General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2016/679),
the GDPR, and the U.K. General Data Protection Regulation or the U.K. GDPR, and the U.K. Data Protection Act 2018 or the U.K. DPA, and other related privacy and data protection legislation in the jurisdictions in which we operate impose strict
requirements on controllers and processors of personal data, including special protections for sensitive personal data categories, which include health and genetic information of data subjects residing in the European Union or the United Kingdom.
The GDPR and the U.K. GDPR and U.K. DPA impose several requirements on organizations that process such data, including: to observe core data processing principles; to comply with various accountability measures; to provide more detailed
information to individuals about data processing activities; to establish a legal basis to process personal data (including enhanced consent requirements); to maintain the integrity, security and confidentiality of personal data; and to report
personal data breaches. The GDPR and the U.K. GDPR and U.K. DPA grant individuals the opportunity to object to the processing of their personal data, allows them to request deletion of personal data in certain circumstances, and provides an
individual with an express right to seek legal remedies in the event the individual believes his or her rights have been violated. Further, the GDPR and the U.K. GDPR and U.K. DPA impose strict rules on the transfer of personal data out of the
European Economic Area (or the United Kingdom) (i.e. to “third countries”) to the United States or other regions that have not been deemed to offer “adequate” privacy protections under their domestic laws. The GDPR and the U.K. GDPR and U.K. DPA
may impose additional responsibility and liability in relation to personal data that we process and we may be required to put in place additional mechanisms ensuring compliance with European Union and U.K. data protection rules. This may be
onerous and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. Failure to comply with the requirements of the GDPR and the U.K. GDPR and U.K. DPA and related privacy and data protection legislation may result
in a variety of enforcement measures, including significant fines and other administrative measures. The GDPR and the U.K. GDPR and U.K. DPA have introduced substantial fines for breaches of the data protection rules, increased powers for
regulators, enhanced rights for individuals, and new rules on judicial remedies and collective redress (the maximum fine is the higher of €20 million (or £17.5 million in the United Kingdom) or 4% of the total annual worldwide turnover in the
preceding financial year). We may be subject to claims by third parties, such as patients or regulatory bodies, that we or our employees or independent contractors inadvertently or otherwise breached GDPR or the U.K. GDPR and U.K. DPA and related
data protection rules. Litigation may be necessary to defend against these claims. There is no guarantee of success in defending these claims, and if we do not prevail, we could be required to pay substantial fines and/or damages and could suffer
significant reputational harm. Even if we are successful, litigation could result in substantial cost and be a distraction to management and other employees.
The GDPR and the U.K. GDPR and U.K. DPA are complex laws and the
regulatory guidance is still evolving, including with respect to how the GDPR and the U.K. GDPR and U.K. DPA should be applied in the context of transactions from which we may gain access to personal data. Data protection authority activity
differs across the European Union between member states (and the United Kingdom), with certain authorities applying their own agenda which shows there is significant uncertainty in the manner in which data protection authorities will seek to
enforce compliance with GDPR in the medical and research fields. For example, it is not yet clear if such authorities will conduct random audits of companies subject to the GDPR or the U.K. GDPR and U.K. DPA or will only respond to complaints
filed by individuals who claim their rights have been violated. Enforcement actions to date in other industries has resulted in significant fines and other penalties. Failure to comply with the requirements of the GDPR and the related national
data protection laws of European Union member states, which may deviate slightly from the GDPR, or the U.K. GDPR and U.K. DPA, may result in material fines.
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Other International Privacy and Security Regulations
Our business is subject to a complex and evolving global web of laws
and regulations governing data privacy, data security, cross-border data transfers, and data localization. Federal, state, local, and foreign governments are increasingly implementing or expanding their data protection regimes, resulting in
additional compliance costs and risks. Many of these laws and regulations are subject to change and uncertain interpretation, and could result in regulatory or litigation claims or actions, changes to our business practices, monetary penalties,
increased cost of operations, declines in clinical study participation or engagement, or otherwise harm our business.
We rely on information technology systems, including third-party
hosted services, to support our business processes and activities and to store personal data (including employee and patient data). Consequently, we are at risk of a cybersecurity-related attack, intrusion, or disruption, including by criminal
organizations, hackers, foreign governments, and terrorists. A cybersecurity incident could result in some or all of our systems being unavailable; the loss, misuse, or unauthorized disclosure of personally identifiable information or other
personal data; negative publicity and reputational damage; exposure to risk of loss; and litigation and regulatory investigations. In the event we are a victim of a cyberattack, data breach notification laws may require us to notify regulators,
affected individuals, and potentially other third parties in multiple jurisdictions. Cyber threats are constantly evolving, increasing the difficulty of detecting and successfully defending against them. Despite our security measures, we cannot
guarantee that these measures will prevent all possible security breaches or attacks.
U.S. Federal, State and Foreign Fraud and Abuse Laws
U.S. Federal and State and Abuse Laws
The U.S. federal and state governments have enacted, and actively
enforce, a number of laws to address fraud and abuse in federal healthcare programs. Our business is subject to compliance with these laws.
Anti-Kickback Statutes. The federal Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits, among other things, knowingly and willfully soliciting, offering, receiving or paying remuneration, directly or indirectly,
overtly or covertly, in cash or in kind, to induce or reward either the referral of an individual, or the purchase, order, arrangement for, or recommendation
of, items or services for which payment may be made, in whole or in part, under a federal healthcare program such as Medicare or Medicaid. A person or entity does not need to have actual knowledge of
the statute or specific intent to violate it to have committed a violation.
The definition of “remuneration” has been broadly interpreted to
include anything of value, including, for example, gifts, certain discounts, the furnishing of free supplies, equipment or services, credit arrangements, payment of cash and waivers of payments. The government takes the position, and courts have
agreed with the government’s interpretation, that the statute’s intent requirement is satisfied if any one purpose of an arrangement involving remuneration is to induce referrals of federal healthcare covered businesses, even if there are other
legitimate purposes. Violations of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute can result in criminal penalties and fines, imprisonment of up to ten years, civil and administrative penalties for each violation, damages, and exclusion from participation in
federal healthcare programs like Medicare or Medicaid. A claim including items or services resulting from a violation of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute constitutes a false or fraudulent claim for purposes of the federal civil False Claims Act,
or the FCA, discussed in greater detail below.
There are a number of statutory exceptions and regulatory “safe
harbors” protecting some common activities from prosecution, but the exceptions and safe harbors are drawn narrowly and require strict compliance to offer protection. The failure of a transaction or arrangement to fit precisely within one or more
safe harbors does not necessarily mean that it is illegal or that prosecution will be pursued. However, conduct and business arrangements that do not fully satisfy an applicable safe harbor may result in increased scrutiny by government
enforcement authorities such as the U.S. HHS, Office of the Inspector General, or the OIG.
Many states have adopted laws similar to the federal Anti-Kickback
Statute. Some of these state prohibitions apply to referral of recipients for healthcare products or services reimbursed by any source, not only government healthcare programs, and may apply to payments made directly by the patient.
Government officials have focused their enforcement efforts on the
marketing of healthcare services and products, among other activities, and recently have brought cases against companies, and certain individual sales, marketing and executive personnel, for allegedly offering unlawful inducements to potential or
existing customers in an attempt to procure their business.
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Federal False Claims Laws. The federal false claims and civil monetary penalties laws, including the Civil Monetary Penalties Law, and the FCA prohibit any person or entity, among other things, to knowingly present, or cause to be presented, a false or
fraudulent claim for payment of government funds and knowingly making, using or causing to be made or used, a false record or statement to get a false claim paid or to avoid, decrease or
conceal an obligation to pay money to the federal government. The qui tam provisions of the FCA allow a private individual to bring actions on
behalf of the federal government alleging that the defendant has violated the FCA and to share in any monetary recovery. In addition, various states have enacted false claims laws analogous to
the FCA, and many of these state laws apply where a claim is submitted to any third-party payor and not only a federal healthcare program.
When an entity is found to have violated the FCA, it may be required
to pay treble damages and significant mandatory penalties, civil monetary penalties, and may be subject to exclusion from participation in federal healthcare programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. Many medical device manufacturers and healthcare
companies have reached substantial financial settlements with the federal government for a variety of alleged improper activities and have entered into corporate integrity agreements with OIG, under which the companies undertake certain
compliance, certification and reporting obligations, to avoid exclusion from federal health care program. The federal government has used the FCA to assert liability on the basis of kickbacks, or in instances in which manufacturers have provided
billing or coding advice to providers that the government considered to be inaccurate. In these cases, the manufacturer is subject to liability for “causing” a false claim. In addition, the federal government has pursued companies under the FCA
in connection with off-label promotion of products. Our activities, including those relating to the reporting of discount and rebate information and other information affecting federal, state and third-party reimbursement of our Cue Health
Monitoring System and any of our future tests (once approved) and the sale and marketing of our tests (once approved), may be subject to scrutiny under the federal Anti-Kickback Statute and the FCA. We are also subject to other criminal federal
laws that prohibit making false or fictitious claims and false statements to the federal government.
While we are unaware of any current investigations or allegations
for violations of anti-kickback or false claims laws, we are unable to predict whether we will be subject to actions under the FCA or a similar state law, or the impact of such actions. However, the costs of defending such claims, even if
successful or if any sanctions imposed, could significantly affect our business as well as our financial performance.
HIPAA Fraud Statute. HIPAA, among other things, imposes criminal liability for knowingly and willfully executing or attempting to execute a scheme to defraud any healthcare benefit program, including private
third-party payors, knowingly and willfully embezzling or stealing from a healthcare benefit program, willfully obstructing a criminal investigation of a
healthcare offense, and creates federal criminal laws that prohibit knowingly and willfully falsifying, concealing or covering up a material fact or making any materially false, fictitious or fraudulent
statement or representation, or making or using any false writing or document knowing the same to contain any materially false, fictitious or fraudulent
statement or entry in connection with the delivery of or payment for healthcare benefits, items or services. Similar to the federal healthcare Anti-Kickback Statute, a person or entity does not need to
have actual knowledge of the statute or specific intent to violate it to have committed a violation.
Open Payments.
The federal Physician Payments Sunshine Act, implemented as the Open Payments Program, requires certain manufacturers of drugs, medical devices, biologics and medical supplies for which payment is available under Medicare, Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program to report annually to CMS information related to payments and other “transfers of value” to
physicians (defined to include doctors, dentists, optometrists, podiatrists and chiropractors), and teaching hospitals, and requires applicable manufacturers to report annually ownership and investment interests held by physicians and their immediate family members. Beginning in 2022, applicable manufacturers will also be required to report information and
transfers of value provided (beginning in 2021) to physician assistants, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, anesthesiologist assistants, certified nurse
anesthetists, and certified nurse-midwives. Failure to submit timely, accurate and complete reports may result in substantial monetary penalties. We are or will
be subject to the Open Payments Program and the information we disclose may lead to greater scrutiny, which may result in modifications to established practices
and additional costs. Additionally, similar reporting requirements have also been enacted on the state level domestically, and an increasing number of countries
worldwide either have adopted or are considering similar laws requiring transparency of interactions with healthcare professionals.
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Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act of 2018. The federal Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act of 2018, or EKRA, prohibits payments for referrals to recovery homes, clinical treatment facilities, and laboratories.
EKRA’s reach extends beyond federal health care programs to include private insurance (i.e., it is an “all payor” statute). The full scope of such law is
uncertain and is subject to a variety of interpretations.
European Fraud and Abuse Laws
In Europe, various countries have adopted anti-bribery laws
providing for severe consequences, in the form of criminal penalties and/or significant fines, for individuals and/or companies committing a bribery offense. Violations of these anti-bribery laws, or allegations of such violations, could have a
negative impact on our business, results of operations and reputation. For instance, in the United Kingdom, under the Bribery Act 2010, a bribe occurs when a person offers, gives or promises to give a financial or other advantage to induce or
reward another individual to improperly perform certain functions or activities, including any function of a public nature. Bribery of foreign public officials also falls within the scope of the Bribery Act 2010. Infringement of these laws could
result in substantial fines and imprisonment.
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, or the FCPA, prohibits
any U.S. individual or business from paying, offering or authorizing payment or offering of anything of value, directly or indirectly, to any foreign official, political party or candidate for the purpose of influencing any act or decision of the
foreign entity in order to assist the individual or business in obtaining or retaining business. The FCPA also obligates companies whose securities are listed in the United States to comply with accounting provisions requiring them to maintain
books and records that accurately and fairly reflect all transactions of the corporation, including international subsidiaries, if any, and to devise and maintain an adequate system of internal accounting controls for international operations.
U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Medicare is a federal program administered by CMS through Medicare
Administrative Contractors, or MACs. Available to people age 65 or over, and certain other people, Medicare provides, among other things, healthcare benefits that cover, within prescribed limits, the major costs of most medically necessary care
for such people, subject to certain deductibles and copayments.
CMS has established guidelines for the coverage and reimbursement of
certain products and procedures by Medicare. In general, in order to be reimbursed by Medicare, a healthcare procedure furnished to a Medicare beneficiary must be reasonable and necessary for the diagnosis or treatment of an illness or injury, or
to improve the functioning of a malformed body part. The methodology for determining coverage status and the amount of Medicare reimbursement varies based upon, among other factors, the setting in which a Medicare beneficiary received healthcare
products and services. The reimbursement rate for certain services, including clinical laboratory services, is established under fee schedules that are developed and periodically updated pursuant to specific statutory or regulatory provisions.
Any changes in federal legislation, regulations and policy affecting CMS coverage and reimbursement relative to the procedure using our Cue Health Monitoring System and our current and future tests (once approved) could have a material effect on
our performance.
CMS also administers the Medicaid program, a cooperative
federal/state program that provides medical assistance benefits to qualifying low income and medically needy people. State participation in Medicaid is optional, and each state is given discretion in developing and administering its own Medicaid
program, subject to certain federal requirements pertaining to payment levels, eligibility criteria and minimum categories of services. The coverage, method and level of reimbursement vary from state to state and is subject to each state’s budget
restraints. Changes to the availability of coverage, method or level of reimbursement for relevant procedures may affect future revenue negatively if reimbursement amounts are decreased or discontinued.
All CMS programs are subject to statutory and regulatory changes,
retroactive and prospective rate adjustments, administrative rulings, interpretations of policy, intermediary determinations, and government funding restrictions, all of which may materially increase or decrease the rate of program payments to
healthcare facilities and other healthcare providers.
U.S. Health Reform
Changes in healthcare policy could increase our costs, decrease our
revenue and impact sales of and reimbursement for our current and future products once approved. The United States and some foreign jurisdictions
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are considering or have enacted a number of legislative and regulatory proposals to
change the healthcare system in ways that could affect our ability to sell our Cue Health Monitoring System and any of our current or future tests profitably once approved. Among policy makers and payors in the United States and elsewhere, there
is significant interest in promoting changes in healthcare systems with the stated goals of containing healthcare costs, improving quality or expanding access. Current and future legislative proposals to further reform healthcare or reduce
healthcare costs may limit coverage of or lower reimbursement for the procedures associated with the use of our Cue Health Monitoring System and any of our current or future tests once approved. The cost containment measures that payors and
providers are instituting and the effect of any healthcare reform initiative implemented in the future could impact our revenue from the sale of our Cue Health Monitoring System and our current and future tests once approved.
By way of example, the U.S. federal and state governments continue
to propose and pass legislation designed to reduce the cost of healthcare. In March 2010, the U.S. Congress enacted the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010
(collectively, the “ACA”), which, among other things, includes changes to the coverage and payment for products under government healthcare programs.
Since enactment of the ACA, there have been, and continue to be,
numerous judicial, administrative, executive, and legislative challenges to certain aspects of the ACA, and we expect there will be additional challenges and amendments to the ACA in the future. For example, various portions of the ACA are
currently undergoing legal and constitutional challenges in the U.S. Supreme Court. While the Biden administration withdrew the federal government’s support for overturning the ACA, it is unclear whether the ACA will be overturned, repealed,
replaced, or further amended. We cannot predict what affect further changes to the ACA would have on our business.
Environmental, Health and Safety Regulations
We are subject to various federal, state, local, and foreign
environmental, health and safety laws and regulations and permitting and licensing requirements. Such laws include those governing laboratory practices, the generation, storage, use, manufacture, handling, transportation, treatment, remediation,
release and disposal of, and exposure to, hazardous materials and wastes and worker health and safety. Our operations involve the generation, use, storage and disposal of hazardous materials, and the risk of injury, contamination or
non-compliance with environmental, health and safety laws and regulations or permitting or licensing requirements cannot be eliminated. In particular, the introduction of our COVID-19 test requires that we maintain compliance with applicable and
evolving federal and state laws and regulations relating to COVID-19, including the generation, use, storage, and disposal of testing materials and agents. agents. To date, compliance with environmental laws and regulations has not had a material
effect on our business.
Legal Proceedings
From time to time, we may become involved in legal proceedings
arising in the ordinary course of our business. Regardless of outcome, litigation can have an adverse impact on us due to defense and settlement costs, diversion of management resources, negative publicity, reputational harm and other factors,
and there can be no assurances that favorable outcomes will be obtained.
In February 2018, the staff of the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission’s Division of Enforcement issued a subpoena to us requesting certain documents and information. The SEC’s subpoena called for the production of documents and information, including documents and information related to one of our prior
private financing rounds. We have been cooperating fully with the SEC’s investigation. At this time, however, we cannot predict the outcome of this investigation as to us or our officers, nor can we predict the timing associated with any such
conclusion or resolution. Based on information currently known to us, we do not believe the SEC’s investigation will have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. However, we cannot assure you that
we will not be required to devote significant time or resources to resolving the SEC investigation, or that the ultimate resolution of the investigation will not have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of
operations.
We are not currently a party to any other legal proceedings that we
believe may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
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Executive Officers and Directors
The following table sets forth certain information concerning our
executive officers and directors as of March 31, 2021:
Executive Officers and Employee Directors
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Ayub Khattak
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|
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36
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|
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Chief Executive Officer, Director, Chairman of the Board and Co-Founder
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John Gallagher
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46
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|
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Chief Financial Officer
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Erica Palsis
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35
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General Counsel
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Clint Sever
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36
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Chief Product Officer and Co-Founder
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|
|
|
|
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Non-Employee Directors
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Chris Achar
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36
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|
|
Director
|
Xiangmin Cui
|
|
|
52
|
|
|
Director
|
Robin Farias-Eisner
|
|
|
67
|
|
|
Director
|
Rohan Oza
|
|
|
49
|
|
|
Director
|
Scott Stanford
|
|
|
50
|
|
|
Director
|
(1)
|
Member of the Audit Committee.
|
(2)
|
Member of the Compensation Committee.
|
(3)
|
Member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.
|
Executive Officers and Employee Directors
Ayub Khattak. Mr. Khattak is the co-founder of our company and has served as our Chief Executive Officer and member of our board of directors
since January 2010. He holds a B.S. in mathematics from the University of California, Los Angeles. We believe Mr. Khattak is qualified to serve as a member of our board of directors
based on his experience in the healthcare technology industry and his extensive knowledge of our company.
John Gallagher. Mr. Gallagher has served as our Chief Financial Officer since March 2021. Prior to this, Mr. Gallagher served in various capacities at Becton, Dickinson & Company, or BD, a public multinational medical technology company, including Senior Vice
President, Chief Financial Officer, Medical Segment and Treasurer from July 2018 to February 2021, Senior Vice President, Corporate Finance, with responsibility for Financial,
Planning & Analysis, Treasury and Chief Accounting Officer/Controller from December 2014 to July 2018 and Vice President, Treasurer from September 2012 to December 2014. Prior to BD, Mr. Gallagher served as Vice President, Financial Planning and Analysis for NBCUniversal Media, LLC, or NBC, an
American mass media and entertainment conglomerate, from October 2009 to September 2012. Prior to NBC, Mr. Gallagher served as Assistant Controller, Corporate Treasury for General Electric Company, a public multinational conglomerate, from October 2006 to October 2009. Mr. Gallagher holds a bachelor
of science degree in finance from Clemson University and received his master of business administration degree from the University of Pittsburgh.
Erica Palsis. Ms. Palsis has served as our General Counsel since February 2021. She was previously General Counsel, Corporate Secretary and
Privacy Officer at Livongo Health, Inc. (acquired by Teladoc Health, Inc. in October 2020), a public consumer digital health company, from December 2018 to October 2020 and Vice
President and Associate General Counsel from March 2017 to December 2018. Ms. Palsis also served as Corporate Counsel for
Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, Inc., a public company providing practice management and electronic health record technology, from May 2014 to March 2017, and Associate Corporate
Counsel from March 2010 to May 2014. Ms. Palsis received her Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Loyola
University Chicago and Juris Doctor from DePaul University College of Law.
Clint Sever. Mr. Sever is the co-founder of our company and has served as our Chief Product Officer since January 2010. He holds a B.S. in retail and consumer science from the University of Arizona.
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Non-Employee Directors
Chris Achar. Mr. Achar has served as a member of our board of directors since May 2018. Mr. Achar is the founder of Genzum Life Sciences, Inc.,
a pharmaceutical company, and has served as its chief executive officer since 2010. Prior, Mr. Achar founded Synergy Ventures, a venture capital company where he serves as a general
partner, whose investments include seed stage funding to several medical technology companies including Cue BioPharma Inc.
and Provention Bio Inc. Mr. Achar has served as a member of the board of directors of the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship since 2018. Mr. Achar holds a bachelor's degree in
Business Marketing from California State University and a masters in business administration from Pepperdine University School of Business. We believe Mr. Achar is qualified to serve as a member of our board of directors based on his experience as a healthcare executive and an investor in multiple healthcare and biotech companies.
Xiangmin Cui. Dr. Cui has served as a member of our board of directors since June 2020. He is Founder and Managing Director of Decheng
Capital, an investment firm focused on life sciences companies. Prior to founding Decheng, Dr. Cui was an investment partner at Bay City Capital, an international life
science venture capital firm in San Francisco, California. Dr. Cui was previously director of strategic investment for the Southern Research Institute, a not-for-profit research organization. Prior to that, Dr. Cui co-founded two biopharmaceutical companies, where he led
efforts in discovery and development of several key technologies in the fields of oncology, cardiology, infectious and inflammatory diseases. Dr. Cui has served on the
board of directors of Alpine Immune Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALPN), a public clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, since January 2019. From August 2017 to May 2018, Dr. Cui served as a member of the board of directors of ARMO BioSciences, Inc., a publicly traded immuno-oncology company
acquired by Eli Lilly and Company in May 2018. Dr. Cui also serves on the boards of directors of several private companies. Dr. Cui holds a Ph.D. in Cancer Biology from
Stanford University and a B.S. and an M.S. in Molecular Biology from Peking University. We believe that Dr. Cui’s venture capital and management experience in the pharmaceuticals industry provides him with the qualifications and skills necessary to serve as a member
of our board of directors.
Robin Farias-Eisner. Dr. Farias-Eisner has served as a member of our board of directors since October 2013. Dr. Farias-Eisner has served as the director
of the Hereditary Cancer Center at Creighton University School of Medicine and professor in obstetrics and gynecology since 2019. Prior to that, Dr. Farias-Eisner served as chief of
gynecology oncology and vice chair of administration in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the UCLA Medical
Center from July 1986 until July 2019. Dr. Farias-Eisner received holds a B.S. in biochemistry and a Ph.D. in molecular biology from the University of California, Los Angeles and a
M.D. from the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin Ireland. We believe that Dr. Farias-Eisner’s decades-long experience as a professor and chief of Gynecology Oncology at the UCLA Medical Center provides him with the qualifications and skills necessary to serve as a member of our board of
directors.
Rohan Oza. Mr. Oza has served as a member of our board of directors since July 2015. Mr. Oza has served as the Co-Chairman of HumanCo
Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company, since December 2020. Mr. Oza has served as co-founder and managing partner of CAVU Venture Partners since June 2015. Prior
to that, Mr. Oza served as partner and Chief Marketing Officer of Glacéau from 2002 until The Coca-Cola Company purchased
Glacéau for $4.1 billion in 2007. Mr. Oza served as a marketing manager for The Coca-Cola Company prior to joining Glacéau in 2002. Some of Mr. Oza’s latest ventures include
Popchips, Vita Coco and Bai. Mr. Oza is also a recurring Guest Shark on ABC’s Shark Tank. Mr. Oza received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Nottingham and an MBA from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. We believe Mr. Oza’s experience in manufacturing
and supply chain management and his investment experience provide him with the qualifications to serve as a member of our board of directors.
Scott Stanford. Mr. Stanford has served as a member of our board of directors since December 2017. Mr. Stanford has served as the co-founder of several companies, including ACME, LLC and its affiliates, a venture capital firm, since February 2013; and Silicon
Foundry, a membership-based corporate advisory platform, since February 2013. Prior to these roles, Mr. Stanford served
as a managing director at Goldman Sachs from June 2004 until February 2013. Mr. Stanford also serves as a member of the board of directors of several private companies, including Astra Space, Inc., an orbital launch company, since December 2017; Wag Labs, Inc., a pet care technology company, since
December 2017; Curology, Inc., a direct to consumer prescription skincare company, since September 2015; Luka, Inc., an
artificial intelligence and software development company, since April 2016; and BFA
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Industries (formerly known as ipsy) a personalized beauty commerce company, since
September 2015. Mr. Stanford holds an MBA from Harvard Business School. We believe Mr. Stanford is qualified to serve as a member of our board of directors based on his experience as a director of multiple technology and healthcare companies.
Board Composition and Election of Directors
Board Composition
Our board of directors currently consists of six members. Our
directors hold office until their successors have been elected and qualified or until the earlier of their death, resignation or removal.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and bylaws
that will become effective immediately prior to the completion of this offering provide that the authorized number of directors may be changed only by resolution of our board of directors. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and
bylaws will also provide that our directors may be removed only for cause by the affirmative vote of the holders of 75% of our shares of capital stock present in person or by proxy and entitled to vote, and that any vacancy on our board of
directors, including a vacancy resulting from an enlargement of our board of directors, may be filled only by vote of a majority of our directors then in office.
In accordance with the terms of our amended and restated certificate
of incorporation and bylaws that will become effective immediately prior to the completion of this offering, our board of directors will be divided into three classes, class I, class II and class III, with members of each class serving staggered
three-year terms. Immediately prior to the completion of this offering, the members of the classes will be divided as follows:
•
|
the class I directors will be and , and their term will expire at the annual meeting of stockholders to be held in
2022;
|
•
|
the class II directors will and , and their term will expire at the annual meeting of stockholders to be held in 2023;
and
|
•
|
the class III directors will be and , and their term will expire at the annual meeting of stockholders to be held in
2024.
|
Upon the expiration of the term of a class of directors, directors
in that class will be eligible to be elected for a new three-year term at the annual meeting of stockholders in the year in which their term expires.
The classification of our board of directors may have the effect of
delaying or preventing changes in our control or management. See “Description of Capital Stock—Delaware Anti-Takeover Law and Certain Charter and Bylaw Provisions.”
Director Independence
Applicable Nasdaq rules require a majority of a listed company’s
board of directors to be comprised of independent directors within one year of listing. In addition, Nasdaq rules require that, subject to specified exceptions, each member of a listed company’s audit, compensation and nominating and corporate
governance committees be independent under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act. Audit committee members must also satisfy the independence criteria set forth in Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act and compensation
committee members must also satisfy the independence criteria set forth in Rule 10C-1 under the Exchange Act. Under applicable Nasdaq rules, a director will only qualify as an “independent director” if, in the opinion of the listed company’s
board of directors, that person does not have a relationship that would interfere with the exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director. In order to be considered independent for purposes of Rule 10A-3, a
member of an audit committee of a listed company may not, other than in his or her capacity as a member of the audit committee, the board of directors or any other board committee, accept, directly or indirectly, any consulting, advisory or
other compensatory fee from the listed company or any of its subsidiaries or otherwise be an affiliated person of the listed company or any of its subsidiaries. In order to be considered independent for purposes of Rule 10C-1, the board must
consider, for each member of a compensation committee of a listed company, all factors specifically relevant to determining whether a director has a relationship to such company which is material to that director’s ability to be independent
from management in connection with the duties of a compensation committee member, including, but not limited to: (1) the source of compensation of the director, including any consulting advisory or other compensatory fee paid by such company to
the director; and (2) whether the director is affiliated with the company or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates.
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In 2021, our board of directors undertook a review of the
composition of our board of directors and its committees and the independence of each director. Based upon information requested from and provided by each director concerning his or her background, employment and affiliations, including family
relationships, our board of directors has determined that each of our directors, with the exception of , is an “independent director” as defined under applicable Nasdaq rules, including, in the case of all the members of our audit
committee, the independence criteria set forth in Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act, and in the case of all the members of our compensation committee, the independence criteria set forth in Rule 10C-1 under the Exchange Act. In making such
determination, our board of directors considered the relationships that each such non-employee director has with our company and all other facts and circumstances that our board of directors deemed relevant in determining his or her
independence, including the beneficial ownership of our capital stock by each non-employee director.
There are no family relationships among any of our directors or executive officers.
Board Committees
Our board of directors will establish an audit committee, a
compensation committee and a nominating and corporate governance committee, each of which will operate under a charter to be adopted by our board of directors. The composition of each committee will be effective as of the date of this prospectus.
Audit Committee
The members of our audit committee are , and . is the
chair of the audit committee. Effective at the time of this offering, our audit committee’s responsibilities will include:
•
|
appointing, approving the compensation of, and assessing the independence of our registered public accounting firm;
|
•
|
overseeing the work of our independent registered public accounting firm, including through the receipt and consideration of
reports from that firm;
|
•
|
reviewing and discussing with management and our independent registered public accounting firm our annual and quarterly
financial statements and related disclosures;
|
•
|
monitoring our internal control over financial reporting, disclosure controls and procedures and code of business conduct and
ethics;
|
•
|
overseeing our internal audit function;
|
•
|
overseeing our risk assessment and risk management policies;
|
•
|
establishing policies regarding hiring employees from our independent registered public accounting firm and procedures for the
receipt and retention of accounting related complaints and concerns;
|
•
|
meeting independently with our internal auditing staff, if any, our independent registered public accounting firm and
management;
|
•
|
reviewing and approving or ratifying any related person transactions; and
|
•
|
preparing the audit committee report required by Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, rules.
|
All audit and non-audit services, other than de minimis non-audit services, to be provided to us by our independent registered public accounting firm must be approved in advance by our audit committee.
Our board of directors has determined that is an “audit
committee financial expert” as defined in applicable SEC rules and that each of the members of our audit committee possesses the financial sophistication required for audit committee members under Nasdaq rules. We believe that the composition
of our audit committee will meet the requirements for independence under current Nasdaq and SEC rules and regulations.
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Compensation Committee
The members of our compensation committee are , and .
is the chair of the compensation committee. Effective at the time of this offering, our compensation committee’s responsibilities will include:
•
|
reviewing and approving, or making recommendations to our board of directors with respect to, the compensation of our chief
executive officer and our other executive officers;
|
•
|
overseeing an evaluation of our senior executives;
|
•
|
overseeing and administering our cash and equity incentive plans;
|
•
|
reviewing and making recommendations to our board of directors with respect to director compensation;
|
•
|
reviewing and discussing annually with management our “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” disclosure if and to the extent
then required by SEC rules; and
|
•
|
preparing the compensation committee report if and to the extent then required by SEC rules.
|
We believe that the composition of our compensation committee
will meet the requirements for independence under current Nasdaq and SEC rules and regulations.
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
The members of our nominating and corporate governance committee are
, and . is the chair of the nominating and corporate governance committee. Effective at the time of this offering, our nominating and corporate governance committee’s responsibilities will include:
•
|
recommending to our board of directors the persons to be nominated for election as directors and to each of our board’s
committees;
|
•
|
reviewing and making recommendations to our board with respect to our board leadership structure;
|
•
|
reviewing and making recommendations to our board with respect to management succession planning;
|
•
|
developing and recommending to our board of directors corporate governance principles; and
|
•
|
overseeing a periodic evaluation of our board of directors.
|
We believe that the composition of our nominating and corporate
governance committee will meet the requirements for independence under current Nasdaq and SEC rules and regulations.
Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation
None of our executive officers serves, or in the past year has
served, as a member of the board of directors or compensation committee, or other committee serving an equivalent function, of any other entity that has one or more of its executive officers serving as a member of our board of directors or our
compensation committee. None of the members of our compensation committee is, or has ever been, an officer or employee of our company.
Role of the Board in Risk Oversight
Our board of directors has an active role, as a whole and also at
the committee level, in overseeing the management of our risks. Our board of directors is responsible for general oversight of risks and regular review of information regarding our risks, including operational risks and the other most significant
risks we face and our general risk management strategies. The compensation committee is responsible for overseeing the management of risks relating to our executive compensation plans and arrangements. The audit committee is responsible for
overseeing the management of financial and cybersecurity risks. The nominating and corporate governance committee is responsible for overseeing the management of risks associated with the independence of our board of directors and potential
conflicts of interest. Although each committee is responsible for evaluating certain risks and overseeing the management of such risks, the entire board of directors is regularly informed through discussions from committee members about such
risks. Our board of directors believes its administration of its risk oversight function has not negatively affected our board of directors’ leadership structure.
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Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct
We intend to adopt a written code of business conduct and ethics
that applies to our directors, officers and employees, including our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions. We intend to post a current copy
of the code on our website, www.cuehealth.com. In addition, we intend to post on our website all disclosures that are required by law or listing standards concerning any amendments to, or waivers from, any provision of the code.
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The following discussion relates to the compensation of Ayub
Khattak, our chief executive officer and Clint Sever, our chief product officer. Mr. Khattak and Mr. Sever are together referred to in this prospectus as our named executive officers.
In preparing to become a public company, we have begun a thorough
review of all elements of our executive compensation program, including the function and design of our equity incentive programs. We have begun, and expect to continue in the coming months, to evaluate the need for revisions to our executive
compensation program to ensure that our program is competitive with the companies with which we compete for executive talent and is appropriate for a public company. This discussion may contain forward-looking statements that are based on our
current plans, considerations, expectations and determinations regarding future compensation programs.
Summary Compensation Table
The following table sets forth information regarding the
compensation awarded to, earned by or paid to each of our named executive officers for the year ended December 31, 2020.
Ayub Khattak
Chief Executive Officer
|
|
|
2020
|
|
|
$276,923 (3)
|
|
|
$250,000
|
|
|
$6,930,773
|
|
|
$ 8,694 (4)
|
|
|
$7,466,390
|
Clint Sever
Chief Product Officer
|
|
|
2020
|
|
|
$243,235 (5)
|
|
|
$233,331
|
|
|
$3,465,387
|
|
|
$257,155 (6)
|
|
|
$4,199,108
|
(1)
|
Except where noted otherwise, the amounts reported in the “Bonus” column reflect discretionary annual cash bonuses earned by
each of our named executive officers for their performance, as determined by the board of directors in its sole discretion.
|
(2)
|
The amounts noted above relate to the purchase of shares of common stock in exchange for promissory notes issued by each of
Mr. Khattak and Mr. Sever to us, which notes are partially personally recourse and secured by the shares of common stock purchased therewith. Pursuant to ASC 718, these instruments are treated as grants of stock options for accounting
purposes and the amount disclosed is the grant date fair value of these instruments. The assumptions used in calculating the grant date fair value of these instruments are set forth in Note 13 to the audited financial statements
included elsewhere in this prospectus.
|
(3)
|
The amount noted above reflects a $150,000 increase in Mr. Khattak’s annual base salary, which took effect as of August 20, 2020.
|
(4)
|
The amount noted above consists of premiums for medical, vision, dental, and life insurance paid for by us.
|
(5)
|
The amount noted above reflects a $145,000 increase in Mr. Sever’s annual base salary, which took effect August 20, 2020.
|
(6)
|
The amount noted above consists of compensation resulting from forgiveness of indebtedness of $246,142 and premiums for medical,
dental, and life insurance paid for by us.
|
Narrative to Summary Compensation Table
Base Salary.
In 2020, we paid Mr. Khattak an annualized base salary of $225,000 until August 20, 2020, when his annualized base
salary was increased by our board of directors to $375,000. In 2020, we paid
Mr. Sever an annualized base salary of $205,000 until August 20, 2020, when his annualized base salary was increased by our board of directors to $350,000. Neither of
our named executive officers is currently party to an employment agreement or other agreement or arrangement that provides for automatic or scheduled increases in base salary.
We use base salaries to attract and retain qualified talent and sets
salaries at a level that is commensurate with the executive’s duties and authorities, contributions, prior experience and sustained performance. We also use base salaries to recognize the experience, skills, knowledge and responsibilities
required of all employees, including our named executive officers.
Annual Bonus.
Our board of directors may, in its discretion, award bonuses to our named executive officers from time to time. Our employment agreements or offer letters, as applicable, with our named executive
officers provide that they will be eligible for annual performance-based bonuses up to a specified percentage of their salary or target dollar amount, subject
to approval by our board of directors. Performance-based bonuses, which are calculated as a percentage of base salary, are designed to motivate our employees to achieve annual goals based on our
strategic, financial and operating performance objectives. From time to time, our board of directors approved discretionary annual cash bonuses to our named
executive officers with respect to their prior year performance.
On August 20, 2020, our compensation committee established that
Mr. Khattak and Mr. Sever would be eligible for a bonus of up to 33.33% of their then-current base salary for the fiscal year ended 2020, which was $125,000 in the case
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of Mr. Khattak, and $116,667 in the case of Mr. Sever, with the ultimate bonus
amount for each to be determined based on our overall financial performance and the level of such executive’s contribution to our overall financial performance, as determined at the discretion of the compensation committee after completion of our
fiscal year. As a result, our compensation committee approved bonus payments of $250,000 and $233,331 for Mr. Khattak and Mr. Sever, respectively.
Equity Incentives. Although we do not have a formal policy with respect to the grant of equity incentive awards to its executive officers, or any formal equity
ownership guidelines applicable to them, we believe that equity grants provide its executive officers with a strong link to its long-term performance, create an ownership culture and help to align the interests of executive officers and stockholders. In addition, we believe that equity grants with a time-based vesting feature promote executive retention
because this feature incentivizes our executive officers to remain employed during the vesting period. In addition, our board of directors periodically reviews the equity incentive compensation of our executive officers, including our named executive officers, and from time to time may grant equity incentive awards to them in the form of stock
options, restricted stock or restricted stock units.
Outstanding Equity Awards at 2020 Fiscal Year-End
The following table sets forth information regarding all outstanding
equity awards held by each of our named executive officers as of December 31, 2020:
Ayub Khattak
|
|
|
295,900
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
0.40
|
|
|
07/29/2024
|
|
|
305,517(4)
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2,099,304(5)
|
|
|
$
|
Clint Sever
|
|
|
729,166
|
|
|
104,167(2)
|
|
|
0.48
|
|
|
08/07/2028
|
|
|
55,000(6)
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
989,447
|
|
|
141,350(3)
|
|
|
0.48
|
|
|
08/07/2028
|
|
|
1,075,253(7)
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
295,900
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
0.40
|
|
|
07/29/2024
|
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
|
|
880,000
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
0.20
|
|
|
12/31/2022
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
400,000
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
0.20
|
|
|
07/11/2021
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1)
|
The market price of common stock is based on an assumed initial public offering price of $ per share, which is the midpoint
of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus.
|
(2)
|
These options were granted on August 8, 2018 and vest over four years in equal monthly installments, subject to continuous
service. On December 29, 2020, our board of directors approved accelerated vesting of 50% of the unvested options as of January 1, 2021, effective as of December 29, 2020. The share numbers in the table reflect this acceleration.
|
(3)
|
These options were granted on August 8, 2018 and vest over four years, with 25% of the shares having vested on December 31,
2018, and the remainder vesting in equal monthly installments thereafter, subject to continuous service. On December 29, 2020, our board of directors approved accelerated vesting of 50% of the unvested options as of January 1, 2021,
effective as of December 29, 2020. The share numbers in the table reflect this acceleration.
|
(4)
|
These restricted stock awards were granted on August 8, 2018 and vest over four years, with 25% of the shares having vested on
December 31, 2018, and the remainder vesting in equal monthly installments thereafter, subject to continuing service. On December 29, 2020, our board of directors approved accelerated vesting of 50% of the unvested shares as of January 1,
2021, effective as of December 29, 2020. The share numbers in the table reflect this acceleration.
|
(5)
|
These restricted stock awards were granted on July 24, 2020 and vest over four years in equal monthly installments, subject to
continuing service. On December 29, 2020, our board of directors approved accelerated vesting of 50% of the unvested shares as of January 1, 2021, effective as of December 29, 2020. The share numbers in the table reflect this
acceleration.
|
(6)
|
These restricted stock awards were granted on August 8, 2018 and vest over four years, with 25% of the shares having vested on
December 31, 2018, and the remainder vesting in equal monthly installments thereafter, subject to continuing service. On December 29, 2020, our board of directors approved accelerated vesting of 50% of the unvested shares as of January 1,
2021, effective as of December 29, 2020. The share numbers in the table reflect this acceleration.
|
(7)
|
These restricted stock awards were granted on July 24, 2020 and vest over four years in equal monthly installments, subject to
continuing service. On December 29, 2020, our board of directors approved accelerated vesting of 50% of the unvested shares as of January 1, 2021, effective as of December 29, 2020. The share numbers in the table reflect this
acceleration.
|
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Employment Agreements
All of our named executive officers and other executive officers are
employees-at-will and do not have employment agreements with us, except as described below.
Employment Agreement with John Gallagher
In connection with our initial hiring of Mr. Gallagher as our chief
financial officer, we entered into an employment agreement with him effective February 23, 2021, which we refer to as the Gallagher agreement. Under the Gallagher agreement, Mr. Gallagher is an at-will employee, and his employment with us can be
terminated by him or us at any time and for any reason upon written notice.
The Gallagher agreement provides that Mr. Gallagher is entitled to
an annualized base salary of $550,000, and that he is eligible, at our sole discretion, to earn an annual performance bonus of up to 50% of his base salary based upon the achievement of corporate and individual goals, as agreed by our board.
Additionally, the Gallagher agreement provides for a $400,000 signing bonus, $250,000 of which was paid upon his commencement of employment, and the remaining $150,000 of which will be paid on the six-month anniversary of his commencement of
employment, provided he remains employed on such date. Mr. Gallagher’s agreement also provides for the award of 549,499 restricted stock units, which refer to as the Gallagher RSU Award, which was granted to Mr. Gallagher on March 1, 2021. The
Gallagher RSU Award vests with respect to one-fourth of the shares of our stock subject to the award on each of the first four anniversaries of the grant date, provided Mr. Gallagher continues to provide services to us through the relevant
vesting dates. Additionally, 25% of the Gallagher RSU award will vest upon the closing of a going public event, as is defined in the Gallagher agreement and to include this offering, with the remaining unvested portion of the Gallagher RSU Award
vesting in equal quarterly installments following the closing of the going public event. Finally, Mr. Gallagher is entitled under the Gallagher agreement to reimbursement for business expenses pursuant to company policy and reimbursement of up to
$100,000 in relocation expenses.
Under the Gallagher agreement, Mr. Gallagher is entitled, subject to
his execution and nonrevocation of a separation agreement and a general release of claims in our favor, in the event of the termination of his employment by us without cause or by him with good reason, each as defined in the Gallagher agreement,
to (i) continue to receive his annual base salary, payable in equal installments, during the nine-month period following his termination date, (ii) our payment of COBRA premiums for health benefit coverage on his behalf, for a period of nine
months following his termination date, at the same rate as we pay for active employees, subject to applicable COBRA terms and in compliance with applicable non-discrimination or other requirements under the law, (iii) receive any annual
discretionary bonus for the preceding calendar year that our board of directors has approved but not yet paid, (iv) receive an amount equal to a pro rata portion of his target bonus for the year of his termination, (v) if such termination occurs
prior to the one-year anniversary of the RSU Award grant date, accelerated vesting of the number of shares subject to the RSU Award that would have vested between the grant date and his termination date had the RSU Award vested on a 1/48 per
month basis following the grant date, and (v) if such termination occurs within the 60 days prior to or the one year following a change in control of the company (as defined in the Gallagher agreement), the accelerated vesting of 100% of his
then-outstanding equity awards which vest solely based on continued service.
Employment Agreement with Erica Palsis
In connection with our initial hiring of Ms. Palsis as our general
counsel, we entered into an employment agreement, with her effective February 1, 2021, which we refer to as the Palsis agreement. Under the Palsis agreement, Ms. Palsis is an at-will employee, and her employment with us can be terminated by her
or us at any time and for any reason upon written notice.
The agreement provides that Ms. Palsis is entitled to an annualized
base salary of $360,000, and that she is eligible, at our sole discretion, to earn an annual bonus of 33% of her base salary based upon the achievement of corporate and individual goals, as agreed by the board of directors. Ms. Palsis’ agreement
also provided for the award of 499,544 restricted stock units, which we refer to as the Palsis RSU Award, which was granted to Ms. Palsis on February 1, 2021. The Palsis RSU Award vests with respect to one-fourth of the shares of our stock
subject to the award on each of the first four anniversaries of the grant date, provided Ms. Palsis continues to provide services to us through the relevant vesting dates. The Palsis agreement also provides for our reimbursement of her business
expenses pursuant to company policy.
Under the Palsis agreement, Ms. Palsis is entitled, subject to her
execution and nonrevocation of a separation agreement and a general release of claims in our favor, in the event of the termination of her employment by us
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without cause or by Ms. Palsis with good reason, each as defined in the Palsis
agreement, to: (i) continue to receive her annual base salary, payable in equal installments, during the nine-month period following her termination date, (ii) our payment of COBRA premiums for health benefit coverage on her behalf, for a period
of nine months following her termination date, at the same rate as we pay for active employees, subject to applicable COBRA terms and in compliance with applicable non-discrimination or other requirements under the law, (iii) receive any annual
discretionary bonus for the preceding calendar year that our board has approved but not yet paid, (iv) if such termination occurs prior to the one-year anniversary of the RSU Award grant date, accelerated vesting of the number of shares subject
to the RSU Award that would have vested between the grant date and her termination date had the RSU Award vested on a 1/48 per month basis following the grant date, and (v) if such termination occurs within the 60 days prior to or the one year
following a change in control of the company (as defined in the Palsis agreement), accelerated vesting of 100% of her then-outstanding equity awards which vest solely based on continued service.
Employee Benefits and Perquisites
Our named executive officers participate in employee benefit
programs available to its employees generally, including a tax-qualified 401(k) plan. We did not maintain any executive-specific benefit of perquisite programs in 2020.
Equity Incentive Plan and Stock Option Awards
In this section, we describe our Amended and Restated 2014 Equity
Incentive Plan, as amended, which we refer to as the 2014 Plan, our 2021 Stock Incentive Plan, which we refer to as the 2021 Plan and our 2021 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, which we refer to as the 2021 ESPP. Prior to this offering, we granted
awards to eligible participants under our 2014 Plan. Following the effectiveness of the 2021 Plan, no additional awards will be granted under the 2014 Plan and we expect to grant awards to eligible participants from time to time only under the
2021 Plan.
Amended and Restated 2014 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended
Our 2014 Plan was initially approved by our board of directors and
stockholders in August 2014 was subsequently amended and restated in December 2017, and further amended in April 2018, September 2018, June 2020 and January 2021. The 2014 Plan provides for the grant of incentive stock options, nonqualified stock
options, stock appreciation rights, performance shares, awards of restricted stock and awards of restricted stock units. Officers and other employees, non-employee directors, consultants and advisors of Cue and its affiliates are eligible to
receive awards under the 2014 Plan; however, incentive stock options may only be granted to us or our subsidiaries’ employees. Pursuant to the terms of the 2014 Plan, our board of directors (or a committee delegated by our board of directors or
one or more officers to whom our board of directors has delegated authority) administers the plan and, subject to the terms of the 2014 Plan, selects:
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the participants to receive awards;
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the type or types of awards to be granted to each participant;
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the number of shares of common stock with respect to which an award relates;
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the terms and conditions of any award.
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Awards may be granted alone or in addition to, in tandem with, or in
substitution for any other award granted under the 2014 Plan (or any other award granted under another plan of ours or an affiliate of us). The exercise price per share of any stock options granted under the 2014 Plan may not be less than the
fair market value, as determined by our board of directors, of a share of common stock on the date of the grant unless the option is not an incentive stock option and complies with Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended,
which we refer to as the Code. We may, but are not required, to purchase shares acquired by a participant under the 2014 Plan upon the occurrence of (i) a participant’s termination of employment or service or (ii) the issuance of shares following
the participant’s termination of employment or service pursuant to the terms of an award, such as upon the exercise of an option following termination of employment. The purchase price for the shares subject to repurchase is the fair market value
of the shares on the date of the event triggering our right to purchase and may be paid by us in whole or in part with cash, provided that if we do not elect to pay the entire purchase price in cash, we must, at a minimum, pay the participant at
least 10% of the purchase price in cash and deliver the participant a promissory note with a principal amount equal to the remainder of the purchase price, on the terms set forth in the 2014 Plan.
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Subject to adjustment in the event of certain changes in our
capitalization (as described below), the maximum number of shares of common stock authorized for issuance under the 2014 Plan is shares, all of which may be issued as incentive stock options. Our board of directors may amend, suspend,
discontinue or terminate the 2014 Plan at any time, except that stockholder approval is required to (i) materially increase the maximum number of shares authorized for issuance (except as permitted upon certain changes in our capitalization, as
described below), (ii) to comply with applicable law, or (iii) for any amendment that would diminish the 2014 Plan’s protections relating to certain repricings of options and stock appreciation rights.
Effect of Certain Changes in Capitalization
If we are involved in a merger or other transaction in which our
shares of common stock or other securities are changed or exchanged; we subdivide or combine our shares of common stock or other securities or we declare a dividend payable in shares of common stock, other securities or other property; we effect
a cash dividend that exceeds, on a per share basis, 10% of the fair market value, as determined by the board, of a share at the time the dividend is declared or we effect any other dividend or other distribution on shares of our common stock or
other securities in the form of cash, or a repurchase of our shares of common stock or other securities, that our board of directors determines by resolution is special or extraordinary or that is in connection with a transaction that is a
recapitalization or reorganization; we undergo a recapitalization, combination, reclassification or other distribution of our shares of common stock without receipt of consideration by us; or any other event occurs that in the judgment of our
board of directors necessitates an adjustment to prevent dilution or enlargement of benefits or potential benefits intended to be made available under the 2014 Plan, our board of directors is required to adjust, in a manner it may deem to be
equitable, any or all of:
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the number and type of shares of common stock subject to the 2014 Plan, including the number and type of shares of common stock
that may be issued pursuant to incentive stock options;
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the number and types of shares of common stock subject to outstanding awards;
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the grant, purchase, or exercise price with respect to any award; and
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the performance goals established under any award.
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Our board of directors may also make a provision for a cash payment,
in an amount determined by our board, to the holder of an outstanding award in exchange for the cancellation of all or a portion of the award, without the consent of the holder of the award, effective at such time as may be specified by our
board. Any such adjustment to an award that is exempt from Section 409A of the Code must be made in a manner that ensures the award remains exempt from Section 409A of the Code and any such adjustment to an award that is subject to Section 409A
of the Code must be made in a manner that complies with Section 409A of the Code. No such adjustment may be made to incentive stock options to the extent that such authority would cause the 2014 Plan to violate Section 422(b) of the Code.
In the event of any reorganization, merger, consolidation,
combination or other similar corporate transaction or event, whether or not such event constitutes a change of control (as defined in the 2014 Plan), other than any such transaction in which we are the continuing corporation and in which our
outstanding common stock is not being converted into or exchanged for different securities, cash or other property, or any combination thereof, our board of directors may substitute, on an equitable basis as the board determines, for each share
of common stock then subject to an award, the number and kind of shares of stock, other securities, cash or other property to which holders of common stock are or will be entitled in respect of each share of common stock pursuant to the
transaction. In addition, in the case of a stock dividend (other than a stock dividend declared in lieu of an ordinary cash dividend) or subdivision or combination of our shares of common stock (including a reverse stock split), if no action is
taken by our board of directors, proportionate adjustments described in the foregoing discussion shall nevertheless automatically be made as of the date of such stock dividend or subdivision or combination of shares of common stock.
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Effect of Certain Corporate Transactions
Upon a change of control of Cue, our board of directors may, in its
discretion, determine that any or all outstanding awards held by participants who are then in the employ or service of us or our affiliates shall vest or be deemed to have been earned in full (assuming the maximum performance goals provided under
such award were met, if applicable). In addition, if the successor or surviving corporation (or its parent) so agrees, all outstanding awards will be assumed, or replaced with the same type of award with similar terms and conditions, by the
successor or surviving corporation (or its parent) in the change of control with appropriate adjustments. In such a case, if an award has not vested in full upon the change of control, then, if the participant is terminated without cause (as
defined in the 2014 Plan) or as a result of death or disability within one year following the change of control, the award will vest in full on the date of such termination. If the foregoing provisions do not apply, then all outstanding awards
will be cancelled as of the date of the change of control in exchange for a payment in cash and/or shares of common stock (which may include shares or other securities of any surviving or successor entity or the purchasing entity or any parent
thereof) equal to:
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in the case of an option or stock appreciation right, the excess of the fair market value as determined by our board of
directors of the shares of common stock on the date of the change of control covered by the vested portion of the option or stock appreciation right that has not been exercised over the exercise or grant price of such shares under the
award (provided that, if such fair market value does not exceed the exercise or grant price, the option or stock appreciation rate will be cancelled for no consideration);
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in the case of restricted stock and restricted stock units, the fair market value of a share on the date of the change of
control multiplied by the number of vested shares or units; and
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in the case of performance shares, the fair market value of a share on the date of the change of control multiplied by the
number of earned shares.
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In the event the holders of a majority of our voting capital stock
then outstanding, or the majority stockholders, determine to sell or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of our assets or 50% or more of our capital stock, in each case in a transaction constituting a change of control, to any of our
non-affiliate(s) or any of the majority stockholders, or to cause us to merge with or into or consolidate with any non-affiliate(s) or any of the majority stockholders, or in each case, the Buyer, in a bona fide negotiated transaction, which we
refer to as a Sale, participants who have acquired shares pursuant to the 2014 Plan are obligated to and must upon the written request of the majority stockholders, among other things, sell, transfer and deliver, or cause to be sold, transferred
and delivered, to the Buyer, some or all of such shares (including for this purpose all of such shares of common stock that presently or as a result of any such transaction may be acquired upon the exercise of an option (following the payment of
the exercise price for such option)) on substantially the same terms applicable to the majority stockholders (with appropriate adjustments to reflect the conversion of convertible securities, the redemption of redeemable securities and the
exercise of exercisable securities as well as the relative preferences and priorities of preferred stock). These rights terminate as to any shares of common stock upon the earlier of (i) the first sale of shares of common stock to the general
public in an initial public offering, or (ii) the occurrence of a change of control in which the successor corporation has equity securities that are publicly traded.
As of March 31, 2021, there were 1,049,043 shares subject to
outstanding restricted stock units under the 2014 Plan. In addition, as of March 31, 2021, there were options to purchase 8,072,341 shares of common stock outstanding under the 2014 Plan at a weighted-average exercise price of $6.19 per share
and shares of common stock were available for future issuance under the 2014 Plan. No further awards will be made under the 2014 Plan on or after the effectiveness of the registration statement for this offering; however, awards
outstanding under the 2014 Plan will continue to be governed by their existing terms.
2021 Stock Incentive Plan
We expect our board of directors to adopt and our stockholders to
approve the 2021 Plan, which will become effective immediately prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. The 2021 Plan provides for the grant of incentive stock options, nonstatutory stock
options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock awards, restricted stock units and other stock-based awards. Upon effectiveness of the 2021 Plan, the number of shares of our common stock that will be reserved for issuance under the 2021 Plan
will be the sum of: (1) shares; plus (2) the number of shares as is equal to the sum of (x) the number of shares of our common stock reserved for issuance under the 2014 Plan that remain available for grant under the 2014 Plan immediately
prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part and (y) the number of shares
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of our common stock subject to outstanding awards under the 2014 Plan that expire,
terminate or are otherwise surrendered, canceled, forfeited or repurchased by us at their original issuance price pursuant to a contractual repurchase right; plus (3) an annual increase, to be added on the first day of each fiscal year,
commencing on January 1, 2022 and continuing for each fiscal year until, and including, January 1, 2031, equal to the lesser of (i) % of the number of shares of our common stock outstanding on the first day of such fiscal year and (ii) the
number of shares of our common stock determined by our board of directors. Subject to adjustment in the event of a change in capitalization or reorganization, up to of the shares of our common stock available for issuance under the 2021 Plan
may be issued as incentive stock options.
Our employees, officers, directors, consultants and advisors will be
eligible to receive awards under the 2021 Plan. Incentive stock options, however, may only be granted to our employees.
Pursuant to the terms of the 2021 Plan, our board of directors (or a
committee delegated by our board of directors) will administer the plan and, subject to any limitations in the plan, will select the recipients of awards and determine:
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the number of shares of our common stock covered by options and the dates upon which the options become exercisable;
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the type of options to be granted;
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the duration of options, which may not be in excess of ten years;
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the exercise price of options, which must be at least equal to the fair market value of our common stock on the date of grant;
and
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the number of shares of our common stock subject to and the terms of any stock appreciation rights, restricted stock awards,
restricted stock units or other stock-based awards and the terms and conditions of such awards, including conditions for repurchase, issue price and repurchase price (though the measurement price of stock appreciation rights must be at
least equal to the fair market value of our common stock on the date of grant and the duration of such awards may not be in excess of ten years).
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If our board of directors delegates authority to one or more of our
officers to grant awards under the 2021 Plan, the officers will have the power to make awards to all of our employees, except officers and executive officers (as such terms are defined in the 2021 plan). Our board of directors will fix the terms
of the awards to be granted by any such officer, the maximum number of shares subject to awards that such officer may make, and the time period in which such awards may be granted.
The 2021 Plan contains limits on compensation that may be paid to
our non-employee directors. In any calendar year, the maximum aggregate amount of cash and value (calculated based on grant date fair value for financial reporting purposes) of awards granted under the 2021 Plan to an individual non-employee
director in his or her capacity as a non-employee director may not exceed $ . However, this maximum aggregate amount may not exceed $ in any calendar year, for any individual non-employee director in that non-employee director’s initial year
of service. Fees paid by us on behalf of any non-employee director in connection with regulatory compliance and any amounts paid to a non-employee director as reimbursement of an expense will not count towards this limitation. Our board of
directors may make additional exceptions to this limit for individual non-employee directors in extraordinary circumstances, provided that the non-employee director receiving such additional compensation may not participate in the decision to
award such compensation. This limitation does not apply to cash or awards granted to a non-employee director in his or her capacity as an advisor or consultant to the Company.
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Effect of Certain Changes in Capitalization
Upon the occurrence of any stock split, reverse stock split, stock
dividend, recapitalization, combination of shares, reclassification of shares, spin-off or other similar change in capitalization or event, or any dividend or distribution to holders of our common stock other than an ordinary cash dividend, under
the terms of the 2021 Plan, we are required to equitably adjust (or make substitute awards, if applicable), in the manner determined by our board of directors:
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the number and class of securities available under the 2021 Plan, and the number and class of securities available for issuance
under the 2021 Plan that may be issued as incentive stock options;
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the share counting rules of the 2021 Plan;
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the number and class of securities and exercise price per share of each outstanding option;
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the share and per-share provisions and the measurement price of each outstanding stock appreciation right;
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the number of shares subject to, and the repurchase price per share subject to, each outstanding award of restricted stock; and
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the share and per-share related provisions and the purchase price, if any, of each outstanding award of restricted stock units
and each outstanding other stock-based award.
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Effect of Certain Corporate Transactions
Upon the occurrence of a merger or other reorganization event (as
defined in the 2021 Plan), our board of directors may, on such terms as our board determines (except to the extent specifically provided otherwise in an applicable award agreement or other agreement between the participant and us), take any one
or more of the following actions pursuant to the 2021 Plan as to all or any (or any portion of) outstanding awards, other than awards of restricted stock:
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provide that outstanding awards will be assumed, or substantially equivalent awards will be substituted, by the acquiring or
succeeding corporation (or an affiliate of the acquiring or succeeding corporation);
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upon written notice to a participant, provide that all of the participant's unvested awards will be forfeited immediately prior
to the consummation of the reorganization event, and/or that all of the participant’s vested but unexercised awards will terminate immediately prior to the consummation of the reorganization event unless exercised by the participant (to
the extent then exercisable) within a specified period following the date of the notice;
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provide that outstanding awards will become exercisable, realizable or deliverable, or restrictions applicable to an award will
lapse, in whole or in part, prior to or upon such reorganization event;
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in the event of a reorganization event pursuant to which holders of shares of our common stock will receive a cash payment for
each share surrendered in the reorganization event, make or provide for a cash payment to participants with respect to each award held by a participant equal to (1) the number of shares of our common stock subject to the vested portion of
the award (after giving effect to any acceleration of vesting that occurs upon or immediately prior to such reorganization event) multiplied by (2) the excess, if any, of the cash payment for each share surrendered in the reorganization
event over the exercise, measurement or purchase price of such award and any applicable tax withholdings, in exchange for the termination of such award; and/or
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provide that, in connection with our liquidation or dissolution, awards will convert into the right to receive liquidation
proceeds (if applicable, net of the exercise, measurement or purchase price thereof and any applicable tax withholdings).
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Our board of directors is not obligated under the 2021 Plan to treat
all awards, all awards held by a participant, or all awards of the same type, identically.
In the case of certain restricted stock units, no assumption or
substitution is permitted, and the restricted stock units will instead be settled in accordance with the terms of the applicable restricted stock unit agreement.
Upon the occurrence of a reorganization event other than our
liquidation or dissolution, our repurchase and other rights with respect to outstanding awards of restricted stock will continue for the benefit of the succeeding company
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and will, unless our board of directors determines otherwise, apply to the cash,
securities, or other property which our common stock was converted into or exchanged for pursuant to the reorganization event in the same manner and to the same extent as they applied to the common stock subject to the restricted stock award.
However, the board may provide for the termination or deemed satisfaction of such repurchase or other rights under the restricted stock award agreement or in any other agreement between a participant and us, either initially or by amendment. Upon
our liquidation or dissolution, except to the extent specifically provided to the contrary in the restricted stock award agreement or any other agreement between the participant and us, all restrictions and conditions on all restricted stock
awards then outstanding will automatically be deemed terminated or satisfied.
At any time, our board of directors may provide that any award under
the 2021 Plan will become immediately exercisable in whole or in part, free of some or all restrictions or conditions, or otherwise realizable in whole or in part as the case may be.
Except with respect to certain actions requiring stockholder
approval under the Code or Nasdaq rules, our board of directors may amend, modify or terminate any outstanding award under the 2021 Plan, including but not limited to, substituting for the award another award of the same or a different type,
changing the date of exercise or realization, and converting an incentive stock option to a nonstatutory stock option, subject to certain participant consent requirements. However, unless our stockholders approve such action, the 2021 Plan
provides that we may not (except as otherwise permitted in connection with a change in capitalization or reorganization event):
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amend any outstanding stock option or stock appreciation right granted under the 2021 Plan to provide an exercise or
measurement price per share that is lower than the then-current exercise or measurement price per share of such outstanding award;
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cancel any outstanding stock option or stock appreciation right (whether or not granted under the 2021 Plan) and grant a new
award under the 2021 Plan in substitution for the cancelled award (other than substitute awards permitted in connection with a merger or consolidation of an entity with us or our acquisition of property or stock of another entity)
covering the same or a different number of shares of our common stock and having an exercise or measurement price per share lower than the then-current exercise or measurement price per share of the cancelled award;
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cancel in exchange for a cash payment any outstanding option or stock appreciation right with an exercise or measurement price
per share above the then-current fair market value of our common stock (valued in the manner determined by (or in the manner approved by) our board of directors); or
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take any other action that constitutes a “repricing” within the meaning of Nasdaq rules or rules of any other exchange or
marketplace on which our common stock is listed or traded.
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No award may be granted under the 2021 Plan on or after the date
that is ten years following the effectiveness of the registration statement related to this offering. Our board of directors may amend, suspend or terminate the 2021 Plan at any time, except that stockholder approval may be required to comply
with applicable law or stock market requirements.
2021 Employee Stock Purchase Plan
We expect our board of directors to adopt and our stockholders to
approve the 2021 ESPP, which will become effective immediately prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. The 2021 ESPP will be administered by our board of directors or by a committee
appointed by our board of directors. The 2021 ESPP initially provides participating employees with the opportunity to purchase up to an aggregate of shares of our common stock. The number of shares of our common stock reserved for issuance
under the 2021 ESPP will automatically increase on the first day of each fiscal year, commencing on January 1, 2022 and continuing until, and including, January 1, 2032, in an amount equal to the lowest of (i) shares of our common stock,
(ii) % of the number of shares of our common stock outstanding on such date and (iii) a number of shares of our common stock determined by our board of directors.
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All of our employees and employees of any designated subsidiary,
as defined in the 2021 ESPP, are eligible to participate in the 2021 ESPP, provided that:
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such person is customarily employed by us or a designated subsidiary for more than 20 hours a week and for more than five
months in a calendar year;
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such person has been employed by us or by a designated subsidiary for at least three months prior to enrolling in the 2021
ESPP; and
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such person was our employee or an employee of a designated subsidiary on the first day of the applicable offering period under
the 2021 ESPP.
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We retain the discretion to determine which eligible employees may
participate in an offering under applicable regulations.
We expect to make one or more offerings to our eligible employees to
purchase stock under the 2021 ESPP beginning at such time and on such dates as our board of directors may determine, or on the first business day thereafter. Each offering will consist of a six-month offering period during which payroll
deductions will be made and held for the purchase of our common stock at the end of the offering period. Our board of directors or a committee designated by the board of directors may, at its discretion, choose a different period of not more than
12 months for offerings.
On each offering commencement date, each participant will be granted
an option to purchase, on the last business day of the offering period, up to a number of shares of our common stock determined by multiplying $2,083 by the number of full months in the offering period and dividing that product by the closing
price of our common stock on the first day of the offering period. No employee may be granted an option under the 2021 ESPP that permits the employee's rights to purchase shares under the 2021 ESPP and any other employee stock purchase plan of
ours or of any of our subsidiaries to accrue at a rate that exceeds $25,000 of the fair market value of our common stock (determined as of the first day of each offering period) for each calendar year in which the option is outstanding. In
addition, no employee may purchase shares of our common stock under the 2021 ESPP that would result in the employee owning 5% or more of the total combined voting power or value of our stock or the stock of any of our subsidiaries.
On the commencement date of each offering period, each eligible
employee may authorize up to a maximum of 15% of his or her compensation to be deducted by us during the offering period. Each employee who continues to be a participant in the 2021 ESPP on the last business day of the offering period will be
deemed to have exercised an option to purchase from us the number of whole shares of our common stock that his or her accumulated payroll deductions on such date will pay for, not in excess of the maximum numbers set forth above. Under the terms
of the 2021 ESPP, the purchase price will be determined by our board of directors or the committee for each offering period and will be at least 85% of the applicable closing price of our common stock. If our board of directors or the committee
does not make a determination of the purchase price, the purchase price will be 85% of the lesser of the closing price of our common stock on the first business day of the offering period or on the last business day of the offering period.
An employee may at any time prior to the close of business on the
fifteenth business day (or such other number of days as is determined by us) prior to the end of the offering period, and for any reason, permanently withdraw from participating in the offering and permanently withdraw the balance accumulated in
the employee's account. If an employee elects to discontinue his or her payroll deductions during an offering period but does not elect to withdraw his or her funds, funds previously deducted will be applied to the purchase of common stock at the
end of the offering period. If a participating employee's employment ends before the last business day of an offering period, no additional payroll deductions will be taken and the balance in the employee's account will be paid to the employee.
We will be required to make equitable adjustments to the extent
determined by our board of directors or a committee thereof to the number and class of securities available under the 2021 ESPP, the share limitations under the 2021 ESPP, and the purchase price for an offering period under the 2021 ESPP to
reflect stock splits, reverse stock splits, stock dividends, recapitalizations, combinations of shares, reclassifications of shares, spin-offs and other similar changes in capitalization or events or any dividends or distributions to holders of
our common stock other than ordinary cash dividends.
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In connection with a merger or other reorganization event, as
defined in the 2021 ESPP, our board of directors or a committee of our board of directors may take any one or more of the following actions as to outstanding options to purchase shares of our common stock under the 2021 ESPP on such terms as our
board of directors or committee thereof determines:
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provide that options will be assumed, or substantially equivalent options will be substituted, by the acquiring or succeeding
corporation (or an affiliate of the acquiring or succeeding corporation);
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upon written notice to employees, provide that all outstanding options will be terminated immediately prior to the consummation
of such reorganization event and that all such outstanding options will become exercisable to the extent of accumulated payroll deductions as of a date specified by our board of directors or committee thereof in such notice, which date
will not be less than ten days preceding the effective date of the reorganization event;
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upon written notice to employees, provide that all outstanding options will be cancelled as of a date prior to the effective
date of the reorganization event and that all accumulated payroll deductions will be returned to participating employees on such date; and/or
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in the event of a reorganization event under the terms of which holders of our common stock will receive upon consummation
thereof a cash payment for each share surrendered in the reorganization event, change the last day of the offering period to be the date of the consummation of the reorganization event and make or provide for a cash payment to each
employee equal to (1) the cash payment for each share surrendered in the reorganization event times the number of shares of our common stock that the employee's accumulated payroll deductions as of immediately prior to the reorganization
event could purchase at the applicable purchase price, where the cash payment for each share surrendered in the reorganization event is treated as the fair market value of our common stock on the last day of the applicable offering period
for purposes of determining the purchase price and where the number of shares that could be purchased is subject to the applicable limitations under the 2021 ESPP minus (2) the result of multiplying such number of shares by the purchase
price; and/or provide that, in connection with our liquidation or dissolution, options will convert into the right to receive liquidation proceeds (net of the purchase price thereof).
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Our board of directors may at any time, and from time to time, amend
or suspend the 2021 ESPP or any portion of the 2021 ESPP. We will obtain stockholder approval for any amendment if such approval is required by Section 423 of the Code. Further, our board of directors may not make any amendment that would cause
the 2021 ESPP to fail to comply with Section 423 of the Code. The 2021 ESPP may be terminated at any time by our board of directors. Upon termination, we will refund all amounts in the accounts of participating employees
401(k) Plan
We maintain a defined contribution employee retirement plan for our
employees, including our named executive officers. The plan is intended to qualify as a tax-qualified 401(k) plan so that contributions to the 401(k) plan, and income earned on such contributions, are not taxable to participants until withdrawn
or distributed from the 401(k) plan (except in the case of contributions under the 401(k) plan designated as Roth contributions). Under the 401(k) plan, each employee is fully vested in his or her deferred salary contributions and our
discretionary match. Employee contributions are held and invested by the plan’s trustee as directed by participants. The 401(k) plan provides us with the discretion to match employee contributions, but to date we have not provided any employer
matching contributions.
Limitation of Liability and Indemnification
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, which will
become effective immediately prior to the completion of this offering, limits the personal liability of directors for breach of fiduciary duty to the maximum extent permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law, or the DGCL, and provides that
no director will have personal liability to us or to our stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director. However, these provisions do not eliminate or limit the liability of any of our directors:
•
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for any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to us or our stockholders;
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•
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for acts or omissions not in good faith or that involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law;
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•
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for voting for or assenting to unlawful payments of dividends, stock repurchases or other distributions; or
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•
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for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit.
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Any amendment to or repeal of these provisions will not eliminate
or reduce the effect of these provisions in respect of any act, omission or claim that occurred or arose prior to such amendment or repeal. If the DGCL is amended to provide for further limitations on the personal liability of directors of
corporations, then the personal liability of our directors will be further limited to the greatest extent permitted by the DGCL.
In addition, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation,
which will become effective immediately prior to the completion of this offering, provides that we must indemnify our directors and officers and we must advance expenses, including attorneys’ fees, to our directors and officers in connection with
legal proceedings, subject to very limited exceptions.
We maintain a general liability insurance policy that covers
specified liabilities of our directors and officers arising out of claims based on acts or omissions in their capacities as directors or officers. In addition, have entered into indemnification agreements with all of our executive officers and
directors. These indemnification agreements require us, among other things, to indemnify each such executive officer or director for some expenses, including attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines and settlement amounts incurred by him or her in any
action or proceeding arising out of his or her service as one of our executive officers or directors.
Some of our non-employee directors may, through their relationships
with their employers, be insured or indemnified against specified liabilities incurred in their capacities as members of our board of directors.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
Securities Act of 1933, or the Securities Act, may be permitted to directors, executive officers or persons controlling us, in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in
the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.
Rule 10b5-1 Sales Plans
Our directors and executive officers may adopt written plans, known
as Rule 10b5-1 plans, in which they will contract with a broker to buy or sell shares of our common stock on a periodic basis. Under a Rule 10b5-1 plan, a broker executes trades pursuant to parameters established by the director or officer when
entering into the plan, without further direction from the director or officer. It also is possible that the director or officer could amend or terminate the plan when not in possession of material, nonpublic information. In addition, our
directors and executive officers may buy or sell additional shares outside of a Rule 10b5-1 plan when they are not in possession of material, nonpublic information.
Director Compensation
The table below shows all compensation paid to our non-employee
directors during the year ended December 31, 2020.
Chris Achar
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—
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—
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—
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—
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—
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Xiangmin Cui
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—
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—
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—
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—
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—
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Robin Farias-Eisner
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—
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—
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—
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—
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—
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Rohan Oza
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—
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—
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—
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—
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—
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Scott Stanford
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—
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—
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—
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—
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—
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We have historically reimbursed our non-employee directors for
reasonable travel and out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with attending board of director and committee meetings.
Mr. Khattak, one of our directors who also serves as our chief
executive officer, does not receive any additional compensation for his service as a director. Mr. Khattak is one of our named executive officers and, accordingly, the compensation that we pay to Mr. Khattak is discussed above under “—Summary
Compensation Table” and “—Narrative to Summary Compensation Table.”
In 2021, our board of directors approved a director
compensation program that will become effective on the effective date of the registration statements of which this prospectus forms a part. Under this director compensation program, we will pay our non-employee directors a cash retainer for
service on the board of directors
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and for service on each committee on which the director is a member. The chairman of
the board and of each committee will receive higher retainers for such service. These fees are payable in arrears in four equal quarterly installments on the last day of each quarter, provided that the amount of such payment will be prorated for
any portion of such quarter that the director is not serving on our board of directors and no fee will be payable in respect of any period prior to the completion of this offering. The fees paid to non-employee directors for service on the board
of directors and for service on each committee of the board of directors on which the director is a member are as follows:
Board of Directors
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$
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$
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Audit Committee
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$
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$
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Compensation Committee
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$
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$
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Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
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$
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$
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We also will continue to reimburse our non-employee directors for
reasonable travel and other expenses incurred in connection with attending meetings of our board of directors and any committee of our board of directors on which he or she serves.
In addition, under our director compensation program to be
effective on the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, each non-employee director will receive, upon his or her initial election or appointment to our board of directors, an option to purchase
shares of our common stock under the 2021 Plan. Each of these options will vest as to % of the shares of our common stock underlying such option at the end of each successive one month period following the grant date until the third
anniversary of the grant date, subject to the non-employee director's continued service as a director. Further, on the date of the first board meeting held after each annual meeting of stockholders, each non-employee director that has served on
our board of directors for at least six months as of such meeting will receive, under the 2021 Plan, an option to purchase shares of our common stock under the 2021 Plan. Each of these options will vest with respect to all of the shares
underlying such option on the first anniversary of the grant date or, if earlier, immediately prior to the first annual meeting of stockholders occurring after the grant date, subject to the non-employee director’s continued service as a
director. All options issued to our non-employee directors under our director compensation program will be issued at exercise prices equal to the fair market value of our common stock on the date of grant and will become exercisable in full
upon specified change in control events.
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CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
Since January 1, 2018, we have engaged in the following transactions
in which the amounts involved exceeded $120,000 and any of our directors, executive officers or holders of more than 5% of our voting securities, or any member of the immediate family of, or person sharing the household with, the foregoing
persons, had or will have a direct or indirect material interest. We believe that all of these transactions were on terms as favorable as could have been obtained from unrelated third parties.
Convertible Note Financing
In May 2020, we issued a convertible promissory note in the
aggregate principal amount of $0.5 million to Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JJDC, Inc., or JJDC. This note, which we refer to as the JJDC Note, accrued interest at a rate of 3% per annum. On June 1, 2020, all principal and accrued but
unpaid interest under the JJDC Note was converted into 155,571 shares of Cue Health’s Series C-2 redeemable convertible preferred stock. Vijay Murthy, a former member of our board of directors, is a former principal at JJDC, and Asish Xavier, a
former member of our board of directors, is a principal at JJDC.
In May 2021, we issued and sold Convertible Notes in the
aggregate principal amount of $235.5 million in a private placement with net proceeds of $229.5 million. Interest will accrue on the Convertible Notes at a simple rate of 3% per annum. Unless earlier converted immediately prior to the closing
of this offering or certain other transactions, the Convertible Notes and any unpaid accrued interest will become due in May 2023. Assuming an initial public offering price of $ per share, which is the midpoint of the range set forth on the
cover page of this prospectus, the Convertible Notes will automatically convert into shares of our common stock immediately prior to the closing of this offering.
The following table sets forth the aggregate principal amounts of
Convertible Notes that we issued to certain of our 5% stockholders and their affiliates and certain affiliates of members of our board of directors:
Decheng Capital China Life Sciences USD Fund III, L.P. (2)
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$10,000,000
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Funds managed by ACME, LLC and affiliates (3)
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4,696,970
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JJDC (4)
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7,000,000
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(1)
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See “Principal Stockholders” for additional information about shares held by these entities.
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(2)
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Xiangmin Cui, a member of our board of directors, is the managing director and founder of Decheng Capital China Life Sciences
USD Fund III, L.P
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(3)
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Funds managed by ACME, LLC and affiliates are Sherpa Ventures Fund, LP and Sherpa Ventures Fund II, LP, collectively “ACME
Capital.’’ Scott Stanford, a member of our board of directors, is a member of, and has a financial interest in ACME Capital.
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(5)
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Vijay Murthy, a former member of our board of directors, is a former principal at JJDC, and Asish Xavier, a former member of
our board of directors, is a principal of JJDC.
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Agreements with Janssen Pharmaceuticals
In December 2015, we entered into a development, marketing and
distribution agreement with Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., or Janssen, pursuant to which Janssen has agreed to provide us funding for the development of our HIV Test Cartridge and Sample Wand in exchange for the right to market and distribute
our HIV Test Cartridges and Sample Wands in the future. In the years ended December 31, 2018, 2019, and 2020, we did not receive any payments pursuant to this development, marketing, and distribution agreement. In August 2019, we entered into a
research collaboration agreement with Janssen, pursuant to which Janssen has agreed to provide us funding for the development of our respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) Test Kit in exchange for the right to market and distribute our Cue Reader
and our multiplexed respiratory diagnostic Test Kit. In the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020, we received $350,000 and $0, respectively, in payments pursuant to this agreement. In September 2020, we entered into two (2) purchase
agreements with Janssen, pursuant to which Janssen purchased our Cue Readers, COVID-19 Test Kits, and Cue Control Swab Packs. In the year ended December 2020, we received $134,390 in payments pursuant to such purchase agreements. Janssen is an
affiliate of Johnson & Johnson and JJDC. Vijay Murthy, a former member of our board of directors, is a former principal at JJDC, and Asish Xavier, a former member of our board of directors, is a principal at JJDC.
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Promissory Notes and Restricted Stock Purchase Agreements with Executives
In September 2018, we issued 2,444,130 shares of common stock to
Mr. Khattak, our Chief Executive Officer and a member of our board of directors, and 480,000 shares of common stock to Mr. Sever, our Chief Product Officer, at a price of $0.48 per share. The shares were issued pursuant to restricted stock
purchase agreements with Mr. Khattak and Mr. Sever in exchange for promissory notes totaling $1.2 million and $0.2 million, respectively to finance the purchase of the shares. Mr. Khattak pledged 2,444,130 shares of vested common stock, as well
as the restricted stock purchased with the promissory note, as collateral. Mr. Sever pledged 480,000 shares of vested common stock, as well as the restricted stock purchased with the promissory note, as collateral. The promissory notes bear
interest payable annually on each July 1 at a rate equal to 3.06% per year. The promissory notes may be prepaid in full or in part at any time without premium or penalty and are due in September 2028.
In July 2020, we issued 4,915,442 shares of common stock to Mr.
Khattak, our Chief Executive Officer and a member of our board of directors, and 2,457,721 shares of common stock to Mr. Sever, our Chief Product Officer, at a price of $1.41 per share. The shares were issued pursuant to restricted stock purchase
agreements with Mr. Khattak and Mr. Sever in exchange for partially recourse promissory notes totaling $6.9 million and $3.5 million, respectively to finance the purchase of the shares. Mr. Khattak pledged the restricted stock purchased with the
promissory note, as collateral. Mr. Sever pledged the restricted stock purchased with the promissory note, as collateral. The promissory notes bear interest payable annually on each July 1 at a rate equal to 1.17% per year. The promissory notes
may be prepaid in full or in part at any time without premium or penalty and are due in July 2030, or earlier upon certain change in control events.
In December 2020, our board of directors cancelled and forgave $0.2
million in principal and accrued interest under the September 2018 promissory note by and between us and Mr. Sever, or the 2018 Sever Note, and released a total of 960,000 shares of common stock held by Mr. Sever that had been pledged as
collateral in connection with the 2018 Sever Note.
The outstanding loans between the Company and each of Mr. Khattak
and Mr. Sever will no longer be outstanding prior to the public filing of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.
Series C-1 and C-2 Redeemable Convertible Preferred Stock Financing
In June 2020, we issued and sold an aggregate of 27,308,227 shares
of our Series C-1 redeemable convertible preferred stock at a price per share of $3.6619 in cash, for an aggregate purchase price of $100.0 million and issued 1,690,380 shares of our Series C-2 redeemable
convertible preferred stock at a price per share of $3.2957 in exchange for an aggregate of $5.6 million in convertible notes issued between May 1, 2020 to May 19, 2020
The following table sets forth the aggregate numbers of shares of
our Series C-1 and Series C-2 redeemable convertible preferred stock that we issued and sold to certain of our 5% stockholders and their affiliates and certain affiliates of members of our board of directors in this transaction and the aggregate
amount of consideration for such shares (in millions, except share data):
Decheng Capital China Life Sciences USD Fund III, L.P. (2)
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8,192,468
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$30.0
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—
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$ —
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Madrone Opportunity Fund, L.P.
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5,461,645
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20 .0
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—
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—
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ACME Capital (3)
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2,184,658
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8.0
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—
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—
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Entities affiliated with Cove Investors I, LLC (4)
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1,638,493
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6.0
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—
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—
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JJDC (5)
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1,042,136
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3 .8
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155,571
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0.5
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(1)
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See “Principal Stockholders” for additional information about shares held by these entities.
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(2)
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Xiangmin Cui, a member of our board of directors, is the managing director and founder of Decheng Capital China Life Sciences
USD Fund III, L.P
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(3)
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Scott Stanford, a member of our board of directors, is a member of, and has a financial interest in ACME Capital.
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(4)
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Robin Farias-Eisner, a member of our board of directors, is an affiliate of Cove Investors I, LP.
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(5)
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Vijay Murthy and Asish Xavier, each a former member of our board of directors, are principals of JJDC.
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Other Transactions
In December 2020, Mr. Khattak sold 1,433,691 shares of our common
stock to various third-party investors for consideration in the aggregate amount of $22.2 million, 1,616,921 shares of our common stock to Madrone Opportunity Fund, L.P., a holder of more than 5% of our capital stock, for consideration in the
aggregate amount of $25.0 million, and 323,385 shares of our common stock to ACME Capital entities who hold more than 5% of our capital stock, for consideration in the aggregate amount of $5 million. We held a right of first refusal and
associated notice rights with respect to the shares sold by Mr. Khattak in this transaction, and such rights were waived by us, with approval by the members of our board of directors.
In December 2020, Mr. Sever sold 830,000 shares of our common
stock to a third-party investor for consideration in the aggregate amount of $12.8 million. We held a right of first refusal and associated notice rights with respect to the shares sold by Mr. Sever in this transaction, and such rights were
waived by us, with approval by the members of our board of directors.
Registration Rights
We are a party to an investor rights agreement with the holders
of our redeemable convertible preferred stock, including our 5% stockholders and their affiliates and entities affiliated with some of our directors. This investor rights agreement provides these holders the right, subject to certain
conditions, beginning six months following the completion of this offering, to demand that we file a registration statement or to request that their shares be covered by a registration statement that we are otherwise filing. In addition, these
holders also have piggyback registration rights in respect of public offerings we may make for our own account or for other stockholders of our company. Holders of Convertible Notes will also be entitled to registration rights in respect of the
common stock issuable upon conversion of the Convertible Notes.
See “Description of Capital Stock—Registration Rights” for
additional information regarding these registration rights.
Indemnification Agreements
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, which will
become effective immediately prior to the completion of this offering, provides that we will indemnify our directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law. In addition, have entered into indemnification agreements with all
of our directors and executive officers. These indemnification agreements require us, among other things, to indemnify each such director or executive officer for some expenses, including attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines and settlement amounts
incurred by him or her in any action or proceeding arising out of his or her service as one of our directors or executive officers.
Policies and Procedures for Related Person Transactions
Our board of directors intends to adopt written policies and
procedures for the review of any transaction, arrangement or relationship in which our company is a participant, the amount involved exceeds the lesser of $120,000 or one percent of the average of our total assets at year end for the last two
completed fiscal years, and one of our executive officers, directors, director nominees or 5% stockholders, or their immediate family members, each of whom we refer to as a “related person,” has a direct or indirect material interest.
If a related person proposes to enter into such a transaction,
arrangement or relationship, which we refer to as a “related person transaction,” the related person must report the proposed related person transaction to our general counsel. The policy calls for the proposed related person transaction to be
reviewed and, if deemed appropriate, approved by our audit committee. Whenever practicable, the reporting, review and approval will occur prior to entry into the transaction. If advance review and approval is not practicable, the audit committee
will review, and, in its discretion, may ratify the related person transaction. The policy also permits the chairman of the audit committee to review and, if deemed appropriate, approve proposed related person transactions that arise between
committee meetings, subject to ratification by the committee at its next meeting. Any related person transactions that are ongoing in nature will be reviewed annually.
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A related person transaction reviewed under the policy will be
considered approved or ratified if it is authorized by the audit committee after full disclosure of the related person’s interest in the transaction. As appropriate for the circumstances, the audit committee will review and consider:
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the related person’s interest in the related person transaction;
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the approximate dollar value of the amount involved in the related person transaction;
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•
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the approximate dollar value of the amount of the related person’s interest in the transaction without regard to the amount of
any profit or loss;
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•
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whether the transaction was undertaken in the ordinary course of our business;
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•
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whether the terms of the transaction are no less favorable to us than terms that could have been reached with an unrelated
third party;
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the purpose, and the potential benefits to us, of the transaction; and
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•
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any other information regarding the related person transaction or the related person in the context of the proposed transaction
that would be material to investors in light of the circumstances of the particular transaction.
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Our audit committee may approve or ratify the transaction only if it
determines that, under all of the circumstances, the transaction is in, or is not inconsistent with, our best interests. Our audit committee may impose any conditions on the related person transaction that it deems appropriate.
In addition to the transactions that are excluded by the
instructions to the SEC’s related person transaction disclosure rule, our board of directors has determined that the following transactions do not create a material direct or indirect interest on behalf of related persons and, therefore, are not
related person transactions for purposes of this policy:
•
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interests arising solely from the related person’s position as an executive officer of another entity, whether or not the
person is also a director of such entity, that is a participant in the transaction where the related person and all other related persons own in the aggregate less than a 10% equity interest in such entity, the related person and his or
her immediate family members are not involved in the negotiation of the terms of the transaction and do not receive any special benefits as a result of the transaction and the amount involved in the transaction is less than the greater of
$200,000 or 5% of the annual gross revenues of the company receiving payment under the transaction; and
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•
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a transaction that is specifically contemplated by provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or
bylaws.
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The policy provides that transactions involving compensation of
executive officers shall be reviewed and approved by our compensation committee in the manner specified in the compensation committee’s charter.
We did not have a written policy regarding the review and approval
of related person transactions prior to this offering. Nevertheless, with respect to such transactions, it has been the practice of our board of directors to consider the nature of and business reasons for such transactions, how the terms of such
transactions compared to those which might be obtained from unaffiliated third parties and whether such transactions were otherwise fair to and in the best interests of, or not contrary to, our best interests.
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The following table sets forth information with respect to the
beneficial ownership of our common stock as of May 31, 2021 by:
•
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each of our named executive officers;
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•
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all of our directors and executive officers as a group; and
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•
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each person, or group of affiliated persons, who is known by us to beneficially own more than 5% of our common stock.
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The column entitled “Percentage of Shares Beneficially
Owned—Before Offering” is based on a total of shares of our common stock outstanding as of , 2021 and assuming the automatic conversion of all outstanding shares of our redeemable convertible preferred stock into an aggregate of
83,526,065 shares of our common stock immediately prior to the completion of this offering and the automatic conversion of our outstanding $235.5 million in aggregate principal amount of Convertible Notes into shares of common stock
immediately prior to the closing of this offering, assuming an initial public offering price of $ per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus. The column entitled “Percentage of Shares
Beneficially Owned—After Offering” is based on shares of our common stock assumed to be outstanding after this offering, including the shares of our common stock that we are selling in this offering, but not including any additional shares
issuable upon exercise of outstanding options.
Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with the rules
and regulations of the SEC and includes voting or investment power with respect to our common stock. Shares of our common stock that an individual has a right to acquire within 60 days after May 31, 2021 are considered outstanding and
beneficially owned by the person holding such right for the purpose of calculating the percentage ownership of that person but not for the purpose of calculating the percentage ownership of any other person, except with respect to the
percentage ownership of all directors and executive officers. Except as otherwise noted, the persons and entities in this table have sole voting and investing power with respect to all of the shares of our common stock beneficially owned by
them, subject to community property laws, where applicable. Except as otherwise set forth below, the address of each beneficial owner is c/o 4980 Carroll Canyon Rd., Suite 100, San Diego, CA 92121.
5% Stockholders
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Entities affiliated with Cove Investors I, LLC (1)
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Decheng Capital China Life Sciences USD Fund III, L.P. (2)
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Madrone Opportunity Fund, L.P. (3)
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NVGA I, LLC (4)
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ACME Capital (5)
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Directors and Named Executive Officers
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Ayub Khattak (6)
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Clint Sever (7)
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Chris Achar (8)
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Xiangmin Cui (9)
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Robin Farias-Eisner (1)(9)
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Rohan Oza (10)
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Scott Sanford (5)
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All current executive officers and directors as a group (9 persons)
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DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK
The following description of our capital stock and provisions of our
amended and restated certificate of incorporation and bylaws are summaries and are qualified by reference to the amended and restated certificate of incorporation and the bylaws that will become effective immediately prior to the completion of
this offering. We will file copies of these documents with the SEC as exhibits to our registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. The description of the capital stock reflects changes to our capital structure that will occur
immediately prior to the completion of this offering.
Immediately prior to the completion of this offering, our
authorized capital stock will consist of shares of our common stock, par value $0.00001 per share, and shares of our preferred stock, par value $0.00001 per share, all of which preferred stock will be undesignated.
As of March 31, 2021, we had issued and outstanding:
•
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18,524,568 shares of common stock held by 596 stockholders of record;
|
•
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8,350,743 shares of our Series A redeemable convertible preferred stock held by 22 stockholders of record, convertible into
8,350,743 shares of our common stock;
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•
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46,176,715 shares of our Series B redeemable convertible preferred stock held by 42 stockholders of record, convertible into
46,176,715 shares of our common stock;
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27,308,227 shares of our Series C-1 redeemable convertible preferred stock held by 22 stockholders of record, convertible
into 27,308,227 shares of our common stock; and
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1,690,380 shares of our Series C-2 redeemable convertible preferred stock held by 5 stockholders of record, convertible
1,690,380 shares of our common stock.
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Immediately prior to the completion of this offering, all of the
outstanding shares of our redeemable convertible preferred stock will automatically convert into an aggregate of 83,526,065 shares of our common stock and all of our outstanding $235.5 million in aggregate principal amount of Convertible Notes
will convert into shares of common stock, assuming an initial public offering price of $ per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus.
Common Stock
Holders of our common stock are entitled to one vote for each share
held on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders and do not have cumulative voting rights. Each election of directors by our stockholders will be determined by a plurality of the votes cast by the stockholders entitled to vote on the
election. Holders of common stock are entitled to receive proportionately any dividends as may be declared by our board of directors, subject to any preferential dividend rights of outstanding preferred stock.
In the event of our liquidation or dissolution, the holders of our
common stock are entitled to receive proportionately all assets available for distribution to stockholders after the payment of all debts and other liabilities and subject to the prior rights of any of our outstanding preferred stock. Holders of
our common stock have no preemptive, subscription, redemption or conversion rights. The rights, preferences and privileges of holders of our common stock are subject to and may be adversely affected by the rights of the holders of shares of any
series of our preferred stock that we may designate and issue in the future.
Preferred Stock
Under the terms of our amended and restated certificate of
incorporation that will become effective immediately prior to the completion of this offering, our board of directors is authorized to issue shares of preferred stock in one or more series without stockholder approval. Our board of directors has
the discretion to determine the rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions, including voting rights, dividend rights, conversion rights, redemption privileges and liquidation preferences, of each series of preferred stock.
The purpose of authorizing our board of directors to issue preferred
stock and determine its rights and preferences is to eliminate delays associated with a stockholder vote on specific issuances. The issuance of preferred stock, while providing flexibility in connection with possible acquisitions, future
financings and other corporate purposes, could have the effect of making it more difficult for a third party to acquire, or could discourage a third
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party from seeking to acquire, a majority of our outstanding voting stock.
Immediately prior to the completion of this offering, there will be no shares of preferred stock outstanding, and we have no present plans to issue any shares of preferred stock.
Convertible Notes
Please see the discussion under “Management’s Discussion and
Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Convertible Notes.”
Options
As of March 31, 2021, options to purchase an aggregate of
10,513,531 shares of our common stock, at a weighted-average exercise price of $4.81 per share.
Restricted Stock Units
As of March 31, 2021, we had 1,049,043 shares of restricted stock units outstanding.
Warrants
As of March 31, 2021, we had warrants to purchase 48,513 shares
of Series A preferred stock outstanding at an exercise price of $0.92 and warrants to purchase 31,369 shares of Series B preferred stock at an exercise price of $1.43 per share and warrants to purchase 75,744 shares of common stock at an
exercise price of $0.40 per share.
Delaware Anti-Takeover Law and Certain Charter and Bylaw Provisions
Delaware Law
We are subject to Section 203 of the DGCL. Subject to certain
exceptions, Section 203 prevents a publicly held Delaware corporation from engaging in a “business combination” with any “interested stockholder” for three years following the date that the person became an interested stockholder, unless either
the interested stockholder attained such status with the approval of our board of directors, the business combination is approved by our board of directors and stockholders in a prescribed manner or the interested stockholder acquired at least
85% of our outstanding voting stock in the transaction in which it became an interested stockholder. A “business combination” includes, among other things, a merger or consolidation involving us and the “interested stockholder” and the sale of
more than 10% of our assets. In general, an “interested stockholder” is any entity or person beneficially owning 15% or more of our outstanding voting stock and any entity or person affiliated with or controlling or controlled by such entity or
person. The restrictions contained in Section 203 are not applicable to any of our existing stockholders that will own 15% or more of our outstanding voting stock upon the closing of this offering.
Staggered Board; Removal of Directors
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our bylaws
to be effective immediately prior to the completion of this offering divide our board of directors into three classes with staggered three-year terms. In addition, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our bylaws to be
effective immediately prior to the completion of this offering provide that directors may be removed only for cause and only by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 75% of our shares of capital stock present in person or by proxy and
entitled to vote. Under our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our bylaws to be effective immediately prior to the completion of this offering, any vacancy on our board of directors, including a vacancy resulting from an
enlargement of our board of directors, may be filled only by vote of a majority of our directors then in office. Furthermore, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to be effective immediately prior to the completion of this
offering provides that the authorized number of directors may be changed only by the resolution of our board of directors. The classification of our board of directors and the limitations on the ability of our stockholders to remove directors,
change the authorized number of directors and fill vacancies could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire, or discourage a third party from seeking to acquire, control of our company.
Stockholder Action; Special Meeting of Stockholders; Advance Notice
Requirements for Stockholder Proposals and Director Nominations
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our bylaws
to be effective immediately prior to the completion of this offering provide that any action required or permitted to be taken by our stockholders at an annual meeting or special meeting of stockholders may only be taken if it is properly brought
before such meeting and may
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not be taken by written action in lieu of a meeting. Our amended and restated
certificate of incorporation and our bylaws to be effective immediately prior to the completion of this offering also provide that, except as otherwise required by law, special meetings of the stockholders can only be called by our board of
directors. In addition, our bylaws to be effective immediately prior to the completion of this offering establish an advance notice procedure for stockholder proposals to be brought before an annual meeting of stockholders, including proposed
nominations of candidates for election to our board of directors. Stockholders at an annual meeting may only consider proposals or nominations specified in the notice of meeting or brought before the meeting by or at the direction of our board of
directors, or by a stockholder of record on the record date for the meeting who is entitled to vote at the meeting and who has delivered timely written notice in proper form to our secretary of the stockholder's intention to bring such business
before the meeting. These provisions could have the effect of delaying until the next stockholder meeting stockholder actions that are favored by the holders of a majority of our outstanding voting securities. These provisions also could
discourage a third party from making a tender offer for our common stock because even if the third party acquired a majority of our outstanding voting stock, it would be able to take action as a stockholder, such as electing new directors or
approving a merger, only at a duly called stockholders meeting and not by written consent.
Super-Majority Voting
The DGCL provides generally that the affirmative vote of a majority
of the shares entitled to vote on any matter is required to amend a corporation's certificate of incorporation or bylaws unless a corporation's certificate of incorporation or bylaws, as the case may be, requires a greater percentage. Our bylaws
to be effective immediately prior to the completion of this offering may be amended or repealed by a majority vote of our board of directors or the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 75% of the votes that all our stockholders would be
entitled to cast in any annual election of directors. In addition, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 75% of the votes that all our stockholders would be entitled to cast in any election of directors is required to amend or repeal or
to adopt any provisions inconsistent with any of the provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation described above.
Indemnification Agreements
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to be
effective immediately prior to the completion of this offering provides that we will indemnify our directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law. In addition, we intend to enter into indemnification agreements with all of
our directors and executive officers prior to the completion of this offering. These indemnification agreements may require us, among other things, to indemnify each such director or executive officer for some expenses, including attorneys’ fees,
judgments, fines, and settlement amounts incurred by him or her in any action or proceeding arising out of his or her service as one of our directors or executive officers.
Exclusive Forum
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to be
effective immediately prior to the completion of this offering provides that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (or, if the Court of Chancery of the State of
Delaware does not have jurisdiction, the federal district court for the District of Delaware) shall be the sole and exclusive forum for the following types of proceedings: (1) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, (2) any
action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors, officers, other employees or stockholders to our company or our stockholders, (3) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL or
as to which the DGCL confers jurisdiction on the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or (4) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or bylaws (in each case, as
they may be amended from time to time) or governed by the internal affairs doctrine. This exclusive forum provision will not apply to actions arising under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or any other claim for which federal courts have
exclusive jurisdiction.
Furthermore, Section 22 of the Securities Act creates concurrent
jurisdiction for federal and state courts over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities Act. Accordingly, both state and federal courts have jurisdiction to entertain such claims. To prevent having to litigate
claims in multiple jurisdictions and the threat of inconsistent or contrary rulings by different courts, among other considerations, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation that will become effective immediately prior to the
completion of this offering provides
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that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the
federal district courts of the United States of America shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the sole and exclusive forum for the resolution of any claims arising under the Securities Act.
While the Delaware courts have determined that such choice of forum
provisions are facially valid, a stockholder may nevertheless seek to bring a claim in a venue other than those designated in the exclusive forum provisions. In such instance, we would expect to vigorously assert the validity and enforceability
of the exclusive forum provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation that will become effective immediately prior to the completion of this offering. This may require significant additional costs associated with resolving
such action in other jurisdictions and there can be no assurance that the provisions will be enforced by a court in those other jurisdictions.
Registration Rights
We have entered into an amended and restated investor rights
agreement dated as of June 1, 2020, or the investor rights agreement, with holders of our preferred stock. Beginning 180 days after this offering, holders of a total of shares of our common stock will have the right to require us to register
these shares under the Securities Act upon demand and in connection with any registration statement that we plan to file, as described below under “—Demand Registration Rights” and “—Incidental Registration Rights.” We refer to the shares with
these registration rights as registrable securities. After registration pursuant to these rights, the registrable securities will become freely tradable without restriction under the Securities Act.
Demand Registration Rights
Beginning 180 days after the effective date of the registration
statement of which this prospectus is a part, subject to specified limitations set forth in the investor rights agreement, at any time, the holders of outstanding registrable securities may demand that we register at least % of the registrable
securities then outstanding under the Securities Act for purposes of a public offering. We are not obligated to file a registration statement pursuant to this provision on more than two occasions in any 12-month period.
In addition, subject to specified limitations set forth in the
investor rights agreement, at any time after we become eligible to file a registration statement on Form S-3, the holders of at least % of the then outstanding registrable securities may request that we register their registrable securities on
Form S-3 for purposes of a public offering for which the reasonably anticipated aggregate offering price to the public of at least $ million. We are not obligated to file a registration statement pursuant to this provision on more than two
occasions in any 12-month period.
Piggyback Registration Rights
If, at any time after the closing of this offering, we propose to
register for our own account any of our securities under the Securities Act, the holders of registrable securities will be entitled to notice of the registration and, subject to specified exceptions, have the right to require us to use our
commercially reasonable efforts to register all or a portion of the registrable securities then held by them in that registration.
In the event that any registration in which the holders of
registrable securities participate pursuant to our investor rights agreement is an underwritten public offering, we have agreed to enter into an underwriting agreement in usual and customary form and use our reasonable best efforts to facilitate
such offering.
Expenses
Pursuant to the investor rights agreement, we are required to pay
all registration expenses, including all registration and filing fees, exchange listing fees, printing expenses, fees and expenses $25,000 of one counsel selected by the selling stockholders to represent the selling stockholders, state Blue Sky
fees and expenses, and the expense of any special audits incident to or required by any such registration, but excluding underwriting discounts, selling commissions, stock transfer taxes applicable to the sale any registrable securities and the
fees and expenses of the selling stockholders’ own counsel (other than the counsel selected to represent all selling stockholders). If a registration is withdrawn at the request of the stockholders initiating the registration, then the
stockholders will bear the expenses of the registration.
The investor rights agreement contains customary
cross-indemnification provisions, pursuant to which we are obligated to indemnify the selling stockholders in the event of material misstatements or omissions in the registration statement attributable to us or any violation or alleged violation
whether by action or inaction by us under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, any state securities or Blue Sky law or any rule or regulation promulgated under
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the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or any state securities or Blue Sky law in
connection with such registration statement or the qualification or compliance of the offering, and they are obligated to indemnify us for material misstatements or omissions in the registration statement attributable to them.
Transfer Agent and Registrar
The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock will be
Computershare Trust Company, N.A. The transfer agent and registrar’s address is 250 Royall Street, Canton, Massachusetts 02021.
Exchange Listing
We have applied to have our common stock listed on the Nasdaq
Global Stock Market under the symbol “HLTH.”
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SHARES ELIGIBLE FOR FUTURE SALE
Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our
common stock, and a liquid trading market for our common stock may not develop or be sustained after this offering. Future sales of substantial amounts of our common stock in the public market, including shares issued upon exercise of outstanding
options, or the anticipation of these sales, could adversely affect market prices prevailing from time to time and could impair our ability to raise capital through sales of equity securities.
Immediately prior to the completion of this offering, we will
have outstanding shares of our common stock, based on the shares of our common stock that were outstanding on March 31, 2021 and after giving effect to (i) the issuance of shares of our common stock in this offering, assuming no
exercise by the underwriters of their option to purchase additional shares, (ii) the conversion of all outstanding shares of our redeemable convertible preferred stock into an aggregate of 83,526,065 shares of our common stock immediately prior
to the completion of this offering, and (iii) the automatic conversion of our outstanding $235.5 million in aggregate principal amount of Convertible Notes into shares of common stock immediately prior to the closing of this offering,
assuming an initial public offering price of $ per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus. Of these shares, all shares sold in this offering will be freely tradable without restriction
under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, unless purchased by our “affiliates,” as that term is defined in Rule 144 under the Securities Act. The remaining shares of our common stock will be “restricted
securities” under Rule 144, and we expect that substantially all of these restricted securities will be subject to the 180-day lock-up period under the lock-up agreements as described below. These restricted securities may be sold in the public
market upon release or waiver of any applicable lock-up agreements and only if registered or pursuant to an exemption from registration, such as Rule 144 or 701 under the Securities Act.
Rule 144
In general, under Rule 144 of the Securities Act, beginning 90 days
after the date of this prospectus, any person who is not our affiliate and has held their shares for at least six months, including the holding period of any prior owner other than one of our affiliates, may sell those shares without restriction,
subject to the availability of current public information about us. In addition, under Rule 144, any person who is not our affiliate and has not been our affiliate at any time during the preceding three months and has held their shares for at
least one year, including the holding period of any prior owner other than one of our affiliates, would be entitled to sell an unlimited number of shares immediately upon the closing of this offering without regard to whether current public
information about us is available.
Beginning 90 days after the date of this prospectus, a person who is
our affiliate or who was our affiliate at any time during the preceding three months and who has beneficially owned restricted securities for at least six months, including the holding period of any prior owner other than one of our affiliates,
is entitled to sell a number of shares within any three-month period that does not exceed the greater of:
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1% of the number of shares of our common stock then outstanding, which will equal approximately shares immediately after
this offering; and
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the average weekly trading volume in our common stock on the Nasdaq Global Stock Market during the four calendar weeks
preceding the date of filing of a Notice of Proposed Sale of Securities Pursuant to Rule 144 with respect to the sale.
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Sales under Rule 144 by our affiliates are also subject to manner of
sale provisions and notice requirements and to the availability of current public information about us.
Upon waiver or expiration of the 180-day lock-up period described
below, approximately shares of our common stock will be eligible for sale under Rule 144. We cannot estimate the number of shares of our common stock that our existing stockholders will elect to sell under Rule 144.
Rule 701
In general, under Rule 701 of the Securities Act, any of our
employees, consultants or advisors, other than our affiliates, who purchased shares from us in connection with a qualified compensatory stock plan or other written agreement is eligible to resell these shares 90 days after the date of this
prospectus in reliance on Rule 144, but without compliance with the various restrictions, including the availability of public information about us, holding
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period and volume limitations, contained in Rule 144. All Rule 701 shares are
subject to the 180-day lock-up period described below and will be eligible for sale in accordance with Rule 701 upon expiration of the restrictions set forth in those agreements.
Lock-up Agreements
We, and each of our executive officers and directors and the
holders of substantially all of our outstanding securities have agreed that, without the prior written consent of Goldman, Sachs & Co. LLC, Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and BofA Securities, Inc., on behalf of the underwriters, we and they
will not, subject to limited exceptions, during the period ending 180 days after the date of this prospectus:
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offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant
any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of our common stock beneficially owned (as such term is used in Rule 13d-3 of the Exchange Act) or any other
securities so owned convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for common stock, or make any public announcement of an intention to do any of the foregoing; or
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enter into any hedging, swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic
consequences of ownership of our common stock.
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These agreements are subject to certain exceptions, as described in
the section of this prospectus entitled “Underwriting.”
Registration Rights
Beginning 180 days after this offering, the holders of an aggregate
of shares of our common stock will have rights, subject to certain conditions, to require us to file registration statements covering their shares or to include their shares in registration statements that we may file for ourselves or other
stockholders. After registration pursuant to these rights, these shares will become freely tradable without restriction under the Securities Act. See “Description of Capital Stock—Registration Rights” for additional information regarding these
registration rights.
Stock Options and Form S-8 Registration Statement
Following this offering, we intend to file one or more registration
statements on Form S-8 under the Securities Act to register all of the shares of our common stock subject to outstanding awards and reserved for future issuance under the 2014 Plan, the 2021 Plan and the 2021 ESPP. See “Executive
Compensation—Stock Option and Other Compensation Plans” for additional information regarding these plans. Accordingly, shares of our common stock registered under such registration statements will be available for sale in the open market, subject
to Rule 144 volume limitations applicable to affiliates, and subject to any vesting restrictions and lock-up agreements applicable to these shares.
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MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL TAX CONSIDERATIONS FOR NON-U.S.
HOLDERS OF COMMON STOCK
The following is a discussion of material U.S. federal income and
estate tax considerations relating to ownership and disposition of our common stock by a non-U.S. holder. For purposes of this discussion, the term “non-U.S. holder” means a beneficial owner (other than a partnership or other entity or
arrangement treated as a pass-through entity) of our common stock that is not, for U.S. federal income tax purposes:
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an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States;
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a corporation, or other entity treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, created or organized in or under
the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia;
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an estate the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source; or
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a trust, if a U.S. court is able to exercise primary supervision over the administration of the trust and one or more U.S.
persons has authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust or if the trust has a valid election in effect to be treated as a U.S. person under applicable U.S. Treasury Regulations.
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This discussion is based on current provisions of the Code, existing
and proposed U.S. Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder, current administrative rulings, and judicial decisions, as in effect as of the date of this prospectus and all of which are subject to change or to differing interpretation, possibly
with retroactive effect. Any change or differing interpretation could alter the tax consequences to non-U.S. holders described in this prospectus. We have not requested a ruling from the Internal Revenue Service, or the IRS, with respect to
statements made and the conclusions reached in the following summary, and there can be no assurance that the IRS will not challenge one or more of the tax consequences described in this prospectus or that any such challenge would not be sustained
by a court.
This discussion addresses only non-U.S. holders that hold shares of
our common stock as a capital asset within the meaning of Section 1221 of the Code (generally, property held for investment). This discussion does not address all aspects of U.S. federal income and estate taxation that may be relevant to a
particular non-U.S. holder in light of that non-U.S. holder’s individual circumstances nor does it address the alternative minimum tax, the special tax accounting rules under Section 451(b) of the Code, the Medicare tax on net investment income
or any aspects of U.S. state, local, or non-U.S. taxes. This discussion also does not consider any specific facts or circumstances that may apply to a non-U.S. holder and does not address the special tax rules applicable to particular non-U.S.
holders, such as:
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tax-exempt organizations or governmental organizations;
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financial institutions;
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brokers or dealers in securities;
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controlled foreign corporations;
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passive foreign investment companies;
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corporations that accumulate earnings to avoid U.S. federal income tax;
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“qualified foreign pension funds” as defined in Section 897(1)(2) of the Code and entities of all of the interests of which are
held by qualified foreign pension funds;
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persons that own, or are deemed to own, more than 5% if our capital stock;
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owners that hold our common stock as part of a straddle, hedge, conversion transaction, synthetic security, or other integrated
investment; and
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certain U.S. expatriates and former citizens or long-term residents of the United States.
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In addition, this discussion does not address the tax treatment of
partnerships or persons who hold their common stock through partnerships or other entities or arrangements that are treated as pass-through entities for U.S. federal
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income tax purposes. A partner in a partnership or other pass-through entity that
will hold our common stock should consult his, her, or its own tax advisor regarding the tax consequences of the purchase, ownership, and disposition of our common stock through a partnership or other pass-through entity, as applicable.
Prospective investors should consult their own
tax advisors regarding the U.S. federal, state, local, and non-U.S. income and other tax considerations of acquiring, holding, and disposing of our common stock in light of their particular situations.
Dividends
If we pay distributions on our common stock, those distributions
generally will constitute dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes to the extent paid from our current or accumulated earnings and profits, as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles. If a distribution exceeds our current and
accumulated earnings and profits, the excess will be treated as a tax-free return of the non-U.S. holder’s investment, up to such holder’s tax basis in the common stock. Any remaining excess will be treated as capital gain, subject to the tax
treatment described below under the heading “—Gain on Disposition of Common Stock.”
Dividends paid to a non-U.S. holder generally will be subject to
withholding of U.S. federal income tax at a 30% rate or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty between the United States and such holder’s country of residence. A non-U.S. holder of our common stock who claims the
benefit of an applicable income tax treaty between the United States and such holder’s country of residence generally will be required to provide a properly executed IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E (or successor form) and satisfy applicable
certification and other requirements. A non-U.S. holder that is eligible for a reduced rate of U.S. withholding tax under an income tax treaty may obtain a refund or credit of any excess amounts withheld by timely filing an appropriate claim with
the IRS. Non-U.S. holders are urged to consult their own tax advisors regarding their entitlement to benefits under a relevant income tax treaty.
Dividends that are treated as effectively connected with a trade or
business conducted by a non-U.S. holder within the United States and, if an applicable income tax treaty so provides, that are attributable to a permanent establishment or a fixed base maintained by the non-U.S. holder within the United States
are generally exempt from the 30% withholding tax if the non-U.S. holder delivers a properly executed IRS Form W-8ECI, stating that the dividends are so connected and satisfies applicable certification and disclosure requirements. However, such
U.S. effectively connected income is taxed on a net income basis at the same U.S. federal income tax rates applicable to United States persons (as defined in the Code). Any U.S. effectively connected income received by a non-U.S. holder that is a
corporation may also, under certain circumstances, be subject to an additional “branch profits tax” at a 30% rate or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty between the United States and such holder’s country of
residence.
See also the section below entitled “— FATCA” for additional
withholding rules that may apply to dividends paid to certain foreign financial institutions or non-financial foreign entities.
Gain on Disposition of Common Stock
Subject to the discussions below under the sections entitled “—
Information Reporting and Backup Withholding” and “—FATCA,” a non-U.S. holder generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on gain recognized on a disposition of our common stock unless:
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the gain is effectively connected with the non-U.S. holder’s conduct of a trade or business in the United States and, if an
applicable income tax treaty so provides, the gain is attributable to a permanent establishment or fixed base maintained by the non-U.S. holder in the United States; in these cases, the non-U.S. holder will be taxed on a net income basis
at the same U.S. federal income tax rates applicable to United States persons (as defined in the Code), and if the non-U.S. holder is a foreign corporation, an additional branch profits tax at a 30% rate, or such lower rate as may be
specified by an applicable income tax treaty, may also apply;
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the non-U.S. holder is a nonresident alien present in the United States for 183 days or more in the taxable year of the
disposition and certain other conditions are met, in which case the non-U.S. holder will be subject to a 30% tax (or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty) on the net gain derived from the disposition,
which may be offset by U.S.-source capital losses of the non-U.S. holder provided the non-U.S. holder has timely filed U.S. federal income tax returns with respect to such losses, if any; or
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we are, or have been at any time during the five-year period preceding such disposition (or the non-U.S. holder’s holding
period, if shorter), a “U.S. real property holding corporation,” unless our common stock is regularly traded on an established securities market and the non-U.S. holder held no more than 5% of our outstanding common stock, directly or
indirectly, during the shorter of the five year period ending on the date of the disposition or the period that the non-U.S. holder held our common stock. If we are determined to be a U.S. real property holding corporation and the
foregoing exception does not apply, then the non-U.S. holder generally will be taxed on its net gain derived from the disposition generally in the manner as gain that is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business in the
United States, at the U.S. federal income tax rates applicable to United States persons (as defined in the Code), except that the branch profits tax generally will not apply. Generally, a corporation is a “U.S. real property holding
corporation” if the fair market value of its “U.S. real property interests” equals or exceeds 50% of the sum of the fair market value of its worldwide real property interests plus its other assets used or held for use in a trade or
business. Although there can be no assurance, we believe that we are not currently, and we do not anticipate becoming, a “U.S. real property holding corporation” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. No assurance can be provided that our
common stock will be regularly traded on an established securities market for purposes of the rule described above.
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Information Reporting and Backup Withholding
We must report annually to the IRS and to each non-U.S. holder the
gross amount of the distributions on our common stock paid to such holder and the tax withheld, if any, with respect to such distributions. Non-U.S. holders may have to comply with specific certification procedures to establish that the holder is
not a U.S. person (as defined in the Code) in order to avoid backup withholding at the applicable rate with respect to dividends on our common stock. Generally, a non-U.S. holder will comply with such procedures if it provides a properly executed
IRS Form W-8BEN, W-8BEN-E or W-8ECI (or other applicable Form W-8) or otherwise meets documentary evidence requirements for establishing that it is a non-U.S. holder, or otherwise establishes an exemption. Dividends paid to non-U.S. holders
subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax, as described above under the heading “—Dividends,” will generally be exempt from U.S. backup withholding.
Information reporting and backup withholding generally will apply to
the proceeds of a disposition of our common stock by a non-U.S. holder effected by or through the U.S. office of any broker, U.S. or foreign, unless the holder certifies its status as a non-U.S. holder and satisfies certain other requirements, or
otherwise establishes an exemption. Generally, information reporting and backup withholding will not apply to a payment of disposition proceeds to a non-U.S. holder where the transaction is effected outside the United States through a non-U.S.
office of a broker. However, for information reporting purposes, dispositions effected through a non-U.S. office of a broker with substantial U.S. ownership or operations generally will be treated in a manner similar to dispositions effected
through a U.S. office of a broker. Non-U.S. holders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the application of the information reporting and backup withholding rules to them.
Copies of information returns may be made available to the tax
authorities of the country in which the non-U.S. holder resides or is incorporated under the provisions of a specific treaty or agreement.
Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Rather, any amounts
withheld under the backup withholding rules from a payment to a non-U.S. holder can be refunded or credited against the non-U.S. holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability, if any, provided that an appropriate claim is timely filed with the IRS.
FATCA
Sections 1471 to 1474 of the Code commonly referred to as the
Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, or FATCA, generally impose a 30% U.S. federal withholding tax on dividends on, and gross proceeds from the sale or other disposition of, our common stock if paid to a foreign entity unless (i) if the foreign
entity is a “foreign financial institution,” the foreign entity undertakes certain due diligence, reporting, withholding, and certification obligations, (ii) if the foreign entity is not a “foreign financial institution,” the foreign entity
identifies certain of its U.S. investors, or (iii) the foreign entity is otherwise excepted under FATCA.
Withholding under FATCA generally will apply to payments of
dividends on our common stock. While under applicable Treasury Regulations and administrative guidance withholding under FATCA would also apply to payments of gross proceeds from a sale or other disposition of our common stock made after
December 31, 2018, under proposed U.S. Treasury Regulations, withholding on payments of gross proceeds is not required. Although such
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regulations are not final, the preamble to the proposed regulations specifies that
taxpayers, including applicable withholding agents, are permitted to rely on such proposed regulations until final regulations are issued.
If withholding under FATCA is required on any payment related to our
common stock, investors not otherwise subject to withholding (or that otherwise would be entitled to a reduced rate of withholding) on such payment may be required to seek a refund or credit from the IRS. An intergovernmental agreement between
the United States and an applicable foreign country may modify the requirements described in this section. Non-U.S. holders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the possible implications of FATCA on their investment in our common stock
and the entities through which they hold our common stock.
U.S. Federal Estate Tax
Common stock owned or treated as owned by an individual who is a
non-U.S. holder (as specially defined for U.S. federal estate tax purposes) at the time of death will be included in the individual’s gross estate for U.S. federal estate tax purposes and, therefore, may be subject to U.S. federal estate tax,
unless an applicable estate tax or other treaty provides otherwise. Non-U.S. holders are urged to consult their own tax advisors regarding the U.S. federal estate tax consequences of the ownership or disposition of our common stock.
The preceding discussion of material U.S. federal
income and estate tax considerations is for prospective investors’ information only. It is not tax advice. Prospective investors should consult their own tax advisors regarding the particular U.S. federal, state, local, and non-U.S. tax
consequences of purchasing, holding, and disposing of our common stock.
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We and the underwriters named below have entered into an
underwriting agreement with respect to the shares being offered. Subject to certain conditions, each underwriter has severally agreed to purchase the number of shares indicated in the following table. Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, Morgan Stanley
& Co. LLC and BofA Securities, Inc. are the representatives of the underwriters.
Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC
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|
|
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Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC
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|
|
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BofA Securities, Inc.
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|
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BTIG, LLC
|
|
|
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Total
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|
|
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The underwriters are committed to take and pay for all of the shares
being offered, if any are taken, other than the shares covered by the option described below unless and until this option is exercised.
The underwriters have an option to buy up to an additional
shares from us to cover sales by the underwriters of a greater number of shares than the total number set forth in the table above. They may exercise that option for 30 days. If any shares are purchased pursuant to this option, the underwriters
will severally purchase shares in approximately the same proportion as set forth in the table above.
The following table shows the per share and total underwriting
discounts and commissions to be paid to the underwriters by us. Such amounts are shown assuming both no exercise and full exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase up to an additional shares from us.
Per Share
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|
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$
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|
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$
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Total
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$
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$
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Shares sold by the underwriters to the public will initially be
offered at the initial public offering price set forth on the cover of this prospectus. Any shares sold by the underwriters to securities dealers may be sold at a discount of up to $ per share from the initial public offering price. After the
initial offering of the shares, the representatives may change the offering price and the other selling terms. The offering of the shares by the underwriters is subject to receipt and acceptance and subject to the underwriters’ right to reject
any order in whole or in part.
We and our officers, directors, and holders of substantially all
of our common stock and securities convertible into or exchangeable for our common stock have agreed or will agree with the underwriters, subject to certain exceptions, during the period from the date of this prospectus continuing through the
date 180 days after the date of this prospectus (such period, the “restricted period”), except with the prior written consent of Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and BofA Securities, Inc., not to (i) offer, sell,
contract to sell, pledge, grant any option to purchase, loan, hedge, make any short sale or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, or file with or confidentially submit to the SEC a registration statement under the Securities
Act relating to, any of our securities that are substantially similar to the shares of common stock in this offering, including but not limited to any options or warrants to purchase shares of common stock or any securities that are convertible
into or exchangeable for, or that represent the right to receive, common stock or any such substantially similar securities, (ii) enter into any hedging, swap or other agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic
consequences of ownership of common stock or any such other securities, whether any such transaction described in clauses (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of common stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise (other than
the shares of common stock to be sold in this offering or pursuant to employee stock option plans existing on, or upon the conversion or exchange of convertible or exchangeable securities outstanding as of, the date of this prospectus) or (iii)
publicly disclose the intention to do any of the foregoing. The restrictions described in the immediately preceding paragraph do not apply to us subject to certain exceptions.
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The restrictions described above do not apply, subject in certain
cases to various conditions, to our directors, officers and securityholders with respect to certain transactions, including:
(a)
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as a bona fide gift or gifts;
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(b)
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to any member of the securityholder’s immediate family or to any trust for the direct or indirect benefit of the securityholder
or the immediate family of the securityholder;
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(c)
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by will or other testamentary document or by intestacy;
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(d)
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pursuant to a court order or settlement or other domestic order related to the distribution of assets in connection with the
dissolution of a marriage or civil union;
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(e)
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to general or limited partners, members, stockholders, other equity holders or trust beneficiaries of the securityholder or to
any investment fund or other entity that controls or manages or serves as investment adviser to, or is under common control or management or shares a common investment adviser with, the securityholder;
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(f)
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in connection with any common stock acquired in this offering (other than any issuer directed shares of common stock purchased
in this offering by our officer or director) acquired in open market transactions after the completion of this offering;
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(g)
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to us in connection with the “net” or “cashless” exercise or settlement solely to cover the exercise price and applicable
withholding tax obligations in connection with the exercise or settlement of such warrants or stock options, restricted stock units or other equity awards expiring during the restricted period, in each case pursuant to a stock incentive
plan, other equity award plan or warrant described in this prospectus (and any transfer to us necessary to generate such amount of cash needed for the payment of withholding tax obligations, and/or payment of estimated taxes, due as a
result of such vesting, settlement or exercise whether by means of a “net settlement” or otherwise), provided that if the securityholder is required to file a report reporting a reduction in beneficial ownership of shares of common stock
during the restricted period, the securityholder shall clearly indicate in the footnotes thereto that the filing relates to the circumstances described in this clause and that the shares of common stock received upon exercise of the stock
option or warrant or vesting event are subject to the lock-up agreement, and no public filing, report or announcement shall be voluntarily made;
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(h)
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pursuant to a bona fide third-party tender offer, merger, consolidation, business combination, stock purchase or other similar
transaction or series of related transactions approved by our board of directors and made to all holders of our capital stock involving a change in control, provided that in the event that such tender offer, merger, consolidation,
business combination, stock purchase or transaction or series of related transactions is not completed, the securityholder’s securities shall remain subject to the restrictions set forth in the lock-up agreement;
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(i)
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the conversion of outstanding shares of our preferred stock or other securities described in this prospectus and outstanding as
of the date of this prospectus into shares of common stock or derivative instruments, as described in this prospectus, provided that the shares of common stock or any derivative instruments received upon conversion shall be subject to the
restrictions set forth in the lock-up agreement;
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(j)
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to us pursuant to any contractual arrangement in effect on the date of the lock-up agreement and disclosed in this prospectus
that provides for the repurchase of shares of common stock in connection with the termination of the securityholder’s employment with or service to us, provided no public filing, report or announcement reporting a reduction in beneficial
ownership of shares of common stock shall be required or shall be voluntarily made during the restricted period within 75 days after the date the securityholder ceases to provide services to us, and after such 75th day, if the
securityholder is required to file a report reporting a reduction in beneficial ownership of shares of common stock during the restricted period, the securityholder shall clearly indicate in the footnotes thereto that the filing relates
to the circumstances described in this clause and no public filing, report or announcement shall be voluntarily made;
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(k)
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with the prior written consent of Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and BofA Securities, Inc. on
behalf of the underwriters;
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(l)
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if the securityholder is a corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other business entity, the corporation,
partnership, limited liability company or other business entity may effect a transfer to any other corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other business entity that is an affiliate (as defined in Rule 405 promulgated under
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended) of the securityholder; provided, however, that in any such case, it shall be a condition to the transfer that the transferee execute an agreement stating that the transferee is receiving and holding
such capital stock subject to the provisions of the lock-up agreement and there shall be no further transfer of such capital stock except in accordance with the lock-up agreement, and provided further that any such transfer shall not
involve a disposition for value and no public filing under the Exchange Act, or announcement shall be required or shall be made voluntarily;
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(m)
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the securityholder may receive shares of common stock from us in connection with (i) the exercise of options or other rights
granted under a stock incentive plan or other equity award plan, limited only to a plan that is described in this prospectus and (ii) the exercise of warrants, which warrants are described in this prospectus; provided that, in each case,
any shares of common stock issued upon exercise of such option, warrant or other rights shall continue to be subject to the restrictions set forth herein until the expiration of the restricted period; provided further, that if the
securityholder is required to file a report under Section 16 of the Exchange Act reporting such exercise of options or other rights, the securityholder shall include a statement in such report to the effect that any shares of common stock
issued upon exercise of such option or other rights remain subject to the restrictions set forth in the lock-up agreement, and provided further that no filing or other public announcement shall be voluntarily made; and
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(n)
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the securityholder may enter into any plan designed to satisfy the requirements of Rule 10b5-1 (a “10b5-1 Plan”) under the
Exchange Act (other than the entry into such a plan in such a manner as to allow the sale of shares of common stock, in each case, within the restricted period); provided, however that, no sale of shares of common stock may be made under
such 10b5-1 Plan during the restricted period; and provided further that no public filing, report or announcement regarding the establishment of such plan shall be required or shall be voluntarily made during the restricted period.
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Prior to the offering, there has been no public market for the
shares. The initial public offering price has been negotiated among the company and the representatives. Among the factors to be considered in determining the initial public offering price of the shares, in addition to prevailing market
conditions, will be the company’s historical performance, estimates of the business potential and earnings prospects of the company, an assessment of our management and the consideration of the above factors in relation to market valuation of
companies in related businesses.
We have applied to have our common stock listed on the Nasdaq
Global Stock Market under the symbol “HLTH.”
In connection with the offering, the underwriters may purchase and
sell shares of our common stock in the open market. These transactions may include short sales, stabilizing transactions and purchases to cover positions created by short sales. Short sales involve the sale by the underwriters of a greater number
of shares than they are required to purchase in the offering, and a short position represents the amount of such sales that have not been covered by subsequent purchases. A “covered short position” is a short position that is not greater than the
amount of additional shares for which the underwriters’ option described above may be exercised. The underwriters may cover any covered short position by either exercising their option to purchase additional shares or purchasing shares in the
open market. In determining the source of shares to cover the covered short position, the underwriters will consider, among other things, the price of shares available for purchase in the open market as compared to the price at which they may
purchase additional shares pursuant to the option described above. “Naked” short sales are any short sales that create a short position greater than the amount of additional shares for which the option described above may be exercised. The
underwriters must cover any such naked short position by purchasing shares in the open market. A naked short position is more likely to be created if the underwriters are concerned that there may be downward pressure on the price of the common
stock in the open market after pricing that could adversely affect investors who purchase in the offering. Stabilizing transactions consist of various bids for or purchases of common stock made by the underwriters in the open market prior to the
completion of the offering.
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The underwriters may also impose a penalty bid. This occurs when
a particular underwriter repays to the underwriters a portion of the underwriting discount received by it because the representatives have repurchased shares sold by or for the account of such underwriter in stabilizing or short covering
transactions.
Purchases to cover a short position and stabilizing transactions,
as well as other purchases by the underwriters for their own accounts, may have the effect of preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of our common stock, and together with the imposition of the penalty bid, may stabilize,
maintain or otherwise affect the market price of our common stock. As a result, the price of our common stock may be higher than the price that otherwise might exist in the open market. The underwriters are not required to engage in these
activities and may end any of these activities at any time. These transactions may be effected on the Nasdaq Global Stock Market, in the over-the-counter market or otherwise.
We estimate that our share of the total expenses of the offering,
excluding underwriting discounts and commissions, will be approximately $ . We have agreed to reimburse the underwriters for certain of their expenses in an amount up to $ .
We have agreed to indemnify the several underwriters against certain
liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act.
The underwriters and their respective affiliates are full service
financial institutions engaged in various activities, which may include sales and trading, commercial and investment banking, advisory, investment management, investment research, principal investment, hedging, market making, brokerage and
other financial and non-financial activities and services. Certain of the underwriters and their respective affiliates have in the past provided, and may in the future provide, a variety of these services to us and to persons and entities with
relationships with us, for which they have received and will receive customary fees and expenses.
In the ordinary course of their various business activities, the
underwriters and their respective affiliates, officers, directors and employees may purchase, sell or hold a broad array of investments and actively trade securities, derivatives, loans, commodities, currencies, credit default swaps and other
financial instruments for their own account and for the accounts of their customers, and such investment and trading activities may involve or relate to assets, securities and/or instruments of ours (directly, as collateral securing other
obligations or otherwise) and/or persons and entities with relationships with us. The underwriters and their respective affiliates may also communicate independent investment recommendations, market color or trading ideas and/or publish or
express independent research views in respect of such assets, securities or instruments and may at any time hold, or recommend to clients that they should acquire, long and/or short positions in such assets, securities and instruments.
Affiliates of Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC purchased shares
of our Series C-1 redeemable convertible preferred stock in our June 2020 Series C-1 redeemable convertible preferred stock financing. These shares of redeemable convertible preferred stock will automatically convert into shares of common
stock immediately prior to and in connection with the completion of this offering.
European Economic Area
In relation to each Member State of the European Economic Area (each
a Relevant State), no shares have been offered or will be offered pursuant to the offering to the public in that Relevant State prior to the publication of a prospectus in relation to the shares which has been approved by the competent authority
in that Relevant State or, where appropriate, approved in another Relevant State and notified to the competent authority in that Relevant State, all in accordance with the Prospectus Regulation, except that the shares may be offered to the public
in that Relevant State at any time:
(a)
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to any legal entity which is a qualified investor as defined under Article 2 of the Prospectus Regulation;
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(b)
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to fewer than 150 natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined under Article 2 of the Prospectus
Regulation), subject to obtaining the prior consent of the representatives for any such offer; or
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(c)
|
in any other circumstances falling within Article 1(4) of the Prospectus Regulation,
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provided that no such offer of the shares shall require us or any of
the representatives to publish a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Regulation or supplement a prospectus pursuant to Article 23 of the Prospectus Regulation.
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For the purposes of this provision, the expression an “offer to
the public” in relation to the shares in any Relevant State means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and any shares to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or
subscribe for any shares, and the expression “Prospectus Regulation” means Regulation (EU) 2017/1129.
United Kingdom
No shares have been offered or will be offered pursuant to the
offering to the public in the United Kingdom prior to the publication of a prospectus in relation to the shares which has been approved by the Financial Conduct Authority, except that the shares may be offered to the public in the United Kingdom
at any time:
(a)
|
to any legal entity which is a qualified investor as defined under Article 2 of the UK Prospectus Regulation;
|
(b)
|
to fewer than 150 natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined under Article 2 of the UK Prospectus
Regulation), subject to obtaining the prior consent of the representatives for any such offer; or
|
(c)
|
in any other circumstances falling within Section 86 of the FSMA.
|
provided that no such offer of the shares shall require the Issuer
or any Manager to publish a prospectus pursuant to Section 85 of the FSMA or supplement a prospectus pursuant to Article 23 of the UK Prospectus Regulation. For the purposes of this provision, the expression an “offer to the public” in relation
to the shares in the United Kingdom means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and any shares to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe for any
shares and the expression “UK Prospectus Regulation” means Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018.
Canada
The securities may be sold in Canada only to purchasers purchasing,
or deemed to be purchasing, as principal that are accredited investors, as defined in National Instrument 45-106 Prospectus Exemptions or subsection 73.3(1) of the Securities Act (Ontario), and are permitted clients, as defined in National
Instrument 31-103 Registration Requirements, Exemptions, and Ongoing Registrant Obligations. Any resale of the securities must be made in accordance with an exemption form, or in a transaction not subject to, the prospectus requirements of
applicable securities laws.
Securities legislation in certain provinces or territories of Canada
may provide a purchaser with remedies for rescission or damages if this prospectus (including any amendment thereto) contains a misrepresentation, provided that the remedies for rescission or damages are exercised by the purchaser within the time
limit prescribed by the securities legislation of the purchaser’s province or territory. The purchaser should refer to any applicable provisions of the securities legislation of the purchaser’s province or territory of these rights or consult
with a legal advisor.
Pursuant to section 3A.3 of National Instrument 33-105 Underwriting
Conflicts (NI 33-105), the underwriters are not required to comply with the disclosure requirements of NI 33-105 regarding underwriter conflicts of interest in connection with this offering.
Hong Kong
The shares may not be offered or sold in Hong Kong by means of any
document other than (i) in circumstances which do not constitute an offer to the public within the meaning of the Companies (Winding Up and Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance (Cap. 32 of the Laws of Hong Kong) (“Companies (Winding Up and
Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance”) or which do not constitute an invitation to the public within the meaning of the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571 of the Laws of Hong Kong) (“Securities and Futures Ordinance”), or (ii) to
“professional investors” as defined in the Securities and Futures Ordinance and any rules made thereunder, or (iii) in other circumstances which do not result in the document being a “prospectus” as defined in the Companies (Winding Up and
Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance, and no advertisement, invitation or document relating to the shares may be issued or may be in the possession of any person for the purpose of issue (in each case whether in Hong Kong or elsewhere), which is
directed at, or the contents of which are likely to be accessed or read by, the public in Hong Kong (except if permitted to do so under the securities laws of Hong Kong) other than with respect to shares which are or are intended to be disposed
of only to persons outside Hong Kong or only to “professional investors” in Hong Kong as defined in the Securities and Futures Ordinance and any rules made thereunder.
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Singapore
This prospectus has not been registered as a prospectus with the
Monetary Authority of Singapore. Accordingly, this prospectus and any other document or material in connection with the offer or sale, or invitation for subscription or purchase, of the shares may not be circulated or distributed, nor may the
shares be offered or sold, or be made the subject of an invitation for subscription or purchase, whether directly or indirectly, to persons in Singapore other than (i) to an institutional investor (as defined under Section 4A of the Securities
and Futures Act, Chapter 289 of Singapore (the “SFA”)) under Section 274 of the SFA, (ii) to a relevant person (as defined in Section 275(2) of the SFA) pursuant to Section 275(1) of the SFA, or any person pursuant to Section 275(1A) of the SFA,
and in accordance with the conditions specified in Section 275 of the SFA or (iii) otherwise pursuant to, and in accordance with the conditions of, any other applicable provision of the SFA, in each case subject to conditions set forth in the
SFA.
Where the shares are subscribed or purchased under Section 275 of
the SFA by a relevant person which is a corporation (which is not an accredited investor (as defined in Section 4A of the SFA)) the sole business of which is to hold investments and the entire share capital of which is owned by one or more
individuals, each of whom is an accredited investor, the securities (as defined in Section 239(1) of the SFA) of that corporation shall not be transferable for 6 months after that corporation has acquired the shares under Section 275 of the SFA
except: (1) to an institutional investor under Section 274 of the SFA or to a relevant person (as defined in Section 275(2) of the SFA), (2) where such transfer arises from an offer in that corporation’s securities pursuant to Section 275(1A) of
the SFA, (3) where no consideration is or will be given for the transfer, (4) where the transfer is by operation of law, (5) as specified in Section 276(7) of the SFA, or (6) as specified in Regulation 32 of the Securities and Futures (Offers of
Investments) (Shares and Debentures) Regulations 2005 of Singapore (“Regulation 32”)
Where the shares are subscribed or purchased under Section 275 of
the SFA by a relevant person which is a trust (where the trustee is not an accredited investor (as defined in Section 4A of the SFA)) whose sole purpose is to hold investments and each beneficiary of the trust is an accredited investor, the
beneficiaries' rights and interest (howsoever described) in that trust shall not be transferable for 6 months after that trust has acquired the shares under Section 275 of the SFA except: (1) to an institutional investor under Section 274 of the
SFA or to a relevant person (as defined in Section 275(2) of the SFA), (2) where such transfer arises from an offer that is made on terms that such rights or interest are acquired at a consideration of not less than S$200,000 (or its equivalent
in a foreign currency) for each transaction (whether such amount is to be paid for in cash or by exchange of securities or other assets), (3) where no consideration is or will be given for the transfer, (4) where the transfer is by operation of
law, (5) as specified in Section 276(7) of the SFA, or (6) as specified in Regulation 32.
Solely for the purposes of its obligations pursuant to Section 309B
of the SFA, we have determined, and hereby notify all relevant persons (as defined in the CMP Regulations 2018), that the shares are “prescribed capital markets products” (as defined in the CMP Regulations 2018) and Excluded Investment Products
(as defined in MAS Notice SFA 04-N12: Notice on the Sale of Investment Products and MAS Notice FAA-N16: Notice on Recommendations on Investment Products).
Japan
The securities have not been and will not be registered under the
Financial Instruments and Exchange Act of Japan (Act No. 25 of 1948, as amended), or the FIEA. The securities may not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to or for the benefit of any resident of Japan (including any person
resident in Japan or any corporation or other entity organized under the laws of Japan) or to others for reoffering or resale, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to or for the benefit of any resident of Japan, except pursuant to an exemption
from the registration requirements of the FIEA and otherwise in compliance with any relevant laws and regulations of Japan.
Australia
No placement document, prospectus, product disclosure statement or
other disclosure document has been lodged with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (“ASIC”), in relation to the offering. This offering document does not constitute a prospectus, product disclosure statement or other disclosure
document under the Corporations Act 2001 (the “Corporations Act”), and does not purport to include the information required for a prospectus, product disclosure statement or other disclosure document under the Corporations Act.
Any offer in Australia of the shares may only be made to persons
(the “Exempt Investors”) who are “sophisticated investors” (within the meaning of section 708(8) of the Corporations Act), “professional investors”
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(within the meaning of section 708(11) of the Corporations Act) or otherwise
pursuant to one or more exemptions contained in section 708 of the Corporations Act so that it is lawful to offer the shares without disclosure to investors under Chapter 6D of the Corporations Act.
The shares applied for by Exempt Investors in Australia must not be
offered for sale in Australia in the period of 12 months after the date of allotment under the offering, except in circumstances where disclosure to investors under Chapter 6D of the Corporations Act would not be required pursuant to an exemption
under section 708 of the Corporations Act or otherwise or where the offer is pursuant to a disclosure document which complies with Chapter 6D of the Corporations Act. Any person acquiring shares must observe such Australian on-sale restrictions.
This offering document contains general information only and does
not take account of the investment objectives, financial situation or particular needs of any particular person. It does not contain any securities recommendations or financial product advice. Before making an investment decision, investors need
to consider whether the information in this offering document is appropriate to their needs, objectives and circumstances, and, if necessary, seek expert advice on those matters.
Dubai International Financial Centre
This offering document relates to an Exempt Offer in accordance with
the Offered Securities Rules of the Dubai Financial Services Authority (“DFSA”). This offering document is intended for distribution only to persons of a type specified in the Offered Securities Rules of the DFSA. It must not be delivered to, or
relied on by, any other person. The DFSA has no responsibility for reviewing or verifying any documents in connection with Exempt Offers. The DFSA has not approved this prospectus nor taken steps to verify the information set forth in this
prospectus and has no responsibility for the offering document. The securities to which this offering document relates may be illiquid and/or subject to restrictions on their resale. Prospective purchasers of the securities offered should conduct
their own due diligence on the securities. If you do not understand the contents of this offering document you should consult an authorized financial advisor.
Switzerland
We have not and will not register with the Swiss Financial Market
Supervisory Authority (“FINMA”) as a foreign collective investment scheme pursuant to Article 119 of the Federal Act on Collective Investment Scheme of 23 June 2006, as amended (“CISA”), and accordingly the securities being offered pursuant to
this prospectus have not and will not be approved, and may not be licenseable, with FINMA. Therefore, the securities have not been authorized for distribution by FINMA as a foreign collective investment scheme pursuant to Article 119 CISA and the
securities offered hereby may not be offered to the public (as this term is defined in Article 3 CISA) in or from Switzerland. The securities may solely be offered to “qualified investors,” as this term is defined in Article 10 CISA, and in the
circumstances set out in Article 3 of the Ordinance on Collective Investment Scheme of 22 November 2006, as amended (“CISO”), such that there is no public offer. Investors, however, do not benefit from protection under CISA or CISO or supervision
by FINMA. This prospectus and any other materials relating to the securities are strictly personal and confidential to each offeree and do not constitute an offer to any other person. This prospectus may only be used by those qualified investors
to whom it has been handed out in connection with the offer described in this prospectus and may neither directly or indirectly be distributed or made available to any person or entity other than its recipients. It may not be used in connection
with any other offer and shall in particular not be copied and/or distributed to the public in Switzerland or from Switzerland. This prospectus does not constitute an issue prospectus as that term is understood pursuant to Article 652a and/or
1156 of the Swiss Federal Code of Obligations. We have not applied for a listing of the securities on the SIX Swiss Exchange or any other regulated securities market in Switzerland, and consequently, the information presented in this prospectus
does not necessarily comply with the information standards set out in the listing rules of the SIX Swiss Exchange and corresponding prospectus schemes annexed to the listing rules of the SIX Swiss Exchange.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The validity of the shares of common stock offered hereby is being
passed upon for us by Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP, Palo Alto, California. Cooley LLP, San Diego, California is acting as counsel for the underwriters in connection with this offering.
The financial statements as of December 31, 2019 and 2020 and for
the years then ended included in this prospectus and in the registration statement have been so included in reliance on the report of BDO USA, LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm (the report on the financial statements contains
an explanatory paragraph regarding our ability to continue as a going concern) appearing elsewhere herein and in the registration statement, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-1
under the Securities Act with respect to the shares of common stock we are offering to sell. This prospectus, which constitutes part of the registration statement, does not include all of the information contained in the registration statement
and the exhibits, schedules and amendments to the registration statement. For further information with respect to us and our common stock, we refer you to the registration statement and to the exhibits and schedules to the registration statement.
Statements contained in this prospectus about the contents of any contract, agreement or other document are not necessarily complete, and, in each instance, we refer you to the copy of the contract, agreement or other document filed as an exhibit
to the registration statement. Each of these statements is qualified in all respects by this reference to such contract, agreement or document.
The SEC maintains a website, which is located at http://www.sec.gov,
that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC. You may access the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part at the SEC’s website. Upon
completion of this offering, we will be subject to the information reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, and we will file reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. We plan to fulfill our obligations with respect to such
requirements by filing periodic reports and other information with the SEC. We intend to furnish our stockholders with annual reports containing financial statements certified by an independent registered public accounting firm. Our website
address is www.cuehealth.com.com, and upon completion of the offering, you may access, free of charge, our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and any amendments to those reports, as soon as
reasonably practicable after such material is electronically filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. The information contained on, or that can be accessed through, our website is not a part of this prospectus. We have included our website address
in this prospectus solely as an inactive textual reference.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
|
|
|
|
Audited Financial Statements as of and for the Years Ended December 31, 2019
and 2020
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Unaudited Interim Condensed Financial Statements for the
Three Months Ended March 31, 2020 and 2021
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
|
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|
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|
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Stockholders and Board of Directors
Cue Health Inc.
San Diego, California
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying balance sheets of Cue Health
Inc. (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2019 and 2020, the related statements of operations, redeemable convertible preferred stock and stockholders’ deficit, and cash flows for the years then ended, and the related notes (collectively referred
to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company at December 31, 2019 and 2020, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for
the years then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Going Concern Uncertainty
The accompanying financial statements have been prepared assuming
that the Company will continue as a going concern. As discussed in Note 1 to the financial statements, the Company has incurred recurring losses since inception that raise substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern.
Management’s plans in regard to these matters are also described in Note 1. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
Change in Accounting Principle
As discussed in Notes 2 and 8 of the financial statements, effective
January 1, 2020, the Company has changed its method of accounting for leases due to the adoption of Accounting Standards Codification Topic 842, Leases.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s
management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”) and are
required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the
PCAOB and in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of
material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits we are required to obtain an understanding
of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of
material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the
financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide
a reasonable basis for our opinion.
/s/ BDO USA, LLP
We have served as the Company's auditor since 2019.
San Diego, California
April 19, 2021
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Balance Sheets
(In thousands, except share data)
Assets
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current assets:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash and cash equivalents
|
|
|
$14,328
|
|
|
$121,578
|
Restricted cash
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
6,000
|
Accounts receivable
|
|
|
200
|
|
|
4,168
|
Inventory
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
36,842
|
Prepaid expenses
|
|
|
669
|
|
|
13,847
|
Other current assets
|
|
|
307
|
|
|
1,263
|
Total current assets
|
|
|
15,504
|
|
|
183,698
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Restricted cash, non-current
|
|
|
177
|
|
|
1,677
|
Property and equipment, net
|
|
|
11,630
|
|
|
103,683
|
Prepaid rent
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
16,771
|
Operating lease right-of-use assets
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
8,281
|
Intangible assets, net
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
2,038
|
Other non-current assets
|
|
|
50
|
|
|
180
|
Total assets
|
|
|
$27,361
|
|
|
$316,328
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Liabilities, Redeemable Convertible Preferred Stock and Stockholders’ Deficit
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current liabilities:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Accounts payable
|
|
|
$1,168
|
|
|
$23,847
|
Accrued liabilities
|
|
|
566
|
|
|
8,822
|
Deferred revenue, current
|
|
|
12
|
|
|
115,747
|
Deferred rent, current
|
|
|
28
|
|
|
—
|
Debt, current
|
|
|
2,555
|
|
|
5,434
|
Operating lease liabilities, current
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
797
|
Finance lease liabilities, current
|
|
|
422
|
|
|
1,249
|
Total current liabilities
|
|
|
4,751
|
|
|
155,896
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Redeemable convertible preferred stock warrant liabilities
|
|
|
42
|
|
|
1,331
|
Deferred revenue, net of current portion
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
67,349
|
Deferred rent, net of current portion
|
|
|
2,729
|
|
|
—
|
Debt, net of current portion
|
|
|
3,776
|
|
|
—
|
Operating leases liabilities, net of current portion
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
10,472
|
Finance lease liabilities, net of current portion
|
|
|
497
|
|
|
1,857
|
Other non-current liabilities
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
4,500
|
Total liabilities
|
|
|
11,795
|
|
|
241,405
|
Commitments and contingencies (Note 16)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Redeemable Convertible Preferred Stock
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Series A redeemable convertible preferred stock, $0.00001 par value; 8,721,437
shares authorized, 8,350,743 issued and outstanding at December 31, 2019 and 2020; liquidation preference of $7,660 at December 31, 2019 and 2020
|
|
|
7,519
|
|
|
7,519
|
Series B redeemable convertible preferred stock, $0.00001 par value; 46,213,620
shares authorized, 46,176,715 issued and outstanding at December 31, 2019 and 2020; liquidation preference of $66,240 at December 31, 2019 and 2020
|
|
|
66,186
|
|
|
66,186
|
Series C-1 redeemable convertible preferred stock; $0.00001 par value; 27,308,229
shares authorized, 27,308,227 issued and outstanding at December 31, 2020 and none authorized, issued and outstanding at December 31, 2019; liquidation preference of $100,000 at December 31, 2020
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
96,436
|
Series C-2 redeemable convertible preferred stock; $0.00001 par value; 1,690,380
shares authorized, issued and outstanding at December 31, 2020 and none authorized, issued and outstanding at December 31, 2019; liquidation preference of $5,571 at December 31, 2020
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
6,182
|
Total redeemable convertible preferred stock
|
|
|
73,705
|
|
|
176,323
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stockholders’ Deficit
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Common stock, $0.00001 par value; 88,778,540 and 129,030,355 shares authorized,
15,779,788 and 17,806,621 issued and outstanding at December 31, 2019 and 2020, respectively
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
Additional paid-in-capital
|
|
|
4,945
|
|
|
9,036
|
Accumulated deficit
|
|
|
(63,084)
|
|
|
(110,436)
|
Total stockholders’ deficit
|
|
|
(58,139)
|
|
|
(101,400)
|
Total liabilities, redeemable convertible preferred stock and stockholders’ deficit
|
|
|
$27,361
|
|
|
$316,328
|
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Cue Health Inc.
(In thousands, except share data)
Revenue
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Product revenue
|
|
|
$—
|
|
|
$15,391
|
Grant and other revenue
|
|
|
6,626
|
|
|
7,562
|
Total revenue
|
|
|
6,626
|
|
|
22,953
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating costs and expenses:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cost of product revenue
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
15,481
|
Sales and marketing
|
|
|
88
|
|
|
714
|
Research and development
|
|
|
17,872
|
|
|
25,069
|
General and administrative
|
|
|
5,781
|
|
|
23,777
|
Depreciation and amortization
|
|
|
3,652
|
|
|
3,038
|
Total operating costs and expenses
|
|
|
27,393
|
|
|
68,079
|
Loss from operations
|
|
|
(20,767)
|
|
|
(45,126)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interest expense
|
|
|
(152)
|
|
|
(374)
|
Change in fair value of redeemable convertible preferred stock warrants
|
|
|
4
|
|
|
(1,289)
|
Loss on extinguishment of debt
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
(610)
|
Other income
|
|
|
309
|
|
|
47
|
Net loss
|
|
|
$(20,606)
|
|
|
$(47,352)
|
Net loss per share attributable to common stockholders, basic and diluted
|
|
|
$(1.31)
|
|
|
$(2.90)
|
Weighted-average number of shares used in computation of net loss per share
attributable to common stockholders, basic and diluted
|
|
|
15,760,246
|
|
|
16,315,730
|
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Cue Health Inc.
STATEMENTS OF REDEEMABLE CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK AND
STOCKHOLDERS’ DEFICIT
(In thousands, except share data)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Balance at January 1, 2019
|
|
|
8,350,743
|
|
|
$7,519
|
|
|
46,176,715
|
|
|
$66,186
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
$—
|
|
|
15,755,538
|
|
|
$—
|
|
|
$4,597
|
|
|
$(42,478)
|
|
|
$(37,881)
|
Exercise of common stock options
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
24,250
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
12
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
12
|
Stock-based compensation
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
336
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
336
|
Net loss
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
(20,606)
|
|
|
(20,606)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Balance at December 31, 2019
|
|
|
8,350,743
|
|
|
7,519
|
|
|
46,176,715
|
|
|
66,186
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
15,779,788
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
4,945
|
|
|
(63,084)
|
|
|
(58,139)
|
Issuance of Series C-1 redeemable convertible preferred stock, net of issuance
costs of $3,564
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
27,308,227
|
|
|
96,436
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
Conversion of convertible notes to Series C-2 redeemable convertible preferred
stock
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
1,690,380
|
|
|
6,182
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
Exercise of common stock options
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
1,063,499
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
669
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
669
|
Vesting of early exercised stock options
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
538,334
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
259
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
259
|
Release of common stock from restricted stock purchase agreement
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
425,000
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
Stock-based compensation
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
3,163
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
3,163
|
Net loss
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
(47,352)
|
|
|
(47,352)
|
Balance at December 31, 2020
|
|
|
8,350,743
|
|
|
$ 7,519
|
|
|
46,176,715
|
|
|
$ 66,186
|
|
|
28,998,607
|
|
|
$ 102,618
|
|
|
17,806,621
|
|
|
$—
|
|
|
$ 9,036
|
|
|
$ (110,436)
|
|
|
$ (101,400)
|
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Cue Health Inc.
(In thousands)
Cash flows from operating activities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net loss
|
|
|
$ (20,606)
|
|
|
$ (47,352)
|
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash, cash equivalents and
restricted cash used in operations
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Depreciation and amortization
|
|
|
3,653
|
|
|
6,282
|
Change in fair value of warrant liabilities
|
|
|
(4)
|
|
|
1,289
|
Stock-based compensation expense
|
|
|
336
|
|
|
3,163
|
Loss on extinguishment of convertible notes
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
610
|
Non-cash lease expense
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
568
|
Amortization of debt discount and issuance costs
|
|
|
6
|
|
|
16
|
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Accounts receivable
|
|
|
4,291
|
|
|
(3,968)
|
Inventory
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
(36,842)
|
Prepaid expenses and other current assets
|
|
|
(415)
|
|
|
(14,207)
|
Prepaid rent
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
(16,771)
|
Other non-current assets
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
(130)
|
Accounts payable
|
|
|
(253)
|
|
|
4,523
|
Accrued liabilities
|
|
|
263
|
|
|
8,114
|
Deferred rent
|
|
|
(374)
|
|
|
—
|
Deferred revenue
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
183,084
|
Operating leases
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
(337)
|
Other non-current liabilities
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
4,500
|
Interest on finance leases
|
|
|
107
|
|
|
113
|
Net cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash (used in) provided by operating activities
|
|
|
(12,996)
|
|
|
92,655
|
Cash flows from investing activities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Purchase of property and equipment
|
|
|
(2,945)
|
|
|
(76,034)
|
Development of internal-use software
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
(2,114)
|
Net cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash used in investing activities
|
|
|
(2,945)
|
|
|
(78,148)
|
Cash flows from financing activities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Proceeds from issuance of Series C-1 redeemable convertible preferred stock
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
100,000
|
Proceeds from convertible notes
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
5,563
|
Payments for issuance costs of Series C redeemable convertible preferred stock
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
(3,564)
|
Exercise of common stock options
|
|
|
12
|
|
|
1,079
|
Proceeds from debt
|
|
|
4,084
|
|
|
1,658
|
Repayment of debt
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
(2,571)
|
Payments for finance leases
|
|
|
(486)
|
|
|
(1,922)
|
Net cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash provided by financing activities
|
|
|
3,610
|
|
|
100,243
|
Net increase (decrease) cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash
|
|
|
(12,331)
|
|
|
114,750
|
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning balance
|
|
|
26,836
|
|
|
14,505
|
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, ending balance
|
|
|
$14,505
|
|
|
$129,255
|
Reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash and cash equivalents
|
|
|
$14,328
|
|
|
$121,578
|
Restricted cash, current
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
6,000
|
Restricted cash, non-current
|
|
|
177
|
|
|
1,677
|
Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash
|
|
|
$14,505
|
|
|
$129,255
|
Supplemental disclosure for cash flow information
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash paid for interest
|
|
|
$152
|
|
|
$340
|
Supplemental disclosure for non-cash investing and financing matters
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Early exercised stock options liability
|
|
|
$—
|
|
|
$152
|
Conversion of convertible notes to Series C-2 redeemable convertible preferred stock
|
|
|
$—
|
|
|
$6,182
|
Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for lease obligations
|
|
|
$—
|
|
|
$11,269
|
Equipment obtained under capital lease obligations
|
|
|
$346
|
|
|
$—
|
Purchase of property and equipment included in accounts payable
|
|
|
$110
|
|
|
$18,156
|
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
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NOTE 1. BUSINESS AND BASIS OF ACCOUNTING
Organization and Description of Business
Cue Health Inc. (the “Company”) was originally formed in the
State of California on January 26, 2010, prior to being incorporated in the State of Delaware on December 14, 2017. The Company is a healthcare technology company committed to revolutionizing the healthcare experience by providing individuals
with a convenient and connected diagnostic platform that bridges the physical and virtual care continuums. The Company’s proprietary platform, the Cue Health Monitoring System, comprised of the Cue Reader and Cue Test Kit, enables lab-quality
diagnostics-led care at home, at work or at the point of care. This platform is designed to empower stakeholders across the healthcare ecosystem, including individuals, enterprises, healthcare providers and payors, and public health agencies
with paradigm-shifting access to diagnostic and health data to inform care decisions. The Company’s headquarters are located in San Diego, California.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
The Company has incurred losses since inception. As of December 31,
2020, the Company has an accumulated deficit of $110.4 million and cash and cash equivalents of $121.6 million. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company also had a net loss of $47.4 million and net cash inflow from operations of $92.7
million. As of December 31, 2020, the Company had outstanding debt of $5.4 million, lease liabilities of $14.4 million, and a $9.0 million obligation related to a legal settlement of a contract dispute. As described in Note 18, Subsequent Events, in February 2021, the Company obtained a revolving line of credit with a maximum principal amount of $130.0 million. However, the Company may not meet the required debt covenants at times
over the next twelve months without additional funding.
Historically, the Company has primarily funded its operations
through cash from operating activities, including the U.S. DoD Advance, net proceeds from the sale of the Company's redeemable convertible preferred stock and warrants, and indebtedness. Management believes that the current available cash and
cash equivalents may not be sufficient to fund the Company’s planned expenditures and meet its obligations for at least twelve months following the financial statement issuance date. As a result, there is substantial doubt about the Company’s
ability to continue as a going concern for the twelve months following the issuance date of the financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2020. The accompanying financial statements do not include any adjustments to reflect the
possible future effects on the recoverability and classification of assets or the amounts and classifications of liabilities that may result from the outcome of the uncertainty concerning the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern.
The Company’s ability to continue as a going concern may depend upon
its ability to generate revenue and raise additional funding. Management intends to generate revenue through sales of its COVID-19 test and to raise additional capital through equity offerings and expanding its borrowing capacity. While the
Company has historically been successful in obtaining financing, there can be no assurance that such additional financing, if necessary, will be available or, if available, that such financings can be obtained on satisfactory terms. If the
Company is unable to generate sufficient revenue or raise capital when needed or on satisfactory terms, the Company’s management plans to curtail planned expenditures on certain programs, primarily the expansion of its research and development
function. The planned measures are not expected to affect near-term manufacturing capacity.
Basis of Accounting
The Company’s financial statements are prepared in accordance
with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”).
Use of Estimates
The preparation of the accompanying financial statements requires
management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenue and
expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could materially differ from those estimates.
Significant estimates and assumptions made in the accompanying
financial statements include, but are not limited to revenue recognition, the fair value of the Company’s common and redeemable convertible preferred stock, the fair value of financial instruments measured at fair value, equity based compensation
expense, the recoverability
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of its long-lived assets and net deferred tax assets (and related valuation
allowance). The Company evaluates its estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis using historical experience and other factors and adjusts those estimates and assumptions when facts and circumstances dictate. Actual results could materially
differ from those estimates.
Segment Reporting
Operating segments are identified as components of an enterprise
about which discrete financial information is available for evaluation by the chief operating decision-maker in making decisions regarding resource allocation and assessing performance. In addition, the guidance for segment reporting indicates
certain quantitative materiality thresholds. The Company views its operations and manages its business in one operating segment which is consistent with how the Chief Executive Officer, who is the chief operating decision maker, reviews the
business, makes investment and resource allocation decisions, and assesses operating performance. All revenue to date is from customers located in the United States and all long-lived assets are located in the United States.
COVID-19 Impact
The novel coronavirus (“COVID-19”) that was declared a global
pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020 adversely impacted global commercial activity but served as a catalyst to accelerating the Company’s product pipeline. The Company’s first commercially available diagnostic test for the Cue
Health Monitoring System is the Cue COVID-19 Test for ribonucleic acid of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The Company began selling and recording product revenues for its Cue COVID-19 Test in August 2020 after obtaining an Emergency
Use Authorization (“EUA”) from the Federal Drug Administration (“FDA”) in June 2020. Currently, 100% of the Company’s revenue is derived from the Cue COVID-19 Test. Given the unpredictable nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, the development and
potential size of the COVID-19 diagnostic testing market is highly uncertain.
In December 2020, the FDA issued EUAs for two COVID-19 vaccines. The
widely administered use of an efficacious vaccine or new therapeutic treatment for COVID-19 may reduce the demand for the Cue COVID-19 Test and, as a result, the COVID-19 diagnostic testing market may not develop or grow substantially. Given the
rapid development of events surrounding the pandemic, there is uncertainty to the Company’s future results and performance.
NOTE 2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND RECENTLY ADOPTED ACCOUNTING
PRONOUNCEMENTS
Cash and Cash Equivalents
The Company considers all highly liquid investments with an original
maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents.
Restricted Cash
Restricted cash consists primarily of cash that serves as collateral
for the Company’s standby letters of credit. Any cash that is legally restricted from use is classified as restricted cash. If the purpose of restricted cash relates to acquiring long-term assets, liquidating a long-term liability, or is
otherwise unavailable for a period longer than one year from the balance sheet date, the restricted cash is classified as a long-term asset. Otherwise, restricted cash is presented in current assets in the balance sheets.
Accounts Receivable
The Company sells its Cue Health Monitoring System test directly to
government entities, healthcare providers, commercial businesses, and through agreements with distributors, and the Company evaluates the creditworthiness of significant customers. The Company did not record an allowance for doubtful accounts for
potential credit losses as of December 31, 2019 and 2020.
Concentration of Credit Risk and Other Risk and Uncertainties
Financial instruments, which potentially subject the Company to
concentration of credit risk, consist primarily of cash and trade accounts receivable. The Company maintains deposits in federally insured financial institutions in excess of federally insured limits. The Company has not experienced any losses in
such accounts and the deposits are held with large financial institutions.
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The Company had two customers that represented more than 10% of
total product revenue for the year ended December 31, 2020, at 58% and 22%, respectively. For the year ended December 31, 2019, the Company did not have any product revenue. See Note 3, Revenue Recognition.
As of December 31, 2020, accounts receivable from three customers
with balances due in excess of 10% of total accounts receivable were 31%, 29% and 20%, respectively.
The Company purchases certain components for its products from a
single supplier. A change in or loss of these suppliers could cause a delay in filling customer orders and a possible loss of sales, which could adversely affect results of operations.
Inventories
Inventory is valued at lower of cost or net realizable value on a
first in, first out basis. Work-in-process and finished goods inventories consist of materials, labor and manufacturing overhead. Inventory owned by the Company that is on hand with contract manufacturers is disclosed as inventory on consignment.
Provisions for excess and obsolete inventory are primarily based on the Company’s estimates of forecasted sales, usage levels, and expiration dates, as applicable for certain disposable products, and assumptions about obsolescence. Unabsorbed
manufacturing costs are treated as expense in the period incurred.
Fair Value Measurements and Financial Instruments
The carrying value of the Company’s cash and cash equivalents,
accounts receivables and accounts payable approximate fair value due to the short-term nature of these items. Based on the borrowing rates currently available to the Company for debt with similar terms and consideration of default and credit
risk, the carrying value of the Company’s long-term borrowings approximates its fair value.
Fair value is defined as the exchange price that would be received
for an asset or an exit price paid to transfer a liability in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. Valuation techniques used to measure
fair value must maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs.
The fair value hierarchy defines a three-level valuation hierarchy
for disclosure of fair value measurements as follows:
Level 1 —
|
Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.
|
Level 2 —
|
Inputs other than quoted prices included within Level I that are observable, unadjusted quoted prices in markets that are not
active, or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the related assets or liabilities.
|
Level 3 —
|
Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity for the related assets or liabilities.
|
The categorization of a financial instrument within the valuation
hierarchy is based upon the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement.
The Company’s redeemable convertible preferred stock warrant
liabilities are measured at fair value on a recurring basis and are classified as Level 3 liabilities. The Company records subsequent adjustments to reflect the increase or decrease in estimated fair value at each reporting date in current period
earnings.
Property and Equipment, Net
Property and equipment, net, which consist of manufacturing
equipment, laboratory equipment, computers and software, office equipment and leasehold improvements, are stated at cost less depreciation. Leasehold improvements are amortized on a straight-line basis over the shorter of their useful life or the
remaining lease term, including any renewal periods that the Company is reasonably certain to exercise. Repair and maintenance costs that do not improve service potential or extend economic life are expensed as incurred.
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The estimated useful lives are as follows:
Leasehold improvements
|
|
|
Shorter of the estimated useful life or lease term
|
Machinery and equipment
|
|
|
3-7
|
Furniture and fixtures
|
|
|
7
|
Amortization of assets recorded under finance leases (capital leases
for 2019) is included in depreciation and amortization expense.
The Company completed a review of the estimated useful lives of its
assets upon receiving FDA EUAs of the Company’s Cue COVID-19 Test in June 2020. This review, based on expected technological advances and demand expectations, reduced the useful life of laboratory equipment from seven to five years and the useful
life of manufacturing equipment from seven to three years. The change in useful lives was accounted for as a change in accounting estimate on a prospective basis effective June 1, 2020. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the change in estimate
resulted in an increase in depreciation and amortization expense of $3.2 million, an increase in net loss of $3.2 million and an increase in basic and diluted net loss per share of $0.20.
Intangible Assets
Intangible assets are recorded at cost and amortized on a
straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives. Intangible assets consist of capitalized software costs incurred in the development of the Cue Health App (the “App”). The Company determined that costs incurred during the application
development stage that are directly related to the actual development of the software application are capitalized, while costs incurred in the preliminary project and post implementation stage are expensed as incurred. Additionally, indirect
costs related to the software development during the application development stage are expensed as incurred. As the App is constantly updated to the next version once it has reached technological feasibility, the Company separates costs on a
reasonable basis between maintenance and upgrades that extend the functionality and useful life of the App. The maintenance costs are expensed as incurred. The Company has concluded that given the rapid changes in technology, the internal-use
software has a relatively short useful life of three years and is amortized on a straight-line basis. Amortization expense related to the App is recorded in cost of product revenues.
Leases
The Company determines if an arrangement is a lease at inception and
if so, determines whether the lease qualifies as an operating or finance lease. Lease balances are included in the balance sheets as right-of-use assets and lease liabilities.
Right-of-use assets represent the right to use an underlying asset
for the lease term and lease liabilities represent the obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. Right-of-use assets and liabilities are recognized at lease commencement date based on the present value of lease payments over the
lease term. When the Company’s leases do not provide an implicit rate, an incremental borrowing rate is used based on the information available at commencement dates in determining the present value of lease payments. The incremental borrowing
rate is the rate of interest that the Company would expect to pay to borrow over a similar term, and on a collateralized basis, an amount equal to the lease payments in a similar economic environment. The Company’s lease terms may include options
to extend or terminate the lease when the Company is reasonably certain that it will exercise such options. Lease expense for lease payments is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term.
Deferred Rent (Prior to adoption of Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 842)
Rent expense is recorded on a straight-line basis over the term of
the lease, which includes the construction build-out period and lease extension periods, if appropriate. The difference between rent payments and straight-line rent expense is recorded as deferred rent and included in accrued liabilities on the
balance sheets. Landlord allowances are amortized on a straight-line basis over the lease term as a reduction to rent expense.
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets
Long-lived assets are reviewed for impairment whenever events or
changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the asset or an asset group may not be recoverable. If such triggering event is determined to have occurred, the asset’s or asset group’s carrying value is compared to the future
undiscounted cash flows expected to
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be generated. If the carrying value exceeds the undiscounted cash flows of the
asset, then an impairment exists. An impairment loss is measured as the excess of the asset’s carrying value over its fair value. There were no impairment indicators and no impairment was recorded for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020.
Common Stock Warrants
Common stock warrants are measured at their estimated fair value
upon issuance and recorded in additional paid-in capital. Common stock warrants are classified as equity and no subsequent remeasurement is required.
Redeemable Convertible Preferred Stock Warrants
The Company accounts for its redeemable convertible preferred stock
warrants as liabilities based upon the characteristics and provisions of each instrument. The redeemable convertible preferred stock warrants classified as liabilities are recorded on the Company’s balance sheets at their fair values on the date
of issuance and are revalued on each subsequent balance sheet date, with fair value changes recognized as increases or reductions in the statement of operations.
Revenue Recognition
Product Revenue
The Company generates revenue from the sale of its Cue Health
Monitoring System to government entities, healthcare providers, commercial customers, and through agreements with distributors. See Note 3, Revenue Recognition,
for details.
The Company considers purchase orders, which are governed by
agreements with customers, to be a contract with a customer. The contract terms with customers range in length, from one-time purchases, six-month commitments or twelve-month commitments. The timing of revenue recognition is based on the
satisfaction of performance obligations promised to the customer. Cue Readers, the Cue Enterprise Dashboard and API, and Cue Test Kits, composed of Cue Cartridges and Cue Wands, are considered distinct performance obligations. The Cue Health
App is integral to the functionality of the Cue Reader and these components form a single performance obligation. Revenue allocated to Cue Readers and Cue Test Kits is recognized when control of the promised goods has transferred to customers,
generally upon shipment, in an amount that reflects the consideration the Company expects to receive in exchange for those goods. Revenue allocated to the Cue Enterprise Dashboard and API is recognized ratably over the term of the service. The
Company’s contracts with its customers do not provide for open return rights, except within a reasonable time after receipt of goods in the case of defective or non-conforming product. Returns due to defects are estimated to be immaterial.
The transaction price is measured as the amount of consideration the
Company expects to receive in exchange for the goods transferred to customers. A contract’s transaction price is allocated to each distinct performance obligation on a relative standalone selling price basis. The Company estimates standalone
selling prices for groups of customers with similar circumstances and characteristics.
The Company recognize receivables when there is an unconditional
right to payment, which represents the amount the Company expects to collect in a transaction and is most often equal to the transaction price in the contract. Payment terms are typically 30 days.
The Company excludes from the measurement of the transaction price
all taxes assessed by a governmental authority that are both imposed on and concurrent with a specific revenue-producing transaction and collected by the entity from a customer.
During the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company generated
$15.4 million in product revenue, of which $8.9 million was revenue from government entities and $6.5 million from its other customers.
Deferred Revenue
In October 2020, the Company received a $184.6 million upfront
payment from the United States government (the “U.S. government”) to increase production capacity of its Cue COVID-19 Test. The Company concluded that the activities related to increasing production do not represent a performance obligation as
those activities do not transfer a product or service to the customer. Instead, the upfront payment is an advanced payment for future goods
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or services because the agreement with the U.S. government included an option to
renew the contract which included a material right to obtain products in a future contract at a specified discount, subject to a price floor, from prices offered to commercial customers with similar volume of purchases.
Deferred revenue is recognized upon satisfaction of performance
obligations by reference to the total goods or services expected to be provided to the customer, including an estimate of future performance obligations under expected contract renewals, and the corresponding expected consideration.
Grant and Other Revenue
Arrangements under which it receives grants to conduct research and
development activities constitute non-exchange transactions. Revenue from such is recognized to the extent of costs incurred in the period during which the related costs are incurred, provided that the conditions under which the grants and
contracts were provided have been met and only perfunctory performance obligations are outstanding. Costs are included in research and development expenses. See Note 3, Revenue Recognition, for details
regarding the Company’s grant arrangement with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (“BARDA”).
The Company may enter into collaboration agreements with third
parties to conduct research and development activities. The Company evaluates its collaboration agreements for proper classification in its statements of operations based on the nature of the underlying activity. When the Company has concluded
that it has a customer relationship with one of its collaborators, the Company follows the guidance in ASC Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. See
Note 3, Revenue Recognition, for details regarding the Company’s collaboration agreement with Janssen.
Contract Assets and Liabilities
Contract assets primarily relate to the Company’s conditional right
to consideration for work completed but not billed at the reporting date. Contract assets at the beginning of and end of the year ended December 31, 2020, as well as changes in the balance, were not material.
Contract liabilities primarily relate to the $184.6 million upfront
payment received from the U.S. government in October 2020. During the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company recognized $2.3 million in product revenue from the upfront payment resulting in a balance of $182.3 million. During the year ended
December 31, 2020, the Company also received $0.8 million in non-refundable down payments from one customer that was deferred as of December 31, 2020. Contract liabilities are recorded in current and non-current deferred revenue on the balance
sheets with a total balance of $183.1 million as of December 31, 2020.
Cost of Product Revenue
Cost of product revenue includes the cost of materials, direct
labor, inclusive of salaries and other related costs, including stock-based compensation, and manufacturing overhead costs used in the manufacturing of the Cue Test Kits as well as contract manufacturing costs associated with production of the
Cue Readers. Cost of product revenue also includes amortization of intangible assets.
Shipping and Handling Costs
The Company elected to account for shipping and handling as
activities to fulfill the promise the goods and records them cost of product revenue.
Sales and Marketing Expenses
Sales and marketing expense consist primarily of salaries and other
related costs, including stock-based compensation, for personnel in sales and marketing, customer support and business development functions.
Research and Development Expenses
Research and development expenses are expensed as incurred.
Research and development expenses are primarily comprised of costs and expenses for salaries and other related costs, including stock-based compensation, associated with research and development personnel, contract services, laboratory
supplies, facilities, and outside services. Costs associated with the Company’s grant and collaboration agreements as well as costs associated with products produced for research and development purposes are recorded within research and
development expenses.
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Accrued Research and Development Costs
The Company records accrued expenses for estimated costs of its
research and development activities conducted by third-party service providers, which include clinical trial activities, based on the estimated amount of services or supplies provided but not yet invoiced and include these costs in accrued
liabilities in the balance sheets and within research and development expense in the statements of operations. Any payments made in advance of services or supplies provided are recorded as prepaid assets, which are expensed as the services or
supplies are received.
The Company estimates the amount of work completed through
discussions with internal personnel and external service providers as to the progress or stage of completion of the services and the agreed-upon fee to be paid for such services. Significant judgments and estimates are made in determining the
accrued balance in each reporting period. As actual costs become known, the Company adjusts its accrued estimates.
General and Administrative Expenses
The Company’s general and administrative expense consists
primarily of salaries and other related costs, including stock-based compensation, for personnel in its executive, finance, corporate and business development and administrative functions. General and administrative expense also includes
professional fees for legal, patent, accounting, information technology, auditing, tax and consulting services, travel expenses and facility-related expenses, which include allocated expenses for rent and maintenance of facilities and other
operating costs.
Patent Costs
Costs related to filing and pursuing patent applications are
expensed as incurred, as recoverability of such expenditures is uncertain. These costs are included in general and administrative expenses.
Fair Value of Common Stock
The fair value of the shares of common stock underlying the
Company’s stock-based awards was estimated on each grant date by its board of directors. In order to determine the fair value of its common stock underlying option grants, the Company’s board of directors considered, among other things,
valuations of its common stock prepared by an unrelated third-party valuation firm in accordance with the guidance provided by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants Practice Guide, Valuation of
Privately-Held-Company Equity Securities Issued as Compensation.
Stock-Based Compensation
The Company estimates the fair value of stock options using the
Black-Scholes-Merton (“BSM”) option pricing model on the date of grant. The fair value of equity instruments expected to vest are recognized and amortized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period of the award, which is generally
three to four years; however, the Company’s equity compensation plans provide for any vesting schedule as the Company’s Board of Directors may deem appropriate. The Company recognizes forfeitures as incurred.
The BSM option pricing model incorporates various estimates,
including the fair value of the Company’s common stock, expected volatility, expected term and risk-free interest rates. The weighted-average expected term of options was calculated using the simplified method. This decision was based on the lack
of relevant historical data due to the Company’s limited historical experience. In addition, due to the Company’s limited historical data, the estimated volatility incorporates the historical volatility over the expected term of the award of
comparable companies whose share prices are publicly available. The risk-free interest rate for periods within the contractual term of the option is based on the U.S. Treasury yield in effect at the time of grant. The dividend yield was zero, as
the Company has never declared or paid dividends and has no plans to do so in the foreseeable future.
Comprehensive Loss
Comprehensive loss is defined as a change in equity of a business
enterprise during a period, resulting from transactions from non-owner sources. There have been no items qualifying as other comprehensive loss and, therefore, the Company’s comprehensive loss was the same as its reported net loss.
Income Taxes
The Company accounts for income taxes under the asset and liability
method, which requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been included in the financial statements. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are
determined on the basis of the
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differences between the financial statements and tax basis of assets and liabilities
using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. The effect of a change in tax rates on deferred tax assets and liabilities is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date.
The Company recognizes net deferred tax assets to the extent that
the Company believes these assets are more likely than not to be realized. In making such a determination, management considers all available positive and negative evidence, including future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences,
projected future taxable income, tax-planning strategies, and results of recent operations. If management determines that the Company would be able to realize its deferred tax assets in the future in excess of their net recorded amount,
management would adjust the deferred tax asset valuation allowance, which would reduce the provision for income taxes.
The Company records uncertain tax positions on the basis of a
two-step process whereby (1) management determines whether it is more likely than not that the tax positions will be sustained on the basis of the technical merits of the position and (2) for those tax positions that meet the more-likely-than-not
recognition threshold, management recognizes the largest amount of tax benefit that is more than 50% likely to be realized upon ultimate settlement with the related tax authority. The Company recognizes interest and penalties related to
unrecognized tax benefits within income tax expense. Any accrued interest and penalties are included within the related tax liability.
Correction of an Immaterial Error
Certain stock-based compensation expenses were not recognized by the
Company in periods prior to 2019. This prior period error was recognized as a $2.0 million adjustment to the Company’s accumulated deficit and additional paid-in-capital as of January 1, 2019.
Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements
In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”)
issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) (“ASU 2016-02), which requires a lessee to recognize most leases on the balance sheet as
lease liabilities with corresponding right-of-use assets. On January 1, 2020, the Company adopted ASC 842, utilizing the modified retrospective transition method. The Company will continue to report financial information for fiscal years prior to
2020 under the previous lease accounting standards and, as such, prior comparative periods have not been recast. In addition, the Company elected the package of practical expedients permitted under the transition guidance in ASC 842. As a result
of this election, the Company was not required to reassess (i) whether any expired or existing contracts are or contain leases, (ii) the classification of any expired or existing leases, and (iii) initial direct costs for any existing leases. The
Company elected to account for lease and non-lease components as a single lease component. This election primarily relates to the Company’s real estate leases.
Additionally, the Company elected certain practical expedients on an
ongoing basis, including the practical expedient for short-term leases pursuant to which a lessee is permitted to make an accounting policy election by class of underlying asset not to recognize a lease liability and right-of-use for leases with
a term of 12 months or less and that do not include an option to purchase the underlying asset that the lessee is reasonably certain to exercise. The Company has applied this accounting policy to all asset classes in its portfolio and recognizes
the lease payments for such short-term leases in income from continuing operations on a straight-line basis over the lease term. The Company recorded right-of-use assets and operating lease liabilities of $8.4 million upon adoption of ASC 842 as
of January 1, 2020.
See Note 8, Leases, for
more information on the impact of the adoption of ASU 2016-02 and related disclosures.
In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-18, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230) Restricted Cash, which requires that a statement of cash flows explain the change during the period in the total of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash. Therefore,
amounts described as restricted cash should be included with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning of period and end of period amounts shown on the statement of cash flows. The standard is effective for all entities for fiscal
years beginning after December 15, 2018. The Company adopted this guidance on January 1, 2019.
In August 2018, the FASB ASU No. 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820), which eliminates, adds and modifies certain disclosure requirements for fair value measurements. The modified standard eliminates the requirement to disclose changes in unrealized gains and
losses included in earnings for recurring Level 3 fair value measurements and requires that changes in unrealized gains and losses be included in other comprehensive income for recurring Level 3 fair value measurements of instruments. The
standard also requires the disclosure of the range
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and weighted average used to develop significant unobservable inputs and how
weighted average is calculate for recurring and nonrecurring Level 3 fair value measurements. The amendment is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019 and interim periods within that fiscal year with early adoption
permitted. The Company adopted ASU 2018-13 on January 1, 2019. The adoption of this standard did not have a material impact on the Company’s financial statements. For the new disclosures regarding the Company’s level 3 fair value measurements,
see Note 12, Fair Value Measurements .
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses (Topic 326) – Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. The standard provides guidance for estimating credit losses on certain types of financial instruments,
including trade receivables, by introducing an approach based on expected losses. The expected loss approach will require entities to incorporate considerations of historical information, current information and reasonable and supportable
forecasts. ASU 2017-13 also amends the accounting for credit losses on available-for-sale debt securities and purchased financial assets with credit deterioration. The FASB has issued several amendments to the standard. In November 2019, the FASB
amended the standard with the issuance of ASU 2019-10, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326), Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815), and Leases (Topic 842): Effective Dates. The amendment revised the effective date of ASU 2016-13 to
fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of ASU 2016-13 on its financial statements.
In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU No. 2019-12, Income Taxes
(Topic 740), Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes (“ASU 2019-12”), which simplifies the accounting for income taxes. ASU 2019-12 is effective for fiscal
years beginning after December 15, 2020 for public companies and for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2021 for all other entities and early adoption is permitted. The Company has not yet evaluated the impact the adoption of ASU 2019-12
will have on the Company’s financial statements.
In August 2020, the FASB issued ASU No. 2020-06, Debt — Debt with Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20) and Derivatives and Hedging — Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40): Accounting for
Convertible Instruments and Contracts in an Entity’s Own Equity (“ASU 2020-06”). The ASU simplifies the accounting for convertible instruments by removing certain models in Subtopic 470-20 and revises the guidance in Subtopic 815-40 to simplify
the accounting for contracts in an entity’s own equity. ASU 2020-06 is effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2023 with early adoption permitted for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2020. The amendment is to be
adopted through either a modified retrospective or fully retrospective method of transition. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of ASU 2020-06 on its financial statements and its adoption method.
NOTE 3. REVENUE RECOGNITION
Department of Defense Contract (Product Revenue)
In October 2020, the Company entered into a $480.9 million agreement
(as amended in March 2021, the “U.S. DoD Agreement”) with the U.S. government for the purchase of its Cue COVID-19 Test to meet the unprecedented demand for rapid and accurate molecular diagnostic testing. The U.S. DoD Agreement provides
$184.6 million to facilitate the scaling of the Company’s manufacturing capacity, which was received upon signing the contract (“U.S. DoD Advance”). The remaining $296.3 million of the agreement is for the sale of Cue Readers, Cue COVID-19 Test
Kits and Cue Control Swab Packs. The U.S. DoD Agreement also provides that, as soon as possible after the commencement of the initial U.S. DoD Agreement, we and the U.S. government are expected to negotiate in good faith to enter into a follow-on
supply agreement based on federal acquisition regulations (a FAR-based contract). The existing agreement provides the U.S. DoD with the right to purchase no more than 45% of our quarterly production for the duration of the follow-on contract at a
specified discount, subject to a price floor as part of this follow-on contract. The U.S. government is also entitled to certain administrative reporting but does not receive the right to any intellectual property or know-how.
To satisfy the terms of the arrangement, the Company must provide
the U.S. government the contractual units and demonstrate its ability to manufacture an average of approximately 100,000 Cue Cartridges per day over a consecutive 7-day period by October 2021. Subject to limited exceptions, the U.S. government is
entitled to be the exclusive purchaser of our entire production through the completion of the project. Pursuant to the U.S. DoD Agreement, we are permitted to honor certain contractual obligations that existed prior to the effective date of the
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U.S. DoD Agreement and may use a reasonable number of tests for internal
workforce testing as well as for marketing, demonstration and evaluation of our products and business development. Furthermore, we are able to seek waivers from the U.S. government to sell certain of our products to additional customers. The
agreement term ends upon final payment under the agreement and is anticipated to be completed end in October 2021. The U.S. government may terminate the agreement for convenience, but the Company is entitled to all payments received, including
the U.S. DoD Advance as well as a good faith negotiation for work performed through the termination date, subject to the U.S. government retaining the right to place priority orders for up to a year following termination for other diagnostic
tests manufactured using the manufacturing equipment purchased with U.S. government funds under the agreement. The U.S. government also has certain termination for cause remedies if the Company were to exit or abandon its COVID-19 business.
The U.S. DoD Agreement is within the scope of ASC Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. The delivery of the Cue COVID-19 Test products are separate performance obligations since they are capable of being distinct and are distinct within the U.S. DoD
Agreement. The promise of a future specified discount, subject to a pricing floor, represents a separate performance obligation as it qualifies as a material right. Activities related to production scaling pursuant to the U.S. DoD Advance, the
right to up to 45% capacity in a future contract, and administrative reporting do not represent the transfer of good or services to the U.S. government, so they are not separate performance obligations.
The transaction price is fixed and does not include variable consideration.
At contract inception, consistent with a similar class of customer,
the Company determined stand-alone selling price and noted all products were sold at a discount, so the transaction price was allocated on a relative standalone selling price basis to all products. The Company elected to account for the material
right per the practical alternative approach in which the transaction price is allocated to the optional goods and the corresponding consideration it expects to receive (hypothetical contract) since the same Cue COVID-19 Test products sold in the
U.S. DoD Agremeent would be included in any follow-on contract. The U.S. DoD Advance was recorded in deferred revenue and will be recognized upon satisfaction of performance obligations. Significant judgment is applied in determining how deferred
revenue will be recognized, including estimating future quantities, delivery schedules, pricing and contract duration from the U.S. government, which can have a significant impact to revenue recognition.
A performance obligation is satisfied once the control of a product
is transferred to the customer or the service is provided to the customer, meaning the customer has the ability to use and obtain the benefit of the goods or service. The U.S. government does not control the product prior to shipment because it
does not have the ability to use and obtain the benefit of the products and the contractual restrictions do not limit the alternative future use of the products. Based on an analysis of the various indicators of control, revenue is recognized
point-in-time upon shipment.
Deferred revenue related to the U.S. DoD Advance as of December 31,
2020, was $182.3 million. Of this amount, $114.9 million is classified as current as of December 31, 2020, based on amounts expected to be realized within the next year.
BARDA Contract
During 2018, the Company entered into a cost reimbursement contract
with BARDA that was effective through January 2021 for a total contract amount of $14.0 million (the “BARDA Contract”). The objective of the BARDA Contract is to accelerate the development, validation, regulatory authorization and
commercialization of the Company’s products. The BARDA Contract requires the Company provide reporting deliverables that include monthly technical and annual reports and a final report, but BARDA is not entitled to any know-how or intellectual
property.
In March 2020, BARDA exercised an option in the BARDA Contract for a
second phase to accelerate development, validation and FDA clearance of the Company’s Cue COVID-19 Test for an additional contract value of $13.7 million. The period of performance related to the second phase extends to January 2023.
In May 2020, the original BARDA Contract was amended to increase the
total value from $14.0 million to $21.8 million and to extend the contract term to January 2022.
The Company recognizes revenue from its BARDA Contract in the period
during which the related costs are incurred, provided that the conditions under which the grants and contracts were provided have been met and only perfunctory performance obligations are outstanding. Costs are included in research and
development expenses.
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Janssen Contract
In August 2019, the Company entered into a collaboration agreement
with Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Janssen”) to research the feasibility of the Company’s diagnostic product with a total contract value of $0.6 million (“Janssen Contract”). Janssen is entitled to the underlying research data. The Company owns
all resulting intellectual rights. Revenue from the Janssen Contract was recorded over time on an input method as costs were incurred. Outstanding accounts receivable from Janssen was $0.2 million at December 31, 2019. There was no activity
related to this agreement during the year ended December 31, 2020. Costs are included in research and development expenses.
NOTE 4. INVENTORIES
As of December 31, 2019, and 2020, the Company’s inventories consisted of the following:
Raw materials
|
|
|
$ —
|
|
|
$ 29,948
|
Work-in-process
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
4,957
|
Finished goods
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
1,645
|
Inventory on consignment
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
1,081
|
Reserve
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
(789 )
|
Total inventories
|
|
|
$ —
|
|
|
$ 36,842
|
Inventory on consignment represents inventory owned by the
Company that is on hand with contract manufacturers. During the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company recorded charges of $0.8 million related to excess and obsolete inventory in cost of sales as a result of an ongoing assessment of
inventory on hand for each product and the continuous improvement and innovation of its products. During the year ended December 31, 2020, $2.6 million of capitalized depreciation and amortization costs were expensed to cost of product revenue
as inventory was sold. As of December 31, 2020, inventory included $0.6 million of capitalized depreciation and amortization costs.
NOTE 5. PREPAID EXPENSES
As of December 31, 2019, and 2020, the Company’s prepaid expenses consisted of the following:
Prepaid expense
|
|
|
$ 669
|
|
|
$ 5,152
|
Prepaid inventory
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
8,695
|
Total prepaid expenses
|
|
|
$ 669
|
|
|
$ 13,847
|
NOTE 6. PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT, NET
As of December 31, 2019, and 2020, the Company’s property and
equipment, net consisted of the following:
Construction in progress
|
|
|
$ 614
|
|
|
$ 83,353
|
Machinery and equipment
|
|
|
13,683
|
|
|
26,972
|
Leasehold improvements
|
|
|
4,847
|
|
|
2,897
|
Furniture and fixtures
|
|
|
388
|
|
|
683
|
Property and equipment
|
|
|
19,532
|
|
|
113,905
|
Accumulated depreciation
|
|
|
(7,902 )
|
|
|
(10,222 )
|
Total property and equipment, net
|
|
|
$ 11,630
|
|
|
$ 103,683
|
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Depreciation expense related to property and equipment was
$3.7 million and $6.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020, respectively. During the year ended December 31, 2020, $3.2 million of depreciation and amortization expense was capitalized into inventory during the manufacturing
process. The carrying value of assets under finance leases (capital leases for 2019) within machinery and equipment as of December 31, 2019 and 2020 was $1.4 million and $4.8 million, respectively.
During 2020, the Company revised the useful life of certain property
and equipment. Refer to the Property and Equipment section of Note 2 for further information regarding the useful life change in accounting estimate and the Company’s current useful lives of its property and equipment.
NOTE 7. INTANGIBLE ASSETS
As of December 31, 2019, and 2020, the Company’s intangible assets consisted of the
following:
Internal-use software
|
|
|
$—
|
|
|
$2,114
|
Accumulated amortization
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
(76)
|
Total intangible
|
|
|
$ —
|
|
|
$ 2,038
|
Amortization expense related to intangible assets for the year ended
December 31, 2020 was $0.1 million. Estimated amortization expense for each of the years ending December 31 is as follows:
2021
|
|
|
$705
|
2022
|
|
|
705
|
2023
|
|
|
628
|
Total amortization expense
|
|
|
$ 2,038
|
NOTE 8. LEASES
The Company leases real estate and manufacturing and laboratory
equipment which are used in the Company’s manufacturing, research and development, and administrative activities. The Company identifies a contract that contains a lease as one which conveys a right, either explicitly or implicitly, to control
the use of an identified asset in exchange for consideration. These arrangements are classified as finance leases and operating leases. Finance leases consist of laboratory and manufacturing equipment with remaining terms ranging from 1 year to
3 years. The Company’s operating leases relate to the Company’s manufacturing facilities and office space and have remaining terms from 7 year to 9 years. Certain leases have renewal options that allow us to extend the term of the lease term. An
option to renew or terminate the current lease term of a lease arrangement is included in the lease term if the Company is reasonably certain to exercise that option.
The Company does not recognize right-of-use assets and lease
liabilities for short-term leases, which have terms of 12 months or less, on its balance sheet. For the long-term lease arrangements that are recognized on the Company’s balance sheet, right-of-use assets and lease liabilities are initially
measured and recognized at the lease commencement date based on the present value of lease payments due over the lease term. As the implicit interest rates of the Company’s lease arrangements are generally not readily determinable, the Company
applies its incremental borrowing rate to calculate the lease liability at the lease commencement date. The incremental borrowing rate is the rate of interest that the Company would have to pay to borrow on a collateralized basis over a similar
term an amount equal to the lease payments in a similar economic environment.
In June 2020, the Company entered into a lease agreement for a
building to be used as a manufacturing facility. As the construction of improvements to bring the facility to its intended use was ongoing as of December 31, 2020, the lease had not commenced as of that date. The lease has a term of ten years and
future minimum rent payments are approximately $24.9 million.
In addition to rent, the Lease requires the Company to pay
additional amounts for taxes, insurance, maintenance and other operating expenses. The base rent includes an allowance of $125 per square foot to cover some portion of the construction of the tenant improvements that began in July 2020.
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In October 2020, the Company leased a second building, also to be
used as a manufacturing facility. The lease has an initial term of five years and the company is reasonably certain to exercise a renewal option to extend the lease term for an additional five years. The future minimum rent commitment is
$24.0 million. In addition to rent, the lease requires the Company to pay additional amounts for taxes, insurance, maintenance and other operating expenses. The Company will also receive a tenant reimbursement allowance of $1.6 million to cover
some portion of the construction of the tenant improvements that began in October 2020. As the construction of improvements to bring the facility to its intended use was ongoing as of December 31, 2020, the lease had not commenced as of that
date.
The Company made payments of $16.8 million for landlord-owned
improvements related to the two leases above. The payments have been capitalized in prepaid rent and will be reflected in right-of-use assets upon commencement of the leases.
The right-of-use assets and lease liabilities recognized on the
Company’s balance sheet as of December 31, 2020 were as follows:
Assets
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Right-of-use assets operating leases
|
|
|
Operating lease right-of-use assets
|
|
|
$8,281
|
|
|
|
Right-of-use assets finance leases
|
|
|
Property and equipment, net
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ 4,837
|
Liabilities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating lease liabilities (current)
|
|
|
Operating lease liabilities, current
|
|
|
797
|
|
|
|
Finance lease liabilities (current)
|
|
|
Finance lease liabilities, current
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,249
|
Operating lease liabilities (non-current)
|
|
|
Operating leases liabilities, net of current portion
|
|
|
10,472
|
|
|
|
Finance lease liabilities (non-current)
|
|
|
Finance lease liabilities, net of current portion
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,857
|
The components of lease expense for the year ended December 31, 2020 were as follows:
Operating lease cost
|
|
|
$1,552
|
Finance lease cost:
|
|
|
|
Amortization of right-of-use assets
|
|
|
570
|
Interest on lease liabilities
|
|
|
113
|
Total lease cost
|
|
|
$ 2,235
|
As of December 31, 2020, the maturities of the Company’s operating
and finance lease liabilities were as shown below:
2021
|
|
|
$1,736
|
|
|
$1,399
|
2022
|
|
|
1,785
|
|
|
1,169
|
2023
|
|
|
1,836
|
|
|
781
|
2024
|
|
|
1,889
|
|
|
—
|
2025
|
|
|
1,941
|
|
|
—
|
Thereafter
|
|
|
6,944
|
|
|
—
|
Total lease payments
|
|
|
16,131
|
|
|
3,349
|
Less: Imputed interest
|
|
|
(4,862)
|
|
|
(243)
|
Total
|
|
|
$ 11,269
|
|
|
$ 3,106
|
The supplemental cash flow information related to leases for the
twelve months ended December 31, 2020 were as follows:
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Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities:
|
|
|
|
Operating cash flows from operating leases
|
|
|
$ 1,287
|
Operating cash flows from finance leases
|
|
|
$113
|
Financing cash flows from finance leases
|
|
|
$1,922
|
|
|
|
|
Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for lease liabilities:
|
|
|
|
Operating leases
|
|
|
$8,443
|
Finance leases
|
|
|
$2,826
|
The following table presents the weighted-average remaining lease
term and discount rate information related to the Company’s operating and finance leases as of December 31, 2020:
Weighted-average remaining lease term
|
|
|
8.4 years
|
|
|
2.5 years
|
Weighted-average discount rate
|
|
|
8.7%
|
|
|
6.5%
|
Disclosures related to periods prior to adoption of Topic 842
The Company’s future minimum rental commitments on non-cancelable
leases as of December 31, 2019, under Topic 840, were as follows:
2020
|
|
|
$1,127
|
|
|
$509
|
2021
|
|
|
1,675
|
|
|
372
|
2022
|
|
|
1,725
|
|
|
142
|
2023
|
|
|
1,777
|
|
|
9
|
2024
|
|
|
1,830
|
|
|
—
|
Thereafter
|
|
|
8,551
|
|
|
—
|
Total future minimum lease payments
|
|
|
$ 16,685
|
|
|
$ 1,032
|
Rent expense for the year ended December 31, 2019 was $0.9 million.
Carroll Canyon Lease
In December 2018, the Company entered into a lease agreement for
office and laboratory space in San Diego. The Lease has a term ten years and seven months and there are no renewal options. The future minimum rent commitment is $10.8 million. In addition to rent, the Lease requires the Company to pay additional
amounts for taxes, insurance, maintenance and other operating expenses. The Company also received tenant reimbursement allowance of $4.4 million to cover hard costs such as flooring, electrical, plumbing and HVAC, as well as other tenant
improvements.
The Company is not the legal owner of the leased space. However, in
accordance with ASC Topic 840, Leases, because of the Company’s expected level of direct financial and operational involvement in the substantial tenant improvements being constructed, the Company was
deemed to be the owner of the leased space for accounting purposes once it obtained control of the space at the start of construction in April 2019. As a result, the Company recorded the estimated value of the building on its balance sheets,
along with construction costs incurred with a corresponding capital lease obligation for the duration of the construction period. Land lease rents and interest were immaterial. No rental payments were made prior to substantial completion of
construction in October 2019. Upon substantial completion, the Company concluded it qualified for sale-leaseback accounting since the Company did not
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have continuing involvement in the form of purchase options, collateral guarantees,
nonrecourse financing, among other matters, so the assets and liabilities were derecognized. During the year ended December 31, 2019, the Company recorded $0.9 million in tenant improvements funded by the landlord with a corresponding deferred
rent liability.
In December 2019, the Company entered into a lease for a different
facility with the same landlord and negotiated an option to terminate its existing office lease upon three months from the commencement of the new lease. No gain was recorded upon termination in January 2020 and the deferred rent upon termination
continued to be deferred over the team of the lease.
NOTE 9. DEBT
In May 2015, the Company entered into a Loan and Security Agreement
(the “Loan Agreement”) with Comerica Bank (“Comerica”). The Loan Agreement provided for growth capital advances up to $2.5 million. The interest rate per the Loan Agreement was prime plus 1%. Issuance costs and third-party legal costs incurred
were immaterial and were recorded as discounts to the carrying value of the loan.
The Company issued Comerica two series of warrants comprised of one
warrant to purchase 20,441 shares of Series A redeemable convertible preferred stock at an exercise price of $0.91728 per share with an issuance date of May 28, 2015, and the second warrant to purchase 20,441 shares of Series A redeemable
convertible preferred stock at an exercise price of $0.91728 per share with an issuance date of June 5, 2015. These warrants were immediately exercisable and will expire if unexercised ten years after issuance. The total value of these warrants
upon issuance was $18,406. The fair value of the warrants upon issuance was determined using BSM option pricing model and was recorded as a discount to debt and an offsetting amount recognized as a liability. The resulting debt discount is being
amortized to interest expense using the effective interest method over the term of the loan.
In September 2016, the Company entered into the First Amendment to
the Loan Agreement so that the growth capital advances outstanding as of August 31, 2017 would be payable in twenty-four equal monthly installments of principal, plus all accrued interest, beginning on September 1, 2017 until the August 1, 2019
maturity date. In connection with the First Amendment, the Company issued Comerica warrants to purchase 7,631 shares of Series A redeemable convertible preferred stock at an exercise price of $0.91728 per share. These warrants were immediately
exercisable and will expire if unexercised ten years after issuance. The value of these warrants upon issuance was $4,727. The fair value of the warrants upon issuance was determined using BSM option pricing model and was recorded as a discount
to debt and an offsetting amount recognized as a liability. The resulting debt discount is being amortized to interest expense using the effective interest method over the term of the loan. Third-party legal costs incurred were de minimis and
were expensed.
On November 27, 2018, the Company entered into the Second Amendment
to replace the growth capital advances with a revolving line which provided a credit extension of up to $4.0 million maturing on June 30, 2020 and the Growth Capital A Line which provided a credit extension of up to $6.0 million with a maturity
date of September 30, 2022 if the Company provides evidence satisfactory to Comerica that the option period under (and as detailed in) the BARDA Contract has been exercised. The BARDA Contract extension was exercised in March 2020 (see Note 3, Revenue Recognition). In connection with the Second Amendment, the Company issued warrants to purchase 31,369 shares of Series B redeemable convertible preferred stock at an exercise price of $1.4345. These
warrants were immediately exercisable and will expire if unexercised ten years after their issuance. The value of these warrants upon issuance was $22,513. The fair value of the warrants upon issuance was determined using BSM option pricing model
and was recorded as a discount to debt and an offsetting amount recognized as a liability. The resulting debt discount is being amortized to interest expense using the effective interest method over the term of the loan. The interest rate per the
Second Amendment was amended from prime plus 1% to prime plus 0.25%. Third-party legal costs incurred were de minimis and were expensed.
Financial covenants associated with the Second Amendment include
certain borrowing base restrictions as defined in the agreement, a requirement to maintain a minimum cash balance of not less than $2.0 million, and certain reporting requirements that include an unqualified (with no going concern uncertainty)
audit opinion 180 days after year-end. The Company was out of compliance with certain affirmative covenants such as issuance of financial statements within 180 days for the 2019 financial statements.
On September 25, 2019, the Company entered into the Third Amendment
and Waiver to the Loan Agreement which waived previous breaches of debt covenants and extended the maturity date of the revolving line to June 30,
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2021. On May 9, 2020, the Company entered into an amendment to waive the requirement
to provide audited financial statements with no going concern qualification for 2019, as well as other reporting covenants through June 30, 2020. An additional waiver was obtained on July 17, 2020 to waive the 180-day reporting requirement
through August 31, 2020. Subsequent to August 31, 2020, the Company obtained permission from Comerica to provide unaudited financial statements. As noted in Note 1. Business and Basis of Accounting,
management concluded there is substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern for the twelve months following the issuance date of the financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2020. The Company was not in
compliance with certain affirmative covenants related to this Loan Agreement as a result of a going concern uncertainty paragraph in the audit opinion so the outstanding balance of $5.4 million is included in current liabilities as of
December 31, 2020.
As of December 31, 2019, and 2020, the Company had an outstanding
debt balance of $6.3 million and $5.4 million and the interest rate was 5.00% and 3.50%, respectively.
NOTE 10. WARRANTS TO PURCHASE COMMON STOCK OR REDEEMABLE CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK
Common Stock Warrants
As of December 31, 2020, the Company had an outstanding warrant to
purchase 75,744 shares of common stock at a purchase price of $0.40 per share. The warrant was issued on August 22, 2017 and expires on August 22, 2027. The warrant will automatically convert upon a change in control of the Company or a
liquidation event. All shares subject to the warrant have vested as of December 31, 2020.
Redeemable Convertible Preferred Stock Warrants
Outstanding warrants to purchase redeemable convertible preferred
shares as of December 31, 2020 were as follows:
Series A redeemable convertible preferred stock warrants
|
|
|
20,441
|
|
|
$0.91728
|
|
|
May 28, 2015
|
|
|
May 28, 2025
|
Series A redeemable convertible preferred stock warrants
|
|
|
20,441
|
|
|
0.91728
|
|
|
May 28, 2015
|
|
|
May 28, 2025
|
Series A redeemable convertible preferred stock warrants
|
|
|
7,631
|
|
|
0.91728
|
|
|
September 6, 2018
|
|
|
September 6, 2028
|
Series B redeemable convertible preferred stock warrants
|
|
|
31,369
|
|
|
1.4345
|
|
|
November 27, 2018
|
|
|
November 27, 2028
|
The redeemable convertible preferred stock warrants are
classified as liabilities, with changes in fair value recorded through earnings, as the underlying redeemable convertible preferred shares can be redeemed by the holders of these shares upon the occurrence of certain events that are outside of
the control of the Company. The Company estimated the fair value of the redeemable convertible preferred stock warrants using an option pricing model. The significant inputs to this valuation methodology included the rights, preferences and
privileges of each class of Company’s shares (see Note 12, Fair Value Measurements ), and the Company’s estimated equity value and volatility assumptions on the valuation date, which are
based on management’s analysis of comparable publicly traded peer companies.
NOTE 11. STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Equity Offerings
In May 2020, the Company entered into a Convertible Note Purchase
Agreement for a maximum of $12.0 million in convertible notes accruing interest at 3% per annum and maturing October 2021. The Company received proceeds of $5.6 million through the issuance date of these financial statements. The convertible
notes are exercisable at a 10% (within 30 days) or 15% discount (after 45 days) upon a financing transaction in excess of $30.0 million.
In June 2020, the Company raised $105.6 million in net cash proceeds
through issuance of shares of its Series C redeemable convertible preferred stock. The issuance included 27,308,227 shares of Series C-1 redeemable
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convertible preferred stock, par value $0.00001 per share, at $3.6619. The
convertible notes entered in May 2020 were converted into 1,690,380 shares Series C-2 redeemable convertible preferred stock, par value $0.00001 per share, at $3.2957 per share at a 10% discount upon closing of the Series C redeemable convertible
preferred stock issuance generating a loss on extinguishment of $0.6 million.
Shares of Series A redeemable convertible preferred stock, Series B
redeemable convertible preferred stock, and Series C redeemable convertible preferred stock are collectively referred to as “Preferred Shares”. Significant rights, preferences and privileges of the Company’s Preferred Shares are as follows:
Dividends
Preferred Shares accrue dividends accruing at a rate per annum of 8%
per share based on the Preferred Shares original issue price, calculated daily, whether or not declared, however, such accrued dividends shall be non-cumulative and payable only if and when declared by the Board of Directors on Preferred Shares
on a pari passu basis. If not declared by December 31 of each year any accrued dividends will be extinguished and begin to accrue anew beginning on January 1 of the following year. Additionally, the holders of Preferred Shares shall participate,
on a pro rata basis, in any dividends paid on common stock or on a non-cash distribution on an as-converted basis. As of December 31, 2019, and 2020, the Board of Directors has not declared any dividends.
Liquidation
Preferred shares shall be entitled to receive, on a pari passu basis
with each other and prior and in preference to any distribution of any of the assets or surplus funds of the Company to the holders on any common stock by reason of their ownership thereof, an amount equal to the greater of (i) a per share amount
equal to the Series A redeemable convertible preferred stock original issue price per share of $0.91728, Series B redeemable convertible preferred stock original issue price per share of $1.4345, Series C-1 redeemable convertible preferred stock
original issue price per share of $3.6619, and Series C-2 redeemable convertible preferred stock original issue price per share of $3.2957, as applicable, plus any declared but unpaid dividends, or (ii) the per share amount that would have been
payable had all Preferred Shares been converted into common stock at the then effective conversion price, as applicable, immediately prior to such liquidation event.
Liquidation Event
A Liquidation Event shall include, unless the holders of at least
two-thirds of the outstanding shares of Series A, B and C redeemable convertible preferred stock, voting together as a single class on as converted to Common Stock basis (the “Required Preferred Holders”), elect otherwise by written notice to the
Company:
a)
|
a merger or consolidation in which (i) the Company is a constituent party or (ii) a subsidiary of the Company is a constituent
party and the Company issues shares of its capital stock pursuant to such merger or consolidation, except in either case, in respect of any such merger or consolidation involving the Company or a subsidiary in which the shares of capital
stock of the Company outstanding immediately prior to such merger or consolidation continue to represent, or are converted into or exchanged for shares of capital stock that represent, immediately following such merger or consolidation,
at least a majority, by voting power, of the capital stock of (1) the surviving or resulting corporation; or (2) if the surviving or resulting corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of another corporation immediately following such
merger or consolidation, the parent corporation of such surviving or resulting corporation; or
|
b)
|
the sale, lease, transfer, exclusive license or other disposition, in a single transaction or series of related transactions,
by the Company or any subsidiary of the Company of all or substantially all the assets or intellectual property of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, or the sale or disposition (whether by merger, consolidation or
otherwise) of one or more subsidiaries of the Company if substantially all of the assets of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole are held by such subsidiary or subsidiaries, except where such sale, lease, transfer, exclusive
license or other disposition is to a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company; or
|
c)
|
the closing of the transfer (whether by merger, amalgamation, consolidation or otherwise), in one transaction or a series of
related transactions, to a person or group of affiliated persons (other than an underwriter of the Company’s securities), of the Company’s securities if, after such closing, such person or group of affiliated persons would hold a
majority, by voting power, of the share capital or capital stock of the Company.
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Conversion
The Preferred Shares are convertible into common stock at the option
of the holder at any time by dividing their original issue price by the conversion price in effect at the time of conversion. The conversion price of Preferred Shares is subject to adjustments for recapitalization (i.e. stock dividends, stock
splits, reorganization, reclassification, combination of shares), or upon the issuance of shares at a price less than the then current conversion price.
Preferred Shares are automatically convertible into common stock at
its then effective conversion price (discussed above) (i) upon the completion of a firm underwritten public offering of the Company’s common stock with net proceeds (after underwriter’s discounts and commissions) of at least $50.0 million and at
a price per share not less the three times the Series C original issue price, or (ii) the date and time, or the occurrence of an event, specified by vote or written consent of the holders of the Required Preferred Holders, all outstanding
Preferred Shares shall automatically be converted into shares of Common Stock at the then effective applicable Conversion Price.
Voting Rights
The holders of the Preferred Shares are entitled to vote together
with the Common Stock as a single class on an as-converted basis upon any matter submitted to the stockholders for a vote, with each holder of outstanding shares of the series of Preferred Shares entitled to cast the number of votes equal to the
number of whole shares of Common Stock into which the shares of the applicable series of Preferred Shares held by holder are convertible.
So long as 6,988,161 Preferred Shares remain outstanding, holders of
Preferred Shares are entitled, voting together as a separate class, to elect three directors.
So long as at least 1,449,915 shares of Series C redeemable
convertible preferred stock remain outstanding, the holders of the Series C redeemable convertible preferred stock are entitled, voting together as a separate class, to elect one director.
The holders of Common Stock, voting together as a separate class,
are entitled to elect one director, however, at such time that the Corporation's Chief Executive Officer ceases to serve as the Chief Executive Officer, the holders of the Common Stock are entitled to elect two directors, one of whom shall be the
Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation.
Redemption
Per the terms of the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of
Incorporation, in the event of a Deemed Liquidation Event the Company will redeem the redeemable convertible preferred shares at a price per share equal to the applicable Liquidation Amount. If the available proceeds are not sufficient to redeem
all outstanding Preferred Shares, the Company shall redeem a pro rata portion of Preferred Shares to the fullest extent of the available proceeds. Remaining available proceeds, if any, will then be distributed to the holders of common stock.
Common Stock Reserved for Future Issuance
Common stock reserved for future issuance consisted of the following as of December 31,
2020:
Redeemable convertible preferred stock
|
|
|
83,526,065
|
Warrants to purchase redeemable convertible preferred stock
|
|
|
79,882
|
Common stock option grants issued and outstanding
|
|
|
8,661,419
|
Common stock issued in conjunction with nonrecourse notes but excluded from
listing of outstanding shares
|
|
|
9,872,293
|
Common stock reserved for future option grants
|
|
|
8,339,364
|
Common stock warrants
|
|
|
75,744
|
Total common shares reserved for future issuance
|
|
|
110,554,767
|
NOTE 12. FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS
The following table sets forth the Company’s financial instruments
that were measured at fair value on a recurring basis within the fair value hierarchy:
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Redeemable convertible preferred stock warrant liabilities
|
|
|
$ —
|
|
|
$ —
|
|
|
$ 42
|
|
|
$ 42
|
Redeemable convertible preferred stock warrant liabilities
|
|
|
$ —
|
|
|
$ —
|
|
|
$ 1,331
|
|
|
$ 1,331
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The following table includes a rollforward of redeemable
convertible preferred stock warrant liabilities measured on a recurring basis and classified within Level 3 fair value hierarchy:
Balance, January 1, 2019
|
|
|
$46
|
Issuance
|
|
|
—
|
Remeasurement
|
|
|
(4)
|
|
|
|
|
Balance, December 31, 2019
|
|
|
42
|
Issuance
|
|
|
—
|
Remeasurement
|
|
|
1,289
|
|
|
|
|
Balance, December 31, 2020
|
|
|
$ 1,331
|
The estimated fair value of redeemable convertible preferred stock
warrants was determined using BSM option pricing model with the following assumptions at December 31, 2019 and 2020:
Series A redeemable convertible preferred stock warrants
Expected volatility
|
|
|
41.8%
|
|
|
59.9%
|
Expected term (years)
|
|
|
5.92
|
|
|
4.92
|
Expected dividend yield
|
|
|
0.00%
|
|
|
0.00%
|
Risk-free interest rate
|
|
|
1.72%
|
|
|
0.41%
|
Fair value per share
|
|
|
$ 0.55
|
|
|
$ 16.83
|
Series B redeemable convertible preferred stock warrants
Expected volatility
|
|
|
37.2%
|
|
|
46.2%
|
Expected term (years)
|
|
|
8.91
|
|
|
7.91
|
Expected dividend yield
|
|
|
0.00%
|
|
|
0.00%
|
Risk-free interest rate
|
|
|
1.88%
|
|
|
0.65%
|
Fair value per share
|
|
|
$ 0.68
|
|
|
$ 16.41
|
NOTE 13. STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION
Stock Incentive Plans
In August 2014, the Company adopted the 2014 Equity Incentive Plan
(“2014 Plan”) under which employees, non-employee directors and consultants of the Company may be granted either incentive stock options or non-qualified stock options to purchase shares of the Company’s common stock. A total of 11,520,590 and
20,399,691 shares of common stock were reserved for issuance under the 2014 Plan December 31, 2019 and 2020 respectively. In addition, “returning shares” that may become available from time to time are added back to the plan. “Returning shares”
are shares that are subject to outstanding awards granted under the 2014 Plan that expire or terminate prior to exercise or settlement, are forfeited because of the failure to vest, are repurchased, or are withheld to satisfy tax withholding or
purchase price obligations in connection with such awards. The Plan allows for the early exercise of all stock options granted if authorized by the board of directors at the time of grant. As of December 31, 2020, 8,339,364 shares remain
available for future grant under the 2014 Plan.
Stock Options
Options granted under the 2014 Plan have terms of ten years from the
date of grant unless earlier terminated and generally vest over a three or four-year period.
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The exercise price of all options granted during the year ended
December 31, 2019 and 2020 was equal to the market value of the Company’s common stock on the date of grant.
In December 2020, the vesting of 3,637,477 shares of common stock
was accelerated and resulted in additional compensation expense of $1.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2020.
A summary of stock option activity and related information for the
years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020 was as follows:
Outstanding at January 1, 2019
|
|
|
8,227,345
|
|
|
$0.38
|
|
|
|
Granted
|
|
|
375,000
|
|
|
0.48
|
|
|
|
Exercised
|
|
|
(24,250)
|
|
|
0.48
|
|
|
|
Forfeited
|
|
|
(215,750)
|
|
|
0.48
|
|
|
|
Expired
|
|
|
(117,594)
|
|
|
0.37
|
|
|
|
Outstanding at December 31, 2019
|
|
|
8,244,751
|
|
|
0.39
|
|
|
6.84
|
Granted
|
|
|
2,233,042
|
|
|
1.41
|
|
|
|
Exercised
|
|
|
(1,601,832)
|
|
|
0.58
|
|
|
|
Forfeited
|
|
|
(78,043)
|
|
|
0.96
|
|
|
|
Expired
|
|
|
(136,499)
|
|
|
0.39
|
|
|
|
Outstanding at December 31, 2020
|
|
|
8,661,419
|
|
|
$0.61
|
|
|
6.48
|
Exercisable at December 31, 2020
|
|
|
6,350,005
|
|
|
$0.43
|
|
|
5.55
|
Vested and expected to vest at December 31, 2020
|
|
|
8,461,627
|
|
|
$ 0.59
|
|
|
6.40
|
The aggregate intrinsic value of options exercised was $0.8 million
and $96.0 million, for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020 respectively. As of December 31, 2019, and 2020, the total intrinsic value of options outstanding was $0.9 million and $129.5 million, respectively.
Compensation Expense
The estimated fair value of each stock option award granted to
employees was determined on the date of grant using the BSM option pricing model with the following assumptions for stock option grants for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020:
Expected volatility
|
|
|
28.4%
|
|
|
39.6%
|
Expected term (years)
|
|
|
6.08
|
|
|
7.04
|
Expected dividend yield
|
|
|
0%
|
|
|
0%
|
Risk-free interest rate
|
|
|
1.8%
|
|
|
0.4%
|
Grant date fair value
|
|
|
$ 0.15
|
|
|
$ 0.57
|
The Company recognized $0.2 million and $0.7 million of stock-based
compensation for stock options granted to employees and nonemployees during the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020, respectively, that was included in general and administrative expenses.
As of December 31, 2020, there was $0.8 million of unamortized
compensation cost related to unvested stock option awards, which is expected to be recognized over a remaining weighted-average vesting period of 3.23 years, on a straight-line basis.
Restricted Stock Purchase Agreements with Executives
In September 2018, the Company issued a total of 2,924,130 shares of
common stock pursuant to Restricted Stock Purchase Agreements with its Chief Executive Officer and Chief Product Officer in exchange for Nonrecourse Notes totaling $1.4 million to finance 100% of the cost of the shares. Due to the Nonrecourse
Notes being
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collateralized by the stock purchased and other stock held by the purchaser, these
transactions are accounted for as substantive grants of common stock options since the employee does not assume the risk of ownership, so the common stock and Nonrecourse Notes are not shown as issued or outstanding as of the balance sheets date.
Principal and interest payments received are recorded as a deposit liability until the Nonrecourse Notes are repaid at which time the deposit liability is transferred to additional paid-in capital.
The Nonrecourse Notes bear interest, payable annually on July 1 of
each year, computed at a rate equal to 3.06% per annum. Accrued interest is also nonrecourse and is payable in arrears on each anniversary of the closing date and does not compound. The Nonrecourse Notes may be prepaid in full or in part at any
time without premium or penalty and are due in September 2028. The shares are subject to repurchase by the Company at the lower of the original purchase price of $0.48 per share or fair market value upon termination from service. Vesting
commenced on January 1, 2018 and the shares vest ratably monthly over four years. Compensation expense is recognized over the requisite service period.
In July 2020, the Company issued a total of 7,373,163 shares of
common stock pursuant to Restricted Stock Purchase Agreements with its Chief Executive Officer and Chief Product Officer in exchange for Promissory Notes totaling $10.4 million to finance 100% of the cost of the shares, representing a per-share
purchase price of $1.41. The Promissory Notes provided for the loan to the executives by the Company with the principal amounts equal to the purchase price of the common stock and bear an interest of 1.17% payable at any time without a premium or
penalty. In connection with the Promissory Notes, the executive entered into Pledge Agreements whereby the shares purchased were pledged as collateral for the Promissory Notes. The Promissory Notes provide that 50% of the balance is recourse and
50% is nonrecourse.
Upon the executives’ termination of service, the Pledge Agreements
provide the Company the right to repurchase unvested shares are at the lower of the original purchase price of $1.41 per share or fair market value. The repurchase right lapses 1/48th per month over the four-year period, which represents and
in-substance vesting of the shares from the vesting commencement date.
As the Pledge Agreements relate to the entire number of share
purchased and no specific percentage of the underlying shares is aligned to the respective recourse and nonrecourse portions of the Promissory Notes and the recourse provisions are not substantive as the Company generally does not intend to
pursue collection on the recourse portion of the Promissory Notes, the Promissory Notes are considered nonrecourse in their entirety and the transaction is accounted for as stock option awards. Compensation expense will be recognized on a
straight-line basis over the vesting term.
In December 2020, the Company cancelled and forgave $0.2 million of
the outstanding Nonrecourse Notes related to 480,000 shares purchased by its Chief Product Officer. The forgiveness was deemed to be a modification, given the shares were significantly in-the-money, the Company determined that the principal and
interest forgiven is materially consistent with the change in fair value. The unrecognized grant date fair value and the incremental fair value from the modification resulting from the forgiveness of the Nonrecourse Notes related to vested shares
was recognized in stock-based compensation expense during the year ended December 31, 2020. The forgiveness of the Nonrecourse Notes is deemed to be an exercise of a stock options, so the vested portion of 425,000 has been included in outstanding
shares. The unvested portion of the shares will be recognized as stock-based compensation expense over the remaining vesting period. This modification resulted in $0.2 million in additional compensation expense for the year ended December 31,
2020.
Concurrently, the Company accelerated vesting of 360,516 shares of
common stock subject to the 2018 restricted stock purchase agreements and 3,276,961 shares of common stock subject to the 2020 restricted stock purchase agreements that resulted in additional compensation expense of $1.7 million for the year
ended December 31, 2020.
Additionally, the Company normal vesting of 741,033 shares of common
stock subject to the 2018 restricted stock purchase agreements and 921,645 shares of common stock subject to the 2020 restricted stock purchase agreements that resulted in additional compensation expense of $0.8 million for the year ended
December 31, 2020.
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The Company estimated the fair value of these restricted shares
issued for Nonrecourse Notes at the grant date using the following assumptions in the BSM option pricing model:
Risk-free interest rate
|
|
|
1.1%
|
Expected term (years)
|
|
|
5.86 years
|
Exercise price
|
|
|
$1.25
|
Expected dividend yield
|
|
|
0.0%
|
Expected volatility
|
|
|
37.6%
|
Grant date fair value
|
|
|
$0.40
|
The Company recognized $0.1 million and $2.5 million of stock-based
compensation expense related to the restricted shares financed through Nonrecourse Notes discussed above for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020, which is included in general and administrative expense.
A summary of the Company’s option activity related to common stock
through restricted stock purchase agreements in exchange for Nonrecourse Notes during 2019 and 2020 was as follows:
Outstanding, January 1, 2019
|
|
|
2,924,130
|
Granted
|
|
|
—
|
Outstanding, December 31, 2019
|
|
|
2,924,130
|
Granted
|
|
|
7,373,163
|
Forgiveness of Nonrecourse Notes on vested shares of common stock
|
|
|
(425,000)
|
Outstanding, December 31, 2020
|
|
|
9,872,293
|
Vested, December 31, 2020
|
|
|
6,762,220
|
The total stock-based compensation expense was:
Sales and marketing
|
|
|
$—
|
|
|
$1
|
Research and development
|
|
|
45
|
|
|
98
|
General and administrative
|
|
|
291
|
|
|
3,064
|
Total stock-based compensation expense
|
|
|
$ 336
|
|
|
$ 3,163
|
Total unrecognized compensation expense as of December 31, 2019 and
2020 was $0.2 million and $1.7 million, respectively.
Early Exercise Liability
The unvested shares of the early-exercised options are held in
escrow until the stock option becomes fully vested or until the employee’s termination, whichever occurs first. The right to repurchase these shares lapses over the four-year vesting period. As of December 31, 2020, the early exercise liability
was approximately $0.2 million and is included in accrued liabilities in the balance sheets. There were no early exercised options prior to 2020. For accounting purposes, the early exercise of options is not considered to be a substantive
exercise until the underlying awards vest.
The following table summarizes the activity of the unvested common
stock issued pursuant to an early exercise of stock option awards during the year ended December 31, 2020:
Unvested at beginning of year
|
|
|
—
|
Early exercised stock options during period
|
|
|
855,000
|
Vested or cancelled
|
|
|
(538,334)
|
Unvested at end of year
|
|
|
316,666
|
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NOTE 14. LOSS PER SHARE
Basic net loss per share is computed by dividing net loss
attributable to common stockholders by the weighted-average common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders is computed based on the weighted-average common shares outstanding plus the
effect of dilutive potential common shares outstanding during the period calculated using the treasury stock method. Dilutive potential common shares include stock options, non-vested shares, redeemable convertible preferred shares, restricted
stock and similar equity instruments granted by the Company. Potential common share equivalents have been excluded where their inclusion would be anti-dilutive.
Basic and diluted net loss attributable to common holders per share
is presented in conformity with the two- class method required for participating securities as the redeemable convertible preferred stock and restricted shares are considered participating securities. The Company’s participating securities do not
have a contractual obligation to share in the Company’s losses. As such, the net loss was attributed entirely to common stockholders. Accordingly, for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020, there is no difference in the number of shares used
to calculate basic and diluted shares outstanding.
The table below presents the computation of basic and diluted earnings per share:
Basic:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net loss attributable to common stockholders
|
|
|
$(20,606)
|
|
|
$(47,352)
|
Weighted-average common shares outstanding, basic and diluted
|
|
|
15,760,246
|
|
|
16,315,730
|
Net loss attributable to common stockholders per share, basic and diluted
|
|
|
$(1.31)
|
|
|
$(2.90)
|
Potentially dilutive securities not included in the calculation of
diluted net loss per share because to do so would be anti-dilutive are as follows (in common stock equivalent shares):
Redeemable convertible preferred stock
|
|
|
54,527,458
|
|
|
83,526,065
|
Stock options
|
|
|
8,244,751
|
|
|
8,661,419
|
Common stock subject to restricted stock purchase agreements
|
|
|
2,924,130
|
|
|
9,872,293
|
Common stock warrants
|
|
|
75,744
|
|
|
75,744
|
Redeemable convertible preferred stock warrants
|
|
|
79,882
|
|
|
79,882
|
Total
|
|
|
65,851,965
|
|
|
102,215,403
|
NOTE 15. INCOME TAXES
The Company recorded no federal or state income tax expense or
benefit for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020 primarily as a result of the Company maintaining a full valuation allowance against its loss from operations for tax purposes. The net losses for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020
were generated solely in the United States.
The effective tax rate of the (benefit) provision for income taxes
differs from the U.S. federal statutory rate as follows:
Expected tax at the federal statutory rate
|
|
|
(21.0)%
|
|
|
(21.0)%
|
State income tax, net of federal benefit
|
|
|
(7.0)%
|
|
|
(7.6)%
|
Permanent items
|
|
|
0.9%
|
|
|
1.3%
|
Change in valuation allowance
|
|
|
30.9%
|
|
|
30.8%
|
Tax Credits
|
|
|
(4.8)%
|
|
|
(3.3)%
|
Uncertain tax position reserves
|
|
|
1.0%
|
|
|
0.7%
|
Stock-based compensation
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
(0.9)%
|
Provision for income taxes
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
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The Company recorded a valuation allowance to reflect the
estimated amount of certain U.S. federal and state deferred tax assets that, more likely than not, will not be realized. In making such a determination, the Company evaluates a variety of factors including the projected future taxable income,
scheduled reversals of deferred tax liabilities, prudent tax planning strategies, and recent financial operations. The evaluation of this evidence requires significant judgement about the forecasts of future taxable income, based on the plans and
estimates used to manage the underlying business. The net change in total valuation allowance for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020 was an increase of $5.9 million and an increase of $14.6 million, respectively. The 2019 and 2020
valuation allowance increases were both driven primarily by U.S. federal and state NOL carryforwards that are not expected on a more likely than not basis to be realized.
The significant components of deferred income taxes were as follows:
Deferred tax assets:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net operating losses
|
|
|
$ 15,755
|
|
|
$ 29,217
|
Research and development credits
|
|
|
2,541
|
|
|
3,791
|
Operating lease liability
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
3,234
|
Share-based compensation
|
|
|
231
|
|
|
350
|
Accruals
|
|
|
45
|
|
|
2,963
|
Other
|
|
|
772
|
|
|
226
|
Total deferred tax assets
|
|
|
19,344
|
|
|
39,781
|
Deferred tax liabilities:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating right-of-use asset
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
(2,376)
|
Depreciation and amortization
|
|
|
(41)
|
|
|
(3,511)
|
Total deferred tax liabilities
|
|
|
(41)
|
|
|
(5,887)
|
Gross deferred tax assets
|
|
|
19,303
|
|
|
33,894
|
Less: Valuation allowance
|
|
|
(19,303)
|
|
|
(33,894)
|
Net deferred income taxes
|
|
|
$—
|
|
|
$—
|
At December 31, 2020, the Company has United States federal and
state net operating loss (“NOL”) carryforwards of $108.7 million and $90.8, respectively. The federal NOL carryforwards generated in pre-2018 tax years of $26.2 million will begin to expire in 2031 while federal NOLs generated after 2017 of
$82.5 million will carry forward indefinitely. The state NOL carryforwards of $90.8 million will begin to expire in 2031 unless previously utilized. At December 31, 2020, the Company also had federal and California research tax credit
carryforwards of $2.9 million and $2.3 million, respectively. The federal research tax credit carryforwards begin to expire in 2032, if not utilized, while the California research tax credit carries forward indefinitely.
The above NOL carryforward and the research tax credit carryforwards
are subject to an annual limitation under Section 382 and 383 of the Internal Revenue Code (“IRC”) of 1986, and similar state provisions due to ownership change limitations that have occurred which will limit the amount of NOL and tax credit
carryforwards that can be utilized to offset future taxable income and tax, respectively. In general, an ownership change, as defined by Section 382 and 383, results from transactions increasing ownership of certain stockholders or public groups
in the stock of the corporation by more than 50 percentage points over a three-year period. The Company has completed a Section 382/383 analysis through December 31, 2020 and determined an ownership change, as defined under Section 382, occurred
in 2014 and 2018. The resulting limitations have restricted the use of the Company’s NOL and tax credit carryforwards. As of December 31, 2020, the Company has $30.1 million of federal net operating losses and $29.8 million of state NOLs subject
to limitations related to the utilization under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code. As of December 31, 2020, the Company has $1.2 million of federal tax credit carryforwards and $1.2 million of state tax credit carryforwards subject to
limitations related to the utilization under Section 383 of the Internal Revenue Code. Due to the existence of the valuation allowance, limitations created by future ownership changes, if any, related to the Company’s operations in the United
States will not impact the Company’s effective tax rate.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Company recognizes the benefit of tax positions taken or
expected to be taken in its tax returns in the financial statements when it is more likely than not that the position will be sustained upon examination by authorities. Recognized tax positions are measured at the largest amount of benefit that
is greater than 50% likely of being realized upon settlement.
A reconciliation of the beginning and ending balance to total unrecognized tax position
is as follows:
Beginning balance
|
|
|
$489
|
|
|
$705
|
Increases related to current year tax positions
|
|
|
216
|
|
|
340
|
Ending Balance
|
|
|
$ 705
|
|
|
$ 1,045
|
As of December 31, 2020, the Company has approximately $1.0 million
of unrecognized tax benefits, none of which would currently affect the Company’s effective tax rate if recognized due to the Company’s deferred tax assets being fully offset by a valuation allowance. As of December 31, 2019, and December 31,
2020, the Company recorded no accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits. The Company does not expect any significant changes in its tax positions that would warrant recognition of a liability for unrecognized income tax
benefits during the next 12 months.
The Company’s United States federal and state income tax returns are
subject to tax examination by U.S. federal and state tax authorities for tax years within the statute of limitations. All tax carryforwards are subject to adjustment until the statute closes on the year the carryforwards are eventually utilized.
The statute remains open on tax carryforwards generated and unutilized as of December 31, 2020 for the 2011 and subsequent tax years.
On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic
Security Act, H.R. 748 (CARES Act) was enacted and signed into law in the United States. The CARES Act includes modifications to the Internal Revenue Code and provides for relief to U.S. corporations through programs such as the employee
retention credit, payroll tax deferral and modifications to certain income tax provisions such as temporary five-year net operating loss carryback provisions and a modification of interest deduction limitations. The CARES Act did not have a
significant impact on the Company’s financial statements for year ended December 31, 2020.
On June 29, 2020, Assembly Bill 85 (“AB 85”) was signed into law as
part of the California 2020 Budget Act and temporarily suspends the use of California net operating losses and imposes a cap on the amount of business incentive tax credits that companies can utilize against their taxable income for tax years
2020, 2021, and 2022. The Company evaluated the provisions of AB 85 and determined there was no impact on the provision for income taxes for the current period given the full valuation allowance against the California net operating loss and tax
credit carryforwards. The Company will continue to evaluate the impact, if any, AB 85 may have on its financial statements and disclosures.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, (“CAA”) was signed into
law on December 27, 2020. The CAA includes, among other provisions, tax and direct spending relief for businesses and individuals affected by the coronavirus pandemic; and extends dozens of expiring tax deductions, credits, and incentives. The
Company evaluated the impact of the CAA and determined that it did not have a material impact to the income tax provision for the tax year ended December 31, 2020.
NOTE 16. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Product Liability
The Company’s business exposes it to liability risks from its
potential medical diagnostic products. Product liability claims could result in the payment of significant amounts of money and divert management’s attention from running the business. The Company may not be able to maintain insurance on
acceptable terms, or the insurance may not provide adequate protection in the case of a product liability claim. To the extent that product liability insurance, if available, does not cover potential claims, the Company would be required to
self-insure the risks associated with such claims. The Company believes it carries reasonably adequate insurance for product liability.
Standby Letters of Credit
The Company entered into letters of credit (LOCs) for a total of
$7.7 million with Comerica Bank as collateral required by one of the Company’s vendors and in lieu of three of its lease agreements. The LOCs are automatically
TABLE OF CONTENTS
extended for a period of one year from unless the Company provides a notice to
terminate the agreements ranging from 30 to 90 days prior to the expiration date. The Company was required to reserve a cash balance of $0.2 million and $7.7 million at December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2020, respectively, as collateral for the
LOCs, which are presented as restricted cash on the balance sheets.
NOTE 17. RETIREMENT PLAN
The Company maintains a defined contribution employee retirement
plan which allows eligible employees, including named executive officers, to contribute pre-tax and Roth contributions to the plan, as allowed by law. The Company currently does not match employee contributions.
NOTE 18. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
The Company considers events or transactions that occur after the
balance sheet date but prior to the issuance of the financial statements to provide additional evidence for certain estimates or to identify matters that may require additional disclosure. The Company has completed an evaluation of all subsequent
events through April 19, 2021, the date on which the financial statements were issued, during which time nothing has occurred outside the normal course of business operations that would require disclosure other than the events disclosed below.
Settlement of Contingency
In March 2021, the Company reached a settlement pursuant to a
consulting agreement for services rendered during the year ended December 31, 2020, related to the advancement of the Company’s diagnostic platform and identification of funding opportunities. The Company agreed to pay $9.0 million, payable in
four equal installments over eighteen months, starting on April 1, 2021. This amount is included in the statements of operations in general and administrative expense for the year ended December 31, 2020. As of December 31, 2020, $4.5 million of
this amount was included in accrued liabilities and $4.5 million was included in other non-current liabilities in the accompanying balance sheet.
Revolving Line of Credit
In February 2021, the Company entered a Loan and Security Agreement
(the “Revolving Credit Agreement”) with East West Bank, Comerica Bank, and Silicon Valley Bank (collectively, “Lenders”) with East West Bank serving as the collateral and administrative agent for the Lenders (“Agent”). The Revolving Credit
Agreement provides for a revolving credit facility with an aggregate maximum principal amount of $130.0 million and a letter of credit subfacility of $20.0 million.
Amounts under the Loan Agreement may be borrowed and repaid at any
time without penalty or premium prior to the revolving maturity date of February 5, 2023, at which time all of the outstanding advances with all unpaid interest and fees will immediately be due and payable. The advances bear interest, on the
outstanding daily balance thereof, at a rate equal to 0.75% above the prime rate but in no event shall the interest rate be less than 4.0%.
The Revolving Credit Agreement includes customary representations,
warranties and negative and affirmative covenants of the company, as well as customary events of default. Subject to certain qualifications and exceptions, the agreement will, among other things, limit the ability to: incur or guaranty additional
indebtedness; create or permit liens on the Company's assets; pay dividends or distributions; make certain investments; make certain fundamental changes, assets dispositions and acquisitions; and engage in certain transactions with shareholders
and affiliates. In addition, the Revolving Credit Agreement requires the Company to maintain a minimum asset coverage ratio of 1.25 to 1.00, minimum remaining months liquidity of at least six months, and minimum liquidity of at least $80.0
million. The obligations under the Revolving Credit Agreement are secured by substantially all of the Company's assets.
Leases
In January 2021, the Company entered into a lease agreement for
approximately 8,010 square feet in an industrial building in San Diego, California. The initial lease term is three years. The future minimum rent commitment is approximately $1.0 million.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CONDENSED BALANCE SHEETS
(Unaudited)
(In thousands, except share data)
Assets
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current assets:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash and cash equivalents
|
|
|
$121,578
|
|
|
$ 38,942
|
Restricted cash
|
|
|
6,000
|
|
|
—
|
Accounts receivable
|
|
|
4,168
|
|
|
13,578
|
Inventory
|
|
|
36,842
|
|
|
51,602
|
Prepaid expenses
|
|
|
13,847
|
|
|
14,121
|
Other current assets
|
|
|
1,263
|
|
|
2,886
|
Total current assets
|
|
|
183,698
|
|
|
121,129
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Restricted cash, non-current
|
|
|
1,677
|
|
|
80,000
|
Property and equipment, net
|
|
|
103,683
|
|
|
138,989
|
Prepaid rent
|
|
|
16,771
|
|
|
12,306
|
Operating lease right-of-use assets
|
|
|
8,281
|
|
|
31,242
|
Intangible assets, net
|
|
|
2,038
|
|
|
3,212
|
Other non-current assets
|
|
|
180
|
|
|
2,038
|
Total assets
|
|
|
$316,328
|
|
|
$388,916
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Liabilities, Redeemable Convertible Preferred Stock and Stockholders’ Deficit
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current liabilities:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Accounts payable
|
|
|
$ 23,847
|
|
|
$ 18,228
|
Accrued liabilities
|
|
|
8,822
|
|
|
12,733
|
Deferred revenue, current
|
|
|
115,747
|
|
|
118,538
|
Debt, current
|
|
|
5,434
|
|
|
—
|
Operating lease liabilities, current
|
|
|
797
|
|
|
1,527
|
Finance lease liabilities, current
|
|
|
1,249
|
|
|
1,366
|
Total current liabilities
|
|
|
155,896
|
|
|
152,392
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Redeemable convertible preferred stock warrant liabilities
|
|
|
1,331
|
|
|
1,331
|
Deferred revenue, net of current portion
|
|
|
67,349
|
|
|
48,569
|
Deferred tax liabilities
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
318
|
Debt, net of current portion
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
63,206
|
Operating leases liabilities, net of current portion
|
|
|
10,472
|
|
|
27,849
|
Finance lease liabilities, net of current portion
|
|
|
1,857
|
|
|
1,948
|
Other non-current liabilities
|
|
|
4,500
|
|
|
2, 250
|
Total liabilities
|
|
|
241,405
|
|
|
297,863
|
Commitments and contingencies (Note 15)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Redeemable Convertible Preferred Stock
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Series A redeemable convertible preferred stock, $0.00001 par value;
8,721,437 shares authorized, 8,350,743 issued and outstanding at December 31, 2020 and March 31, 2021; liquidation preference of $7,660 at December 31, 2020 and March 31, 2021
|
|
|
7,519
|
|
|
7,519
|
Series B redeemable convertible preferred stock, $0.00001 par value;
46,213,620 shares authorized, 46,176,715 issued and outstanding at December 31, 2020 and March 31, 2021; liquidation preference of $66,240 at December 31, 2020 and March 31, 2021
|
|
|
66,186
|
|
|
66,186
|
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed financial statements.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Series C-1 redeemable convertible preferred stock; $0.00001 par value;
Series C-1 redeemable convertible preferred stock; $0.00001 par value; 27,308,229 shares authorized, 27,308,227 issued and outstanding at December 31, 2020 and March 31, 2021; liquidation preference of $100,000 at December 31, 2020 and
March 31, 2021
|
|
|
96,436
|
|
|
96,436
|
Series C-2 redeemable convertible preferred stock; $0.00001 par value;
1,690,380 shares authorized, issued and outstanding at December 31, 2020 and March 31, 2021; liquidation preference of $5,571 at December 31, 2020 and March 31, 2021
|
|
|
6,182
|
|
|
6,182
|
Total redeemable convertible preferred stock
|
|
|
176,323
|
|
|
176,323
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stockholders’ Deficit
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Common stock, $0.00001 par value; 129,030,355 shares authorized, 17,806,621
and 18,524,368 issued and outstanding at December 31, 2020 and March 31, 2021, respectively
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
Additional paid-in-capital
|
|
|
9,036
|
|
|
12,135
|
Accumulated deficit
|
|
|
(110,436 )
|
|
|
(97,405 )
|
Total stockholders’ deficit
|
|
|
(101,400 )
|
|
|
(85,270 )
|
Total liabilities, redeemable convertible preferred stock and stockholders’
deficit
|
|
|
$ 316,328
|
|
|
$388,916
|
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed financial statements.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(Unaudited)
(In thousands, except share data)
Revenue
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Product revenue
|
|
|
$ —
|
|
|
$ 64,499
|
Grant and other revenue
|
|
|
611
|
|
|
—
|
Total revenue
|
|
|
611
|
|
|
64,499
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating costs and expenses:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cost of product revenue
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
30,035
|
Sales and marketing
|
|
|
20
|
|
|
430
|
Research and development
|
|
|
7,309
|
|
|
7,409
|
General and administrative
|
|
|
1,279
|
|
|
11,707
|
Depreciation and amortization
|
|
|
710
|
|
|
163
|
Total operating costs and expenses
|
|
|
9,318
|
|
|
49,744
|
Income (loss) from operations
|
|
|
(8,707)
|
|
|
14,755
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interest expense
|
|
|
(98)
|
|
|
(535)
|
Other income
|
|
|
42
|
|
|
37
|
Net income (loss) before income taxes
|
|
|
(8,763)
|
|
|
14,257
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income tax expense
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
(1,226 )
|
Net income (loss)
|
|
|
$ (8,763 )
|
|
|
$ 13,031
|
Basic net income (loss) per share attributable to common stockholders
|
|
|
$ (0.56 )
|
|
|
$ 0. 09
|
Weighted-average number of shares used in computation of basic net income
(loss) per share attributable to common stockholders
|
|
|
15,779,988
|
|
|
18,378,777
|
Diluted net income (loss) per share attributable to common stockholders
|
|
|
$ (0.56 )
|
|
|
$ 0. 08
|
Weighted-average number of shares used in computation of diluted net income
(loss) per share attributable to common stockholders
|
|
|
15,779,988
|
|
|
25, 904 , 338
|
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed financial statements.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF REDEEMABLE CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK AND STOCKHOLDERS’ DEFICIT
(Unaudited)
(In thousands, except share data)
Balance at December 31, 2019
|
|
|
8,350,743
|
|
|
$7,519
|
|
|
46,176,715
|
|
|
$66,186
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
$—
|
|
|
15,779,788
|
|
|
$—
|
|
|
$4,945
|
|
|
$(63,084)
|
|
|
$(58,139)
|
Stock-based compensation
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
49
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
49
|
Net loss
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
(8,763 )
|
|
|
(8,763 )
|
Balance at March 31, 2020
|
|
|
8,350,743
|
|
|
$7,519
|
|
|
46,176,715
|
|
|
$66,186
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
$—
|
|
|
15,779,788
|
|
|
$—
|
|
|
$4,994
|
|
|
$(71,847 )
|
|
|
$(66,853 )
|
Balance at December 31, 2020
|
|
|
8,350,743
|
|
|
$7,519
|
|
|
46,176,715
|
|
|
$66,186
|
|
|
28,998,607
|
|
|
$102,618
|
|
|
17,806,621
|
|
|
$—
|
|
|
$ 9,036
|
|
|
$(110,436)
|
|
|
$(101,400)
|
Exercise of common stock options
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
622,749
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
32
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
32
|
Vesting of early exercised stock options
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
94,998
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
46
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
46
|
Stock-based compensation
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
3,021
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
3,021
|
Net income
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
13,031
|
|
|
13,031
|
Balance at March 31, 2021
|
|
|
8,350,743
|
|
|
$7,519
|
|
|
46,176,715
|
|
|
$66,186
|
|
|
28,998,607
|
|
|
$102,618
|
|
|
18,524,368
|
|
|
$—
|
|
|
$12,135
|
|
|
$ (97,405 )
|
|
|
$ (85,270 )
|
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed financial statements.
F-37
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(Unaudited)
(In thousands)
Cash flows from operating activities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net income (loss)
|
|
|
$ (8,763)
|
|
|
$ 13,031
|
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash, cash equivalents
and restricted cash used in operations
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Depreciation and amortization
|
|
|
710
|
|
|
4,884
|
Inventory reserve
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
293
|
Stock-based compensation expense
|
|
|
49
|
|
|
3,021
|
Non-cash lease expense
|
|
|
135
|
|
|
625
|
Amortization of debt issuance costs
|
|
|
16
|
|
|
65
|
Deferred income taxes
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
318
|
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Accounts receivable
|
|
|
(411)
|
|
|
(9,410)
|
Inventory
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
( 15,052)
|
Prepaid expenses and other current assets
|
|
|
(198)
|
|
|
(1,710)
|
Prepaid rent
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
983
|
Other non-current assets
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
(1,143)
|
Operating lease right-of-use assets
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
(2,024)
|
Accounts payable
|
|
|
454
|
|
|
(14,788)
|
Accrued liabilities
|
|
|
376
|
|
|
1,706
|
Deferred rent
|
|
|
(34)
|
|
|
—
|
Deferred revenue
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
(15,989)
|
Operating leases
|
|
|
64
|
|
|
28
|
Interest on finance leases
|
|
|
21
|
|
|
49
|
Net cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash used in operating activities
|
|
|
(7,581 )
|
|
|
(35,113 )
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash flows from investing activities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Purchase of property and equipment
|
|
|
(450)
|
|
|
(30,491)
|
Development of internal-use software
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
(1,350 )
|
Net cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash used in investing activities
|
|
|
(450 )
|
|
|
(31,841 )
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash flows from financing activities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Exercise of common stock options
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
32
|
Proceeds from debt
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
82,250
|
Payment of debt issuance costs
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
(781)
|
Repayment of debt
|
|
|
(643)
|
|
|
(24,478)
|
Payments for finance leases
|
|
|
(124 )
|
|
|
(382 )
|
Net cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash (used in) provided by
financing activities
|
|
|
(767 )
|
|
|
56,641
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net decrease in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash
|
|
|
(8,798)
|
|
|
(10,313)
|
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning balance
|
|
|
14,505
|
|
|
129,255
|
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, ending balance
|
|
|
$ 5,707
|
|
|
$ 118,942
|
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed financial statements.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash and cash equivalents
|
|
|
$5,530
|
|
|
$ 38,942
|
Restricted cash, non-current
|
|
|
177
|
|
|
80,000
|
Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash
|
|
|
$5,707
|
|
|
$118,942
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Supplemental disclosure for cash flow information
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash paid for interest
|
|
|
$ 94
|
|
|
$ 267
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Supplemental disclosure for non-cash investing and financing matters
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Early exercised stock options liability
|
|
|
$ —
|
|
|
$ 46
|
Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for lease obligations
|
|
|
$8,443
|
|
|
$ 18,621
|
Purchase of property and equipment included in accounts payable
|
|
|
$ 77
|
|
|
$ 8,623
|
Deferred initial public offering costs included in accounts payable
|
|
|
$ —
|
|
|
$ 547
|
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed financial statements.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Cue Health Inc.
NOTES TO CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(Unaudited)
(In thousands, except share data)
NOTE 1. BUSINESS AND BASIS OF ACCOUNTING
Organization and Description of Business
Cue Health Inc. (the “Company”) was originally formed in the State of California on
January 26, 2010, prior to being incorporated in the State of Delaware on December 14, 2017. The Company is a healthcare technology company committed to revolutionizing the healthcare experience by providing individuals with a convenient and
connected diagnostic platform that bridges the physical and virtual care continuum. The Company’s proprietary platform, the Cue Health Monitoring System, comprised of the Cue Reader and Cue Test Kit, enables lab-quality diagnostics-led care at
home, at work or at the point of care. This platform is designed to empower stakeholders across the healthcare ecosystem, including individuals, enterprises, healthcare providers and payors, and public health agencies with paradigm-shifting
access to diagnostic and health data to inform care decisions. The Company’s headquarters are located in San Diego, California.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
As of March 31, 2021, the Company has cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash of
$118.9 million. In February 2021, the Company obtained a revolving line of credit with a maximum principal amount of $130.0 million, of which $80.0 million are required to be held in deposit at the banking institution that serves as the
administrative and collateral agent for the revolving line of credit. In May 2021, the Company received net proceeds of $229.5 million from the issuance and sale of convertible notes that are repayable on or after May 6, 2023 (see Note 16, Subsequent Events ). Management believes that the current available cash and cash equivalents will be sufficient to fund the Company’s planned expenditures and meet its obligations for at least twelve
months following the financial statement issuance date.
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying unaudited interim condensed financial statements should be read in
conjunction with the audited annual financial statements and notes thereto for the year ended December 31, 2020. The unaudited interim condensed balance sheet as of December 31, 2020 included herein was derived from the audited financial
statements as of that date. The results of operations and cash flows for the three months ended March 31, 2021 are not necessarily indicative of the results for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2021 or any future interim period. The
Company’s financial statements are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”), applicable rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) for
interim reporting and, in the opinion of management, include all adjustments necessary for the fair presentation of the Company’s financial position for the periods presented. All such adjustments are of a normal, recurring nature. Certain
disclosures have been condensed or omitted from the interim condensed financial statements. The preparation of the accompanying financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of
assets and liabilities, income and expenses as well as the related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities.
COVID-19 Impact
The novel coronavirus (“COVID-19”) that was declared a global pandemic by the World
Health Organization in March 2020 adversely impacted global commercial activity but served as a catalyst to accelerating the Company’s product pipeline. The Company’s first commercially available diagnostic test for the Cue Health Monitoring
System is the Cue COVID-19 test for ribonucleic acid of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The Company began selling and recording product revenues for its Cue COVID-19 test in August 2020 after obtaining an Emergency Use Authorization
(“EUA”) from the Federal Drug Administration (“FDA”) in June 2020. Currently, 100% of the Company’s revenues is derived from the Cue COVID-19 test. Given the unpredictable nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, the development and potential size of
the COVID-19 diagnostic testing market is highly uncertain.
In December 2020, the FDA issued emergency use authorizations for two COVID-19
vaccines. The widely administered use of an efficacious vaccine or new therapeutic treatment for COVID-19 may reduce the demand for the Cue COVID-19 test and, as a result, the COVID-19 diagnostic testing market may not develop or grow
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Cue Health Inc.
NOTES TO CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(Unaudited)
(In thousands, except share data)
substantially. Given the rapid development of events surrounding the pandemic,
there is uncertainty to the Company’s future results and performance.
NOTE 2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND RECENTLY ADOPTED ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS
Significant Accounting Policies
During the three months ended March 31, 2021, there have been no changes to our
significant accounting policies as described in our audited annual financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2020, except as noted below.
Deferred Offering Costs
The Company capitalizes certain legal, professional accounting and other third-party
fees that are directly associated with in-process equity financings as deferred offering costs until such financings are consummated. After consummation of the financing, these costs are recorded as a reduction of the proceeds received from the
equity financing. If a planned equity financing is abandoned, the deferred offering costs are expensed immediately as a charge to operating expenses in the condensed statements of operations. There were $0 and $0.5 million of deferred offering
costs recorded in the Company’s balance sheets in other non-current assets as of December 31, 2020, and March 31, 2021, respectively.
Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements
In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU No. 2019-12, Income Taxes (Topic 740),
Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes (“ASU 2019-12”), which simplifies the accounting for income taxes. ASU 2019-12 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020 for public companies and for fiscal years beginning after
December 15, 2021 for all other entities and early adoption is permitted. The Company adopted ASU 2019-12 on January 1, 2021 on a prospective basis. The adoption did not have an impact on the Company’s financial statements.
NOTE 3. REVENUE
Product Revenue
The Company generates revenue from the sale of its Cue Health Monitoring System to
public sector entities, healthcare providers, commercial customers, and through agreements with distributors. The Company considers purchase orders, which are governed by agreements with customers, to be a contract with a customer. The contract
terms with customers range in length, from one-time purchases, six-month commitments or twelve-month commitments. The timing of revenue recognition is based on the satisfaction of performance obligations promised to the customer. Revenue is
recognized when control of the promised goods has transferred to customers, generally upon shipment, in an amount that reflects the consideration the Company expects to receive in exchange for those goods.
For the three months ended March 31, 2021, primarily relates to a $480.9 million
agreement (“U.S. DoD Contract”) the Company entered into with the U.S. government for the purchase of its Cue COVID-19 Test. The U.S DoD Agreement provided $184.6 million to facilitate the scaling of the Company’s manufacturing capacity, which
was received upon signing the contract (“U.S. DoD Advance”). The remainder of the agreement is for the sale of the Company’s products.
Disaggregation of the product revenue by type of customer for the three months ended
March 31, 2020, and 2021, respectively:
Public sector entities
|
|
|
$—
|
|
|
$62,091
|
Other customers
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
2,408
|
Total product revenue
|
|
|
$—
|
|
|
$64,499
|
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Cue Health Inc.
NOTES TO CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(Unaudited)
(In thousands, except share data)
Product revenue from public sector entities relates substantially entirely to the U.S. DoD Contract.
Contract Assets and Liabilities
Contract assets primarily relate to the Company’s conditional right to
consideration for work completed but not billed at the reporting date. Contract assets at the beginning of and end of the three months ended March 31, 2021, as well as changes in the balance, were not material.
Contract liabilities primarily relate to the U.S. DoD Advance and were recorded in
current and non-current deferred revenue on the balance sheets. The activity related to contract liabilities for the three months ended March 31, 2021 is as follows:
Balance, December 31, 2020
|
|
|
$183,096
|
Recognition of U.S. DoD Advance
|
|
|
(15,649)
|
Recognition of non-refundable customer deposits
|
|
|
(340 )
|
Balance, March 31, 2021
|
|
|
$167,107
|
Grant and Other Revenue
Grant and other revenue relate to a cost reimbursement agreement with the
Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (“BARDA”) and a collaboration agreement with Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Janssen”). During the three months ended March 31, 2020, all of the revenue recognized related to the agreement
with BARDA. There was no activity related to this revenue category during the three months ended March 31, 2021.
NOTE 4. INVENTORIES
As of December 31, 2020, and March 31, 2021, the Company’s inventories consisted of the following:
Raw materials
|
|
|
$29,948
|
|
|
$39,608
|
Work-in-process
|
|
|
4,957
|
|
|
8,005
|
Finished goods
|
|
|
1,645
|
|
|
3,209
|
Inventory on consignment
|
|
|
1,081
|
|
|
1,861
|
Reserve
|
|
|
(789 )
|
|
|
(1,081 )
|
Total inventories
|
|
|
$36,842
|
|
|
$51,602
|
Inventory on consignment represents inventory owned by the Company that is on hand
with contract manufacturers. The inventory reserve relates to excess and obsolete inventory in cost of sales as a result of ongoing assessments of inventory on hand and the continuous improvement and innovation of its products. During the three
months ended March 31, 2021, $4.1 million of capitalized depreciation and amortization costs were expensed to cost of product revenue as inventory was sold. As of March 31, 2021, $1.3 million of capitalized depreciation and amortization costs
were part of the inventory balance.
NOTE 5. PREPAID EXPENSES
As of December 31, 2020, and March 31, 2021, the Company’s prepaid expenses consisted of the following:
Prepaid expense
|
|
|
$ 5,152
|
|
|
$ 4,321
|
Prepaid inventory
|
|
|
8,695
|
|
|
9,800
|
Total prepaid expenses
|
|
|
$13,847
|
|
|
$14,121
|
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Cue Health Inc.
NOTES TO CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(Unaudited)
(In thousands, except share data)
NOTE 6. PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT, NET
As of December 31, 2020, and March 31, 2021, the Company’s property and equipment, net
consisted of the following:
Construction in progress
|
|
|
$ 83,353
|
|
|
$ 58,274
|
Machinery and equipment
|
|
|
26,972
|
|
|
85,280
|
Leasehold improvements
|
|
|
2,897
|
|
|
9,391
|
Furniture and fixtures
|
|
|
683
|
|
|
691
|
Property, plant and equipment
|
|
|
113,905
|
|
|
153,636
|
Accumulated depreciation and amortization
|
|
|
(10,222 )
|
|
|
(14,647 )
|
Total property and equipment, net
|
|
|
$103,683
|
|
|
$138,989
|
Depreciation and amortization expense related to property and equipment was
$0.7 million and $4.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2021, respectively. During the three months ended March 31, 2021, $4.6 million of depreciation and amortization expense was capitalized into inventory during the
manufacturing process. The carrying value of assets under finance leases within property and equipment as of December 31, 2020 and March 31, 2021 was $4.8 million and $5.6 million, respectively.
NOTE 7. INTANGIBLE ASSETS
As of December 31, 2020, and March 31, 2021, the Company’s intangible assets consisted of the following:
Internal-use software
|
|
|
$2,114
|
|
|
$3,464
|
Accumulated amortization
|
|
|
(76)
|
|
|
(252)
|
Total intangible
|
|
|
$2,038
|
|
|
$3,212
|
Amortization expense related to intangible assets for the three months ended
March 31, 2021 was $0.2 million. Estimated amortization expense for each of the years ending December 31 is as follows:
2021 (excluding the three months ended March 31, 2021)
|
|
|
$866
|
2022
|
|
|
1,155
|
2023
|
|
|
1,079
|
2024
|
|
|
112
|
Total amortization expense
|
|
|
$3,212
|
NOTE 8. LEASES
In October 2020, the Company entered into an agreement to lease a 197,000 square-foot
building to be used as a manufacturing facility in Vista, California (“Vista Lease”). The Vista Lease has an initial term of five years and the company is reasonably certain to exercise a renewal option to extend the lease term for an additional
five years. The Vista Lease commenced in January 2021 when the Company was permitted to install its tenant improvements and manufacturing equipment. The Company recognized an operating lease right-of use asset of approximately $22.1 million and
operating lease liabilities of $17.3 million related to the Vista Lease. The Company will receive a tenant reimbursement allowance of $1.6 million to cover a portion of the construction of tenant improvements that began in October 2020. As of
March 31, 2021, this reimbursement is recorded in other current assets.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Cue Health Inc.
NOTES TO CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(Unaudited)
(In thousands, except share data)
In January 2021, the Company entered into a lease agreement for approximately 8,010
square feet in an industrial building in San Diego, California. The initial lease term is three years without any renewal option. This lease was classified as operating lease and recognized in the right of use asset and liability during the
period.
The right-of-use assets and lease liabilities recognized on the Company’s balance
sheet as of March 31, 2021 were as follows:
Assets
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Right-of-use assets operating leases
|
|
|
Operating lease right-of-use assets
|
|
|
$31,242
|
|
|
|
Right-of-use assets finance leases
|
|
|
Property and equipment, net
|
|
|
|
|
|
$5,605
|
Liabilities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating lease liabilities (current)
|
|
|
Operating lease liabilities, current
|
|
|
1,527
|
|
|
|
Finance lease liabilities (current)
|
|
|
Finance lease liabilities, current
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,366
|
Operating lease liabilities (non-current)
|
|
|
Operating lease liabilities, net of current
portion
|
|
|
27,849
|
|
|
|
Finance lease liabilities (non-current)
|
|
|
Finance lease liabilities, net of current
portion
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,948
|
The components of lease expense for the three months ended March 31, 2021 were as follows:
Operating lease cost
|
|
|
$1,117
|
Finance lease cost:
|
|
|
|
Amortization of right-of-use assets
|
|
|
335
|
Interest on lease liabilities
|
|
|
49
|
Total lease cost
|
|
|
$1,501
|
NOTE 9. DEBT
On February 5, 2021, the Company entered into a Loan and Security Agreement, or the
Revolving Credit Agreement, with the lenders from time to time party thereto and East West Bank, as Administrative Agent and Collateral Agent for the lenders. In connection with entering into the Revolving Credit Agreement, the Company repaid
outstanding amounts of $5.4 million and terminated the prior Loan and Security Agreement with Comerica Bank, or the 2015 Credit Agreement, that was initially entered into in May 2015. The 2015 Credit Agreement, as amended, provided for a
revolving line with a credit extension of up to $4.0 million and a Growth Capital A Line with a credit extension of up to $6.0 million.
The Revolving Credit Agreement provides for a revolving credit facility with an
aggregate maximum principal amount of $130.0 million and a letter of credit subfacility of $20.0 million. Availability under the Revolving Credit Agreement is subject to a minimum asset coverage test of 1.25 to 1.00, measured as the ratio of the
sum of cash on hand maintained in the deposit accounts with the collateral agent and 50% of eligible accounts of the company to the aggregate amount of the outstanding obligations under the Revolving Credit Agreement.
Amounts under the Revolving Credit Agreement may be borrowed and repaid at any time
without penalty or premium prior to the revolving maturity date of February 5, 2023, at which time all of the outstanding advances with all unpaid interest and fees will immediately be due and payable. The advances bear interest, on the
outstanding daily balance thereof, at a rate equal to 0.75% above the prime rate but in no event shall the interest rate be less than 4.0%. The Company is required to pay a fee for unused amounts under the Revolving Credit Agreement in an amount
equal to 0.25% of the unused portion of the revolving commitment. In the event that the Company terminates or permanently reduces the revolving commitment, in whole or in part, at any time before the revolving maturity date, the Company
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Cue Health Inc.
NOTES TO CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(Unaudited)
(In thousands, except share data)
will be required to pay a fee equal to 1.00% of the amount by which the revolving
commitment is permanently reduced, or the amount of the outstanding revolving commitment if terminated in full.
The Revolving Credit Agreement includes customary representations, warranties and
negative and affirmative covenants of the Company, as well as customary events of default. Subject to certain qualifications and exceptions, the agreement will, among other things, limit the ability to: incur or guaranty additional
indebtedness; create or permit liens on its assets; pay dividends or distributions; make certain investments; make certain fundamental changes, assets dispositions and acquisitions; and engage in certain transactions with shareholders and
affiliates. In addition, the Revolving Credit Agreement requires the Company to maintain a minimum asset coverage ratio of 1.25 to 1.00, minimum remaining months liquidity of at least six months, and minimum liquidity of at least $80.0 million
which is required to be held in deposit at East West Bank. This amount was reflected as restricted cash in the Company's balance sheets as of March 31, 2021 and has been classified as long-term in-line with the classification of the debt. The
Company was in compliance with these covenants as of March 31, 2021.
The obligations under the Revolving Credit Agreement are secured by substantially all of the Company’s
assets.
NOTE 10. WARRANTS
Common Stock Warrants
As of March 31, 2021, the Company had an outstanding warrant to purchase 75,744 shares
of common stock at a purchase price of $0.40 per share. The warrant was issued on August 22, 2017 and expires on August 22, 2027. The warrant will automatically convert upon a change in control of the Company or a liquidation event. All shares
subject to the warrant have vested as of March 31, 2021.
Redeemable Convertible Preferred Stock Warrants
Outstanding warrants to purchase redeemable convertible preferred shares as of March 31, 2021 was as
follows:
Series A redeemable convertible
preferred stock warrants
|
|
|
20,441
|
|
|
$0.91728
|
|
|
May 28, 2015
|
|
|
May 28, 2025
|
Series A redeemable convertible
preferred stock warrants
|
|
|
20,441
|
|
|
0.91728
|
|
|
May 28, 2015
|
|
|
May 28, 2025
|
Series A redeemable convertible
preferred stock warrants
|
|
|
7,631
|
|
|
0.91728
|
|
|
September 6, 2018
|
|
|
September 6, 2028
|
Series B redeemable convertible
preferred stock warrants
|
|
|
31,369
|
|
|
1.4345
|
|
|
November 27, 2018
|
|
|
November 27, 2028
|
The redeemable convertible preferred stock warrants are classified as liabilities,
with changes in fair value recorded through earnings, as the underlying redeemable convertible preferred shares can be redeemed by the holders of these shares upon the occurrence of certain events that are outside of the control of the Company.
The Company estimated the fair value of the redeemable convertible preferred stock warrants using an option pricing model. The significant inputs to this valuation methodology included the rights, preferences and privileges of each class of
Company’s shares (see Note 11, Fair Value Measurements), and the Company’s estimated equity value and volatility assumptions on the valuation date, which are based on management’s analysis of comparable
publicly traded peer companies.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Cue Health Inc.
NOTES TO CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(Unaudited)
(In thousands, except share data)
NOTE 11. FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS
The following table sets forth the Company’s financial instruments that were measured
at fair value on a recurring basis within the fair value hierarchy:
Redeemable convertible preferred stock warrant liabilities
|
|
|
$—
|
|
|
$—
|
|
|
$1,331
|
|
|
$1,331
|
Redeemable convertible preferred stock warrant liabilities
|
|
|
$—
|
|
|
$—
|
|
|
$1,331
|
|
|
$1,331
|
The following table includes a rollforward of redeemable convertible preferred stock
warrant liabilities measured on a recurring basis and classified within Level 3 fair value hierarchy:
Balance, December 31, 2020
|
|
|
$1,331
|
Issuance
|
|
|
—
|
Remeasurement
|
|
|
—
|
Balance, March 31, 2021
|
|
|
$1,331
|
The change in the fair value of redeemable convertible preferred stock as of March 31, 2021 was
immaterial.
The estimated fair value of redeemable convertible preferred stock warrants was
determined using BSM option pricing model with the following assumptions at December 31, 2020 and March 31, 2021:
Series A redeemable convertible preferred stock warrants
Expected volatility
|
|
|
59.9%
|
|
|
57.1%
|
Expected term (years)
|
|
|
4.92
|
|
|
4.67
|
Expected dividend yield
|
|
|
0.00%
|
|
|
0.00%
|
Risk-free interest rate
|
|
|
0.41%
|
|
|
0.76%
|
Fair value per share
|
|
|
$16.83
|
|
|
$16.83
|
Series B redeemable convertible preferred stock warrants
Expected volatility
|
|
|
46.2%
|
|
|
41.0%
|
Expected term (years)
|
|
|
7.91
|
|
|
7.66
|
Expected dividend yield
|
|
|
0.00%
|
|
|
0.00%
|
Risk-free interest rate
|
|
|
0.65%
|
|
|
1.40%
|
Fair value per share
|
|
|
$16.41
|
|
|
$16.42
|
NOTE 12. STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION
Stock Incentive Plans
In August 2014, the Company adopted the 2014 Equity Incentive Plan (“2014 Plan”) under
which employees, non-employee directors and consultants of the Company may be granted either incentive stock options or non-qualified stock options to purchase shares of the Company’s common stock. In January 2021, the Company
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Cue Health Inc.
NOTES TO CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(Unaudited)
(In thousands, except share data)
increased the number of shares of common stock available for issuance under the 2014
Plan from 20,399,691 to 22,399,691.
As of December 31, 2020, and March 31, 2021, shares available for future grant under
the 2014 Plan were 8,339,364 and 6,243,501, respectively.
Stock-Based Compensation
Stock-based compensation expense related to awards issued under the Company's
incentive compensation plans for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, was as follows:
Sales and marketing
|
|
|
$—
|
|
|
$ 15
|
Research and development
|
|
|
7
|
|
|
396
|
General and administrative
|
|
|
42
|
|
|
1,756
|
Total stock-based compensation expense
|
|
|
$49
|
|
|
$ 2 , 167
|
During the three months ended March 31, 2021, $0.9 million of stock-based
compensation expense was capitalized to inventory during the manufacturing process.
Stock Options
A summary of stock option activity and related information for three months ended
March 31, 2021 was as follows:
Outstanding at January 1, 2021
|
|
|
8,661,419
|
|
|
$0.61
|
|
|
6.48
|
Granted
|
|
|
2,966,421
|
|
|
15.61
|
|
|
|
Exercised
|
|
|
(917,749)
|
|
|
0.53
|
|
|
|
Forfeited
|
|
|
(66,501)
|
|
|
11.63
|
|
|
|
Expired
|
|
|
(67,042)
|
|
|
0.36
|
|
|
|
Outstanding at March 31, 2021
|
|
|
10,576,548
|
|
|
4.33
|
|
|
7.55
|
Exercisable at March 31, 2021
|
|
|
5,720,535
|
|
|
$0.61
|
|
|
5.54
|
Vested and expected to vest at March 31, 2021
|
|
|
10,090,947
|
|
|
$4.52
|
|
|
7.22
|
The estimated fair value of each stock option award granted to employees was
determined on the date of grant using the BSM option pricing model with the following assumptions for stock option grants for three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2021:
Expected volatility
|
|
|
39.6%
|
|
|
40.9%
|
Expected term (years)
|
|
|
7.04
|
|
|
7.71
|
Expected dividend yield
|
|
|
0.00%
|
|
|
0.00%
|
Risk-free interest rate
|
|
|
0.41%
|
|
|
0.83%
|
Grant date fair value
|
|
|
$0.57
|
|
|
$6.93
|
As of March 31, 2020, there was $0.8 million of unamortized compensation cost related
to unvested stock option awards. As of March 31, 2021, there was $15.4 million of unamortized compensation cost related to unvested stock option awards, which is expected to be recognized over a remaining weighted-average vesting period of
3.65 years, on a straight-line basis.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Cue Health Inc.
NOTES TO CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(Unaudited)
(In thousands, except share data)
Restricted Stock Units
In February and March 2021, the Company issued a total of 1,049,043 restricted
stock units (RSUs) with the right to receive common stock shares upon vesting schedule per agreements with its Chief Financial Officer and General Counsel. Vesting commenced on the first anniversary of the grant date over four years.
Compensation expense is recognized over the requisite service period.
As of March 31, 2021, there was $12.9 million of unamortized compensation cost
related to unvested stock option awards, which is expected to be recognized over a remaining weighted-average vesting period of 3.94 years, on a straight-line basis.
Restricted Stock Purchase Agreements with Executives
In 2018 and 2020, the Company issued shares of common stock pursuant to Restricted
Stock Purchase Agreements with its Chief Executive Officer and Chief Product Officer in exchange for Nonrecourse Notes totaling $1.4 million to finance 100% of the cost of the shares. Due to the Nonrecourse Notes being collateralized by the
stock purchased and other stock held by the purchaser, these transactions are accounted for as substantive grants of common stock options since the employee does not assume the risk of ownership, so the common stock and Nonrecourse Notes are
not shown as issued or outstanding as of the balance sheets date.
A summary of the Company’s option activity related to common stock through
Nonrecourse Notes during year ended as of December 31, 2020 and three months ended as of March 31, 2021 was as follows:
Outstanding, December 31, 2020
|
|
|
9,872,293
|
Granted
|
|
|
—
|
Outstanding, March 31, 2021
|
|
|
9,872,293
|
Vested at March 31, 2021
|
|
|
7,405,801
|
The Company recognized the vesting of 182,758 shares of common stock subject to the
2018 restricted stock purchase agreements and 460,823 shares of common stock subject to the 2020 restricted stock purchase agreements that resulted in additional compensation expense $0.3 million for three months ended March 31, 2021. Total
unrecognized compensation expense as of March 31, 2021 was $1.4 million.
Early Exercise Liability
The unvested shares of the early-exercised options are held in escrow until the
stock option becomes fully vested or until the employee’s termination, whichever occurs first. The right to repurchase these shares lapses over the four-year vesting period. As of March 31, 2021, the early exercise liability was approximately
$0.1 million and is included in accrued liabilities in the balance sheets. There were no early exercised options prior to 2020. For accounting purposes, the early exercise of options is not considered to be a substantive exercise until the
underlying awards vest.
The following table summarizes the activity of the unvested common stock issued
pursuant to an early exercise of stock option awards during the three months ended March 31, 2021:
Unvested at beginning of year
|
|
|
316,666
|
Early exercised stock options during period
|
|
|
—
|
Vested or cancelled
|
|
|
(94,998 )
|
Unvested at end of year
|
|
|
221,668
|
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Cue Health Inc.
NOTES TO CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(Unaudited)
(In thousands, except share data)
NOTE 13. INCOME (LOSS) PER SHARE
Basic net income (loss) per share is computed by dividing net income (loss)
attributable to common stockholders by the weighted-average common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted net income (loss) per share attributable to common stockholders is computed based on the weighted-average common shares outstanding
plus the effect of dilutive potential common shares outstanding during the period calculated using the treasury stock method. Dilutive potential common shares include stock options, non-vested shares, redeemable convertible preferred shares,
restricted stock and similar equity instruments granted by the Company. Potential common share equivalents have been excluded where their inclusion would be anti-dilutive.
Basic and diluted net income (loss) attributable to common holders per share is
presented in conformity with the two- class method required for participating securities as the redeemable convertible preferred stock and restricted shares are considered participating securities. The Company’s participating securities do not
have a contractual obligation to share in the Company’s losses. As such, the net loss was attributed entirely to common stockholders. Accordingly, for the three months ended March 31, 2020, there is no difference in the number of shares used to
calculate basic and diluted shares outstanding.
The following table reconciles net income and the
weighted-average shares used in computing basic and diluted earnings per share:
Numerator:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net income (loss)
|
|
|
$ (8,763)
|
|
|
$ 13,031
|
Minus: Income (loss) allocated to participating securities
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
11,366
|
Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders – basic
|
|
|
$ (8,763 )
|
|
|
$ 1,665
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Plus: Income (loss) allocated to non-participating securities
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
525
|
Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders - diluted
|
|
|
$ (8,763 )
|
|
|
$ 2,190
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Denominator:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Basic weighted-average common shares outstanding
|
|
|
15,779,988
|
|
|
18,378,777
|
Dilutive potential common stock issuable:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Common stock warrant
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
73,804
|
Preferred stock warrants
|
|
|
—-
|
|
|
74,149
|
Stock options
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
7,377,608
|
Diluted weighted-average shares outstanding
|
|
|
15,779,988
|
|
|
25,904,338
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders per share
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Basic
|
|
|
$ (0.56 )
|
|
|
$ 0.09
|
Diluted
|
|
|
$ (0.56 )
|
|
|
$ 0.08
|
In periods of net losses, potentially dilutive securities are not included in the
calculation of diluted net income (loss) per share because to do so would be anti-dilutive.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Cue Health Inc.
NOTES TO CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(Unaudited)
(In thousands, except share data)
Outstanding anti-dilutive securities not included in the diluted net income (loss) per
share attributable to common stockholders calculations were as follows (in common stock equivalent shares):
Redeemable convertible preferred stock
|
|
|
54,527,458
|
|
|
—
|
Stock options
|
|
|
8,244,751
|
|
|
2,926,821
|
Common stock subject to restricted stock purchase agreements
|
|
|
2,924,130
|
|
|
—
|
Common stock warrants
|
|
|
75,744
|
|
|
—
|
Redeemable convertible preferred stock warrants
|
|
|
79,882
|
|
|
—
|
Total
|
|
|
65,851,965
|
|
|
2,926,821
|
NOTE 14. INCOME TAXES
The Company’s effective income tax rates were 0% and 9% for the three months ended
March 31, 2020 and 2021, respectively. Income taxes for the three months ended March 31, 2021 include state income taxes in jurisdictions for which the Company does not have available tax attributes. The Company remains under a full valuation
allowance with the exception of deferred tax liabilities arising for accelerated depreciation deduction for United States federal tax purposes. The effective tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2020 differed from the statutory tax
rate primarily due to the Company maintaining a full valuation allowance against its loss from operations for tax purposes.
The Company recorded a valuation allowance against all of its United States federal
and state deferred tax assets as of December 31, 2020. At each interim period, the Company evaluates both the positive and negative evidence, which includes, projected future taxable income, scheduled reversals of deferred tax liabilities,
prudent tax planning strategies, and recent financial operations, as to whether changes to the valuation assessment are needed.
During the period ended March 31, 2021, the Company recorded $0.3 million of
deferred tax liability to reflect the expected reversal of deferred tax liabilities in excess of deferred tax assets in certain future tax years. The Company continues to maintain a full valuation allowance on the remaining net deferred tax
asset until there is sufficient evidence to support the reversal of all or an additional portion of the allowance.
On March 11, 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act H.R. 1319 (ARPA) was enacted and
signed into law in the United States. ARPA is a follow up to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). The bill includes provisions on taxes, health care, unemployment benefits, direct payments, state and local funding,
and other issues. ARPA did not have a significant impact on the Company’s financial statements for the three months ended March 31, 2021.
NOTE 15. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Product Liability
The Company’s business exposes it to liability risks from its potential medical
diagnostic products. Product liability claims could result in the payment of significant amounts of money and divert management’s attention from running the business. The Company may not be able to maintain insurance on acceptable terms, or the
insurance may not provide adequate protection in the case of a product liability claim. To the extent that product liability insurance, if available, does not cover potential claims, the Company would be required to self-insure the risks
associated with such claims. The Company believes it carries reasonably adequate insurance for product liability.
Standby Letters of Credit
As of December 31, 2020, the Company was party to certain letters of credit (LOC),
primarily related to an LOC with Comerica Bank as collateral required by one of the Company’s vendors. During the three months ended March 31,
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Cue Health Inc.
NOTES TO CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(Unaudited)
(In thousands, except share data)
2021, the Company entered into a Revolving Credit Agreement with a capacity of
$130.0 million and all but one of the LOCs were no longer required by the counterparties. The one LOC, totaling $6.0 million, has been re-issued under the Revolving Credit Agreement.
NOTE 16. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
The Company considers events or transactions that occur after the balance sheet
date but prior to the issuance of the financial statements to provide additional evidence for certain estimates or to identify matters that may require additional disclosure. The Company has completed an evaluation of all subsequent events
through May 24, 2021, the date on which the financial statements were issued, during which time nothing has occurred outside the normal course of business operations, other than disclosures related to those outlined below.
Income Taxes
In April 2021, the Company was awarded a California Competes Tax Credit (“CCTC”)
totaling $20.0 million for a five-year agreement. The CCTC is a competitive income tax credit available to businesses across various industries that want to locate or expand in California. The CCTC can offset California corporate income tax
liability and is non-refundable.
The credit is allocated in equal increments of $4.0 million over five years covering
tax years 2021-2025, for a total of $20.0 million as documented in the CCTC Agreement. The credit is earned on an annual basis and certain milestones are required to be achieved. If the credit earned in a given year exceeds the Company’s
California corporate income tax liability, the balance can be carried over for up to six years if necessary, until exhausted.
Department of Defense Contract Waiver
Per the terms of the U.S. DoD Agreement entered into in October 2020, the Company
is required to deliver to the U.S government all of its manufacturing output of Cue COVID-19 Cartridges, subject to certain exceptions for existing contracts and for future contracts the Company is able to obtain waivers for from the U.S.
government.
In April 2021, the Company was granted a waiver by the U.S. government to
distribute up to 50% of the entire production of the Cue COVID-19 Test to commercial customers, measured monthly in arrears on a calendar-month basis. The waiver became effective in May 2021 and is applicable to the Company’s production of Cue
COVID-19 Tests during April 2021.
The waiver will remain in effect for the duration of the U.S. DoD Agreement;
however, the U.S. government may modify the waiver to reasonably accommodate changes in U.S. government requirements. To modify the waiver, the U.S. government must submit a written notice to the Company specifying the increase or decrease in
the percentage of the Cue COVID-19 Test production that may be distributed to commercial customers and the effective date of the modification.
New Revenue Contracts
In April 2021, the Company entered into a purchase agreement to provide a customer
with 60,000 Cue Health Readers and in excess 1,000,000 Cue Test Kits between the effective date of the agreement and December 2021 based on a pre-defined monthly delivery schedule. The customer may change the quantities ordered and may
terminate the order and/or agreement with a 45 days’ notice.
In May 2021, the Company entered into a purchase agreement to provide a customer a
one-time order of 1,000 Cue Readers and 30,000 Cue Test Kits on a monthly basis during the 12-month period following the agreement execution date. The agreement may be terminated for cause by either party with a 30 days’ notice.
Debt Financing
In May 2021, the Company issued and sold convertible promissory notes (“May 2021
Notes”) for net proceeds of $229.5 million. The May 2021 Notes accrue interest at a simple rate of 3.0% per annum during the first 12-month period and will accrue at a simple rate of 9.0% per annum thereafter.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Cue Health Inc.
NOTES TO CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(Unaudited)
(In thousands, except share data)
The May 2021 Notes will be converted into shares of the Company’s common stock at
the then effective conversion price in the case of a qualified going public transaction: (a) an IPO, (b) a SPAC combination, or (c) a direct listing. If the Company closes an equity financing with gross proceeds of not less than $50.0 million,
then the May 2021 Notes, unless previously converted into shares of the Company's common stock, will automatically convert into shares of the same class and series of capital stock of the Company issued to investors in such equity financing.
The conversion price with respect to a qualified conversion event, which would be a qualified going public transaction or an equity financing, will incorporate the applicable discount: (i) a 20.0% discount if the qualified conversion event is
consummated on or prior to September 30, 2021, and (ii) a 25.0% discount if the qualified conversion event is consummated after September 30, 2021.
In the event of certain corporate transactions prior to the conversion of the May
2021 Notes or the repayment of the May 2021 Notes, each purchaser, in its discretion, shall have the right either (a) to convert, effective immediately prior to the closing of the corporate transaction, all, but not less than all, of the
outstanding principal amount of a May 2021 Note and all accrued and unpaid interest on such May 2021 Note immediately prior to the closing of a corporate transaction into shares of common stock at the then effective conversion price, or (b) be
paid an amount equal to the sum of 1.75 times the outstanding principal amount of a May 2021 Note and all accrued and unpaid interest of such May 2021 Note immediately prior to the closing of a corporate transaction.
The May 2021 Notes include customary events of default. In the event of any default
under the May 2021 Notes, the interest rate then in effect shall be increased by 3.0%, and then by an additional 3.0% each year thereafter, so long as such event of default continues.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Shares
Common Stock
Prospectus
Joint Book-Running Managers
Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC
|
|
|
Morgan Stanley
|
|
|
BofA Securities
|
Lead Manager
BTIG
, 2021
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
Item 13.
|
Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution.
|
The following table sets forth the expenses to be incurred in
connection with the offering described in this registration statement, other than underwriting discounts and commissions, all of which will be paid by the registrant. All amounts are estimates except the Securities and Exchange Commission, or
SEC, registration fee, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc., or FINRA, filing fee and the Nasdaq initial listing fee.
Securities and Exchange Commission registration fee
|
|
|
$ *
|
FINRA filing fee
|
|
|
*
|
Nasdaq initial listing fee
|
|
|
*
|
Accountants’ fees and expenses
|
|
|
*
|
Legal fees and expenses
|
|
|
*
|
Transfer agent’s fees and expenses
|
|
|
*
|
Printing and engraving expenses
|
|
|
*
|
Miscellaneous
|
|
|
*
|
Total expenses
|
|
|
$ *
|
*
|
To be filed by amendment.
|
Item 14.
|
Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
|
Section 102 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, or the DGCL,
permits a corporation to eliminate the personal liability of its directors or its stockholders for monetary damages for a breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except where the director breached his or her duty of loyalty, failed to act in good
faith, engaged in intentional misconduct or knowingly violated a law, authorized the payment of a dividend or approved a stock repurchase in violation of Delaware corporate law or obtained an improper personal benefit. Our amended and restated
certificate of incorporation that will be effective immediately prior to the completion of this offering provides that no director shall be personally liable to us or our stockholders for monetary damages for any breach of fiduciary duty as a
director, notwithstanding any provision of law imposing such liability, except to the extent that the DGCL prohibits the elimination or limitation of liability of directors for breaches of fiduciary duty.
Section 145 of the DGCL provides that a corporation has the power to
indemnify a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation and certain other persons serving at the request of the corporation in related capacities against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in
settlements actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with an action, suit or proceeding to which he or she is or is threatened to be made a party by reason of such position, if such person acted in good faith and in a manner
he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, in any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful, except that, in the case of actions
brought by or in the right of the corporation, no indemnification shall be made with respect to any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the
Court of Chancery or other adjudicating court determines that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all of the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnification for such expenses which the
Court of Chancery or such other court shall deem proper.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation that will be
effective immediately prior to the completion of this offering provides that we will indemnify each person who was or is a party or threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil,
criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of us), by reason of the fact that he or she is or was, or has agreed to become, our director or officer, or is or was serving, or has agreed to serve, at our
request as a director, officer, partner, employee or trustee of, or in a similar capacity with, another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise (including any employee benefit plan) (all such persons being referred to
as an Indemnitee), or by reason of any action alleged to have been taken or omitted in such capacity, against all expenses (including attorneys’
TABLE OF CONTENTS
fees), liabilities, losses, judgments, fines (including excise taxes and penalties
arising under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974) and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred in connection with such action, suit or proceeding and any appeal therefrom if such Indemnitee acted in good faith
and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, our best interests, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, he or she had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation that will be
effective immediately prior to the completion of this offering also provides that we will indemnify any Indemnitee who was or is a party or threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of
us to procure a judgment in our favor by reason of the fact that the Indemnitee is or was, or has agreed to become, our director or officer, or is or was serving, or has agreed to serve, at our request as a director, officer, partner, employee or
trustee of, or in a similar capacity with, another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise (including any employee benefit plan), or by reason of any action alleged to have been taken or omitted in such capacity,
against all expenses (including attorneys’ fees) and, to the extent permitted by law, amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred in connection with such action, suit or proceeding, and any appeal therefrom, if the Indemnitee
acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, our best interests, except that no indemnification shall be made with respect to any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been
adjudged to be liable to us, unless and only to the extent, that the Court of Chancery of Delaware or the court in which such action or suit was brought determines that, despite such adjudication but in view of all of the circumstances, he or she
is entitled to indemnification of such expenses (including attorney’s fees). Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent that any Indemnitee has been successful, on the merits or otherwise, he or she will be indemnified by us against all
expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by him or her or on his or her behalf in connection therewith. If we do not assume the defense, expenses must be advanced to an Indemnitee under certain circumstances.
In addition, we have entered into indemnification agreements with
all of our executive officers and directors. In general, these agreements provide that we will indemnify the executive officer or director to the fullest extent permitted by law for claims arising in his or her capacity as an executive officer or
director of our company or in connection with his or her service at our request for another corporation or entity. The indemnification agreements also provide for procedures that will apply in the event that an executive officer or director makes
a claim for indemnification and establish certain presumptions that are favorable to the executive officer or director.
We maintain a general liability insurance policy that covers certain
liabilities of our directors and officers arising out of claims based on acts or omissions in their capacities as directors or officers.
The underwriting agreement we will enter into in connection with the
offering of common stock being registered hereby provides that the underwriters will indemnify, under certain conditions, our directors and officers (as well as certain other persons) against certain liabilities arising in connection with such
offering.
Insofar as the foregoing provisions permit indemnification of
directors, executive officers or persons controlling us for liability arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, we have been informed that, in the opinion of the SEC, such indemnification is against public
policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.
Item 15.
|
Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities.
|
Set forth below is information regarding shares of our common stock,
shares of our redeemable convertible preferred stock and stock options and restricted stock units granted by us within the past three years that were not registered under the Securities Act. Also included is the consideration, if any, received by
us for such shares and options and information relating to the section of the Securities Act, or rule of the SEC, under which exemption from registration was claimed.
(a)
|
Issuances of Preferred Stock.
|
On March 23, 2018, we issued and sold 3,485,535 shares of our Series
B redeemable convertible preferred stock to 1 investor for cash at a per share price of $1.4345 for an aggregate purchase price of $5.0 million.
On April 12, 2018, we issued and sold 10,456,605 shares of our
Series B redeemable convertible preferred stock to 1 investor for cash at a per share price of $1.4345 for an aggregate purchase price of $15.0 million.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
On April 25, 2018, we issued and sold 3,903,797 shares of our
Series B redeemable convertible preferred stock to 9 investors for cash at a per share price of $1.4345 for an aggregate purchase price of $6.0 million.
On May 11, 2018, we issued and sold 3,590,101 shares of our Series B
redeemable convertible preferred stock to 2 investors for cash at a per share price of $1.4345 for an aggregate purchase price of $5.1 million.
On June 1, 2020, we issued and sold 26,497,815 shares of our Series
C-1 redeemable convertible preferred stock to 18 investors for cash at a price per share of $3.6619 for an aggregate purchase price of $97.0 million.
On June 1, 2020, we issued and sold 1,690,380 shares of our Series
C-2 redeemable convertible preferred stock to 5 investors at a price per share of $3.2957 in exchange for cancellation of the aggregate and interest of $5.6 million under outstanding convertible promissory notes.
On June 5, 2020, we issued and sold 109,232 shares of our Series C-1
redeemable convertible preferred stock to 2 investors for cash at a price per share of $3.6619 for an aggregate purchase price of $0.4 million.
On June 12, 2020, we issued and sold 701,180 shares of our Series
C-1 redeemable convertible preferred stock to 2 investors for cash at a price per share of $3.6619 for an aggregate purchase price of $2.6 million.
No underwriters were involved in the foregoing issuances of
securities. The securities described in this section (a) of Item 15 were issued to investors in reliance upon the exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act, as set forth in Section 4(a)(2) under the Securities Act and, in
certain cases, Regulation D thereunder, relative to transactions by an issuer not involving any public offering. All purchasers received written disclosures that the securities had not been registered under the Securities Act and that any resale
must be made pursuant to a registration statement or an available exemption from such registration.
(b)
|
Issuances of Preferred Stock Warrants.
|
On November 27, 2018, the Company entered into the Second Amendment
to replace the growth capital advances with a revolving line which provided a credit extension of up to $4.0 million maturing on June 30, 2020 and the Growth Capital A Line which provided a credit extension of up to $6.0 million with a maturity
date of September 30, 2022 if the Company provides evidence satisfactory to Comerica that the option period under (and as detailed in) our contract with BARDA has been exercised. The extension under our contract with BARDA was exercised in March
2020 (see Note 3). In connection with the Second Amendment, the Company issued 31,369 Series B Preferred stock warrants at an exercise price of $1.4345. These warrants were immediately exercisable and will expire if unexercised ten years after
their issuance
No underwriters were involved in the foregoing issuances of
securities. The securities described in this section (b) of Item 15 were issued to investors in reliance upon the exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act, as set forth in Section 4(a)(2) under the Securities Act and, in
certain cases, Regulation D thereunder, relative to transactions by an issuer not involving any public offering. All purchasers received written disclosures that the securities had not been registered under the Securities Act and that any resale
must be made pursuant to a registration statement or an available exemption from such registration.
(c)
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Issuances of Convertible Notes.
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Between May 1, 2020 and May 19, 2020, we issued and sold
convertible notes in the aggregate amount of $5.6 million. These notes were subsequently converted into an aggregate of 1,690,380 shares of our Series C-2 redeemable convertible preferred stock on June 1, 2020.
Between May 7 and May 12, 2021, we issued and sold Convertible
Notes in an aggregate principal amount of $235.5 million. The Convertible Notes will automatically convert into shares of our common stock immediately prior to the closing of this offering.
No underwriters were involved in the foregoing issuances of
securities. The securities described in this section (c) of Item 15 were issued to investors in reliance upon the exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act, as set forth in Section 4(a)(2) under the Securities Act and, in
certain cases, Regulation D thereunder, relative to transactions by an issuer not involving any public offering. All purchasers received written disclosures that the securities had not been registered under the Securities Act and that any resale
must be made pursuant to a registration statement or an available exemption from such registration.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
(d)
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Issuances of Common Stock.
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Between September 6, 2018 and July 24, 2020, we issued an aggregate
of 10,297,293 shares of restricted common stock, for cash with purchase prices ranging from $0.48 to $1.41 per share, or for services rendered, to our employees, directors, advisors and consultants pursuant to our 2014 Equity Incentive Plan.
No underwriters were involved in the foregoing issuances of
securities. The issuances of shares of common stock described in this section (d) of Item 15 were issued pursuant to written compensatory plans or arrangements with our employees, directors, advisors and consultants, in reliance on the exemption
provided by Rule 701 promulgated under the Securities Act or pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) under the Securities Act. All recipients either received adequate information about our company or had access, through employment or other relationships, to
such information.
(e)
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Stock Option Grants and Option Exercises
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Between August 8, 2018 and February 26, 2021, we granted options
to purchase an aggregate of 9,692,737 shares of common stock, with exercise prices ranging from $0.48 to $15.61 per share, to our employees, directors and consultants pursuant to our 2014 Equity Incentive Plan.
Between May 18, 2018 and March 11, 2021, we issued 1,921,256 shares
of common stock upon the exercise of stock options granted under our 2014 Equity Incentive Plan for aggregate consideration of $1.1 million.
Between August 9, 2020 and May 7, 2021, we issued 1,043,000
shares of common stock upon exercise of stock options granted prior to, and separate and apart from, our 2014 Equity Incentive Plan for aggregate consideration of $0.3 million.
The stock options and the shares of common stock issuable upon the
exercise of stock options described in this section (e) of Item 15 were issued pursuant to written compensatory plans or arrangements with our employees, directors and consultants, in reliance on the exemption provided by Rule 701 promulgated
under the Securities Act or pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) under the Securities Act. All recipients either received adequate information about our company or had access, through employment or other relationships, to such information.
(f)
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Restricted Stock Units
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Between February 1, 2021 and March 1, 2021, we issued 1,049,043
restricted stock units pursuant to our 2014 Equity Incentive Plan.
The restricted stock units described in this section (f) of Item 15
were issued pursuant to written compensatory plans or arrangements with our employees, directors and consultants, in reliance on the exemption provided by Rule 701 promulgated under the Securities Act or pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) under the
Securities Act. All recipients either received adequate information about our company or had access, through employment or other relationships, to such information.
Item 16.
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Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules.
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(a) Exhibits
1.1*
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Form of Underwriting Agreement
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3.1#
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Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant
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3.2#
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Bylaws of the Registrant
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3.4*
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Form of Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant (to be
effective immediately prior to the completion of this offering)
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3.5*
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Form of Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Registrant (to be effective
immediately prior to the completion of this offering)
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4.1*
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Specimen Stock Certificate evidencing the shares of common stock
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4.2
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Amended and Restated Investors’ Rights Agreement, dated June 1, 2020 by and
among the Registrant and the investors party thereto.
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4.3
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Common Stock Warrant
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5.1*
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Opinion of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
10.1#
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Form of Stock Option Award Agreement
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10.2#
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2014 Equity Incentive Plan
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10.3#
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Form of Stock Option Agreement under 2014 Equity Incentive Plan
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10.4#
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Form of Restricted Stock Agreement under 2014 Equity Incentive Plan
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10.5*
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2021 Stock Incentive Plan
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10.6*
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Form of Stock Option Agreement under the 2021 Stock Incentive Plan
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10.7*
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Form of Restricted Stock Agreement under the 2021 Stock Incentive Plan
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10.8*
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Form of Restricted Stock Unit Agreement under the 2021 Stock Incentive Plan
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10.9*
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2021 Employee Stock Purchase Plan
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10.10*
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Summary of Non-Employee Director Compensation Program
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10.11†
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Award/Contract No. W911NF2190001, dated October 13, 2020, by and between
the Registrant and the US Army, as amended through April 19, 2021.
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10.12†#
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Loan and Security Agreement, dated February 5, 2021, by and between the
Registrant and East West Bank, Comerica Bank and Silicon Valley Bank
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10.13
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Standard Industrial/Commercial Multi-tenant Lease, dated January 20, 2021,
by and between the Registrant and Nancy Ridge Technology Center, L.P.
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10.14#
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Lease, dated December 4, 2018, by and between the Registrant and BMR-MODA Sorrento LP
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10.15#
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Lease Agreement, dated January 16, 2017, by and between the Registrant and
ARE-SD Region No. 25, LLC
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10.16#
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Standard Form Industrial Net Lease, dated October 9, 2020, by and between
the Registrant and Westcore CG Commerce, LLC
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10.17#
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Lease Agreement, dated June 4, 2020, by and between the Registrant and
ARE-SD Region No. 67, LLC
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10.18#
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Employment Agreement, dated January 20, 2021, by and between the Registrant and Erica Palsis
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10.19#
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Employment Agreement, dated February 23, 2021, by and between the Registrant and John Gallagher
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10.20*
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Form of Indemnification Agreement between the Registrant and each of its
Executive Officers and Directors
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23.1*
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Consent of BDO USA, LLP, independent registered public accounting firm
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23.2*
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Consent of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1)
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24.1
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Power of Attorney (included on signature page)
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*
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To be filed by amendment.
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†
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Portions of this exhibit have been omitted pursuant to Item 601(b)(10)(iv) of Regulation S-K.
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(b) Financial Statement Schedules
No financial statement schedules are provided because the
information called for is not required or is shown either in the financial statements or the related notes.
(a)
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Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and
controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and
is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in
the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter
has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final
adjudication of such issue.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
(b)
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The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that:
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(1)
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For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, the information omitted from the form of prospectus
filed as part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this
registration statement as of the time it was declared effective.
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(2)
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For the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each post-effective amendment that contains a
form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, the registrant has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of San Diego, California, on this day of , 2021.
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CUE HEALTH INC.
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By:
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Ayub Khattak
Chief Executive Officer
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SIGNATURES AND POWER OF ATTORNEY
We, the undersigned officers and directors of Cue Health Inc.,
hereby severally constitute and appoint Ayub Khattak, John Gallagher and Erica Palsis, and each of them singly (with full power to each of them to act alone), our true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and
resubstitution in each of them for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, and in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this Registration Statement, and any other registration
statement for the same offering that is effective upon filing pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite or necessary to be done in and about the premises, as full to all intents and
purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents or any of them, or their, his or her substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities held on the dates indicated.
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Chief Executive Officer, Director,
Chairman of the Board
(Principal Executive Officer)
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, 2021
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Ayub Khattak
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Chief Financial Officer
(Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer)
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, 2021
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John Gallagher
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Director
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, 2021
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Chris Achar
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Director
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, 2021
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Xiangmin Cui
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Director
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, 2021
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Robin Farias-Eisner
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Director
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, 2021
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Rohan Oza
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Director
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, 2021
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Scott Stanford
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Exhibit 4.2
AMENDED AND RESTATED INVESTORS’ RIGHTS AGREEMENT
THIS AMENDED AND RESTATED INVESTORS’ RIGHTS AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), is made as of the 1st day of June, 2020,
by and among Cue Health Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and each of the investors listed on Schedule A hereto, each of which is referred to in this Agreement as an “Investor,” and any Additional Purchaser (as defined in the Purchase Agreement) that becomes a party to this Agreement in accordance with Section 6.9 hereof.
RECITALS
WHEREAS, certain Investors (the “Prior Investors”) own outstanding shares of the Company’s Series A Preferred Stock and Series B Preferred Stock, and are parties to the Amended and Restated Investors’ Rights Agreement, dated as of December 20,
2017 (the “Prior Agreement”), and it is a condition to closing of the sale of the Series C Preferred Stock under the Purchase Agreement that, pursuant to the requirements of Section 6.6 of the Prior
Agreement, the requisite parties to the Prior Agreement amend and restate the Prior Agreement by entering into this Agreement;
WHEREAS, the Company and certain Investors are
parties to that certain Series C Preferred Stock Purchase Agreement dated as of even date herewith (the “Purchase Agreement”); and
WHEREAS, the undersigned Prior Investors, as
holders of a majority of the outstanding Registrable Securities, the Company and the Series C Investors, desire to enter into this Agreement to amend, restate and replace their rights and obligations under the Prior Agreement with the rights and
obligations set forth in this Agreement.
NOW, THEREFORE, the parties hereby agree as
follows:
1 Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement:
“Affiliate” means, with respect to any specified Person, any other Person who, directly or indirectly, controls, is
controlled by, or is under common control with such Person, including without limitation any general partner, managing member, officer or director of such Person or any venture capital fund now or hereafter existing that is controlled by one or more
general partners or managing members of, or shares the same management company with, such Person. For purposes of this Agreement, Cove, and any future company under common administration with Cove, shall be considered “Affiliates”.
“Common Stock” means shares of the Company’s Common Stock, par value $0.00001 per share.
“Competitor” means a Person engaged, directly or indirectly (including through any partnership, limited liability
company, corporation, joint venture or similar arrangement (whether now existing or formed hereafter)), in the quantification and/or detection of molecular analytes, but shall not include (i) any financial investment firm or collective investment
vehicle that, together with its Affiliates, holds less than twenty percent (20%) of the outstanding voting power of any Competitor and does not, nor do any of its Affiliates, have a right to designate any members of the Board of Directors of any
Competitor, (ii) JJDC, (iii) Decheng, (iv) Section 32, (v) Madrone, (vi) Acme, or NVGA I, LLC.
“Cove” means, collectively, Cove Investors I, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, and Cove Investors II,
LLC, a Delaware limited liability company.
“Damages” means any loss, damage, claim or liability (joint or several) to which a party hereto may become subject
under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, or other federal or state law, insofar as such loss, damage, claim or liability (or any action in respect thereof) arises out of or is based upon: (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a
material fact contained in any registration statement of the Company, including any preliminary prospectus or final prospectus contained therein or any amendments or supplements thereto; (ii) an omission or alleged omission to state therein a
material fact required to be stated therein, or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; or (iii) any violation or alleged violation by the indemnifying party (or any of its agents or Affiliates) of the Securities Act, the Exchange
Act, any state securities law, or any rule or regulation promulgated under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, or any state securities law.
“Decheng” means Decheng Capital China Life Sciences USD Fund III, L.P. a Cayman Islands exempted limited
partnership.
“Derivative Securities” means any securities or rights convertible into, or exercisable or exchangeable for (in
each case, directly or indirectly), Common Stock, including options and warrants.
“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated
thereunder.
“Excluded Registration” means (i) a registration relating to the sale of securities to employees of the Company or
a subsidiary pursuant to a stock option, stock purchase, or similar plan; (ii) a registration relating to an SEC Rule 145 transaction; (iii) a registration on any form that does not include substantially the same information as would be required to
be included in a registration statement covering the sale of the Registrable Securities; or (iv) a registration in which the only Common Stock being registered is Common Stock issuable upon conversion of debt securities that are also being
registered.
“Form S-1” means such form under the Securities Act as in effect on the date hereof or any successor registration
form under the Securities Act subsequently adopted by the SEC.
“Form S-3” means such form under the Securities Act as in effect on the date hereof or any registration form under
the Securities Act subsequently adopted by the SEC that permits incorporation of substantial information by reference to other documents filed by the Company with the SEC.
“GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States.
“Holder” means any holder of Registrable Securities who is a party to this Agreement.
“Immediate Family Member” means a child, stepchild, grandchild, parent, stepparent, grandparent, spouse, registered
domestic partner, sibling, mother-in-law, father-in- law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law, including adoptive relationships, of a natural person referred to herein.
“Initiating Holders” means, collectively, Holders who properly initiate a registration request under this
Agreement.
“IPO” means the Company’s first firm commitment underwritten public offering of its Common Stock under the
Securities Act.
“JJDC” means Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JJDC, Inc.
“Madrone” means Madrone Opportunity Fund, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership.
“Major Investor” means any Investor that, individually or together with such Investor’s Affiliates, holds at least
5,000,000 shares of Registrable Securities (as adjusted for any stock split, stock dividend, combination, or other recapitalization or reclassification effected after the date hereof); provided, however, that for purposes of this Agreement, (i) JJDC
shall be deemed a Major Investor for so long as JJDC holds at least 697,107 shares of Registrable Securities (as adjusted for any stock split, stock dividend, combination, or other recapitalization or reclassification effected after the date hereof),
(ii) PGVC 2018 LLC (“PGVC”) shall be deemed a Major Investor for so long as PGVC holds at least 697,107 shares of Registrable Securities (as adjusted for any stock split, stock dividend, combination, or other
recapitalization or reclassification effected after the date hereof), and (iii) Section 32 shall be deemed a Major Investor for so long as Section 32 holds at least 697,107 shares of Registrable Securities (as adjusted for any stock split, stock
dividend, combination, or other recapitalization or reclassification effected after the date hereof).
“New Securities” means, collectively, equity securities of the Company, whether or not currently authorized, as
well as rights, options, or warrants to purchase such equity securities, or securities of any type whatsoever that are, or may become, convertible or exchangeable into or exercisable for such equity securities.
“Person” means any individual, corporation, partnership, trust, limited liability company, association or other
entity.
“Preferred Directors” means any director of the Company that the holders of record of the Series A Preferred Stock,
Series B Preferred Stock or Series C Preferred Stock are entitled to elect pursuant to the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, as amended.
“Preferred Stock” means shares of the Company’s Series A Preferred Stock, Series B Preferred Stock and Series C
Preferred Stock.
“Registrable Securities” means (i) the Common Stock issuable or issued upon conversion of the Preferred Stock;
(ii) any Common Stock, or any Common Stock issued or issuable (directly or indirectly) upon conversion and/or exercise of any other securities of the Company, acquired by the Investors after the date hereof; and (iii) any Common Stock issued as (or
issuable upon the conversion or exercise of any warrant, right, or other security that is issued as) a dividend or other distribution with respect to, or in exchange for or in replacement of, the shares referenced in clause (i) and (ii)
above; excluding in all cases, however, any Registrable Securities sold by a Person in a transaction in which the applicable rights under this Agreement are not assigned pursuant to Subsection 6.1, and excluding for purposes of Section 2
any shares for which registration rights have terminated pursuant to Subsection 2.13 of this Agreement.
“Registrable Securities then outstanding” means the number of shares determined by adding the number of shares of
outstanding Common Stock that are Registrable Securities and the number of shares of Common Stock issuable (directly or indirectly) pursuant to then exercisable and/or convertible securities that are Registrable Securities.
“Restricted Securities” means the securities of the Company required to be notated with the legend set forth in Subsection
2.12(b) hereof.
“Section 32” means Section 32 Fund 2, LP.
“SEC” means the Securities and Exchange Commission.
“SEC Rule 144” means Rule 144 promulgated by the SEC under the Securities Act.
“SEC Rule 145” means Rule 145 promulgated by the SEC under the Securities Act.
“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated
thereunder.
“Selling Expenses” means all underwriting discounts, selling commissions, and stock transfer taxes applicable to
the sale of Registrable Securities, and fees and disbursements of counsel for any Holder, except for the fees and disbursements of the Selling Holder Counsel borne and paid by the Company as provided in Subsection 2.6.
“Series A Preferred Stock” means shares of the Company’s Series A Preferred Stock, par value $0.00001 per share.
“Series B Preferred Stock” means shares of the Company’s Series B Preferred Stock, par value $0.00001 per share.
“Series C Preferred Stock” means shares of the Company’s Series C-1 Preferred Stock and Series C-2 Preferred Stock.
“Series C-1 Preferred Stock” means shares of the Company’s Series C-1 Preferred Stock, par value $0.00001 per
share.
“Series C-2 Preferred Stock” means shares of the Company’s Series C-2 Preferred Stock, par value $0.00001 per
share.
2 Registration Rights. The Company covenants and agrees as
follows:
2.1 Demand Registration.
(a) Form S-1 Demand. If at any time
after the earlier of (i) five (5) years after the date of this Agreement or (ii) one hundred eighty (180) days after the effective date of the registration statement for the IPO, the Company receives a request from Holders of a majority of the
Registrable Securities then outstanding that the Company file a Form S-1 registration statement with respect to the Registrable Securities then outstanding with an anticipated aggregate offering price of at least $20 million, then the Company shall
within ten (10) days after the date such request is given, give notice thereof (the “Demand Notice”) to all Holders other than the Initiating Holders; and (y) as soon as practicable, and in any event within
sixty (60) days after the date such request is given by the Initiating Holders, file a Form S-1 registration statement under the Securities Act covering all Registrable Securities that the Initiating Holders requested to be registered and any
additional Registrable Securities requested to be included in such registration by any other Holders, as specified by notice given by each such Holder to the Company within twenty (20) days of the date the Demand Notice is given, and in each case,
subject to the limitations of Subsections 2.1(c) and 2.3.
(b) Form S-3 Demand. If at any time when
it is eligible to use a Form S-3 registration statement, the Company receives a request from Holders of at least twenty-five percent (25%) of the Registrable Securities then outstanding that the Company file a Form S-3 registration statement with
respect to outstanding Registrable Securities of such Holders having an anticipated aggregate offering price, net of Selling Expenses, of at least $1 million, then the Company shall (i) within ten (10) days after the date such request is given,
give a Demand Notice to all Holders other than the Initiating Holders; and (ii) as soon as practicable, and in any event within forty-five (45) days after the date such request is given by the Initiating Holders, file a Form S-3 registration
statement under the Securities Act covering all Registrable Securities requested to be included in such registration by any other Holders, as specified by notice given by each such Holder to the Company within twenty (20) days of the date the
Demand Notice is given, and in each case, subject to the limitations of Subsections 2.1(c) and 2.3.
(c) Notwithstanding the foregoing obligations,
if the Company furnishes to Holders requesting a registration pursuant to this Subsection 2.1 a certificate signed by the Company’s chief executive officer stating that in the good faith judgment of the Company’s Board of Directors it would
be materially detrimental to the Company and its stockholders for such registration statement to either become effective or remain effective for as long as such registration statement otherwise would be required to remain effective, because such
action would (i) materially interfere with a significant acquisition, corporate reorganization, or other similar transaction involving the Company; (ii) require premature disclosure of material information that the Company has a bona fide business
purpose for preserving as confidential; or (iii) render the Company unable to comply with requirements under the Securities Act or Exchange Act, then the Company shall have the right to defer taking action with respect to such filing, and any time
periods with respect to filing, and any time periods with respect to filing or effectiveness thereof shall be tolled correspondingly, for a period of not more than one hundred twenty (120) days after the request of the Initiating Holders is given;
provided, however, that the Company may not invoke this right more than twice in any twelve (12) month period; and provided further that the Company shall not register any securities for its own account or the account
of any other stockholder during such one hundred twenty (120) day period other than an Excluded Registration.
(d) The Company shall not be obligated to
effect, or to take any action to effect, any registration pursuant to Subsection 2.1(a)(i) during the period that is ninety (90) days before the Company’s good faith estimate of the date of filing of, and ending on a date that is one
hundred eighty (180) days after the effective date of, a Company- initiated registration, provided that the Company is actively employing in good faith commercially reasonable efforts to cause such registration statement to become
effective; (ii) after the Company has effected two registrations pursuant to Subsection 2.1(a); or (iii) if the Initiating Holders propose to dispose of shares of Registrable Securities that may be immediately registered on Form S-3
pursuant to a request made pursuant to Subsection 2.1(b). The Company shall not be obligated to effect, or to take any action to effect, any registration pursuant to Subsection 2.1(b) (i) during the period that is ninety
(90) days before the Company’s good faith estimate of the date of filing of, and ending on a date that is ninety (90) days after the effective date of, a Company-initiated registration, provided that the Company is actively employing in
good faith commercially reasonable efforts to cause such registration statement to become effective; or (ii) if the Company has effected two registrations pursuant to Subsection 2.1(b) within the twelve (12) month period immediately
preceding the date of such request. A registration shall not be counted as “effected” for purposes of this Subsection 2.1(d) until such time as the applicable registration statement has been declared effective by the SEC, unless the
Initiating Holders withdraw their request for such registration (other than as a result of a material adverse change to the Company, elect not to pay the registration expenses therefor, and forfeit their right to one demand registration statement
pursuant to Subsection 2.6, in which case such withdrawn registration statement shall be counted as “effected” for purposes of this Subsection 2.1(d).
2.2 Company Registration. If the Company proposes to
register (including, for this purpose, a registration effected by the Company for stockholders other than the Holders) any of its Common Stock under the Securities Act in connection with the public offering of such securities solely for cash (other
than in an Excluded Registration), the Company shall, at such time, promptly give each Holder notice of such registration. Upon the request of each Holder given within twenty (20) days after such notice is given by the Company, the Company shall,
subject to the provisions of Subsection 2.3, cause to be registered all of the Registrable Securities that each such Holder has requested to be included in such registration. The Company shall have the right to terminate or withdraw any
registration initiated by it under this Subsection 2.2 before the effective date of such registration, whether or not any Holder has elected to include Registrable Securities in such registration. The expenses (other than Selling Expenses)
of such withdrawn registration shall be borne by the Company in accordance with Subsection 2.6.
2.3 Underwriting Requirements.
(a) If, pursuant to Subsection 2.1, the
Initiating Holders intend to distribute the Registrable Securities covered by their request by means of an underwriting, they shall so advise the Company as a part of their request made pursuant to Subsection 2.1, and the Company shall
include such information in the Demand Notice. The underwriter(s) will be selected by the Company and shall be reasonably acceptable to a majority in interest of the Initiating Holders. In such event, the right of any Holder to include such
Holder’s Registrable Securities in such registration shall be conditioned upon such Holder’s participation in such underwriting and the inclusion of such Holder’s Registrable Securities in the underwriting to the extent provided herein. All
Holders proposing to distribute their securities through such underwriting shall (together with the Company as provided in Subsection 2.4(e)) enter into an underwriting agreement in customary form with the underwriter(s) selected for such
underwriting. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Subsection 2.3, if the managing underwriter advises the Initiating Holders in writing that marketing factors require a limitation on the number of shares to be underwritten, then
the Initiating Holders shall so advise all Holders of Registrable Securities that otherwise would be underwritten pursuant hereto, and the number of Registrable Securities that may be included in the underwriting shall be allocated among such
Holders of Registrable Securities, including the Initiating Holders, in proportion (as nearly as practicable) to the number of Registrable Securities owned by each Holder or in such other proportion as shall mutually be agreed to by all such
selling Holders; provided, however, that the number of Registrable Securities held by the Holders to be included in such underwriting shall not be reduced unless all other securities are first entirely excluded from the
underwriting.
(b) In connection with any offering involving an
underwriting of shares of the Company’s capital stock pursuant to Subsection 2.2, the Company shall not be required to include any of the Holders’ Registrable Securities in such underwriting unless the Holders accept the terms of the
underwriting as agreed upon between the Company and its underwriters, and then only in such quantity as the underwriters in their sole discretion determine will not jeopardize the success of the offering by the Company. If the total number of
securities, including Registrable Securities, requested by stockholders to be included in such offering exceeds the number of securities to be sold (other than by the Company) that the underwriters in their reasonable discretion determine is
compatible with the success of the offering, then the Company shall be required to include in the offering only that number of such securities, including Registrable Securities, which the underwriters and the Company in their sole discretion
determine will not jeopardize the success of the offering. If the underwriters determine that less than all of the Registrable Securities requested to be registered can be included in such offering, then the Registrable Securities that are
included in such offering shall be allocated among the selling Holders in proportion (as nearly as practicable to) the number of Registrable Securities owned by each selling Holder or in such other proportions as shall mutually be agreed to by all
such selling Holders. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event shall the number of Registrable Securities included in the offering be reduced unless all other securities (other than securities to be sold by the Company) are first entirely
excluded from the offering or (ii) the number of Registrable Securities included in the offering be reduced below thirty percent (30%) of the total number of securities included in such offering, unless such offering is the IPO, in which case the
selling Holders may be excluded further if the underwriters make the determination described above and no other stockholder’s securities are included in such offering. For purposes of the provision in this Subsection 2.3(b) concerning
apportionment, for any selling Holder that is a partnership, limited liability company, or corporation, the partners, members, retired partners, retired members, stockholders, and Affiliates of such Holder, or the estates and Immediate Family
Members of any such partners, retired partners, members, and retired members and any trusts for the benefit of any of the foregoing Persons, shall be deemed to be a single “selling Holder,” and any pro rata reduction with respect to such “selling
Holder” shall be based upon the aggregate number of Registrable Securities owned by all Persons included in such “selling Holder,” as defined in this sentence.
2.4 Obligations of the Company. Whenever required under
this Section 2 to effect the registration of any Registrable Securities, the Company shall, as expeditiously as reasonably possible:
(a) prepare and file with the SEC a registration
statement with respect to such Registrable Securities and use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause such registration statement to become effective and, upon the request of the Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities registered
thereunder, keep such registration statement effective for a period of up to one hundred twenty (120) days or, if earlier, until the distribution contemplated in the registration statement has been completed; provided, however, that
such one hundred twenty (120) day period shall be extended for a period of time equal to the period the Holder refrains, at the request of an underwriter of Common Stock (or other securities) of the Company, from selling any securities included in
such registration;
(b) prepare and file with the SEC such
amendments and supplements to such registration statement, and the prospectus used in connection with such registration statement, as may be necessary to comply with the Securities Act in order to enable the disposition of all securities covered by
such registration statement;
(c) furnish to the selling Holders such numbers
of copies of a prospectus, including a preliminary prospectus, as required by the Securities Act, and such other documents as the Holders may reasonably request in order to facilitate their disposition of their Registrable Securities;
(d) use its commercially reasonable efforts to
register and qualify the securities covered by such registration statement under such other securities or blue-sky laws of such jurisdictions as shall be reasonably requested by the selling Holders; provided that the Company shall not be
required to qualify to do business or to file a general consent to service of process in any such states or jurisdictions, unless the Company is already subject to service in such jurisdiction and except as may be required by the Securities Act;
(e) in the event of any underwritten public
offering, enter into and perform its obligations under an underwriting agreement, in usual and customary form, with the underwriter(s) of such offering;
(f) use its commercially reasonable efforts to
cause all such Registrable Securities covered by such registration statement to be listed on a national securities exchange or trading system and each securities exchange and trading system (if any) on which similar securities issued by the Company
are then listed;
(g) provide a transfer agent and registrar for
all Registrable Securities registered pursuant to this Agreement and provide a CUSIP number for all such Registrable Securities, in each case not later than the effective date of such registration;
(h) promptly make available for inspection by
the selling Holders, any managing underwriter participating in any disposition pursuant to such registration statement, and any attorney or accountant or other agent retained by any such underwriter or selected by the selling Holders, all financial
and other records, pertinent corporate documents, and properties of the Company, and cause the Company’s officers, directors, employees, and independent accountants to supply all information reasonably requested by any such seller, underwriter,
attorney, accountant, or agent, in each case, as necessary or advisable to verify the accuracy of the information in such registration statement and to conduct appropriate due diligence in connection therewith;
(i) notify each selling Holder, promptly after
the Company receives notice thereof, of the time when such registration statement has been declared effective or a supplement to any prospectus forming a part of such registration statement has been filed; and
(j) after such registration statement becomes
effective, notify each selling Holder of any request by the SEC that the Company amend or supplement such registration statement or prospectus.
In addition, the Company shall ensure that, at all times after any registration statement covering a public offering of securities of the Company under the
Securities Act shall have become effective, its insider trading policy shall provide that the Company’s directors may implement a trading program under Rule 10b5-1 of the Exchange Act.
2.5 Furnish Information. It shall be a condition precedent
to the obligations of the Company to take any action pursuant to this Section 2 with respect to the Registrable Securities of any selling Holder that such Holder shall furnish to the Company such information regarding itself, the
Registrable Securities held by it, and the intended method of disposition of such securities as is reasonably required to effect the registration of such Holder’s Registrable Securities.
2.6 Expenses of Registration. All expenses (other than
Selling Expenses) incurred in connection with registrations, filings, or qualifications pursuant to Section 2, including all registration, filing, and qualification fees; printers’ and accounting fees; fees and disbursements of counsel for
the Company; and the reasonable fees and disbursements of one counsel for the selling Holders not to exceed Twenty Five Thousand Dollars ($25,000) (“Selling Holder Counsel”), shall be borne and paid by the
Company; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to pay for any expenses of any registration proceeding begun pursuant to Subsection 2.1 if the registration request is subsequently withdrawn at the request
of the Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities to be registered (in which case all selling Holders shall bear such expenses pro rata based upon the number of Registrable Securities that were to be included in the withdrawn
registration), unless the Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities agree to forfeit their right to one registration pursuant to Subsections 2.1(a) or 2.1(b), as the case may be. All Selling Expenses relating to
Registrable Securities registered pursuant to this Section 2 shall be borne and paid by the Holders pro rata on the basis of the number of Registrable Securities registered on their behalf.
2.7 Delay of Registration. No Holder shall have any right
to obtain or seek an injunction restraining or otherwise delaying any registration pursuant to this Agreement as the result of any controversy that might arise with respect to the interpretation or implementation of this Section 2.
2.8 Indemnification. If any Registrable Securities
are included in a registration statement under this Section 2:
(a) To the extent permitted by law, the Company
will indemnify and hold harmless each selling Holder, and the partners, members, officers, directors, and stockholders of each such Holder; legal counsel and accountants for each such Holder; any underwriter (as defined in the Securities Act) for
each such Holder; and each Person, if any, who controls such Holder or underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, against any Damages, and the Company will pay to each such Holder, underwriter, controlling Person, or
other aforementioned Person any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred thereby in connection with investigating or defending any claim or proceeding from which Damages may result, as such expenses are incurred; provided, however,
that the indemnity agreement contained in this Subsection 2.8(a) shall not apply to amounts paid in settlement of any such claim or proceeding if such settlement is effected without the consent of the Company, which consent shall not be
unreasonably withheld, nor shall the Company be liable for any Damages to the extent that they arise out of or are based upon actions or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished by or on behalf of any
such Holder, underwriter, controlling Person, or other aforementioned Person expressly for use in connection with such registration.
(b) To the extent permitted by law, each selling
Holder, severally and not jointly, will indemnify and hold harmless the Company, and each of its directors, each of its officers who has signed the registration statement, each Person (if any), who controls the Company within the meaning of the
Securities Act, legal counsel and accountants for the Company, any underwriter (as defined in the Securities Act), any other Holder selling securities in such registration statement, and any controlling Person of any such underwriter or other
Holder, against any Damages, in each case only to the extent that such Damages arise out of or are based upon actions or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished by or on behalf of such selling Holder
expressly for use in connection with such registration; and each such selling Holder will pay to the Company and each other aforementioned Person any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred thereby in connection with investigating or defending
any claim or proceeding from which Damages may result, as such expenses are incurred; provided, however, that the indemnity agreement contained in this Subsection 2.8(b) shall not apply to amounts paid in settlement
of any such claim or proceeding if such settlement is effected without the consent of the Holder, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld; and provided further that in no event shall the aggregate amounts payable by any
Holder by way of indemnity or contribution under Subsections 2.8(b) and 2.8(d) exceed the proceeds from the offering received by such Holder (net of any Selling Expenses paid by such Holder), except in the case of fraud or willful
misconduct by such Holder.
(c) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified
party under this Subsection 2.8 of notice of the commencement of any action (including any governmental action) for which a party may be entitled to indemnification hereunder, such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to
be made against any indemnifying party under this Subsection 2.8, give the indemnifying party notice of the commencement thereof. The indemnifying party shall have the right to participate in such action and, to the extent the indemnifying
party so desires, participate jointly with any other indemnifying party to which notice has been given, and to assume the defense thereof with counsel mutually satisfactory to the parties; provided, however, that an indemnified
party (together with all other indemnified parties that may be represented without conflict by one counsel) shall have the right to retain one separate counsel, with the fees and expenses to be paid by the indemnifying party, if representation of
such indemnified party by the counsel retained by the indemnifying party would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between such indemnified party and any other party represented by such counsel in such action. The
failure to give notice to the indemnifying party within a reasonable time of the commencement of any such action shall relieve such indemnifying party of any liability to the indemnified party under this Subsection 2.8, to the extent that
such failure materially prejudices the indemnifying party’s ability to defend such action. The failure to give notice to the indemnifying party will not relieve it of any liability that it may have to any indemnified party otherwise than under
this Subsection 2.8.
(d) To provide for just and equitable
contribution to joint liability under the Securities Act in any case in which either: (i) any party otherwise entitled to indemnification hereunder makes a claim for indemnification pursuant to this Subsection 2.8 but it is judicially
determined (by the entry of a final judgment or decree by a court of competent jurisdiction and the expiration of time to appeal or the denial of the last right of appeal) that such indemnification may not be enforced in such case, notwithstanding
the fact that this Subsection 2.8 provides for indemnification in such case, or (ii) contribution under the Securities Act may be required on the part of any party hereto for which indemnification is provided under this Subsection 2.8,
then, and in each such case, such parties will contribute to the aggregate losses, claims, damages, liabilities, or expenses to which they may be subject (after contribution from others) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative
fault of each of the indemnifying party and the indemnified party in connection with the statements, omissions, or other actions that resulted in such loss, claim, damage, liability, or expense, as well as to reflect any other relevant equitable
considerations. The relative fault of the indemnifying party and of the indemnified party shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or allegedly untrue statement of a material fact, or the omission or alleged
omission of a material fact, relates to information supplied by the indemnifying party or by the indemnified party and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information, and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission;
provided, however, that, in any such case (x) no Holder will be required to contribute any amount in excess of the public offering price of all such Registrable Securities offered and sold by such Holder pursuant to such registration
statement, and (y) no Person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) will be entitled to contribution from any Person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation; and provided further
that in no event shall a Holder’s liability pursuant to this Subsection 2.8(d), when combined with the amounts paid or payable by such Holder pursuant to Subsection 2.8(b), exceed the proceeds from the offering received by such
Holder (net of any Selling Expenses paid by such Holder), except in the case of willful misconduct or fraud by such Holder.
(e) Unless otherwise superseded by an
underwriting agreement entered into in connection with the underwritten public offering, the obligations of the Company and Holders under this Subsection 2.8 shall survive the completion of any offering of Registrable Securities in a
registration under this Section 2, and otherwise shall survive the termination of this Agreement.
2.9 Reports Under Exchange Act. With a view to making
available to the Holders the benefits of SEC Rule 144 and any other rule or regulation of the SEC that may at any time permit a Holder to sell securities of the Company to the public without registration or pursuant to a registration on Form S-3,
the Company shall:
(a) make and keep available adequate current
public information, as those terms are understood and defined in SEC Rule 144, at all times after the effective date of the registration statement filed by the Company for the IPO;
(b) use commercially reasonable efforts to file
with the SEC in a timely manner all reports and other documents required of the Company under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act (at any time after the Company has become subject to such reporting requirements); and
(c) furnish to any Holder, so long as the Holder
owns any Registrable Securities, forthwith upon request (i) to the extent accurate, a written statement by the Company that it has complied with the reporting requirements of SEC Rule 144 (at any time after ninety (90) days after the effective date
of the registration statement filed by the Company for the IPO), the Securities Act, and the Exchange Act (at any time after the Company has become subject to such reporting requirements), or that it qualifies as a registrant whose securities may
be resold pursuant to Form S-3 (at any time after the Company so qualifies); and (ii) such other information as may be reasonably requested in availing any Holder of any rule or regulation of the SEC that permits the selling of any such securities
without registration (at any time after the Company has become subject to the reporting requirements under the Exchange Act) or pursuant to Form S-3 (at any time after the Company so qualifies to use such form).
2.10 Limitations on Subsequent Registration Rights. From
and after the date of this Agreement, the Company shall not, without the prior written consent of the Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities then outstanding, enter into any agreement with any holder or prospective holder of any
securities of the Company that would provide to such holder the right to include securities in any registration on other than either a pro rata basis with respect to the Registrable Securities or on a subordinate basis after all Holders have had
the opportunity to include in the registration and offering all shares of Registrable Securities that they wish to so include; provided that this limitation shall not apply to any additional Investor who becomes a party to this Agreement in
accordance with Subsection 6.9.
2.11 “Market Stand-off” Agreement. Each Holder hereby
agrees that it will not, without the prior written consent of the managing underwriter, during the period commencing on the date of the final prospectus relating to the registration by the Company on its own behalf of shares of its Common Stock or
any other equity securities under the Securities Act on a registration statement on Form S-1, and ending on the date specified by the Company and the managing underwriter (such period not to exceed one hundred eighty (180) days, or such other
period as may be requested by the Company or an underwriter to accommodate regulatory restrictions on (1) the publication or other distribution of research reports, and (2) analyst recommendations and opinions, including, but not limited to, the
restrictions contained in applicable FINRA rules, or any successor provisions or amendments thereto), (i) lend; offer; pledge; sell; contract to sell; sell any option or contract to purchase; purchase any option or contract to sell; grant any
option, right, or warrant to purchase; or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable (directly or indirectly) for Common Stock (whether such
shares or any such securities are then owned by the Holder or are thereafter acquired) or (ii) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of such
securities, whether any such transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or other securities, in cash, or otherwise. The foregoing provisions of this Subsection 2.11 shall apply only to
the IPO, shall not apply to the sale of any shares to an underwriter pursuant to an underwriting agreement or purchased at or after the IPO, or the transfer of any shares to any trust for the direct or indirect benefit of the Holder or the
immediate family of the Holder, provided that the trustee of the trust agrees to be bound in writing by the restrictions set forth herein, and provided further that any such transfer shall not involve a disposition for value,
and shall be applicable to the Holders only if all officers and directors are subject to the same restriction and the Company uses commercially reasonable efforts to obtain a similar agreement from all stockholders individually owning more than one
percent (1%) of the Company’s outstanding Common Stock (after giving effect to conversion into Common Stock of all outstanding Preferred Stock). The underwriters in connection with such registration are intended third-party beneficiaries of this Subsection
2.11 and shall have the right, power and authority to enforce the provisions hereof as though they were a party hereto. Each Holder further agrees to execute such agreements as may be reasonably requested by the underwriters in connection
with such registration that are consistent with this Subsection 2.11 or that are necessary to give further effect thereto. Any discretionary waiver or termination of the restrictions of any or all of such agreements by the Company or the
underwriters shall apply pro rata to all Holders subject to such agreements, based on the number of shares subject to such agreements.
2.12 Restrictions on Transfer.
(a) The Preferred Stock and the Registrable
Securities shall not be sold, pledged, or otherwise transferred, and the Company shall not recognize and shall issue stop-transfer instructions to its transfer agent with respect to any such sale, pledge, or transfer, except upon the conditions
specified in this Agreement, which conditions are intended to ensure compliance with the provisions of the Securities Act. A transferring Holder will cause any proposed purchaser, pledgee, or transferee of the Preferred Stock and the Registrable
Securities held by such Holder to agree to take and hold such securities subject to the provisions and upon the conditions specified in this Agreement.
(b) Each certificate, instrument, or book entry
representing (i) the Preferred Stock, (ii) the Registrable Securities, and (iii) any other securities issued in respect of the securities referenced in clauses (i) and (ii), upon any stock split, stock dividend, recapitalization, merger,
consolidation, or similar event, shall (unless otherwise permitted by the provisions of Subsection 2.12(c)) be notated with a legend substantially in the following form:
THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED HEREBY HAVE BEEN ACQUIRED FOR INVESTMENT AND HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933. SUCH SHARES MAY NOT BE
SOLD, PLEDGED, OR TRANSFERRED IN THE ABSENCE OF SUCH REGISTRATION OR A VALID EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION AND PROSPECTUS DELIVERY REQUIREMENTS OF SAID ACT.
THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED HEREBY MAY BE TRANSFERRED ONLY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TERMS OF AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE COMPANY AND THE STOCKHOLDER, A COPY OF
WHICH IS ON FILE WITH THE SECRETARY OF THE COMPANY.
The Holders consent to the Company making a notation in its records and giving instructions to any transfer agent of the Restricted
Securities in order to implement the restrictions on transfer set forth in this Subsection 2.12.
(c) The holder of such Restricted Securities, by
acceptance of ownership thereof, agrees to comply in all respects with the provisions of this Section 2. Before any proposed sale, pledge, or transfer of any Restricted Securities, unless there is in effect a registration statement under
the Securities Act covering the proposed transaction, the Holder thereof shall give notice to the Company of such Holder’s intention to effect such sale, pledge, or transfer. Each such notice shall describe the manner and circumstances of the
proposed sale, pledge, or transfer in sufficient detail and, if reasonably requested by the Company, shall be accompanied at such Holder’s expense by either (i) a written opinion of legal counsel who shall, and whose legal opinion shall, be
reasonably satisfactory to the Company, addressed to the Company, to the effect that the proposed transaction may be effected without registration under the Securities Act; (ii) a “no action” letter from the SEC to the effect that the proposed
sale, pledge, or transfer of such Restricted Securities without registration will not result in a recommendation by the staff of the SEC that action be taken with respect thereto; or (iii) any other evidence reasonably satisfactory to counsel to
the Company to the effect that the proposed sale, pledge, or transfer of the Restricted Securities may be effected without registration under the Securities Act, whereupon the Holder of such Restricted Securities shall be entitled to sell, pledge,
or transfer such Restricted Securities in accordance with the terms of the notice given by the Holder to the Company. The Company will not require such a legal opinion or “no action” letter (x) in any transaction in compliance with SEC Rule 144;
or (y) in any transaction in which such Holder distributes Restricted Securities to an Affiliate of such Holder for no consideration; provided that each transferee agrees in writing to be subject to the terms of this Subsection 2.12.
Each certificate, instrument, or book entry representing the Restricted Securities transferred as above provided shall be notated with, except if such transfer is made pursuant to SEC Rule 144, the appropriate restrictive legend set forth in Subsection
2.12(b), except that such certificate instrument or book entry shall not be notated with such restrictive legend if, in the opinion of counsel for such Holder and the Company, such legend is not required in order to establish compliance with
any provisions of the Securities Act.
2.13 Termination of Registration Rights. The right of any
Holder to request registration or inclusion of Registrable Securities in any registration pursuant to Subsections 2.1 or 2.2 shall terminate upon the earlier to occur of:
(a) the closing of a Liquidation Event, as such
term is defined in the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation;
(b) such time after the IPO that Rule 144 or
another similar exemption under the Securities Act is available for the sale of all of such Holder’s shares without limitation during a three (3) month period without registration; and
(c) the fifth anniversary of the IPO.
3 Information and Observer Rights.
3.1 Delivery of Financial Statements. The Company shall
deliver to each Major Investor, provided that the Board of Directors has not reasonably determined that such Major Investor is a Competitor of the Company:
(a) as soon as practicable, but in any event
within one hundred twenty (120) days after the end of each fiscal year of the Company, (i) a balance sheet as of the end of such year, (ii) statements of income and of cash flows for such year; and (iii) a statement of stockholders’ equity as of
the end of such year, all such financial statements audited and certified by independent public accountants selected by the Company; provided, however, that the
audit requirement shall not be required until the Company’s Board of Directors determines that it is appropriate.
(b) as soon as practicable, but in any event
within forty-five (45) days after the end of each of the first three (3) quarters of each fiscal year of the Company, unaudited statements of income and cash flows for such fiscal quarter, and an unaudited balance sheet and a statement of
stockholders’ equity as of the end of such fiscal quarter, all prepared in accordance with GAAP (except that such financial statements may (i) be subject to normal year-end audit adjustments; and (ii) not contain all notes thereto that may be
required in accordance with GAAP);
(c) as soon as practicable, but in any event
within thirty (30) days of the end of each month, an unaudited income statement and statement of cash flows for such month, and an unaudited balance sheet as of the end of such month, all prepared in accordance with GAAP (except that such financial
statements may (i) be subject to normal year-end audit adjustments and (ii) not contain all notes thereto that may be required in accordance with GAAP);
(d) as soon as practicable, but in any event
within forty-five (45) days after the end of each quarter of each fiscal year of the Company, a statement showing the number of shares of each class and series of capital stock and securities convertible into or exercisable for shares of capital
stock outstanding at the end of the period, the Common Stock issuable upon conversion or exercise of any outstanding securities convertible or exercisable for Common Stock and the exchange ratio or exercise price applicable thereto, and the number
of shares of issued stock options and stock options not yet issued but reserved for issuance, if any, all in sufficient detail as to permit the Major Investors to calculate their respective percentage equity ownership in the Company;
(e) within thirty (30) days prior to the
beginning of each new fiscal year, a budget and business plan for such fiscal year (collectively, the “Budget”), approved by the Board of Directors and prepared on a monthly basis, including balance sheets,
income statements, and statements of cash flow for such months and, promptly after prepared, any other budgets or revised budgets prepared by the Company.
If, for any period, the Company has any subsidiary whose accounts are consolidated with those of the Company, then in respect of such period the financial
statements delivered pursuant to the foregoing sections shall be the consolidated and consolidating financial statements of the Company and all such consolidated subsidiaries.
Notwithstanding anything else in this Subsection 3.1 to the contrary, the Company may cease providing the information set forth in this Subsection
3.1 during the period starting with the date sixty (60) days before the Company’s good-faith estimate of the date of filing of a registration statement if it reasonably concludes it must do so to comply with the SEC rules applicable to such
registration statement and related offering; provided that the Company’s covenants under this Subsection 3.1 shall be reinstated at such time as the Company is no longer actively employing its commercially reasonable efforts to cause
such registration statement to become effective.
3.2 Inspection. The Company shall permit each Major
Investor (provided that the Board of Directors has not reasonably determined that such Major Investor is a Competitor of the Company), at such Major Investor’s expense, to visit and inspect the Company’s properties; examine its books of account and
records; and discuss the Company’s affairs, finances, and accounts with its officers, during normal business hours of the Company as may be reasonably requested by the Major Investor; provided, however, that the Company shall not be
obligated pursuant to this Subsection 3.2 to provide access to any information that it reasonably and in good faith considers to be a trade secret or confidential information (unless covered by an enforceable confidentiality agreement, in
form acceptable to the Company) or the disclosure of which would adversely affect the attorney-client privilege between the Company and its counsel.
3.3 Observer Rights.
(a) Observer Rights. So long as Sherpa
Ventures Fund, LP (“Acme”) owns not less than 1,090,180 shares of Registrable Securities (as adjusted for any stock split, stock dividend, combination, or other recapitalization or reclassification effected
after the date hereof), the Company shall invite one (1) representative of Acme to attend all meetings of the Board of Directors in a nonvoting observer capacity and, in this respect, shall give such representative copies of all notices, minutes,
consents, and other materials that it provides to its directors; provided, however, that such representative shall agree to hold in confidence and trust and to act in a fiduciary manner with respect to all information so provided; and provided
further, that the Company reserves the right to withhold any information and to exclude such representative from any meeting or portion thereof if access to such information or attendance at such meeting could adversely affect the attorney-client
privilege between the Company and its counsel or result in disclosure of trade secrets or a conflict of interest, or if such Investor or its representative is a Competitor of the Company.
(b) Observer Rights. So long as Cove
Investors I, LLC and Cove Investors II, LLC (collectively, “Cove”) collectively owns not less than 1,090,180 shares of Registrable Securities (as adjusted for any stock split, stock dividend, combination, or
other recapitalization or reclassification effected after the date hereof), the Company shall invite one (1) representative of Cove to attend all meetings of the Board of Directors in a nonvoting observer capacity and, in this respect, shall give
such representative copies of all notices, minutes, consents, and other materials that it provides to its directors; provided, however, that such representative shall agree to hold in confidence and trust and to act in a fiduciary manner with
respect to all information so provided; and provided further, that the Company reserves the right to withhold any information and to exclude such representative from any meeting or portion thereof if access to such information or attendance at such
meeting could adversely affect the attorney-client privilege between the Company and its counsel or result in disclosure of trade secrets or a conflict of interest, or if such Investor or its representative is a Competitor of the Company.
(c) Observer Rights. So long as
JJDC owns not less than 697,107 shares of Registrable Securities (as adjusted for any stock split, stock dividend, combination, or other recapitalization or reclassification effected after the date hereof), the Company shall invite one (1)
representative of JJDC to attend all meetings of the Board of Directors in a nonvoting observer capacity and, in this respect, shall give such representative copies of all notices, minutes, consents, and other materials that it provides to its
directors; provided, however, that such representative shall agree to hold in confidence and trust and to act in a fiduciary manner with respect to all information so provided; and provided further, that the Company reserves the right to withhold
any information and to exclude such representative from any meeting or portion thereof if access to such information or attendance at such meeting could adversely affect the attorney-client privilege between the Company and its counsel or result in
disclosure of trade secrets or a conflict of interest, or if such Investor or its representative is a Competitor of the Company.
(d) Observer Rights. So long as Decheng
owns not less than 819,247 shares of Registrable Securities (as adjusted for any stock split, stock dividend, combination, or other recapitalization or reclassification effected after the date hereof), the Company shall invite one (1)
representative of Decheng to attend all meetings of the Board of Directors in a nonvoting observer capacity and, in this respect, shall give such representative copies of all notices, minutes, consents, and other materials that it provides to its
directors; provided, however, that such representative shall agree to hold in confidence and trust and to act in a fiduciary manner with respect to all information so provided; and provided further, that the Company reserves the right to withhold
any information and to exclude such representative from any meeting or portion thereof if access to such information or attendance at such meeting could adversely affect the attorney-client privilege between the Company and its counsel or result in
disclosure of trade secrets or a conflict of interest, or if such Investor or its representative is a Competitor of the Company.
3.4 Termination of Information and Observation Rights. The
covenants set forth in Subsections 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3 shall terminate and be of no further force or effect (i) immediately before the consummation of an IPO that results in the conversion of all outstanding Preferred Stock to
Common Stock, (ii) when the Company first becomes subject to the periodic reporting requirements of Section 12(g) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, or (iii) upon a Liquidation Event, as such term is defined in the Company’s Certificate of
Incorporation, whichever event occurs first.
3.5 Confidentiality. Each Investor agrees that such
Investor will keep confidential and will not disclose, divulge, or use for any purpose (other than to monitor its investment in the Company) any confidential information obtained from the Company pursuant to the terms of this Agreement (including
notice of the Company’s intention to file a registration statement), unless such confidential information (a) is known or becomes known to the public in general (other than as a result of a breach of this Subsection 3.5 by such Investor),
(b) is or has been independently developed or conceived by the Investor without use of the Company’s confidential information, or (c) is or has been made known or disclosed to the Investor by a third party without a breach of any obligation of
confidentiality such third party may have to the Company; provided, however, that an Investor may disclose confidential information (i) to its attorneys, accountants, consultants, and other professionals to the extent necessary to
obtain their services in connection with monitoring its investment in the Company; (ii) to any prospective purchaser of any Registrable Securities from such Investor, if such prospective purchaser is not a Competitor of the Company (as reasonably
determined by the Company’s Board of Directors), and agrees to be bound by the provisions of this Subsection 3.5; (iii) to any Affiliate, partner, member, stockholder, or wholly owned subsidiary of such Investor in the ordinary course of
business, provided that such Investor informs such Person that such information is confidential and directs such Person to maintain the confidentiality of such information; or (iv) as may otherwise be required by law, provided that
the Investor promptly notifies the Company of such disclosure and takes reasonable steps to minimize the extent of any such required disclosure. Rights to Future Stock Issuances.
4 Rights to Future Stock Issuances.
4.1 Right of First Offer. Subject to the terms and
conditions of this Subsection 4.1, and applicable securities laws, if the Company proposes to offer or sell any New Securities, the Company shall first offer such New Securities to each Major Investor. A Major Investor shall be entitled to
apportion the right of first offer hereby granted to it in such proportions as it deems appropriate among itself and its Affiliates; provided that each such Affiliate (x) is not a Competitor of the Company (as reasonably determined by the Company’s
Board of Directors), unless such party’s purchase of New Securities is otherwise consented to by the Board of Directors, and (y) agrees to enter into this Agreement and the Voting Agreement of even date herewith among the Company, the Investors and
the other parties named therein, as an “Investor” under each such agreement (provided that any Competitor (as reasonably determined by the Company’s Board of Directors) shall not be entitled to any rights as a Major Investor under Subsections
3.1, 3.2, 3.3 and 4.1 hereof).
(a) The Company shall give notice (the “Offer Notice”) to each Major Investor, stating (i) its bona fide intention to offer such New Securities, (ii) the number of such New Securities to be offered, and (iii) the price and terms, if any, upon which it
proposes to offer such New Securities.
(b) By notification to the Company within twenty
(20) days after the Offer Notice is given, each Major Investor may elect to purchase or otherwise acquire, at the price and on the terms specified in the Offer Notice, up to that portion of such New Securities which equals the proportion that the
Common Stock then held by such Major Investor (including all shares of Common Stock then issuable (directly or indirectly) upon conversion and/or exercise, as applicable, of Preferred Stock and any other Derivative Securities then held by such
Major Investor) bears to the total Common Stock of the Company then outstanding (assuming full conversion and/or exercise, as applicable, of all Preferred Stock and other Derivative Securities). At the expiration of such twenty (20) day period,
the Company shall promptly notify each Major Investor that elects to purchase or acquire all the shares available to it (each, a “Fully Exercising Investor”) of any other Major Investor’s failure to do
likewise. During the ten (10) day period commencing after the Company has given such notice, each Fully Exercising Investor may, by giving notice to the Company, elect to purchase or acquire, in addition to the number of shares specified above, up
to that portion of the New Securities for which Major Investors were entitled to subscribe but that were not subscribed for by the Major Investors which is equal to the proportion that the Common Stock issued and held, or issuable (directly or
indirectly) upon conversion and/or exercise, as applicable, of Preferred Stock and any other Derivative Securities then held, by such Fully Exercising Investor bears to the Common Stock issued and held, or issuable (directly or indirectly) upon
conversion and/or exercise, as applicable, of the Preferred Stock and any other Derivative Securities then held, by all Fully Exercising Investors who wish to purchase such unsubscribed shares. The closing of any sale pursuant to this Subsection
4.1(b) shall occur within the later of one hundred twenty (120) days of the date that the Offer Notice is given and the date of initial sale of New Securities pursuant to Subsection 4.1(c).
(c) If all New Securities referred to in the
Offer Notice are not elected to be purchased or acquired as provided in Subsection 4.1(b), the Company may, during the ninety (90) day period following the expiration of the periods provided in Subsection 4.1(b), offer and
sell the remaining unsubscribed portion of such New Securities to any Person or Persons at a price not less than, and upon terms no more favorable to the offeree than, those specified in the Offer Notice. If the Company does not enter into an
agreement for the sale of the New Securities within such period, or if such agreement is not consummated within forty-five (45) days of the execution thereof, the right provided hereunder shall be deemed to be revived and such New Securities shall
not be offered unless first reoffered to the Major Investors in accordance with this Subsection 4.1.
(d) The right of first offer in this Subsection
4.1 shall not be applicable to (i) Exempted Securities (as defined in the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation); (ii) equity securities issued in the IPO; and (iii) the issuance of shares of Series B Preferred Stock to Additional Purchasers
pursuant to Subsection 1.3 of the Purchase Agreement.
4.2 Termination. The covenants set forth in Subsection
4.1 shall terminate and be of no further force or effect (i) immediately before the consummation of the IPO that results in the conversion of all outstanding Preferred Stock to Common Stock, (ii) when the Company first becomes subject to the
periodic reporting requirements of Section 12(g) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, or (iii) upon a Liquidation Event, as such term is defined in the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, whichever event occurs first.
5 Additional Covenants.
5.1 Insurance. The Company will use commercially reasonable
efforts to cause its existing Directors and Officers liability insurance coverage in an amount not less than $5,000,000 to be maintained until such time as the Board of Directors, including a majority of the Preferred Directors, determines that
such insurance should be discontinued.
5.2 Employee Agreements. The Company will cause each person
now or hereafter employed by it or by any subsidiary (or engaged by the Company or any subsidiary as a consultant/independent contractor) with access to confidential information and/or trade secrets to enter into a nondisclosure and proprietary
rights assignment agreement.
5.3 Employee Stock. Unless otherwise approved by the Board
of Directors, including a majority of the Preferred Directors, all future employees and consultants of the Company who purchase, receive options to purchase, or receive awards of shares of the Company’s capital stock after the date hereof shall be
required to execute restricted stock or option agreements, as applicable, providing for (i) vesting of shares over a four (4) year period, with the first twenty-five percent (25%) of such shares vesting following twelve (12) months of continued
employment or service, and the remaining shares vesting in equal quarterly installments over the following thirty-six (36) months, (ii) a market standoff provision substantially similar to that in Subsection 2.11, and (iii) no acceleration
of vesting upon a Liquidation Event, as defined in the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, as amended from time to time. In addition, unless otherwise approved by the Board of Directors, including a majority of the Preferred Directors, the
Company shall retain a “right of first refusal” on employee transfers until the IPO and shall have the right to repurchase unvested shares at the lower of cost or fair market value upon termination (with or without cause) of employment of a holder
of restricted stock.
5.4 Matters Requiring Investor Director Approval. So long
as the holders of Preferred Stock are entitled to elect Preferred Directors, the Company hereby covenants and agrees with each of the Investors that it shall not, without approval of the Board of Directors, which approval must include the
affirmative vote of a majority of the Preferred Directors:
(a) incur any expenditures, or create or
authorize aggregate indebtedness, in either case in excess of $500,000 that is not already included in a budget approved by the Board of Directors, other than trade credit incurred in the ordinary course of business;
(b) increase the number of shares of Common
Stock reserved for issuance under the Company’s 2014 Equity Incentive Plan or create any new equity incentive plan;
(c) create any committee of the Board of
Directors;
(d) acquire more than fifty percent (50%) of the
voting securities, or all or substantially all of the assets of any business (whether by stock or asset purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise) for consideration in excess of $500,000;
(e) establish or invest in any subsidiary or
joint venture;
(f) enter into any materially new line of
business or materially alter or change the Company’s business as it is presently conducted and contemplated to be conducted today;
(g) terminate or change the Company’s then
current chief executive officer;
(h) transfer of any intellectual property or
grant any exclusive rights to the Company’s intellectual property or any exclusive distribution rights;
(i) effect any sales or other dispositions of
Company assets outside the ordinary course of business exceeding $250,000; or
(j) enter into any agreement or transaction with
any officer or director or employee or stockholder of the Corporation or any family member thereof.
5.5 Board Matters. Unless otherwise determined by the vote
of a majority of the directors then in office, the Board of Directors shall meet at least quarterly in accordance with an agreed-upon schedule. The Company shall reimburse the directors for all reasonable out-of-pocket travel expenses incurred
(consistent with the Company’s travel policy) in connection with attending meetings of the Board of Directors. The Company shall enter in an indemnification agreement with each current and future Preferred Director in a form approved by the Board
of Directors, including at least two of the Preferred Directors. Additionally, the Preferred Director designated by JJDC shall be entitled in such person’s discretion to be a member of any committee of the Board of Directors.
5.6 Successor Indemnification. If the Company or any of its
successors or assignees consolidates with or merges into any other Person and is not the continuing or surviving corporation or entity of such consolidation or merger, then to the extent necessary, proper provision shall be made so that the
successors and assignees of the Company assume the obligations of the Company with respect to indemnification of members of the Board as in effect immediately before such transaction, whether such obligations are contained in the Company’s Bylaws,
the Certificate of Incorporation (as amended, or elsewhere, as the case may be.
5.7 Right to Conduct Activities. The Company hereby agrees
and acknowledges that Acme, Decheng, Madrone, Section 32 and JJDC (together with their respective Affiliates) are investment funds or venture arms of their Affiliates, and as such make or hold investments in, or trade in securities of, companies
that may be deemed competitive with the Company’s business (as currently conducted or as currently proposed to be conducted). The Company hereby agrees that, to the extent permitted under applicable law, Acme, Decheng, Madrone, Section 32 and JJDC
(together with their respective Affiliates) shall not be liable to the Company for any claim arising out of, or based upon, (i) the investment by Acme, Decheng, Madrone, Section 32 or JJDC in any entity competitive with the Company, or activities
of such Affiliates that may be competitive to the Company, or (ii) actions taken by any partner, officer or other representative of Acme, Decheng, Madrone, Section 32 or JJDC, to assist any such competitive company (including, but not limited to,
JJDC’s activities in connection with its Affiliates), whether or not such action was taken as a member of the board of directors of such company or otherwise, and whether or not such action has a detrimental effect on the Company; provided,
however, that the foregoing shall not relieve (x) any of the Investors from liability associated with unauthorized disclosure of the Company’s confidential information obtained pursuant to this Agreement, or (y) any director or officer of the
Company from any liability associated with his or her fiduciary duties to the Company. The Company acknowledges that Decheng, Acme, Section 32, Madrone and JJDC are in the business of private equity investing and therefore review the business
plans and related proprietary information of many enterprises, including enterprises which may have products or services which compete directly or indirectly with those of the Company. Nothing in this Agreement shall preclude, create an obligation
or duty, or in any way restrict Decheng, Madrone, Section 32, Acme and JJDC (or any of their respective Affiliates) from evaluating or purchasing securities, including publicly traded securities, of a particular enterprise, or investing or
participating in any particular enterprise, whether or not such enterprise has products or services which compete with those of the Company.
5.8 Founder Grants. Promptly after the Closing, the
Company’s Board of Directors will approve new equity grants to each of the Company’s Founders, Ayub Khattak and Clint Sever, equal to six percent (6%) in the aggregate (four percent (4%) to Ayub Khattak and two percent (2%) to Clint Sever) of the
Company’s fully diluted capitalization immediately after the Closing, subject to 4 year vesting (no cliff), and on the same terms and conditions as earlier grants to such Founders.
5.9 Termination of Covenants. The covenants set forth in
this Section 5 (other than Sections 5.6, 5.7 and 5.10) shall terminate and be of no further force or effect (i) immediately before the consummation of the IPO that results in the conversion of all outstanding
Preferred Stock to Common Stock, (ii) when the Company first becomes subject to the periodic reporting requirements of Section 12(g) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, and (iii) upon a Liquidation Event, as such term is defined in the Company’s
Certificate of Incorporation.
5.10 Indemnification Matters. The Company hereby
acknowledges that one (1) or more of the directors nominated to serve on the Board of Directors by the Investors (each a “Fund Director”) may have certain rights to indemnification, advancement of expenses
and/or insurance provided by one or more of the Investors and certain of their affiliates (collectively, the “Fund Indemnitors”). The Company hereby agrees (a) that it is the indemnitor of first resort (i.e., its obligations to any such Fund Director are primary and any obligation of the Fund Indemnitors to advance expenses or to provide indemnification for the same expenses or liabilities incurred by such Fund
Director are secondary), (b) that it shall be required to advance the full amount of expenses incurred by such Fund Director and shall be liable for the full amount of all expenses, judgments, penalties, fines and amounts paid in settlement by or
on behalf of any such Fund Director to the extent legally permitted and as required by the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws of the Company (or any agreement between the Company and such Fund Director), without regard to any rights
such Fund Director may have against the Fund Indemnitors, and, (c) that it irrevocably waives, relinquishes and releases the Fund Indemnitors from any and all claims against the Fund Indemnitors for contribution, subrogation or any other recovery
of any kind in respect thereof. The Company further agrees that no advancement or payment by the Fund Indemnitors on behalf of any such Fund Director with respect to any claim for which such Fund Director has sought indemnification from the
Company shall affect the foregoing and the Fund Indemnitors shall have a right of contribution and/or be subrogated to the extent of such advancement or payment to all of the rights of recovery of such Fund Director against the Company.
6 Miscellaneous.
6.1 Successors and Assigns. The rights under this Agreement
may be assigned (but only with all related obligations) by a Holder to a transferee of Registrable Securities that (i) is an Affiliate of a Holder, (ii) is a Holder’s Immediate Family Member or trust for the benefit of an individual Holder or one
or more of such Holder’s Immediate Family Members, or (iii) after such transfer holds at least five percent (5%) shares of Registrable Securities (subject to appropriate adjustment for stock, splits, stock dividends, combinations, and other
recapitalizations; provided, however, that (x) the Company is, within a reasonable time after such transfer, furnished with written notice of the name and address of such transferee and the Registrable Securities with respect to
which such rights are being transferred; and (y) such transferee agrees in a written instrument delivered to the Company to be bound by and subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, including the provisions of Subsection 2.11.
For the purposes of determining the number of shares of Registrable Securities held by a transferee, the holdings of a transferee (1) that is an Affiliate or stockholder of a Holder; (2) who is a Holder’s Immediate Family Member; or (3) that is a
trust for the benefit of an individual Holder or such Holder’s Immediate Family Member shall be aggregated together and with those of the transferring Holder; provided further that all transferees who would not qualify individually
for assignment of rights shall have a single attorney-in-fact for the purpose of exercising any rights, receiving notices, or taking any action under this Agreement. The terms and conditions of this Agreement inure to the benefit of and are
binding upon the respective successors and permitted assignees of the parties. Nothing in this Agreement, express or implied, is intended to confer upon any party other than the parties hereto or their respective successors and permitted assignees
any rights, remedies, obligations or liabilities under or by reason of this Agreement, except as expressly provided herein.
6.2 Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by the
internal law of the State of Delaware, without giving effect to any conflict of law principles that would result in the application of any law other than the law of the State of Delaware.
6.3 Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in two (2)
or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. Counterparts may be delivered via facsimile, electronic mail (including pdf or any electronic signature
complying with the U.S. federal ESIGN Act of 2000, e.g., www.docusign.com) or other transmission method and any counterpart so delivered shall be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid
and effective for all purposes.
6.4 Titles and Subtitles. The titles and subtitles used in
this Agreement are for convenience only and are not to be considered in construing or interpreting this Agreement.
6.5 Notices. All notices and other communications given or
made pursuant to this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed effectively given upon the earlier of actual receipt or (i) personal delivery to the party to be notified; (ii) when sent, if sent by electronic mail or facsimile during the
recipient’s normal business hours, and if not sent during normal business hours, then on the recipient’s next business day; (iii) five (5) days after having been sent by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid; or
(iv) one (1) business day after the business day of deposit with a nationally recognized overnight courier, freight prepaid, specifying next-day delivery, with written verification of receipt. All communications shall be sent to the respective
parties at their addresses as set forth on Schedule A hereto, or to the principal office of the Company and to the attention of the Chief Executive Officer, in the case of the Company, or to such email address, facsimile number, or
address as subsequently modified by written notice given in accordance with this Subsection 6.5. If notice is given to the Company, a copy shall also be sent to Wilmer Hale LLP, 950 Page Mill Road, Palo Alto, CA 94304, Attn: E. Thom
Rumberger Jr., Esq.
6.6 Amendments and Waivers. Any term of this Agreement may
be amended, modified or terminated and the observance of any term of this Agreement may be waived (either generally or in a particular instance, and either retroactively or prospectively) only with the written consent of the Company and the holders
of a majority of the Registrable Securities then outstanding; provided that the Company may in its sole discretion waive compliance with Subsection 2.12(c); and provided further that any provision hereof may be waived
by any waiving party on such party’s own behalf, without the consent of any other party and that Subsection 3.3(a) may not be amended without the written consent of Acme, Subsection 3.3(b) may not be amended without the written
consent of Cove and Subsection 3.3(c) may not be amended without the written consent of JJDC. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any amendment to this Agreement that would change the definition of “Major Investor” to increase the Registrable
Security ownership threshold for such status shall not apply to a then-current Major Investor without the written consent of such Major Investor (and absent such consent, notwithstanding any amendment to this Agreement to the contrary, such Major
Investor shall remain a “Major Investor” following such amendment). Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Agreement may not be amended or terminated and the observance of any term hereof may not be waived with respect to any Investor without the
written consent of such Investor, unless such amendment, termination, or waiver applies to all Investors in the same fashion (it being agreed that a waiver of the provisions of Section 4 with respect to a particular transaction shall be
deemed to apply to all Investors in the same fashion if such waiver does so by its terms, notwithstanding the fact that certain Investors may nonetheless, by agreement with the Company, purchase securities in such transaction) and (b) Subsections
3.1 and 3.2, Section 4 and any other section of this Agreement applicable to the Major Investors (including this clause (b) of this Subsection 6.6) may not be amended, modified, terminated or waived without the written
consent of the holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities then outstanding and held by the Major Investors. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Schedule A hereto may be amended by the Company from time to time to add transferees of any
Registrable Securities in compliance with the terms of this Agreement without the consent of the other parties; and Schedule A hereto may also be amended by the Company after the date of this Agreement without the consent of the other
parties to add information regarding any additional Investor who becomes a party to this Agreement in accordance with Subsection 6.9. The Company shall give prompt notice of any amendment, modification or termination hereof or waiver
hereunder to any party hereto that did not consent in writing to such amendment, modification, termination, or waiver. Any amendment, modification, termination, or waiver effected in accordance with this Subsection 6.6 shall be binding on
all parties hereto, regardless of whether any such party has consented thereto. No waivers of or exceptions to any term, condition, or provision of this Agreement, in any one or more instances, shall be deemed to be or construed as a further or
continuing waiver of any such term, condition, or provision.
6.7 Severability. In case any one or more of the provisions
contained in this Agreement is for any reason held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, such invalidity, illegality, or unenforceability shall not affect any other provision of this Agreement, and such invalid, illegal, or
unenforceable provision shall be reformed and construed so that it will be valid, legal, and enforceable to the maximum extent permitted by law.
6.8 Aggregation of Stock. All shares of Registrable
Securities held or acquired by Affiliates shall be aggregated together for the purpose of determining the availability of any rights under this Agreement and such Affiliated persons may apportion such rights as among themselves in any manner they
deem appropriate.
6.9 Additional Investors. Notwithstanding anything to the
contrary contained herein, if the Company issues additional shares of the Company’s Preferred Stock after the date hereof, whether pursuant to the Purchase Agreement or otherwise, any purchaser of such shares of Preferred Stock shall become a party
to this Agreement by executing and delivering an additional counterpart signature page to this Agreement, and thereafter shall be deemed an “Investor” for all purposes hereunder. No action or consent by the Investors shall be required for such
joinder to this Agreement by such additional Investor, so long as such additional Investor has agreed in writing to be bound by all of the obligations as an “Investor” hereunder.
6.10 Entire Agreement. Upon the effectiveness of this
Agreement, the Prior Agreement shall be deemed amended and restated to read in its entirety as set forth in this Agreement. This Agreement (including any Schedules and Exhibits hereto) constitutes the full and entire understanding and agreement
among the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof, and any other written or oral agreement relating to the subject matter hereof existing between the parties is expressly canceled.
6.11 Waiver of Right of First Offer. Except as set forth in
the proviso below, solely for purposes of the transactions contemplated by the Purchase Agreement and solely with respect to the issuance of up to 27,308,229 shares of Series C-1 Preferred Stock and 1,690,380 shares of Series C-2 Preferred Stock,
the right of first offer set forth in Section 4 of the Prior Agreement is hereby waived in its entirety; provided, however, that the foregoing waiver shall have no force or effect with respect to, and
nothing contained herein shall (or shall be deemed to) waive or modify the rights, preferences, privileges, or remedies of, any Major Investor who exercised or exercises its right of first offer in respect of the Company’s offering of Series C
Preferred Stock, in each case, in accordance with Section 4 of the Prior Agreement.
6.12 Dispute Resolution. The parties (a) hereby irrevocably
and unconditionally submit to the jurisdiction of the state courts of the State of California and to the jurisdiction of the United States District Court for the Southern District of California for the purpose of any suit, action or other
proceeding arising out of or based upon this Agreement, (b) agree not to commence any suit, action or other proceeding arising out of or based upon this Agreement except in the state courts of State of California or the United States District Court
for the Southern District of California, and (c) hereby waive, and agree not to assert, by way of motion, as a defense, or otherwise, in any such suit, action or proceeding, any claim that it is not subject personally to the jurisdiction of the
above-named courts, that its property is exempt or immune from attachment or execution, that the suit, action or proceeding is brought in an inconvenient forum, that the venue of the suit, action or proceeding is improper or that this Agreement or
the subject matter hereof may not be enforced in or by such court.
In any dispute between the parties, the prevailing party shall be entitled to reasonable attorney’s fees, costs, and necessary disbursements in addition to any other relief
to which such party may be entitled. Each of the parties to this Agreement consents to personal jurisdiction for any equitable action sought in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California or any court of the State of California
having subject matter jurisdiction.
6.13 Delays or Omissions. No delay or omission to exercise
any right, power, or remedy accruing to any party under this Agreement, upon any breach or default of any other party under this Agreement, shall impair any such right, power, or remedy of such non-breaching or non-defaulting party, nor shall it be
construed to be a waiver of or acquiescence to any such breach or default, or to any similar breach or default thereafter occurring, nor shall any waiver of any single breach or default be deemed a waiver of any other breach or default theretofore
or thereafter occurring. All remedies, whether under this Agreement or by law or otherwise afforded to any party, shall be cumulative and not alternative.
6.14 Press Releases. The Company hereby agrees not to issue
any press releases or make any public communications in connection with any Investor’s purchase of shares of Series C Preferred Stock pursuant to the Purchase Agreement without the prior written consent of Acme, Decheng and JJDC, except as may be
required by law. The expenses of any press releases or public communication issued by the Company in accordance with this Subsection 6.14 shall be borne by the Company.
[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Amended and Restated Investors’ Rights Agreement as of the date first written above.
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COMPANY: |
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CUE HEALTH INC. |
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By:
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/s/ Ayub Khattak
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Name: |
Ayub Khattak |
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Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
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Address: |
4980 Carroll Canyon Rd Suite 100,
San Diego, CA 92121
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Amended and Restated Investors’ Rights Agreement as of the date first written above.
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INVESTORS: |
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SHERPA VENTURES FUND, LP
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By:
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Sherpa Ventures Fund GP, LLC |
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Its: |
General Partner |
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By:
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/s/ Scott Stanford
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Name: |
Scott Stanford |
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Title: |
Managing Partner |
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Address: |
800 Market Street, Floor 8
San Francisco, CA 94102
portfolio@sherpa.com |
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Amended and Restated Investors’ Rights Agreement as of the date first written above.
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INVESTORS: |
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SHERPA VENTURES FUND, LP
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By:
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Sherpa Ventures Fund GP, LLC |
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Its: |
General Partner |
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By:
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/s/ Scott Stanford
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Name:
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Scott A. Stanford |
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Title: |
Managing Director |
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Address: |
800 Market Street, Floor 8
San Francisco, CA 94102
portfolio@sherpa.com |
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Amended and Restated Investors’ Rights Agreement as of the date first written above.
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INVESTORS: |
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JOHNSON & JOHNSON INNOVATION – JJDC, INC. |
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By: |
/s/ Asish K. Xavier. Ph.D.
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Name:
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Asish K. Xavier. Ph.D. |
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Title: |
Vice President, Venture Investments |
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Address: |
410 George Street
New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901
Attention: Vijay Murthy & Linda Vogel
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|
|
|
|
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Amended and Restated Investors’ Rights Agreement as of the date first written above.
|
INVESTORS: |
|
|
|
|
BROAD STREET PRINCIPAL INVESTMENTS, L.L.C.
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Tammy A. Keely
|
|
Name: |
Tammy A. Keely |
|
Title: |
Vice President |
|
|
|
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Amended and Restated Investors’ Rights Agreement as of the date first written above.
|
INVESTORS: |
|
|
|
|
10100 LLC |
|
|
|
|
By:
|
/s/ Tara Dhingra
|
|
Name:
|
Tara Dhingra |
|
Title: |
President |
|
|
|
|
Dept #1178
PO Box 2652
Menlo Park, CA
|
|
|
|
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Amended and Restated Investors’ Rights Agreement as of the date first written above.
|
INVESTORS:
|
|
|
|
|
COVE INVESTORS I, LLC
|
|
|
|
|
By:
|
Oakmont Corporation |
|
Its: |
Administrator |
|
|
|
|
By:
|
/s/ Peter Carlton
|
|
Name: |
Peter Carlton |
|
Title: |
President |
|
Address: |
865 South Figueroa St, 7th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90017 |
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Amended and Restated Investors’ Rights Agreement as of the date first written above.
|
INVESTORS:
|
|
|
|
|
TARSADIA FOUNDATION |
|
|
|
|
By:
|
/s/ Maya Patel
|
|
Name:
|
Maya Patel |
|
Title: |
President |
|
|
|
|
Address: |
520 Newport Center Drive, 21st Floor
Newport Beach, CA 92660 |
|
|
|
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Amended and Restated Investors’ Rights Agreement as of the date first written above.
|
INVESTORS: |
|
|
|
|
|
FORESITE CAPITAL FUND IV, L.P.
|
|
|
|
|
By:
|
Foresite Capital Management IV, LLC |
|
Its: |
General Partner |
|
|
|
|
By:
|
/s/ Dennis D. Ryan
|
|
Name:
|
Dennis D. Ryan |
|
Title: |
Chief Financial Officer
|
|
|
|
|
Address:
|
600 Montgomery Street, Suite 4500
San Francisco, CA 94111
|
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Amended and Restated Investors’ Rights Agreement as of the date first written above.
|
INVESTORS: |
|
|
|
|
FORESITE CAPITAL OPPORTUNITY FUND V, L.P.
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
Foresite Capital Opportunity Management V, LLC |
|
Its: |
General Partner |
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Dennis D. Ryan
|
|
Name:
|
Dennis D. Ryan |
|
Title:
|
Chief Financial Officer |
|
|
|
|
Address: |
600 Montgomery Street, Suite 4500
San Francisco, CA 94111
|
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Amended and Restated Investors’ Rights Agreement as of the date first written above.
|
INVESTORS: |
|
|
|
LINDAMERE DRIVE, LLC
|
|
|
|
By:
|
Oakmont Corporation |
|
Its:
|
Administrator
|
|
|
|
|
By:
|
/s/ Peter Carlton
|
|
Name:
|
Peter Carlton
|
|
Title:
|
|
|
|
|
|
Address: |
865 South Figueroa St, 7th
Floor Los Angeles, CA 90017 |
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Amended and Restated Investors’ Rights Agreement as of the date first written above.
|
INVESTORS: |
|
|
|
COVE INVESTORS II, LLC
|
|
|
|
By:
|
Oakmont Corporation |
|
Its:
|
Administrator
|
|
|
|
|
By:
|
/s/ Peter Carlton
|
|
Name:
|
Peter Carlton
|
|
Title:
|
President
|
|
|
|
|
Address: |
865 South Figueroa St, 7th
Floor Los Angeles, CA 90017 |
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Amended and Restated Investors’ Rights Agreement as of the date first written above.
|
INVESTORS: |
|
|
|
GREYSCALE, LLC
|
|
|
|
By:
|
/s/ Matt Agnune
|
|
Name:
|
Matt Agnune
|
|
Title:
|
CFO |
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Amended and Restated Investors’ Rights Agreement as of the date first written above.
|
INVESTORS:
|
|
|
|
AMERICAN FIDELITY CORPORATION
|
|
|
|
By:
|
John Cassil
|
|
Its:
|
SVP, CFO
|
|
|
|
|
By:
|
/s/ John Cassil
|
|
Name:
|
John Cassil |
|
Title:
|
SVP, CFO |
|
|
|
|
Address:
|
9000 Cameron Parkway
Oklahoma City, OK 73114
Attn: Jim Wheeler |
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Amended and Restated Investors’ Rights Agreement as of the date first written above.
|
INVESTORS:
|
|
|
|
FLAT WORLD (CUE) LP
|
|
|
|
By:
|
/s/ Anna-Marie Wascher
|
|
Name:
|
Anna-Marie Wascher |
|
Title:
|
Managing Partner |
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Amended and Restated Investors’ Rights Agreement as of the date first written above.
|
INVESTORS:
|
|
|
|
FLAT WORLD (CUE) LP
|
|
|
|
By:
|
/s/ Anna-Marie Wascher
|
|
Name:
|
Anna-Marie Wascher |
|
Title:
|
Chief Executive Officer |
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Amended and Restated Investors’ Rights Agreement as of the date first written above.
|
INVESTORS:
|
|
|
|
ROHAN OZA |
|
|
|
By:
|
/s/ Rohan Oza
|
|
|
|
|
Address:
|
145 Reade Street Apt. 175
New York, NY 10013 |
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Amended and Restated Investors’ Rights Agreement as of the date first written above.
|
INVESTORS:
|
|
|
|
PGVC 2018 LLC |
|
|
|
By:
|
Jabodon PT Company dba Pritzker Group |
|
Its:
|
Managing Member |
|
|
|
|
By:
|
/s/ Christopher E. Girgenti
|
|
Name:
|
Christopher E. Girgenti |
|
Title:
|
Authorized Signatory |
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Amended and Restated Investors’ Rights Agreement as of the date first written above.
|
INVESTORS:
|
|
|
|
ANP HANOVER HOLDINGS LLC
|
|
|
|
By:
|
Jabodon PT Company, Manager |
|
|
|
|
By:
|
/s/ Eric A. Schreiner
|
|
Name:
|
Eric A. Schreiner |
|
Title:
|
President
|
|
|
|
|
Address:
|
111 S. Wacker Drive, Suite 4000
Chicago, IL 60606
Email: investments@pritzkergroup.com
|
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Amended and Restated Investors’ Rights Agreement as of the date first written above.
|
INVESTORS:
|
|
|
|
RONO, LLC |
|
|
|
By:
|
/s/ Rohan Oza
|
|
Name:
|
Rohan Oza |
|
Title:
|
Manager |
|
|
|
|
Address: |
145 Reade Street Apt. 175
New York, NY 10013 |
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Amended and Restated Investors’ Rights Agreement as of the date first written above.
|
INVESTORS:
|
|
|
|
Hlth Wrk LLC |
|
|
|
By:
|
/s/ Chris Achar
|
|
|
|
|
Address: |
6443 Lindenhurst Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90048 |
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Amended and Restated Investors’ Rights Agreement as of the date first written above.
|
INVESTORS:
|
|
|
|
SECTION 32 FUND 2, LP |
|
|
|
By:
|
Section 32 GP 2, LLC,
|
|
Its:
|
General Partner |
|
|
|
|
By:
|
/s/ Jennifer L. Kercher
|
|
Name:
|
Jennifer L. Kercher |
|
Title:
|
Chief Operating Officer |
|
|
|
|
Address:
|
171 Main Street, #671
Los Altos, CA 94022
|
|
|
|
|
Email:
|
notice@section32.com |
|
Attn:
|
Chief Operating Officer |
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Amended and Restated Investors’ Rights Agreement as of the date first written above.
|
INVESTORS:
|
|
|
|
DECHENG CAPITAL CHINA LIFE
SCIENCES USD FUND Ill, L.P. |
|
|
|
By:
|
Decheng Capital Management III
(Cayman), LLC
|
|
Name:
|
Xiangmin Cui Title: Managing Director |
|
|
|
|
By:
|
/s/ Xiangmin Cui
|
|
Name:
|
Xiangmin Cui |
|
Title:
|
Managing Director |
|
|
|
|
Address:
|
3000 Sand Hill Road
Building 2, Suite 110
Menlo Park, CA 94025
|
|
|
|
|
Attn:
|
|
|
Fax: |
|
|
Email:
|
|
|
Email:
|
[***] |
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Amended and Restated Investors’ Rights Agreement as of the date first written above.
|
INVESTORS:
|
|
|
|
WEIJI CUI AND JIN ZHOU, TRUSTEES OF
THE CUI FAMILY REVOCABLE TRUST
|
|
|
|
By:
|
/s/ Weiji Cui
|
|
Name:
|
Weiji Cui |
|
Title:
|
Trustee
|
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Amended and Restated Investors’ Rights Agreement as of the date first written above.
|
INVESTORS:
|
|
|
|
MADRONE OPPORTUNITY FUND, L.P.
by its General Partner:
|
|
|
|
By:
|
/s/ Greg Penner
|
|
Name:
|
Greg Penner |
|
Title:
|
Managing Member |
|
|
|
|
Address:
|
1149 Chestnut Street, Suite 200
Menlo Park, CA 94025
madrone@weimail.com |
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Amended and Restated Investors’ Rights Agreement as of the date first written above.
|
INVESTORS:
|
|
|
|
RCHI, LLC |
|
|
|
By:
|
/s/ Daniel Larsen |
|
Name:
|
Daniel Larsen |
|
Title:
|
Assistant Vice President & Secretary |
|
|
|
|
Address:
|
4980 Carroll Canyon Rd Suite 100,
San Diego, CA 92121
|
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Amended and Restated Investors’ Rights Agreement as of the date first written above.
|
INVESTORS:
|
|
|
|
RAJENDRA SINGH2008 FAMILY TRUST |
|
|
|
By:
|
/s/ Neera Singh |
|
Name:
|
Neera Singh |
|
Title:
|
Trustee |
|
|
|
|
Address:
|
23 Indian Creek Island Road
Indian Creek Village, FL 33154 |
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Amended and Restated Investors’ Rights Agreement as of the date first written above.
|
INVESTORS:
|
|
|
|
NEERAJ CHANDRA |
|
|
|
By:
|
/s/ Neeraj Chandra
|
|
Name:
|
Neeraj Chandra |
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Amended and Restated Investors’ Rights Agreement as of the date first written above.
|
INVESTORS:
|
|
|
|
NVGA I, LLC |
|
|
|
By:
|
TFC Manager, LLC |
|
Its:
|
Manager |
|
|
|
|
By:
|
/s/ Vikram Patel
|
|
Name:
|
Vikram Patel |
|
Title:
|
Manager |
|
|
|
|
Address:
|
4980 Carroll Canyon Rd Suite 100,
San Diego, CA 92121
|
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Amended and Restated Investors’ Rights Agreement as of the date first written above.
|
INVESTORS:
|
|
|
|
ART99 INVESTMENTS LLC |
|
|
|
By:
|
/s/ Wendi Murdoch |
|
Name:
|
Wendi Murdoch |
|
Title:
|
Managing Member |
|
|
|
|
Address:
|
c/o NKSFB
810 Seventh Ave, Suite 1701
New York, NY 10019 |
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Amended and Restated Investors’ Rights Agreement as of the date first written above.
|
INVESTORS:
|
|
|
|
SOFREH CAPITAL |
|
|
|
By:
|
/s/ Shervin Pishevar |
|
Name:
|
Shervin Pishevar |
|
Title:
|
Managing Director |
|
|
|
|
Address:
|
382 NE 191st ST #24148
Miami, FL 33179 |
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Amended and Restated Investors’ Rights Agreement as of the date first written above.
|
INVESTORS:
|
|
|
|
NOW INVESTMENTS, INC. |
|
|
|
By:
|
/s/ Peter Sadek |
|
Name:
|
Peter Sadek |
|
Title:
|
Director |
|
|
|
|
Address:
|
Craigmuir Chambers, Road Town
VG1110 Tortola, BVI
|
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Amended and Restated Investors’ Rights Agreement as of the date first written above.
|
INVESTORS:
|
|
|
|
PPC IP INVESTOR 2020-II LLC |
|
|
|
By:
|
/s/ Ceron Rhee |
|
Name:
|
Ceron Rhee |
|
Title:
|
Manager |
|
|
|
|
Address:
|
11150 Santa Monica Blvd, Suite 1510
Los Angeles, CA 90025 |
SCHEDULE A
Investors
Investor
Sherpa Ventures Fund, LP
800 Market Street, Floor 8
San Francisco, CA 94102
[***]
Sherpa Ventures Fund II, LP
800 Market Street, Suite
800 San Francisco, CA 94102
[***]
NVGA I, LLC
c/o Sierra Fiduciary Support Services
100 West Liberty St., Ste. 750
Reno, NV 89501
[***]
Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JJDC, Inc.
410 George Street
New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901
Attention: Vijay Murthy & Linda Vogel
With a copy to:
Johnson & Johnson Law Department
Johnson & Johnson
One Johnson & Johnson Plaza
New Brunswick, New Jersey 08933
Attention: Kevin Norman, Senior Counsel, Equity
Transactions
Cove Investors I, LLC
865 South Figueroa Street, 7th
Floor Los Angeles, CA 90017
Cove Investors II, LLC
865 South Figueroa Street, 7th
Floor Los Angeles, CA 90017
Code Holdings LLC
Attn: Robert L. Schooler, CFO
101 Second Street, Suite 2225 San Francisco, CA 94105
RONO, LLC
145 Reade Street, Apt. 175
New York, NY 10013
Rohan Oza
[***]
WEHO Investments, LLC
Attn: Robert P. Hrtica, Manager
c/o Appian Way
9255 Sunset Blvd., Suite 615
West Hollywood, CA 90069
Been There, LLC
Attn: Kenneth B. Hertz, Managing Member
1800 Century Park East, Suite 1000
Los Angeles, CA 90067
John C. Kennedy
[***]
The Tanbark Trust
c/o Lee C. Linden, Trustee
[***]
Amber R. Arbucci
[***]
Vincent V. Laresca
[***]
Jason Goldberg
[***]
Charles M. Pacheco
[***]
Di-Ann Eisnor
[***]
Trendtrade International P/L
Attn: Lance Kalish, Director
[***]
The Marc R. Benioff Revocable Trust u/a/d 12/3/04
c/o Marc R. Benioff, Trustee
[***]
Brooklyn Elias
[***]
Mokhtarzada Holdings, LLC
Attn: Haroon Mokhtarzada
[***]
April D. Underwood
[***]
James A Messina
[***]
Playtime Ventures, LLC
Attn: Mr. John Shahidi
[***]
Sage Spring Partners LLC
Attn: Bikram Dang, Partner
[***]
Greg Silverman
[***]
Treeline Interactive, LLC
3725 Mission Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92109
Flat World (Cue) LP
386 Park Ave South
18th Floor
New York, New York 10013
Flat World (Cue III) LP
3725 Mission Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92109
Neeraj Chandra
[***]
RCHI, LLC
c/o The Yucaipa Companies
9130 West Sunset Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90069
Attn: Legal Department
[***]
Greyscale, LLC
121 Kercheval Avenue
Gross Pointe, MI 48236
Rajendra Singh 2008 Family Trust
23 Indian Creek Island Road
Indian Creek Village, FL 33154
[***]
10100 LLC
Dept #1178
PO Box 2652
Menlo Park, CA 94026
[***]
American Fidelity
9000 Cameron Parkway
Oklahoma City, OK 73114
Attn: Jim Wheeler
[***]
Broad Street Principal Investments, L.L.C.
200 West Street
New York, NY 10282
Attn: Benjamin Hohl
[***]
IHS Ventures Partners LLC
600 Brickell Avenue
Suite 1725
Miami, FL 33131
Dentsu Ventures Global Fund I
1-8-1
Higashi-Shimbashi,
Minato-Ku, Tokyo
105-7001, Japan
KBBO Ventures
38th KBBO Office
Jumeriah Etihad Towers,
Abu Dhabi
Babel SPV I LLC
441 Burnett Avenue
San Francisco, California 94131
Babel SPV II LLC
441 Burnett Avenue
San Francisco, California 94131
Babel Fund I LP
441 Burnett Avenue
San Francisco, California 94131
Zephyr Cove Capital, LLC
276 Kingsbury Grade, Suite 2000
P.O. Box 3390
Stateline, NV 89449-3390
Dr. Vishal Mehta
[***]
Kali J. Caldwell
[***]
Bravetime International Limited
P.O. Box 957
Offshore Incorporations Centre
Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands
ANP Hanover Holdings LLC
111 S Wacker Drive, Suite 4000
Chicago, IL 60606
investments@pritzkergroup.com
M13 Holding LLC
215 La Cienega Blvd #200
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
Troy Capital Partners Fund I, LP
225 Arizona Avenue, Suite 200
Santa Monica, CA 90401
Hlth Wrk LLC
Attn: Chris Achar
[***]
Sarrah Hallock
[***]
Brett Thomas
[***]
Section 32 Fund 2, LP
Address: 171 Main Street, #671
Los Altos, CA 94022
Email: notice@section32.com
Attn: Chief Operating Officer
Kevin Krenitsky Revocable Trust 2018
[***]
Decheng Capital China Life Sciences USD Fund III, L.P.
3000 Sand Hill Rd, Bldg 2, Ste 110
Menlo Park, CA 94025
Madrone Opportunity Fund, L.P.
1149 Chestnut Street
Suite 200
Menlo Park, CA 94025
[***]
Weiji Cui and Jin Zhou, Trustees of the Cui Family Revocable Trust
[***]
Foresite Capital Fund V, L.P.
600 Montgomery St, Ste 4500
San Francisco, CA 94111
Attn: Dennis Ryan
[***]
Foresite Capital Opportunity Fund V,
L.P. 600 Montgomery St, Ste 4500
San Francisco, CA 94111
Attn: Dennis Ryan
[***]
Foresite Capital Fund IV, L.P.
600 Montgomery St, Ste 4500
San Francisco, CA 94111
Attn: Dennis Ryan
[***]
Lindamere Drive, LLC
865 South Figueroa Street, 7th
Floor Los Angeles, CA 90017
[***]
Tarsadia Foundation
520 Newport Center Dr., 21st Floor
Newport Beach, CA 92660
Attn: Rishi Reddy
[***]
PGVC 2018 LLC
111 S Wacker Drive, Suite 4000
Chicago, IL 60606
[***]
Art99 Investments LLC
c/o NKSFB
810 Seventh Ave, Suite 701
New York, NY 10019
[***]
Sofreh Capital LP
382 NE 191st Street #24148
Miami, FL 33179-3899
[***]
PPC IP Investor 2020-II LLC
11150 Santa Monica Blvd, Suite 1510
Los Angeles, CA 90025
[***]
Exhibit 4.3
THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED HEREBY HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), OR ANY STATE SECURITIES LAWS. THESE SECURITIES
ARE SUBJECT TO RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSFERABILITY AND RESALE AND MAY NOT BE TRANSFERRED OR RESOLD EXCEPT AS PERMITTED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT AND THE APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS, PURSUANT TO REGISTRATION OR EXEMPTION THEREFROM. HOLDERS SHOULD
BE AWARE THAT THEY MAY BE REQUIRED TO BEAR THE FINANCIAL RISKS OF THIS INVESTMENT FOR AN INDEFINITE PERIOD OF TIME. THE ISSUER OF THESE SECURITIES MAY REQUIRE AN OPINION OF COUNSEL IN THE FORM AND SUBSTANCE SATISFACTORY TO THE ISSUER TO THE EFFECT
THAT ANY PROPOSED TRANSFER OR RESALE IS IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE SECURITIES ACT AND ANY APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS.
CUE INC.
WARRANT TO PURCHASE COMMON STOCK
CSW-4
This Warrant (this “Warrant”) certifies that as of August 22, 2017 (the “Issue Date”), WEHO Investments LLC (“Holder”) is entitled to subscribe for and purchase, subject to the terms hereof, up to an aggregate of 75,744 shares of Class A Common Stock (the “Warrant Shares”) of Cue,
Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and at a purchase price per share equal to $0.40 (the “Warrant Price”), in each case as adjusted pursuant to Article 3
hereof. This Warrant is issued pursuant to the Advisor Agreement, dated of even date herewith (the “Advisor Agreement”), between the Company and the Holder, pursuant to which the Holder is providing services to the Company. Unless
otherwise defined herein, capitalized terms shall have the meaning set forth in the Advisor Agreement.
Holder (as defined below) shall be only entitled to exercise this Warrant for Vested Warrant Shares in accordance with the terms hereof and during the period commencing on the Initial Vesting Date,
if any, and ending on the earliest to occur of (i) a Sale of the Company, and (ii) 5:00 p.m. PST on the tenth (10th) anniversary of the Exercise Commencement Date,
upon the occurrence of which this Warrant shall expire and be cancelled, with no further force or effect. During the term of this Warrant, the Company shall provide Holder with at least ten (10) days prior written notice of a Sale of the Company.
The number of Warrant Shares purchasable upon exercise of this Warrant is subject to vesting as provided in Section 2.8 below.
ARTICLE 1.
DEFINITIONS
1.1 “Affiliate” shall mean, with respect to any specified Person, any other Person who, directly or indirectly, controls, is controlled by, or is
under common control with such Person, including, without limitation, any general partner, managing member, officer or director of such Person or any venture capital, private equity or other similar fund now or hereafter existing that is controlled
by one or more general partners or managing members of, or shares the same management company with, such Person. “Affiliate” shall also mean, in the case of any venture capital, private equity or other similar fund now or hereafter existing that
is an Investor, all partners, members, shareholders or other equity holders of any kind of such venture capital, private equity or other similar fund, regardless of whether such partners, members, shareholders or other equity owners control such
venture capital, private equity or other similar fund.
1.2 “Aggregate Price” shall mean the total number of Warrant Shares multiplied by the Warrant Price.
1.3 “Sale of the Company” means either: (a) a transaction or series of related transactions in which a Person, or a group of related Persons,
acquires from shareholders of the Company shares representing more than fifty percent (50%) of the outstanding voting power of the Company (a “Stock Sale”); or (b) a transaction that qualifies as a “Liquidation Event” as defined in the Certificate.
1.4 “Class A Common Stock” shall mean the Company’s Class A Common stock, no par value.
1.5 “Holder” shall have the meaning set forth in the introductory paragraph above, or any party to whom this Warrant is assigned in compliance with
the terms hereof.
1.6 “Person” shall mean any individual, corporation, partnership, trust, limited liability company, association or other entity.
1.7 “Securities Act” shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
1.8 “Vesting Commencement Date” shall mean the Issue Date.
ARTICLE 2.
EXERCISE AND PAYMENT
2.1 Cash Exercise. The purchase rights represented by this Warrant may be exercised by the Holder, in whole or in part, by the
surrender of this Warrant at the principal office of the Company, located at the address set forth on the signature page hereof, accompanied by the form of Notice of Cash Exercise in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit A-1 (the “Notice of Cash Exercise”) and by the payment to the Company, by cash or by certified, cashier’s or other check acceptable to the Company, of an amount
equal to the aggregate Warrant Price of the Warrant Shares being purchased.
2.2 Net Issue Exercise. In lieu of exercising this Warrant pursuant to Section 2.1, the Holder may elect to receive shares of
Class A Common Stock equal to, in whole or in part, the value of this Warrant determined in the manner described below (or of any portion thereof remaining unexercised) by surrender of this Warrant at the principal office of the Company together
with the form of Notice of Cashless Exercise in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit A-2 (the “Notice of Cashless Exercise” and together with the Notice
of Cash Exercise, each a “Notice of Exercise”) in which event the Company shall issue to the Holder a number of shares of the Class A Common Stock computed using the following formula:
X = Y (A-B)
A
Where
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X = the number of Warrant Shares to be issued to the Holder of this Warrant (on the date of such calculation).
Y = the number of Warrant Shares purchasable under this Warrant on the date of such calculation (or, if this Warrant is exercised in part, the number of Warrant Shares represented by
the portion of this Warrant being exercised).
A = the fair market value of one share of the Class A Common Stock (on the date of such calculation).
B = Warrant Price (as adjusted in accordance with Article 3 as applicable to the date of such calculation).
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2.3 Fair Market Value. For purposes of this Article 2, except as set forth in clause (ii) below, the fair market value of one
share of the Class A Common Stock shall mean as follows:
(i) The per share fair market value of the Class A Common Stock shall be as determined in the reasonable and good faith discretion of the Company’s Board of Directors; and
(ii) Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event this Warrant is exercised in connection with any Sale of the Company, the fair market value per share of Class A Common Stock shall be the
price per share paid to the holders of such Class A Common Stock in such Sale of the Company transaction, or if no payment is made to such holders in connection with such Sale of the Company transaction, then the amount per share that would be paid
to such holders if, immediately after such Sale of the Company transaction the Company (or its successor in interest, as the case may be) were to liquidate and distribute the value of all of its assets to its shareholders after settling its debts.
2.4 Stock Certificates. In the event of any exercise of the rights represented by this Warrant, certificates for the shares of
Class A Common Stock so purchased shall be delivered to the Holder within a reasonable time and, unless this Warrant has been fully exercised for the Maximum Warrant Shares or has expired, a new Warrant representing the number of shares that can be
acquired, subject to any remaining vesting conditions, for the remaining unexercised Aggregate Price shall also be issued to the Holder at such time. Notwithstanding the date of the delivery of the certificate(s) for the Class A Common Stock, the
person in whose name the certificate(s) for such capital stock are to be issued shall be deemed to have become a stockholder of record on the next succeeding day on which the transfer books are open after the date of the appropriate Notice of
Exercise is received by the Company.
2.5 Stock Fully Paid. The Company represents and warrants that all Class A Common Stock which may be issued upon the exercise
of the rights represented by this Warrant will, upon issuance, be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable and free from all taxes, security interests, liens, charges (excluding taxes based on the income of the Holder), except
to the extent imposed by or as a result of the status, act or omission of, the Holder.
2.6 Fractional Shares. No fractional share of Class A Common Stock will be issued in connection with any exercise hereof; in
lieu of a fractional share upon complete exercise hereof, the Holder may purchase a whole share by delivering payment equal to the appropriate portion of the then effective Warrant Price.
2.7 Conditional Exercise. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, any Notice of Exercise may be conditioned, and
effective only, upon the occurrence of any event(s) specified therein, including the consummation of a Sale of the Company or the declaration of a dividend.
2.8 Vesting. This Warrant shall be exercisable for up to the number of Warrant Shares
set forth on the cover page of this Warrant (the “Maximum Shares Amount”) based upon the following vesting condition (such Warrant Shares which shall have vested in accordance with the terms hereof, “Vested Warrant Shares”): fifty percent (50%) of the total Warrant Shares subject to this Warrant (i.e., 37,872) shall vest, if at all, on the first anniversary of the Vesting Commencement Date (the “Initial Vesting Date”), and the remaining fifty percent (50%) of the Warrant Shares shall vest in 1/24th increments (i.e., 3,156) of the total number of Warrant Shares granted hereunder shall become Vested
Warrant Shares on the last day of each full calendar month in each case only if Holder is continuously providing services per the Advisor Agreement through the applicable vesting date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, vesting of the Warrant Shares
shall accelerate and this Warrant shall be exercisable for the full Maximum Shares Amount upon (i) a Sale of the Company or (ii) any termination of the Advisor Agreement (x) by Holder due to the Company’s material breach of the Advisor Agreement or
(y) by the Company for any reason other than an uncured material breach of the Advisor Agreement by Advisor. Holder may purchase such Vested Warrant Shares at any time on or after the initial number of Vested Warrant Shares have vested. In lieu
of any fractional amount of vesting, the Company may elect to pay to Holder an amount of cash equal to such incremental value.
ARTICLE 3.
CERTAIN ADJUSTMENTS OF NUMBER OF
SHARES PURCHASABLE AND WARRANT PRICE
The number and kind of securities purchasable upon the exercise of this Warrant and the Warrant Price shall be subject to adjustment from time to time upon the happening of certain events, as
follows:
3.1 Reclassification or Consolidation. In case of any reclassification or change of outstanding securities issuable upon
exercise of this Warrant, the Company, shall execute a new warrant of like form, tenor and effect and which will provide that the Holder shall have the right to exercise such new warrant and purchase upon such exercise, in lieu of each share of
Class A Common Stock theretofore issuable upon exercise of this Warrant, the kind and amount of securities, money and property receivable upon such reclassification, change or consolidation by a holder of one share of Class A Common Stock issuable
upon exercise of this Warrant had this Warrant been exercised immediately prior to such reclassification, change, or consolidation. Such new Warrant shall be as nearly equivalent in all substantive respects as practicable to this Warrant and the
adjustments provided in this Article 3 and the provisions of this Section 3.1, shall similarly apply to successive reclassifications, changes, and consolidations.
3.2 Subdivision or Combination of Shares. If the Company shall at any time while this Warrant remains outstanding and less than
fully exercised: (i) split or subdivide its Class A Common Stock, the Warrant Price shall be proportionately reduced; or (ii) shall combine or reverse-split shares of its Class A Common Stock, the Warrant Price shall be proportionately increased.
3.3 Time of Adjustments to the Warrant Price and Shares Purchasable. All adjustments to the Warrant Price and the number of
shares purchasable hereunder, unless otherwise specified herein, shall be effective, as applicable, as of the earliest of:
(i) the date of issue of the security, or the occurrence of the other event, causing the adjustment;
(ii) the date of sale of the security causing the adjustment;
(iii) the effective date of a division or combination of shares; and
(iv) the record date of any action of holders of any class of the Company’s capital stock taken for the purpose of entitling the stockholders of the Company to receive a distribution or
dividend payable in equity securities, provided that such division, combination, distribution or dividend actually occurs;
provided, however, that notwithstanding anything else to the contrary herein, the first adjustment, if applicable, to the Warrant Price and the number of shares purchasable
hereunder, shall be calculated based off of the initial aggregate number of Warrant Shares hereunder.
3.4 Notices. During the term of this Warrant, in addition to any other notices required or permitted hereunder, at least
fourteen (14) days prior to (i) the Company declaring a record date for holders of its Class A Common Stock (or any other securities receivable upon the exercise of this Warrant) for the purpose of entitling such holders to receive any dividend,
distribution, right to subscribe or purchase other securities or any other right; (ii) any reclassification or change of outstanding securities issuable upon exercise of this Warrant; (iii) any Sale of the Company or any consolidation or merger of
the Company with or into another corporation (other than a merger with another corporation in which the Company is a continuing corporation and which does not result in any reclassification, change or exchange of outstanding securities issuable
upon exercise of this Warrant); (iv) any sale or transfer to another corporation or entity of all, or substantially all, of the property of the Company; (v) any voluntary dissolution, liquidation or winding-up of the Company; or (vi) any public
offering of the Company’s capital stock pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act, the Company shall give notice to the Holder stating the record date for determining the holders entitled to such distribution or the
date on which securities of the Company are to be exchanged in connection with a reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale of all or substantially all the assets of the Company, dissolution, liquidation or winding-up is to take place and the
date, if any, on which the capital stock of the Company is to be exchanged in connection therewith.
3.5 Duration of Adjusted Warrant Price. Following each adjustment of the Warrant Price, such adjusted Warrant Price shall
remain in effect until a further adjustment of the Warrant Price.
3.6 Adjustment of Number of Shares. Upon each adjustment of the Warrant Price pursuant to this Article 3, the number of shares
of Class A Common Stock purchasable hereunder shall be adjusted to the nearest whole share, to the number obtained by dividing the Aggregate Price by the Warrant Price as adjusted.
ARTICLE 4.
TRANSFER, RIGHT OF FIRST REFUSAL; DRAG ALONG; EXCHANGE AND LOSS
4.1 Transfer. This Warrant and any and all rights hereunder are not transferable unless otherwise agreed to by Company in
writing, which agreement may be withheld in the Company’s sole and absolute discretion. The Company may issue stop transfer instructions to its transfer agent in connection with such restrictions.
4.2 Right of First Refusal. The shares of Class A Common Stock issuable upon exercise of this Warrant are subject to a right of
first refusal as set forth in the Company’s Bylaws (the “ROFR”). Before any such shares of Class A Common Stock issuable upon exercise of this Warrant (or any beneficial interest in such shares) may be sold,
transferred, encumbered or otherwise disposed of in any way (whether by operation of law or otherwise) by Holder or any subsequent transferee, such party must first offer such shares or beneficial interest to the Company and/or its assignee(s) in
accordance with the terms of the ROFR.
4.3 Drag Along. In the event that (i) the Board, (ii) the holders of the majority of the shares of Common Stock then issued or
issuable upon conversion of the shares of the Company’s Preferred Stock (the “Selling Investors”); and (iii) the holders of the majority of the shares of Common Stock then issued and outstanding (other than
those issued or issuable upon conversion of the Preferred Stock) (collectively, the “Electing Holders”), approve a Sale of the Company, then Holder agrees (such agreement the Company’s “Drag-Along Right”) with respect to all shares of capital stock of the Company pursuant to this Warrant that it holds or otherwise exercises dispositive power as follows:
(i) in the event such transaction requires the approval of the stockholders of the Company, (x) if the matter is to be brought to a vote at a stockholder meeting, after receiving proper
notice of any meeting of stockholders of the Company to vote on the approval of a Sale of the Company, to be present, in person or by proxy, as a holder of shares of capital stock, at all such meetings and be counted for the purposes of determining
the presence of a quorum at such meetings; and (y) to vote (in person, by proxy or by action by written consent, as applicable) all shares of capital stock in favor of such Sale of the Company and in opposition of any and all other proposals that
could reasonably be expected to delay or impair the ability of the Company to consummate such Sale of the Company;
(ii) in the event that the Sale of the Company is to be effected by the sale of shares of capital stock by the Company’s stockholders (the “Selling Holders”) without the need for
stockholder approval, Holder agrees to sell all shares of capital stock that it beneficially holds (or in the event that the Selling Holders are selling fewer than all of their shares of capital stock of the Company, shares in the same proportion
as the Selling Holders are selling) to the person to whom the Selling Holders propose to sell their shares of capital stock;
(iii) to refrain from exercising any dissenters’ rights or rights of appraisal under applicable law at any time with respect to such Sale of the Company;
(iv) to execute and deliver all related documentation and take such other action in support of the Sale of the Company as shall reasonably be requested by the Company;
(v) in the event that the Electing Holders, in connection with such Sale of the Company, appoint a stockholder representative (the “Stockholder Representative”) with respect to
matters affecting the stockholders of the Company under the applicable definitive transaction agreements following consummation of such Sale of the Company, (x) to consent to (i) the appointment of such Stockholder Representative, (ii) the
establishment of any applicable escrow, expense or similar fund in connection with any indemnification or similar obligations, and (iii) the payment of Holder’s pro rata portion (from the applicable escrow or expense fund or otherwise) of any and
all reasonable fees and expenses to such Stockholder Representative in connection with such Stockholder Representative’s services and duties in connection with such Sale of the Company and its related service as the representative of the
stockholders of the Company, and (y) not to assert any claim or commence any suit against the Stockholder Representative or any other stockholder of the Company with respect to any action or inaction taken or failed to be taken by the Stockholder
Representative in connection with its service as the Stockholder Representative, absent fraud or willful misconduct;
(vi) if the consideration to be paid in exchange for the shares pursuant such Sale of the Company includes any securities and due receipt thereof by Holder would require under applicable
law (x) the registration or qualification of such securities or of any person as a broker or dealer or agent with respect to such securities or (y) the provision to Holder of any information other than such information as a prudent issuer would
generally furnish in an offering made solely to “accredited investors” as defined in Regulation D promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Company may cause to be paid to Holder in lieu thereof, against surrender of the shares
which would have otherwise been sold by Holder, an amount in cash equal to the fair value (as determined in good faith by the Company) of the securities which Holder would otherwise receive as of the date of the issuance of such securities in
exchange for such shares; and
(vii) not to deposit any voting securities owned by Holder in a voting trust or subject any such voting securities to any arrangement or agreement with respect to the voting of such shares
of capital stock, unless specifically requested to do so by the acquiror in connection with a Sale of the Company.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, Holder will not be required to comply with these restrictions in connection with any proposed Sale of the Company unless (1) Holder receives with respect to Holder’s shares of a class
or series of capital stock consideration per share that is no less than every other stockholder participating in the Sale of the Company with respect to his, her or its shares of the same class or series of capital stock, (2) the proceeds payable
to Holder in connection with such transaction are equal to or greater than the proceeds required to be paid to Holder pursuant to the Company’s certificate of incorporation in effect at such time, (3) Holder’s maximum liability in connection with
such Sale of the Company does not exceed the consideration payable to Holder in such Sale of the Company (other than in the case of potential liability for fraud or willful misconduct or breach of a representation by Holder relating to Holder’s
title to Holder’s securities as to which liability there need not be any such limitation) and (4) the terms of such transaction applicable to Holder are materially no less favorable than the terms applicable to each other stockholder holding the
same class or series of shares as Holder.
By Holder’s execution of this Warrant, Holder hereby constitutes and appoints the President and Secretary of the Company, and each of them, with full power of substitution, as Holder’s proxies with respect to the
Drag- Along Right, including without limitation, votes regarding any Sale of the Company, and hereby authorize each of them to represent and to vote, if and only if Holder (i) fails to vote or (ii) attempts to vote (whether by proxy, in person or
by written consent), in a manner that is inconsistent with the terms of this Warrant, all of Holder’s shares of capital stock of the Company in favor of any Sale of the Company pursuant to and in accordance with the terms and provisions hereof.
The proxy granted pursuant to the immediately preceding sentence is given for good and valuable consideration the receipt and sufficiency is hereby acknowledged and, as such, is coupled with an interest and shall be irrevocable unless and until
this Warrant terminates or expires.
4.4 Securities Laws. In connection with the issuance of shares of Class A Common Stock to the Holder, the Holder agrees to
execute an investment intent letter or purchase agreement in such form as reasonably requested by the Company and its counsel and as may be required to comply with federal and applicable state securities laws. If required by the Company, in
connection with each issuance of shares of Class A Common Stock upon exercise of this Warrant, the Holder will give: (i) assurances in writing, satisfactory to the Company’s counsel, that such shares are not being purchased with a view to the
distribution thereof in violation of applicable laws, (ii) sufficient information, in writing, to enable the Company’s counsel to reasonably rely on exemptions from the registration or qualification requirements of applicable laws, if available,
with respect to such exercise, and (iii) its cooperation to the Company in connection with such compliance.
4.5 Exchange. This Warrant is exchangeable at the principal office of the Company for Warrants which represent, in the
aggregate, the applicable Aggregate Price and aggregate number of Vested Warrant Shares hereunder; each new Warrant to represent the right to purchase such portion of the Aggregate Price and aggregate number of Warrant Shares, whether or not
vested, hereunder as the Holder shall designate at the time of such exchange. Each new Warrant shall be identical in form and content to this Warrant, except for appropriate changes in the number of shares of Class A Common Stock covered thereby,
the percentage stated in Section 4.1 above, and any other changes which are necessary in order to prevent the Warrant exchange from changing the respective rights and obligations of the Company and the Holder as they existed immediately prior to
such exchange.
4.6 Loss or Mutilation. Upon receipt by the Company of evidence satisfactory to it of the ownership of, and the loss, theft,
destruction or mutilation of, this Warrant and in the case of loss, theft, or destruction, of indemnity satisfactory to it, and in the case of mutilation, upon surrender and cancellation hereof, the Company will execute and deliver in lieu hereof a
new Warrant identical in form and content.
ARTICLE 5.
HOLDER RIGHTS
5.1 No Stockholder Rights Until Exercise. The Holder, solely by virtue of the existence of this Warrant, shall not be entitled
to any rights as a stockholder of the Company until this Warrant is exercised for Warrant Shares in accordance with the terms hereof.
5.2 Restrictions on Transfer of Shares of Class A Common Stock. Holder acknowledges and understands that the shares of Class A
Common Stock issuable upon exercise hereof are subject to certain restrictions on transfer, including, without limitation, a right of first refusal and market standoff provision, as set forth in the Company’s Bylaws.
ARTICLE 6.
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES BY THE HOLDER
The Holder represents and warrants to the Company as follows:
6.1 This Warrant and the Class A Common Stock issuable upon exercise hereof are being acquired for its own account, for investment and not with a view to, or for resale in connection with,
any distribution or public offering thereof within the meaning of the Securities Act. Upon exercise of this Warrant, the Holder shall, if so requested by the Company, confirm in writing, in a form satisfactory to the Company’s counsel, that the
securities issuable upon exercise of this Warrant are being acquired for investment and not with a view toward distribution or resale in violation of applicable securities laws.
6.2 The Holder understands that the Warrant and the Class A Common Stock issuable hereunder have not been registered under the Securities Act by reason of their issuance in a transaction
exempt from the registration and prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) thereof, and that they must be held by the Holder indefinitely, and that the Holder must therefore bear the economic risk of such
investment indefinitely, unless a subsequent disposition thereof is registered under the Securities Act or is exempted from such registration.
6.3 The Holder understands that no federal or state securities administrator has made any finding or determination relating to the fairness of investment in the Company or purchase of the
Class A Common Stock hereunder and that no federal or state securities administrator has recommended or endorsed the offering of securities by the Company hereunder.
6.4 The Holder has such knowledge and experience in financial and business matters that it is capable of evaluating the merits and risks of the purchase of this Warrant and the Class A
Common Stock purchasable pursuant to the terms of this Warrant and of protecting its interests in connection therewith.
6.5 The Holder is able to bear the economic risk of the purchase of the Class A Common Stock pursuant to the terms of this Warrant.
6.6 Holder has reviewed with Holder’s own tax advisors the federal, state, local and foreign tax consequences of the transactions contemplated by this Warrant. Holder is relying solely on
such advisors and not on any statements or representations of the Company or any of its agents. Holder understands that Holder (and not the Company) shall be responsible for any tax liability that may arise as a result of the transactions
contemplated by this Warrant.
6.7 The Holder is an “accredited investor” as such term is defined in Rule 501(a) of Regulation D promulgated under the Securities Act.
ARTICLE 7.
MISCELLANEOUS
7.1 GOVERNING LAWS. IT IS THE INTENTION OF THE PARTIES HERETO THAT THE INTERNAL LAWS OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA (IRRESPECTIVE
OF ITS CHOICE OF LAW PRINCIPLES) SHALL GOVERN THE VALIDITY OF THIS WARRANT, THE CONSTRUCTION OF ITS TERMS, AND THE INTERPRETATION AND ENFORCEMENT OF THE RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF THE PARTIES HERETO.
7.2 Binding Upon Successors and Assigns. Subject to, and unless otherwise provided in, this Warrant, each and all of the
covenants, terms, provisions, and agreements contained herein shall be binding upon, and inure to the benefit of the permitted successors, executors, heirs, representatives, administrators and assigns of the parties hereto.
7.3 Severability. If any one or more provisions of this Warrant, or the application thereof, shall for any reason and to any
extent be invalid or unenforceable, the remainder of this Warrant and the application of such provisions to other persons or circumstances shall be interpreted so as best to reasonably effect the intent of the parties hereto. The parties further
agree to replace any such void or unenforceable provisions of this Warrant with valid and enforceable provisions which will achieve, to the extent possible, the economic, business and other purposes of the void or unenforceable provisions.
7.4 Default, Amendment and Waivers. Any provision of this Warrant may be amended, waived or modified upon the written consent
of the Company and the Holder. The failure of any party to enforce any of the provisions hereof shall not be construed to be a waiver of the right of such party thereafter to enforce such provisions. The waiver by a party of any breach hereof for
default in payment of any amount due hereunder or default in the performance hereof shall not be deemed to constitute a waiver of any other default or any succeeding breach or default. The failure to cure any breach of any term of this Warrant
within ten (10) days of written notice thereof shall constitute an event of default under this Warrant.
7.5 Notices. All notices and other communications given or made pursuant to this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be
deemed effectively given upon the earlier of actual receipt or: (i) personal delivery to the party to be notified, (ii) when sent, if sent by electronic mail or facsimile during normal business hours of the recipient, and if not sent during normal
business hours, then on the recipient’s next business day, (iii) five (5) days after having been sent by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, or (iv) one (1) business day after deposit with a nationally
recognized overnight courier, freight prepaid, specifying next business day delivery, with written verification of receipt. All communications shall be sent to the respective parties at their address as set forth on the signature page, or to such
e-mail address, facsimile number or address as subsequently modified by written notice given in accordance with this Section 7.5. If notice is given to the Company, a copy (which shall not constitute notice) shall also be sent to Foley &
Lardner, LLP, 975 Page Mill Road, Palo Alto, CA 94304, Attention: E. Thom Rumberger, Jr.. Any party may change its address for such communications by giving notice thereof to the other party in conformity with this Section 7.5.
7.6 Construction of Agreement. A reference in this Warrant to any section shall include a reference to every section the number
of which begins with the number of the Section to which reference is specifically made (e.g., a reference to Section 3 shall include a reference to Sections 3.4 and 3.6). The titles and headings herein are for reference purposes only and shall not
in any manner affect the interpretation of this Warrant. All pronouns and any variations thereof shall be deemed to refer to the masculine, feminine or neuter, singular or plural, as the identity of the person, persons, entity or entities may
require.
7.7 Full Payment. Holder hereby acknowledges and agrees that the issuance of this Warrant represents the sole obligation of the
Company and its affiliates to Holder for all services rendered to the Company by Holder pursuant to the Advisor Agreement.
7.8 Further Assurances. Each party agrees to cooperate fully with the other parties and to execute such further instruments,
documents and agreements and to give such further written assurances, as may be reasonably requested by any other party to better evidence and reflect the transactions described herein and contemplated hereby, and to carry into effect the intents
and purposes of this Warrant.
7.9 Restricted Shares. The shares of Class A Common Stock purchasable under this Warrant are subject to restrictions on
transfer and shall not be sold or transferred unless either (i) they first shall have been registered under the Securities Act, or (ii) the Company first shall have been furnished with evidence, which may be an opinion of legal counsel,
satisfactory to the Company’s counsel to the effect that such sale or transfer is exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act, and the other requirements of Sections 4.1 through 4.4 inclusive hereof have been satisfied, as
applicable.
7.10 Counterparts. This Warrant may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all
of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. Counterparts may be delivered via facsimile, electronic mail (including pdf) or other transmission method and any counterpart so delivered shall be deemed to have been duly and
validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes.
[Signature Page Follows]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Warrant on the date first written above.
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COMPANY: |
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CUE, INC. |
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By:
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/s/ Ayub Khattak |
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Name: |
Ayub Khattak
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Title: |
Chief Executive Officer |
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Address: |
11100 Roselle St. Suite A |
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San Diego, CA 92121
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Email: |
[***] |
Agreed and Acknowledged:
HOLDER:
WEHO INVESTMENTS, LLC
By:
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/s/ Robert P. Hrtica |
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Name: |
Robert P. Hrtica |
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Title: |
Manager |
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Address:
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9255 W. Sunset Blvd., Ste. 615
West Hollywood, CA 90069
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[Signature Page to Cue Inc. Common Stock Warrant]
EXHIBIT “A-1”
FORM NOTICE OF EXERCISE OF WARRANT BY CASH PAYMENT OF WARRANT PRICE
[insert date]
Cue, Inc.
11100 Roselle St. Suite A
San Diego, CA 92121
Attention: Chief Executive Officer
CASH EXERCISE
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The undersigned registered Holder of the Warrant to Purchase Stock delivered herewith (“Warrant”), hereby irrevocably exercises such Warrant for, and purchases thereunder, shares of the Class A
Common Stock (the “Common Stock”) of Cue Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), as provided below. Capitalized terms used herein, unless otherwise defined herein, shall have the meanings given in the Warrant. The portion of the Aggregate
Price (as defined in the Warrant) to be applied toward the purchase of Common Stock pursuant to this Notice of Exercise is $ , thereby leaving a remainder Aggregate Price (if any) equal to $ . Such exercise shall be pursuant to the cash
exercise provisions of Section 2.1 of the Warrant. Therefore, the Holder makes payment with this Notice of Exercise by way of [check payable or wire transfer (cross out inapplicable payment method)] to the Company in the amount of $ . Such
[check or wire transfer (cross out inapplicable payment method)] is payment in full under the Warrant for shares of Common Stock based upon the Warrant Price of $per share, as currently in effect under the Warrant. The Holder requests that the
certificates for the purchased shares of Common Stock be issued in the name of and delivered to. To the extent the foregoing exercise is for less than the full Aggregate Price, a replacement Warrant representing the remainder of the Aggregate
Price and otherwise of like form, tenor and effect should be delivered to the Holder along with the share certificates evidencing the Common Stock issued in response to this Notice of Exercise.
The undersigned represents that the aforesaid shares of Common Stock are being acquired for the account of the undersigned for investment and not with a view to, or for resale in connection with,
the distribution thereof and that the undersigned has no present intention of distributing or reselling such shares except in compliance with applicable securities laws and all representations and warranties of the undersigned set forth in Section
6 of the attached Warrant are true and correct as of the date hereof. Additionally, the undersigned agrees and covenants to abide by the transfer restriction terms and conditions as set forth in Sections 4.1 through 4.6, inclusive, of the Warrant,
as well as the restrictions on transfer imposed on the shares of Common Stock pursuant to the Company’s Amended and Restated Bylaws, as amended.
NOTE: The signature to the foregoing Notice of Exercise must exactly correspond to the name of the Holder as typed on Warrant.
EXHIBIT “A-2”
FORM OF NOTICE OF EXERCISE OF WARRANT PURSUANT TO NET ISSUE
(“CASHLESS”) EXERCISE PROVISIONS
[insert date]
Cue, Inc.
11100 Roselle St. Suite A
San Diego, CA 92121
Attention: Chief Executive Officer
CASHLESS EXERCISE
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The undersigned, registered Holder of the Warrant to Purchase Stock delivered herewith (“Warrant”), hereby irrevocably exercises such Warrant for, and purchases thereunder, shares of the Class A Common Stock (the
“Common Stock”) of Cue Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), as provided below. Capitalized terms used herein, unless otherwise defined herein, shall have the meanings given in the Warrant. The portion of the Aggregate Price (as defined
in the Warrant) to be applied toward the purchase of Common Stock pursuant to this Notice of Exercise is $ , thereby leaving a remainder Aggregate Price (if any) equal to $ . Such exercise shall be pursuant to the net issue exercise
provisions of Section 2.2 of the Warrant; therefore, Holder makes no payment with this Notice of Exercise. The number of shares to be issued pursuant to this exercise shall be determined by reference to the formula in Section 2.2 of the Warrant
which, by reference to Section 2.3, requires the use of the current per share fair market value of the Common Stock. The current fair market value of one share of the Company’s Common Stock shall be determined in the manner provided in Section
2.3, which amount has been determined or agreed to by Holder and the Company to be $ , which figure is acceptable to Holder for calculations of the number of shares of Common Stock issuable pursuant to this Notice of Exercise, resulting in the
issuance ofshares of Common Stock. Holder requests that the certificates for the purchased shares of Common Stock be issued in the name of and delivered to. To the extent the foregoing exercise is for less than the full Aggregate Price of the
Warrant, a replacement Warrant representing the remainder of the Aggregate Price (and otherwise of like form, tenor and effect) shall be delivered to Holder along with the share certificate evidencing the Common Stock issued in response to this
Notice of Exercise.
The undersigned represents that the aforesaid shares of Common Stock are being acquired for the account of the undersigned for investment and not with a view to, or for resale in connection with, the distribution
thereof and that the undersigned has no present intention of distributing or reselling such shares except in compliance with applicable securities laws and all representations and warranties of the undersigned set forth in Section 6 of the attached
Warrant are true and correct as of the date hereof. Additionally, the undersigned agrees and covenants to abide by the transfer restriction terms and conditions as set forth in Sections 4.1 through 4.6, inclusive, of the Warrant, as well as the
restrictions on transfer imposed on the shares of Common Stock pursuant to the Company’s Amended and Restated Bylaws, as amended.
NOTE: The signature to the foregoing Notice of Exercise must exactly correspond to the name of the Holder as typed on Warrant.
A2-2
Exhibit 10.11
Section B - Supplies or Services and Prices
ITEM NO |
SUPPLIES/SERVICES |
QUANTITY |
UNIT |
UNIT PRICE |
AMOUNT |
0001 |
|
1 |
Lot |
$184,576,636.62 |
$184,576,636.62 |
|
Industrial Expansion (FFP)FFP
INDUSTRIAL EXPANSION IN ACCORDANCE WITH AWARD
SPECIFICATIONS
FOB: Origin (Shipping Point)
PURCHASE REQUEST NUMBER: 0011560601
PSC CD: AN14
|
|
|
|
|
|
NET AMT |
$184,576,636.62 |
|
ACRN AA |
|
|
CIN: GFEBS001156060100001 |
$184,576,636.62 |
ITEM NO |
SUPPLIES/SERVICES |
QUANTITY |
UNIT |
UNIT PRICE |
AMOUNT |
0002 |
|
6,000,000 |
Each |
$[**] |
$[**] |
|
Test Cartridges (FFP)FFP
COVID-19 TEST CARTRIDGES AS SPECIFIED IN AWARD NARRATIVE
FOB: Orgin (Shipping Point)
PURCHASE REQUEST NUMBER: 0011560601
PSC CD: AN14
|
|
|
|
|
|
NET AMT |
$[**] |
|
ACRN AA |
|
|
CIN: GFEBS001156060100002 |
$[**] |
ITEM NO |
SUPPLIES/SERVICES |
QUANTITY |
UNIT |
UNIT PRICE |
AMOUNT |
0003 |
|
30,000 |
Each |
$[**] |
$[**] |
|
Monitoring Systems (FFP)FFP
MONITORING SYSTEMS AS SPECIFIED IN AWARD NARRATIVE
FOB: Origin (Shipping Point)
PURCHASE REQUEST NUMBER: 0011560601
PSC CD: AN14
|
|
|
|
|
|
NET AMT |
$[**] |
|
ACRN AA |
|
|
CIN: GFEBS001156060100003 |
$[**] |
|
|
|
ITEM NO |
SUPPLIES/SERVICES |
QUANTITY |
UNIT |
UNIT PRICE |
AMOUNT |
0004 |
|
60,000 |
Each |
$[**] |
$[**] |
|
Swab Packs (FFP)FFP
SWAB PACKS AS SPECIFIED IN AWARD NARRATIVE
FOB: Origin (Shipping Point)
PURCHASE REQUEST NUMBER: 0011560601
PSC CD: AN14
|
|
|
|
|
|
NET AMT |
$[**] |
|
ACRN AA |
|
|
CIN: GFEBS001156060100004 |
$[**] |
Section C - Descriptions and Specifications
OTHER TRANSACTION AGREEMENT
OTHER TRANSACTION AUTHORITY FOR PROTOTYPE
AGREEMENT
BETWEEN
Cue Health, Inc. (Awardee)
And
Army Contracting Command - Aberdeen Proving Ground - Research Triangle Park, NC DIVISION
(Government)
800 Park Office Drive Research Triangle Park, NC 27529
Effective Date: October 13, 2020
Agreement No.: W911NF-21-9-0001
Total Amount of the Agreement: $480,916,636
Awardee
Signature |
|
Government
Signature |
Ayub Khattak
|
|
|
Printed Name
CEO
|
|
Printed Name
Agreements Officer
|
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ARTICLE 1: BACKGROUND, DEFINITIONS AND SCOPE OF THE AGREEMENT
ARTICLE 2: TERM AND TERMINATION
ARTICLE 3: PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND MODIFICATIONS
ARTICLE 4: MANAGEMENT OF THE PROJECT
ARTICLE 5: “PREP ACT” COVERAGE
ARTICLE 6: FINANCIAL MATTERS
ARTICLE 7: DISPUTES
ARTICLE 8: CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION
ARTICLE 9: INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS
ARTICLE 10: DATA RIGHTS
ARTICLE 11: REGULATORY RIGHTS
ARTICLE 12: FOREIGN ACCESS TO DATA
ARTICLE 13: SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS AND PRESS RELEASES
ARTICLE 14: ENSURING SUFFICIENT SUPPLY OF THE PRODUCT
ARTICLE 15: INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE
ARTICLE 16: REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
ARTICLE 17: MISCELLANEOUS CLAUSES
ARTICLE 18: PROHIBITION ON THE USE OF CERTAIN TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND VIDEO SURVEILLANCE SERVICES OR EQUIPMENT
APPENDIX A: STATEMENT OF WORK
APPENDIX B: PROJECT SCHEDULE/MILESTONE PAYMENT SCHEDULE
APPENDIX C: KEY PERSONNEL
APPENDIX D: GOVERNMENT PROPERTY
OTHER TRANSACTION AUTHORITY FOR PROTOTYPE
AGREEMENT
This Other Transaction Authority for Prototype Agreement is entered into between the United States of
America, hereinafter called the “Government”, pursuant to and under U.S. Federal law and Cue Health Inc., a small business and non-traditional defense contractor, hereinafter called the “Awardee”. The United States of America and Awardee are
sometimes referred to herein individually as a “Party” and collectively as the “Parties.”
WHEREAS, the Awardee is eligible for an Other Transaction Authority for Prototype Agreement in
accordance with 10 USC § 2371b(d)(1)(A) as amended by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 as they are non-traditional defense contractor, attesting to “An entity that is not currently performing and has not performed, for at
least the one-year period preceding the solicitation of sources by the Department of Defense for the procurement or transaction, any contract or subcontract for the Department of Defense that is subject to the full coverage under the cost accounting
standards prescribed pursuant to Section 1502 of title 41 and the regulations implementing such section”;
WHEREAS, the DoD currently has authority under 10 U.S.C. § 2371b to award “other transactions” (OTs) in
certain circumstances for prototype projects that are directly relevant to enhancing the mission effectiveness of military personnel and the supporting platforms, systems, components, or materials proposed to be acquired or developed by the DoD, or
to improve platforms, systems, components, or materials in use by the Armed Forces;
WHEREAS, a prototype can generally be described as a physical or virtual model used to evaluate the
technical or manufacturing feasibility or military utility of a particular technology or process, concept, end item, or system;
WHEREAS, this Agreement meets the criteria for a prototype project;
NOW THEREFORE, the Parties have agreed as follows:
ARTICLE 1: BACKGROUND, DEFINITIONS AND SCOPE OF THE AGREEMENT
The Department of Health and Human Services through DoD requires the ability to procure reliable point of care
testing assays and devices in sufficient quantities to meet the demand to respond to the on-going COVID-19 Pandemic. The unprecedented demand for rapid and accurate molecular diagnostic testing continues to exceed national testing capacity. Awardee,
through funding provided by HHS, has already developed and received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a rapid, portable, point of care COVID-19 test capable of detecting SARS-CoV-2, the virus that
causes COVID-19. The ability to deploy substantial quantities of the Cue POC COVID-19 test will not only increase national test capacity, but significantly reduce the time to inform patients of their result. The Cue Health test is anticipated to be
used primarily in particular settings of concern, such as nursing homes, long term care facilities and schools. It will also be beneficial to the armed services and the US population at large, at other locations where a laboratory capability is not
readily accessible. The Cue COVID-19 Test consists of: 1.) the Cue COVID-19 Test Cartridge pack which includes a single use test cartridge and a single use Sample Wand (swab); 2.) The Cue Health Monitoring System (reader); The Cue COVID-19 External
Control Swabs Pack. Hereafter, the components of the test as necessary for a single use are collectively referred to as a “COVID-19 Test”.
Agreement Invention: Any invention conceived or first actually reduced to practice in the performance of
the Prototype Project under this Agreement.
Agreements Officer or AO: Warranted contracting officer authorized to sign the final OTA for the
Government.
Agreement’s Officer’s Representative or AOR: The individual designated by the Government to monitor all
technical aspects and assist in agreement administration of the Prototype Project. The AOR shall only assist in agreement administration of the Prototype Project to the extent delegated such administration authority in writing in the AOR delegation
letter by the responsible Agreements Officer.
Background Invention: Background Invention means any Invention, or improvement to any Invention, other
than an Agreement Invention, that was conceived, designed, developed, produced, and/or reduced to practice prior to performance of this Agreement, or outside the scope of work performed under this Agreement.
Cause: An event or issue that has been discovered that the Government believes may impact successful
performance of the OTA.
Date of Completion: The date on which all work is completed or the date on which the period of
performance ends.
|
● |
Deliverable(s): Any documentation (e.g. report, Executive Summary, Letter) given to the Government by the Awardee
as described in the second column of Table 1 in Article I, Section C.7 under the heading “Deliverable.” |
|
● |
Effective Date: The date of execution of this Agreement by the Parties. |
|
● |
Field: COVID-19 Diagnostic testing. |
|
● |
Government: The United States of America, as represented by The Department of Defense and the Department of
Health and Human Services. |
|
● |
Government Purpose Rights: As defined in DFARS 252.227-7013(a)(13). |
|
● |
Invention: Any invention or discovery which is or may be patentable or otherwise protectable under Title 35 of
the United States Code. |
|
● |
Know-How: Information, practical knowledge, techniques, and skill development by Awardee in the performance of
the Prototype Project and which is necessary for the Practical Application of an Agreement Invention within the Field. |
|
● |
Limited Rights: As defined in DFARS 252.227-7013(a)(14). |
|
● |
Party: Each of the Government and Awardee. (collectively, “Parties”). |
|
● |
Practical Application: With respect to an Agreement Invention, to manufacture, in the case of a composition of
product; to practice, in the case of a process or method, or to operate, in the case of a machine or system; and, in each case, under such conditions so as to establish that the Agreement Invention is capable of being utilized. |
|
● |
Program: Prototype efforts being conducted by the Parties pursuant to this Agreement. |
|
● |
Prototype Project: Has the meaning given in Article 1.C. |
|
● |
Project Coordination Team or PCT: Agreements Officer, Agreements Officer’s Representative, Subject Matter Experts
and Team Leader(s) acting in support of Operation Warp Speed and responsible for periodic and ad-hoc reporting to Operation Warp Speed Leadership. |
|
● |
Property: Any tangible personal property other than property actually consumed during the execution of work under
this Agreement. |
|
● |
Under this Agreement: When used, for example but without limitation, in the definitions of Data, Know-How,
Property, and Agreement Inventions, means activities conducted pursuant to this Agreement that are Government funded. |
Scope of the Agreement
|
1. |
Prototype Project: The prototype project under this Agreement is the demonstration by Awardee of the rapid, large
scale supply and logistics capability to manufacture and deliver to the Government within 5 months of the effective date of this Agreement 6 million Cue COVID-19 Assay Cartridges, 60,000 COVID-19 Control Swab Packs, and 30,000 Monitoring
Systems by achieving a sustained average per day production rate of at least 100,000 EUA or 510(k) cleared Cue COVID-19 Assay Cartridges over the last 7 days of the 5 month delivery period. The expansion of Awardee’s manufacturing capability
will likely entail several actions. The company will increase their overall output of assay cartridges by installing additional high capacity automated lines. Additionally the Awardee will upgrade their bio production capability to ensure
enough reagent materials are available to meet end-state test cartridge manufacturing goals. In addition Awardee will perform activities required to onshore Monitoring System manufacturing to be performed either in-house, with a US-based
contract manufacturing organization or both. The demonstrated manufacturing capability will be in compliance with ISO 13485 standards as well as the Quality System Regulations at 21 CFR Part 820. |
In order to ensure the successful and expeditious completion of this prototype project, Awardee agrees
and represents that, commencing on the effective date of this Agreement, the Government will be the exclusive purchaser of the entire production of Awardee’s COVID-19 Test until the prototype project has been successfully completed. This exclusive
purchaser condition is waived under the following circumstances: 1) Awardee may honor contractual commitments executed before the effective date of this Agreement and 2) Awardee may request a waiver from the Government to respond to other than U.S.
Federal Government urgent diagnostic testing requirements and 3) Awardee may use a reasonable number of tests for internal workforce testing and diagnostic purposes and for marketing, demonstration and evaluation and business development. The
prototype project will be successfully completed when Awardee has achieved a sustained average per day production rate of at least 100,000 EUA or 510(k) cleared COVID-19 Assay Cartridges over a 7 day period, and has delivered a total of 6 million Cue
COVID-19 Assay Cartridges, 30,000 monitoring systems, and 60,000 control swab packs.
|
2. |
Associated Production: It is the intention of the Parties to enter into a separate, but associated, sole-source
FAR-based contract for the continued production of COVID-19 Tests. Subject to applicable law and regulation, the Parties shall take all steps necessary to negotiate and enter into such a FAR-based contract in good faith with the intent of
promptly signing such FAR-based contract as soon as possible after this Agreement. Follow- on production pursuant to 10 USC 2371b is not anticipated for this project. In recognition of, and in consideration for, the Government’s significant
funding for the development of Awardee’s enhanced manufacturing capability, the U.S. Government shall be entitled to purchase Awardee’s EUA or 510(k) cleared COVID-19 Test under a future FAR-based contract, in quantities not to exceed [**]
percent ([**]%), measured on a quarterly basis, of Awardee’s COVID-19 Tests produced from the capacity as provided hereunder, at pricing that shall not exceed [**] percent ([**]%) below the lowest price then offered by Awardee to a commercial
customer as of the date of the relevant order, for the same products, for equivalent quantities and under comparable delivery schedules and other terms of sale, provided, however, that Awardee shall have no obligation to accept any such
discounted price less than $[**] per COVID-19 Test. Additionally, Awardee shall grant the Government the right to place such orders as Priority Orders (as defined below) for which Government purchase orders will be prioritized by Awardee as if
they were “rated orders” subject to 15 CFR § 700.14, subject to the priority afforded to orders that are expressly identified as HRPAS or DPAS rated orders. |
|
3. |
Manufacturing Equipment Purchased With Government Funds: In recognition of, and in consideration for, the
Government’s significant funding for the development of Awardee’s enhanced manufacturing capability, the Awardee agrees to never re-locate outside of the United States or its Territories any of the Automated Assembly Line equipment purchased
with Government funds under this Agreement. |
|
4. |
Performance by Affiliates: The Government acknowledges and agrees that Awardee may perform its obligations under
this Agreement through one or more of its affiliates and/or subcontractors, provided that Awardee will be responsible for the full and timely performance as and when due under, and observance of, all the covenants, terms, conditions and
agreements set forth in this Agreement by its affiliates and/or subcontractors. |
|
5. |
Audits: Until such time as all tests, Monitoring Systems and control packs have been delivered under this
Agreement, and in no event after expiration of the Period of Performance, audits under this Prototype Agreement may include Government Quality Assurance audits - periodic, ad hoc or for cause - of Awardee’s or sub-agreement holders’
facilities included in the supply chain. The Government will provide notification of a periodic or ad hoc audit at least [**] prior to the intended audit date and both parties will work in good faith to accommodate the audit and
determine scheduling. In all audits, the Government will comply with the Person in Plant requirements set forth in Article 1.C.7. |
|
6. |
Person in Plant: The Government may request to have a government representative in place at Awardee’s facility,
with no fewer than [**] advance notice of the desired date for that person to be in place. The name, role, scope and duration will be mutually agreed between the Parties in writing in advance. The Government representative will adhere to the
agreed scope and to the Awardee’s policies, procedures and instructions at all times. As determined by federal law, no Government representative shall publish, divulge, disclose, or make known in any manner, or to any extent not authorized by
law, any information coming to him in the course of employment or official duties, while stationed in a Awardee plant. |
If considered for cause, the Government may place representatives in place at Awardee’s facility, with
no fewer than [**] advance notice of the desired date for the person(s) to be in place, subject to applicable COVID protocols. The names, roles, scope, and duration will be provided to the Awardee in advance. The Government representative will adhere
to the Awardee’s policies, procedures and instructions regarding facility regulations at all times. As determined by federal law, no Government representative shall publish, divulge, disclose, or make known in any manner, or to any extent not
authorized by law, any information coming to him in the course of employment or official duties, while stationed in a Awardee plant.
|
7. |
Deliverables: Deliverables under this Agreement are listed in Table 1.
Variances: Awardee shall promptly notify the Government of any anticipated shortage in quantity or deviation from any delivery date specified herein. The Government and the Awardee shall cooperate in good faith to adjust Table 1 to
reflect reasonable variations in the delivery schedule, provided that the total scheduled quantities are delivered and Awardee demonstrates a production capacity of 100,000 units per day within not more than [**] after award. |
Table 1: Deliverables
Item |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
COVID-19 Test Cartridges |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
Health Monitoring Systems |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
COVID-19 External Control Swab Packs |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
* Delivery dates and quantities subject to adjustment as provided herein.
Deliverable |
Delivery
Date |
Method for Acceptance |
Increase
Industrial Base Manufacturing Capability to 100K Cue COVID-19 Test cartridges per day |
6 Million EUA or 510(k) cleared COVID-19 Test Cartridges
(per delivery schedule above)
30K Health Monitoring Systems
(per delivery schedule above)
60K COVID-19 External Control Swab Packs
(per delivery schedule above)
|
Periodic Inspection & Random Sampling (DCMA and AOR) |
Monthly
Progress Reports |
[**] of the month, every month during PoP |
Progress Report (AOR) |
Weekly Progress
Meetings |
Weekly, as agreed
upon |
Progress Meeting (AOR) |
Quarterly In
Process Review |
Every 90 days |
Progress Meeting (AOR) |
Final Report |
[**] after last
scheduled delivery |
Progress Report (AOR) |
Subcontractor Supply Chain Plans |
[**]
after award |
Progress Report (AOR) |
Manufacturing Plan |
[**] after award |
Progress Report (AOR) |
Distribution Plan |
[**] after award |
Progress Report (AOR) |
Quality Management Plan |
[**] after award |
Progress Report (AOR) |
Monthly Progress Reports. The Awardee shall submit monthly progress reports no later than the [**] of the
month. Awardee format acceptable. Electronic submission acceptable in MS Office or PDF format. Financial information shall be MS Excel format. Monthly reports shall NOT be marked proprietary, and shall have Distribution Statement C (US Government and
their contractors). Each monthly report shall, at a minimum, contain the following:
|
● |
Summary of monthly progress for each of the Awardee’s facilities/capabilities associated with this effort. |
|
● |
Summary of progress towards established milestones for each facility/capability. |
|
● |
Identification of any milestone that is slipping or missed, and discussion of path forward to bring milestone back to
schedule, and impact on other milestones. |
|
● |
Summary of risks, discussion of potential impacts and efforts to mitigate. |
|
● |
Summary of overall schedule and changes from previous month. |
|
● |
Status updates from Manufacturing plan |
|
● |
Status updates from Distribution plan |
|
● |
Report any customer complaints |
|
● |
Report any known deficiencies of the materials and/or products |
|
● |
Financial summary of Awardee deliveries month to date, invoices submitted, and Government payments made. |
To the extent trade secret or other proprietary information is relevant to a monthly report, an appropriately
marked supplement may be provided.
Manufacturing Plan. The Awardee shall provide a detailed plan of action (contractor format acceptable) to
increase cartridge-manufacturing capability to meet the government’s delivery schedule (i.e. ramp up to 100K cartridges per day) and associated on-shoring component manufacturing within [**] of contract award. The Awardee’s plan of action shall at a
minimum, include the following:
a. Timeline, materials required and strategy to set up and begin V2.0 manufacturing lines
to manufacture the cartridges;
b. Timeline, materials required and strategy to upgrade the bioproduction capability to
manufacture sufficient cartridge reagents;
c. Timeline, materials required and strategy to onshore manufacturing of reagents and
cartridge subcomponents;
d. Information on the US based manufacturing organization to replace existing
organization;
e. Current GMP manufacturing status and plan to achieve GMP manufacturing, if not
currently GMP;
f. Quality Assurance plan and Acceptance metrics;
g. Plan to comply with FDA EUA Letter of Authorization.
Quality Management Plan. Cue Health, Inc. will, in the level of detail and format that Cue Health, Inc.
solely elects (provided such format provides a reasonable and industry-standard level of detail), provide a quality management plan for manufacturing efforts that conform to ISO 13485 standards as well as the Quality System Regulations at 21 CFR Part
820 which may include, but is not limited to, the quality policy and objectives, management review, competencies and training, process document control, feedback, evaluation, corrective action and preventive action, process improvement, measurement,
and data analysis processes. The framework is normally divided into infrastructure, senior management responsibility, resource management, lifecycle management, and quality management system evaluation.
Distribution Plan. Cue Health, Inc. will, in the level of detail and format that Cue Health, Inc. solely
elects (provided such format provides a reasonable and industry-standard level of detail), provide a Distribution Plan within [**] of contract award, which shall provide a detailed distribution plan for how all Test Cartridge Packs, Monitoring
Systems and External Control Swabs Packs will be shipped and delivered to required delivery locations within the United States and its Territories. The Awardee’s distribution plan shall at a minimum, include the following:
a. Current distribution processes;
b. Timeline and strategy to increase distribution process and shipping to handle the
increase in number and volume of shipments.
Subcontractor Supply Chain Plans. Cue Health Inc. will provide plans from key US subcontractors (swab
manufacturer, fluid transfer automation, etc) describing how they plan to expand their production capacities in support of the Awardee. Cue Health Inc. will describe the source of capital such subcontractors expect to be utilized to increase their
production rates.
Final Report. Final Report shall NOT be marked proprietary, and shall have Distribution Statement C.
Contractor format acceptable. Electronic submission acceptable in MS Office or PDF format. Financial information
shall be MS Excel format. Final report summarizing stated objectives and the progress that was achieved in meeting those objectives; summary of risks incurred, impacts and mitigation; quantitative discussion of production throughput improvements
achieved; financial summary of project; schedule summary for project, comparing original schedule to final schedule; lessons learned for future similar endeavors, and recommendations for path forward as applicable.
|
8. |
Milestones: Payable milestones under this Agreement are listed in Table 2a and 2b. |
Payable Milestones
Table 2a Industrial Expansion Milestones
Milestone
# |
Milestone
Description |
Due
Date |
Demonstration
of Milestone |
Total Funds |
1 |
Advance payment for upfront Industrial Expansion costs |
Upon award |
Award |
$184,576,636 |
Table 2b COVID-19 Test Delivery Milestones*
|
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
Item |
Qty |
Payment |
Qty |
Payment |
Qty |
Payment |
Qty |
Payment |
Qty |
Payment |
Qty |
Payment |
COVID-19 Test Cartridges |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
Health
Monitoring Systems
|
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
COVID-19 External Control Swab Packs |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
|
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
Item |
Qty |
Payment |
Qty |
Payment |
Qty |
Payment |
Qty |
Payment |
Qty |
Payment |
COVID-19 Test Cartridges |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
Health Monitoring Systems |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
COVID-19 External Control Swab Packs |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
[**] |
ARTICLE 2: TERM AND TERMINATION
|
A. |
Term of this Agreement |
The Term of this Agreement commences upon the Effective Date and extends through final payment. This Agreement is
anticipated to end 5 months after the Effective Date, subject to mutually agreed extensions pursuant to paragraph 2.D to facilitate the completion of the project(s). A transaction for a prototype project is complete upon the written determination of
the appropriate official for the matter in question that efforts conducted under a Prototype OT: (1) met the key technical goals of a project, or (2) accomplished a particularly favorable or unexpected result that justifies the completion of the
prototype.
● In the event that Awardee notifies the Government that, as a result of emerging
safety or efficacy data, no further efforts will be undertaken towards the development of the COVID-19 Test manufacturing and delivery, then, either Party may notify the other Party of its intent to terminate this Agreement, which termination shall
be effective thirty (30) days after the date of such notice.
● Awardee shall have no liability to repay the Government for milestone payments
made prior to the notification of termination, except as otherwise provided for under Article 14 or Termination for Cause below. With respect to milestones which have not been completed, Awardee shall be entitled to payment based on a percentage of
the work performed toward said milestones, plus reasonable charges the Awardee can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Government using its standard record keeping system, have resulted from the termination. By way of example, these costs may
include, but are not necessarily limited to, costs associated with non-cancellable agreements with vendors to obtain manufacturing capacity or supplies in the performance of this prototype project agreement. Awardee shall not be required to comply
with the cost accounting standards or contract cost principles for this purpose. This paragraph does not give the Government any right to audit Awardee’s records. Awardee shall not be paid for any work performed which reasonably could have been
avoided.
● From and after the effective date of any such termination, Awardee shall have no
further obligation to deliver any test cartridges, Monitoring Systems or external controls, and the Government shall have no further obligation to accept any such deliverables.
● The Government and the Awardee will negotiate in good faith a reasonable and
timely adjustment of all outstanding issues between the Parties as a result of termination, including disposition of materials acquired for research use. Failure of the Parties to agree to a reasonable adjustment will be resolved pursuant to Article
7, Disputes. In the event of termination, the Parties shall negotiate in good faith a reasonable wind-down plan and neither Party shall have any continuing obligations to perform under the Program except as otherwise specified herein.
Termination for Convenience: The Government may terminate this Agreement for any or no reason by providing at
least thirty (30) calendar days’ prior written notice to the Awardee. The Government and Awardee will negotiate in good faith a reasonable and timely adjustment of all outstanding issues between the Parties as a result of termination by the
Government for convenience, provided that Awardee shall retain all payments for work performed prior to the effective date of the termination consistent with the terms of this Agreement, subject to the Government retaining the right to place Priority
Orders for up to [**] after the date of such termination, as defined in Article 1, Paragraph C., subparagraph 2., for other diagnostic tests manufactured using the manufacturing equipment purchased with Government funds under this Agreement.
Termination for Cause: If the Awardee materially fails to comply with the provisions of this Agreement, including
unjustifiably failing to maintain EUA or advance to 510(k) clearance for Awardee’s COVID-19 Test, the Other Transaction Agreement Officer (OTAO), after issuance of a cure notice and failure of the Awardee to cure the defect within [**] or the time
allowed by the OTAO after Awardee’s receipt of the cure notice, whichever is longer, may take one or more of the following actions as appropriate:
|
(i) |
temporarily withhold payments pending correction of the deficiency, |
|
(ii) |
disallow all or part of the price attributable to the activity or action not in compliance, |
|
(iii) |
wholly or partly suspend or terminate this Agreement, |
|
(iv) |
withhold further funding, or |
|
(v) |
take any other legally available remedies. |
If this Agreement is terminated for Cause, Awardee will grant the Government a non-exclusive, paid up, perpetual
license to the Awardee and subawardee patents and documentation necessary for the purpose of developing the Prototype. The Awardee shall provide the Government or its designee with a non-exclusive, paid up, license to any patent, copyright, technical
data or regulatory information held by the Awardee that relates to the technology to permit the Government to pursue commercialization of the technology with a third party, on terms to be agreed between the Parties and subject to rights granted or
held by third parties. The terms of this section and the obligations herein will be included in any exclusive license given by the Awardee to a third party for any intellectual property covered by this Agreement, on terms to be agreed between Awardee
and such third party. This clause will survive the acquisition or merger of the Awardee by or with a third party.
In addition to the Government’s remedies prescribed in this Article 2.B, Termination for Cause, after the
finalization of a termination for default hereunder, where defaulted Awardee has exited or abandoned its business in the Field or has unreasonably abandoned its efforts to maintain EUA or advance to 510(k) clearance for Awardee’s COVID-19 Test, the
Government may upon [**] written notice to Awardee, take possession of and title to all manufacturing equipment purchased using Government funds provided under this Agreement.
In the event of Termination, all rights, obligations, and duties hereunder, which by their nature or by their
express terms extend beyond the expiration or termination of this Agreement, including but not limited to warranties, indemnifications, intellectual property (including rights to and protection of Intellectual Property and Proprietary Information),
and product support obligations shall survive the expiration or termination of this Agreement.
|
● |
Except as required by applicable law or regulation, or judicial or administrative order, the Government shall not have
the authority to issue a stop work order to halt the work contemplated under the Statement of Work. |
The Parties may extend by mutual written agreement the Period of Performance if funding availability and research
and development or prototype demonstration opportunities reasonably warrant.
ARTICLE 3: PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND MODIFICATIONS
Technical and project management of the prototype project and associated scope within the Statement of Work shall
be managed as detailed in this Article.
|
A. |
Project Governance. Awardee is responsible for the overall management of the
Prototype Project and related decisions. The Government and Awardee are bound to each other by a duty of good faith in achieving the Prototype Project as defined in Article 1. As such, the Government will have continuous involvement with
Awardee shall provide project results in accordance with the Deliverables schedule identified in Table 1. |
|
B. |
Project Management. Awardee and the Government will each designate an
individual responsible for facilitating the communications, reporting, and meetings between the Parties. For Awardee the individual will serve as PM, and for the Government the individual will be the AOR. |
|
C. |
Project Reviews. Awardee and the Government will hold periodic project review
meetings as determined by the Awardee Project Manager and AOR, however, these meetings shall not occur more frequently than every [**]. |
|
D. |
Reviews Resulting in Modifications. During the performance of this Prototype
Agreement, as described above, it may be necessary to modify the scope of the Prototype Project or delivery timeframes. No communications, whether oral or in writing, that purport to change this Agreement are valid unless and until a
modification is issued by the AO. The Parties hereby agree that any mutually agreed upon written request for modification shall be executed in an expedited timeframe. Modifications to subawards and/or new subcontracts under this Agreement
that could reasonably impact the technical approach proposed and accepted by the Government require the approval of the AOR prior to being executed. |
|
E. |
Bilateral Modifications. Awardee or the Government may propose modifications to
this Agreement. A modification that materially changes the obligations of either the Government or Awardee must be in writing and signed by the AO and Awardee authorized official. Awardee requests for modifications shall detail the technical,
chronological and financial impact of the proposed change on the Statement of Work or delivery timeframes. |
|
F. |
Unilateral Modifications. The AO may ONLY issue minor or administrative
modifications, which do not change the obligations of Awardee in any adverse manner, such as changes to the paying office or appropriations data, or changes to Government personnel identified in the Agreement. Unilateral modifications will
only be signed by the AO. |
|
G. |
The AO has assigned an Agreements Officer’s Representative (AOR) for this agreement. The
Awardee will receive a copy of the written designation outlining the roles and responsibilities of the AOR and specifying the extent of the AOR’s authority to act on behalf of the OTA. The AOR is not authorized to make any commitments or
changes that will affect price, quality, quantity, delivery, or any other term or condition of the contract. |
|
H. |
Agreement Administration |
In no event shall any understanding or agreement, modification, change order, or other matter in
deviation from the terms of this Agreement between the Awardee and a person other than the AO be effective or binding upon the Government. All such actions must be formalized by a proper contractual document executed by the AO.
Government Points of Contact:
Agreements Officer (AO)
NAME: Vonetta G. McNeal
MAILING ADDRESS: 800 Park Office Drive, Research Triangle Park (RTP), NC 27529
EMAIL: [**]
PHONE: [**]
AGENCY NAME/DIVISION/SECTION: Army Contracting Command - Aberdeen Proving Ground - RTP Division
Agreements Officer Representative (AOR)
NAME: [**]
MAILING ADDRESS: [**]
EMAIL: [**]
PHONE: [**]
Cue Health, Inc. Points of Contact:
Project Manager (PM)
NAME:
MAILING ADDRESS:
EMAIL:
PHONE:
(will be provided within [**] after award)
ARTICLE 4: MANAGEMENT OF THE PROJECT
|
● |
The Awardee shall provide the PCT sufficient opportunity to review study protocols, reports, and project plans. PCT’s comments on these documents will be viewed as
advisory in nature. |
B. Sub-agreement Holders
● 1. The Government acknowledges that, in order to combat the global
pandemic and provide the test cartridges, Monitoring Systems and external controls as quickly as possible, Awardee has entered into a number of contracts prior to the Execution Date, and the Government agrees that it will not require these contracts
to be renegotiated. Therefore, except as otherwise expressly set forth in this Article 4.B, any provision requiring Awardee to flow-down an obligation to its sub-agreement holders will apply only to sub-agreements executed by Awardee following the
Execution Date of this Agreement.
● 2. For clarity, as detailed within the Articles themselves, the
following Articles require flow-down to sub-agreements/contracts executed after the Execution Date:
● (i) Article 8: Confidential Information.
● (ii) Article 13.E: Subawards where the sub-agreement holder may propose
publishing the results of its work under the subaward.
● (iii) The Awardee will flow-down the provisions of Article 19
(Prohibition on the Use of Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment) to all of its sub-agreements/contracts as provided in Article 19.
ARTICLE 5: “PREP ACT” COVERAGE
In accordance with the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (“PREP Act”), Pub. L. No. 109-148,
Division C, Section 2, as amended (codified at 42 U.S.C. § 247d-6d and 42 U.S.C. § 247d-6e), as well as the Secretary of Health and Human Service’s (“HHS”) Declaration Under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act for Medical
Countermeasures Against COVID-19, 85 Fed. Reg. 15198 (Mar. 17, 2020, effective Feb. 4, 2020), and amended on April 15, 2020, 85 Fed. Reg. 21012, and on June 8, 2020, 85 Fed. Reg. 34740 (together, the “Prep Act Declaration”):
|
(i) |
This Agreement is being entered into for purposes of facilitating the manufacture, testing, development, distribution,
administration, and use of “Covered Countermeasures” for responding to the COVID-19 public health emergency, in accordance with Section VI of the PREP Act Declaration; |
|
(ii) |
Awardee performance of this Agreement falls within the scope of the “Recommended Activities” for responding to the
COVID-19 public health emergency in accordance with Section III of the PREP Act Declaration; and |
|
(iii) |
Awardee is a “Covered Person” per Section V of the PREP Act Declaration. |
Therefore, in accordance with Sections IV and VII of the PREP Act Declaration, as well as the PREP Act (42 U.S.C.
§ 247d-6d), the Department of Defense contracting via assisted acquisition on behalf of the HHS, expressly acknowledges and agrees that the HHS Declaration cited above, specifically its language providing immunity from suit and liability is
applicable to this Agreement, as long as Awardee activities fall within the terms and conditions of the PREP Act and the PREP Act Declaration.
The Government may not use, or authorize the use of, any products or materials provided under this Agreement,
unless such use occurs in the United States (or a U.S. territory where U.S. law applies including, but not limited to, embassies, military installations and NATO installations) and is protected from liability under a declaration issued under the PREP
Act, or a successor COVID-19 PREP Act Declaration of equal or greater scope. Any use where the application of the PREP Act is in question will be discussed with Awardee prior to use and, if the Parties disagree on such use, the dispute will be
resolved according to Article 7, “Disputes.”
ARTICLE 6: FINANCIAL MATTERS - OBLIGATION AND PAYMENT
This Agreement is fixed-price type Other Transaction Authority agreement. The payments provided under this
Agreement are intended to compensate the Awardee on a fixed price basis for performance under this Agreement.
Except as specified in Article 7: Disputes, the Government’s liability to make payments to the Awardee is limited
only to those funds obligated under this Agreement or by modification to the Agreement. The ACC-APG Contracting Activity may incrementally fund this Agreement. If modification becomes necessary in performance of this Agreement, pursuant to Article 3
of this Agreement, the AO and the Awardee shall establish and execute a mutually agreed upon revised Schedule of Payable Milestones consistent with the current SOW.
|
1. |
With the exception of test cartridges, Monitoring Systems and external control packs delivered either to Vendor-managed
Inventory and/or Government distribution sites for which Government acceptance is detailed in Article 16, Awardee will provide AOR and AO notification of milestone success and any documentation that supports successful completion of the
milestone. Within [**] of receipt, the AO will either, 1) confirm milestone completion and authorize the Awardee to invoice against the completed milestone or, 2) notify the Awardee of any deficiencies, additional documentation or
clarifications reasonably needed by the Government to complete its review of the milestone. The Parties agree that payments will be made upon the AOR’s acceptance of completed milestones. These payments reflect value received by the Government
toward the accomplishment of the Prototype Project goals. |
Payments are based on amounts generated from the Awardee’s financial or cost records. The Awardee shall
be reimbursed for each element identified in the awarded cost proposal, executed and accomplished in accordance with the performance schedule.
|
2. |
After accomplishment of each milestone, the Awardee will submit the corresponding invoice through a Government provided
invoicing and payment system, as detailed in Article 18. |
|
3. |
Except as set forth in Article 7, Disputes, in no case shall the Government’s financial liability exceed the amount
obligated under this Agreement. |
|
4. |
Payments will be made by the cognizant Defense Finance and Accounting Services office, as indicated below, in accordance
with the Prompt Payment Act. Article 18 details how to submit and process invoices. |
|
5. |
Payments shall be made in the amounts set forth in the SOW, provided the AOR has verified the completion of the
applicable milestones. The Government will pay Awardee in US dollars. |
|
6. |
The amounts payable by the Government to the Awardee pursuant to this Agreement shall not be reduced on account of any
Taxes unless required by applicable law. The Awardee alone shall be responsible for paying any and all Taxes (other than withholding Taxes required to be paid by the Government under applicable law) levied on account of, or measured in whole or
in part by reference to, any payments it receives. If the Awardee is entitled under any applicable Tax treaty to a reduction of rate of, or the elimination of, or recovery of, applicable withholding Tax, it shall deliver to the Government or
the appropriate governmental authority (with the assistance of the Government to the extent that this is reasonably required and is expressly requested in writing) the prescribed forms necessary to reduce the applicable rate of withholding or
to relieve the Government of its obligation to withhold Tax, and the Government shall apply the reduced rate of withholding, or dispense with the withholding, as the case may be, to the extent it complies with the applicable Tax treaty. If, in
accordance with the foregoing, the Government withholds any amount, it shall make timely payment to the proper Taxing Authority of the withheld amount, and send to the Awardee proof of such payment within 90 days following that payment. |
As used herein: Taxes means all taxes of any kind, and all charges, fees, customs, levies, duties,
imposts, required deposits or other assessments, including all federal, state, local or foreign net income, capital gains, gross income, gross receipt, property, franchise, sales, use, excise, withholding, payroll, employment, social security,
worker’s compensation, unemployment, occupation, capital stock, transfer, gains, windfall profits, net worth, asset, transaction and other taxes, and any interest, penalties or additions to tax with respect thereto, imposed upon any person by any
Taxing Authority or other governmental authority under applicable law, whether disputed or not, and including any obligation to indemnify or otherwise assume or succeed to the Tax liability of any other person by law, by contract or otherwise. Taxing
Authority means any governmental authority or any subdivision, agency, commission or authority thereof or any quasi-governmental body exercising tax regulatory authority.
|
7. |
The Awardee shall maintain adequate records to account for all funding under this Agreement. Neither the Cost Accounting
Standards nor any other aspect of the Federal Acquisition Regulation or its supplements apply to Awardee’s accounting of costs under this Agreement. Cost shall be accounted for in accordance with Awardee’s commercial accounting practices.
Awardee has an established and agrees to maintain an established accounting system which complies with Financial Reporting Standards and the requirements of this Agreement, and shall ensure that appropriate arrangements have been made for
receiving, distributing and accounting for Federal funds. An acceptable accounting system is one in which all costs, cash receipts and disbursements for which Awardee is entitled to reimbursement under Article 6 are controlled and documented
properly. |
A. Obligation. Under no circumstances shall the Government’s financial
obligation exceed the amount obligated in this Agreement or by amendment to the Agreement. The amount of Government funds obligated by this Agreement and available for Payment is set forth on page 1, Line of Accounting and Appropriation. The
Government may incrementally fund this agreement.
B. The Government is not obligated to provide payment to the Awardee for
amounts in excess of the amount of obligated funds allotted by the Government.
C. The Government shall pay the Awardee, upon submission of proper
invoices, the costs stipulated in this Agreement for work delivered or rendered and accepted, less any deductions provided in this Agreement. Unless otherwise specified, payment shall be made upon acceptance of any portion of the work delivered or
rendered for which a price is separately stated in the Agreement. Payments will be made within [**] of receipt of a request for payment.
D. Prior written approval by the AO, or the AOR, is required for all travel
directly and identifiably funded by the Government under this agreement. The Awardee shall present to the AO or AOR, an itinerary for each planned trip, showing the name of the traveler, purpose of the trip, origin/destination, dates of travel, and
estimated cost broken down by line item as far in advanced of the proposed travel as possible, but no less than [**] before travel is planned to commence. In the event that emergency travel is required (e.g. in the event of an outbreak) that would
make two weeks’ notice impractical, travel requests may be submitted to the Government for an expedited review. Emergency travel requests shall be labelled as such and shall include a brief summary of the emergency situation and rationale for
expedited review.
E. WIDE AREA WORKFLOW PAYMENT INSTRUCTIONS (MAY 2013)
(a) Definitions. As used in this clause-
Department of Defense Activity Address Code (DoDAAC) is a six position code that uniquely identifies a
unit, activity, or organization.
Document type means the type of payment request or receiving report available for creation in Wide Area
WorkFlow (WAWF).
Local processing office (LPO) is the office responsible for payment certification when payment
certification is done external to the entitlement system.
(b) Electronic invoicing. The WAWF system is the method to electronically
process vendor payment requests and receiving reports, as authorized by DFARS 252.232-7003, Electronic Submission of Payment requests and Receiving Reports.
(c) WAWF access. To access WAWF, the Awardee shall (i) have a designated
electronic business point of contact in the System for Award Management at https://www.acquisition.gov; and (ii) be registered to use WAWF at https://wawf.eb.mil/ following the step-by-step procedures for self-registration available at this website.
(d) WAWF training. The Awardee should follow the training instructions of
the WAWF Web-Based Training Course and use the Practice Training Site before submitting payment requests through WAWF. Both can be accessed by selecting the “Web Based Training” link on the WAWF home page at https://wawf.eb.mil/.
(e) WAWF methods of document submission. Document submissions may be via
Web entry, Electronic Data Interchange, or File Transfer Protocol.
(f) WAWF payment instructions. The Awardee must use the following
information when submitting payment requests and receiving reports in WAWF for this Agreement:
(1) Document type. The Awardee shall use the following document type:
Voucher
(2) Inspection/acceptance location. The Awardee shall select the following
inspection/acceptance location(s) in WAWF, as specified by the contracting officer.
(3) Document routing. The Awardee shall use the information in the Routing
Data Table below only to fill in applicable fields in WAWF when creating payment requests and receiving reports in the system.
Routing Data Table
Field Name in WAWF |
Data to be entered in WAWF |
Pay
Official DoDAAC |
HQ0339 |
Issue
By DoDAAC |
W911NF |
Admin
DoDAAC |
S0514A |
Inspect By DoDAAC |
W56XNH |
(4) Payment request and supporting documentation. The Awardee shall ensure
a payment request includes appropriate contract line item and subline item descriptions of the work performed or supplies delivered, costs, fee (if applicable), and all relevant back-up documentation In support of each payment request.
(5) WAWF email notifications. The Awardee shall enter the email address
identified below in the “Send Additional Email Notifications” field of WAWF once a document is submitted in the system.
AO: [**]
AOR: [**]
(g) WAWF point of contact.
(1) The Awardee may obtain clarification regarding invoicing in WAWF from
the following contracting activity’s WAWF point of contact.
(2) For technical WAWF help, contact the WAWF helpdesk at 866-618-5988.
(End of Clause)
1. The AOR identified in Supplement 4, “Agreement Administration” shall continue to formally inspect
and accept the deliverables/milestones. To the maximum extent practicable, the AOR shall review the deliverable(s) milestone report(s) and either:
i. provide a written notice of rejection to the Awardee which includes feedback regarding deficiencies
requiring correction or
ii. written notice of acceptance to the AO, and acceptance in the WAWF system.
2. Acceptance within the WAWF system shall be performed by the AOR.
Note for DFAS: The Agreement shall be entered into the DFAS system by CLIN -
Milestone association (MS)/ACRN as delineated in Section B of the Award. The Agreement is to be paid out by CLIN (MS)/ACRN. Payments shall be made using the CLIN (MS)/ACRN association as delineated at Section B of this Award.
Awardee Information: As identified at Central Contractor Registration, i.e.,
Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code, Dun & Bradstreet number (DUNS), and Tax Identification Number (TIN). Payments shall be made in the amounts set forth in the SOW, provided the AOR has verified the completion of the milestones.
F. Comptroller General Access to Records: To the extent that the total
Government payments under this Agreement exceed $5,000,000, the Comptroller General, at its discretion, shall have access to and the right to examine records of any Party to the Agreement or any entity that participates in the performance of this
Agreement that directly pertain to, and involve transactions relating to, the Agreement for a period of three (3) years after final payment is made. This requirement shall not apply with respect to any Party to this Agreement or any entity that
participates in the performance of the Agreement, or any subordinate element of such Party or entity, that has not entered into any other agreement (contract, grant, cooperative agreement, or “other transaction”) that provides for audit access by a
government entity in the year prior to the date of this Agreement. This paragraph only applies to any record that is created or maintained in the ordinary course of business or pursuant to a provision of law. The terms of this paragraph shall be
included in all sub-agreements to the Agreement other than sub-agreements with a component of the U.S. Government. The Comptroller General may not examine records pursuant to a clause included in an agreement more than three years after the final
payment is made by the United States under the agreement.
|
C. |
Comptroller Access Financial Records and Reports: |
Awardee shall maintain adequate records to account for Federal funds received under this Agreement and shall
maintain adequate records to account for funding provided under this Agreement. Awardee relevant financial records are subject to examination or audit by or on behalf of the Comptroller General, Contracting Activity AO, or other Government Official
for a period not to exceed three (3) years after expiration of the term of the Agreement. The Comptroller General, AO or designee shall have direct access to sufficient records and information of any party to this agreement or any entity that
participates in the performance of this agreement to ensure full accountability for all funding under this Agreement. Such audit, examination or access shall be performed during business hours on business days upon prior written notice and shall be
subject to the security requirements of the audited party. Any audit required during the course of the program may be conducted by the Comptroller General or other Government Official using Government auditors or, at the request of Awardee’s external
CPA accounting firm at the expense of the Awardee.
The Performer shall include this Article, suitably modified to identify the Parties, in all subcontracts or lower
tier agreements entered into solely in connection with this Agreement.
ARTICLE 7: DISPUTES
The Parties shall communicate with one another in good faith and in a timely, responsive, and cooperative manner
when raising issues under this Article.
|
B. |
Dispute Resolution Procedures |
|
1. |
Any claim or dispute between the Government and Awardee concerning questions of fact or law arising from or in connection
with this Agreement, and, whether or not involving an alleged breach of this Agreement, shall be raised and resolved under this Article. |
|
2. |
Whenever legal disputes or claims arise, the Parties shall attempt to resolve the issue(s) by discussion and come to
mutual agreement on a resolution as soon as practicable. In no event shall a dispute, disagreement or misunderstanding of which the aggrieved Party became aware more than [**] prior to the notification made under sub-section B.3 of this Article
constitute the basis for relief under this Article unless one level above the AO, in the interests of justice, waives this requirement. |
|
3. |
Failing resolution by mutual agreement, the aggrieved Party shall document the dispute, disagreement, or misunderstanding
by notifying the other Party (through the AO Awardee s POC, as the case may be) in writing of the relevant facts, identifying unresolved issues, and specifying the clarification or remedy sought. Within [**] after providing notice to the other
Party, the aggrieved Party may, in writing, request a joint decision by the ACC-APG Division Chief for and senior executive appointed by Awardee The other Party shall submit a written response on the matter(s) in dispute within [**] after being
notified that a decision has been requested. The Division Chief and the Awardee senior executive shall conduct a review of the matter(s) in dispute and attempt to render a mutually agreeable decision in writing within [**] of receipt of such
written position. Any such joint decision is final and binding. |
|
4. |
In the absence of a joint decision, upon written request to the ACC-APG Associate Director made within [**] of the
expiration of the time for a decision under sub-section B.3 above, the dispute shall be further reviewed. The Associate Director may elect to conduct this review personally or through a designee or jointly with a senior executive appointed by
Awardee Following the review, the Associate Director or designee will resolve the issue(s) and notify the Parties in writing. This decision may be appealed to any federal court of competent jurisdiction. |
|
5. |
Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Article, the Parties agree that Awardee shall have the right to pursue any
contract dispute arising under this Agreement in any federal court of competent jurisdiction, including the appropriate Court of Appeals, or the Supreme Court, at any time without any administrative exhaustion requirements, and the timing
requirements described above will not limit any claim in such tribunals. |
Claims for damages of any nature whatsoever pursued under this Agreement shall be limited to direct damages only
up to the aggregate amount of Government funding obligated as of the time the dispute arises, except with respect to violations of Articles 5, 8, 9, or 10 of this Agreement.
ARTICLE 8: CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION
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A. |
“Confidential Information,” as used in this Article, means information or data
of a personal nature about an individual, or proprietary information or data submitted by or pertaining to an institution or organization. |
|
B. |
The Agreements Officer and the Awardee may, by mutual consent, identify elsewhere in this Agreement
specific information and/or categories of information which the Government will furnish to the Awardee or that the Awardee is expected to generate which is confidential. Similarly, the Agreements Officer and the Awardee may, by mutual consent,
identify such Confidential Information from time to time during the Period of Performance. Failure to agree will be settled pursuant to the “Disputes” clause. |
|
C. |
If it is established elsewhere in this Agreement that information to be utilized under this
Agreement, or a portion thereof, is subject to the Privacy Act, the Awardee will follow the rules and procedures of disclosure set forth in the Privacy Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C. § 552a, and implementing regulations and policies, with respect to
systems of records determined to be subject to the Privacy Act. |
|
D. |
The Receiving Party shall not directly or indirectly, divulge or reveal to any person or entity any
Confidential Information of another Party without the Disclosing Party’s prior written consent, or use such Confidential Information except as permitted under this Agreement. Confidential Information shall be subject to the same prohibitions on
disclosure as provided for under FAR Part 24.202. Further, any reproduction of Confidential Information or portions thereof that is disseminated within the Government, CMF, or Awardee, shall be shared strictly on a need to know basis for the
purposes of this Agreement and is subject to the restrictions of this provision. In addition to the above, Confidential Information is subject to the protections of the Trade Secrets Act as well as any other remedies available under this
Agreement or the law. |
|
E. |
Such obligation of confidentiality shall not apply to information which the Receiving Party can
demonstrate through competent evidence: (i) was at the time of disclosure in the public domain; (ii) has come into the public domain after disclosure through no breach of this contract; (iii) was known to the Receiving Party prior to disclosure
thereof by the Disclosing Party; (iv) was lawfully disclosed to the Receiving Party by a Third Party which was not under an obligation of confidence to the Disclosing Party with respect thereto; or (v) was approved for public release by prior
written permission of the Disclosing Party. |
|
F. |
Whenever the Awardee is uncertain with regard to the proper handling of material under the
Agreement, or if the material in question is subject to the Privacy Act or is Confidential Information subject to the provisions of this Article, the Awardee shall obtain a written determination from the Agreements Officer prior to any release,
disclosure, dissemination, or publication. |
|
G. |
Agreements Officer Determinations will reflect the result of internal coordination with appropriate
program and legal officials. |
|
H. |
The provisions of paragraph (D) of this Article shall not supersede conflicting or overlapping
provisions applicable Federal, State or local laws. |
|
I. |
The obligations of the Receiving Party under this Article shall continue for a period of [**] from
conveyance of the Confidential Information. |
Subject to Article 4.B, all above requirements MUST be passed to all Sub-awards.
ARTICLE 9: INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS
|
A. |
Awardee represents that, to its knowledge, the intellectual property license(s) and other rights
held by or granted to Awardee, are sufficient to enable Awardee to perform its obligations under this Agreement. |
|
B. |
Background IP and Materials. Awardee and the Government each retain any
intellectual property (IP) rights to their own materials, technical data (as defined in 48 DFARS 252.227-7013), technology, information, documents, or Know-How—or potential rights, such as issued patents, patent applications, invention
disclosures, copyrighted works, or other written documentation—that exist prior to execution of this Agreement or are developed outside the scope of this Agreement (“Background IP”). For avoidance of
confusion, Background IP includes but is not limited to Background Inventions. Awardee agrees to provide, within [**] of the effective date of this Agreement, a list of all Background Inventions relevant to Awardee’s performance of the
prototype project. Any material defect identified in the Background Invention disclosure that could materially negatively impact performance of the prototype project, will be addressed between the AOR and the Awardee’s designee. |
|
C. |
Government’s Background IP. The Government has Background IP as constituted
under contract number HHSO100201800016C, including all executed modifications. |
|
D. |
Agreement Inventions. In the unlikely event that an invention is conceived or
first actually reduced to practice in the performance of this Agreement (“Agreement Invention”), ownership of any Agreement Invention, regardless of whether it is not patentable, or is patentable under U.S. patent law that is conceived or
first reduced to practice under this Agreement will follow inventorship in accordance with U.S. patent law. Neither the Government nor Awardee anticipate the conception or reduction to practice of any Agreement Invention. The Government
acknowledges that in the absence of any Agreement Invention, the Bayh-Dole Act (35 U.S.C. §§ 200-212) does not apply to, nor govern, this Agreement. Since, in the absence of any Agreement Invention, the Bayh-Dole Act, does not apply to this
Agreement, as such, title to Agreement Invention will accrue to the inventor or inventor-organization. In the absence of any Agreement Invention, the Government shall not have any rights to “march-in,” as that term is defined in 35 U.S.C. §
203, and Awardee is not subject to the manufacturing requirements of 35 U.S.C. § 204. |
In the event an Agreement Invention arises, the Parties represent and warrant that each inventor will
assign his or her rights in any such Agreement Inventions to his or her employing organization. If an Agreement Invention is made either by a Awardee employee (“Sole Recipient Agreement Invention”) or made by a Government employee (“Sole
Government Agreement Invention”) the entire rights to that sole Awardee Agreement Invention or Sole Government Agreement Invention will be respectively assigned to the Awardee or to the Government. If an Awardee employee and a Government
employee jointly make an Agreement invention (“Joint Agreement Invention”), it will be owned jointly by the Awardee and the Government. Ownership of inventions made in whole or in part with sub-Awardee or collaborator employees, including
employees of other components of the Government, will be determined solely pursuant to an agreement between the Awardee and the applicable sub-Awardee or collaborator. Notwithstanding the foregoing, neither the Government nor Awardee anticipate the
Government making a Sole Government Agreement Invention, nor the Parties jointly making a Joint Agreement Invention, as Awardee employees are solely responsible, as between the Parties, for performing the Prototype Project under this Agreement.
|
E. |
Patent Applications. Each Party shall report any Agreement Inventions to the
other Party within [**] of the time the inventor discloses it in writing to its personnel responsible for patent matters. The Parties will respectively have the option, in their discretion, to file a patent application claiming any Agreement
Invention made solely by their respective employees (but, for clarity, are not obligated to file patent applications claiming any Agreement Invention, and will not forfeit title by electing to hold an Agreement Invention as a trade secret).
The Parties will consult with each other regarding the options for filing a patent application claiming a joint Agreement Invention. Within [**] of being notified of the discovery of an Agreement Invention, each Party will provide notice of
any filing of a patent application to the other Party. The Parties will reasonably cooperate with each other in the preparation, filing, and prosecution of any patent application claiming a Joint Agreement Invention. Any Party filing a patent
application will bear expenses associated with filing and prosecuting the application, as well as maintaining any patents that issue from the application, unless otherwise agreed by the Parties. Executive Order No. 9424 of 18 February 1944
requires all executive Departments and agencies of the Government to forward through appropriate channels to the Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks, for recording, all Government interests in patents or applications for patents. |
|
F. |
Patent Prosecution. Awardee agrees to take responsibility for the preparation,
filing, prosecution, and maintenance of any and all patents and patent applications that are relevant to the work performed under this Agreement. Awardee shall keep the Government reasonably advised on the status of Awardee Background IP by
providing an annual report on the status of Awardee Background IP. With respect to a Sole Awardee Agreement Invention or a Joint Agreement Invention, prior to acting on a decision by Awardee to abandon or not file in any country a patent or
patent application covering a Sole Awardee Agreement Invention or a Joint Agreement Invention, Awardee shall so inform the Government in a timely manner to allow Awardee to thoughtfully consider the Government’s comments regarding such a
proposed decision. |
If the Licensor shall continue the prosecution of any application for, to pay the maintenance fees on,
or defend in reexamination or opposition proceedings on, a Joint Agreement Invention on behalf of Awardee, Awardee shall notify the Government within [**]. If the Licensor notifies Awardee that it declines to continue prosecution of any application
for, to pay the maintenance fees on, or defend in reexamination or opposition proceedings on, a Joint Agreement Invention, Awardee shall notify the Government within [**] after receipt of such notice.
|
G. |
Patent Enforcement. Awardee will have the first option to enforce any patent
rights covering a Joint Agreement Invention at Awardee’s expense. If Awardee chooses not to exercise this option, the Government may enforce patent rights covering a Joint Agreement Invention. |
Background IP. The Government has the rights in Background IP constituted under contract number
HHSO100201800016C, including all executed modifications.
Agreement Inventions. Any Sole Awardee Agreement Invention is subject to a nonexclusive,
nontransferable, irrevocable, paid-up license for the Government, to practice and have practiced the Agreement Invention on behalf of the Government. For any Sole Government Agreement Invention, upon the Awardee’s request, the Government agrees to
enter into good faith negotiations with the Awardee regarding the Awardee’s receipt of a nonexclusive commercialization license covering the Government’s interest in any Sole Government Agreement Invention.
ARTICLE 10: DATA RIGHTS
|
A. |
Background Data. “Background Data” shall mean all data, that exists prior to
execution of this Agreement, or are developed outside the scope of this Agreement. Awardee’s Background Data includes, but is not limited to, the following technical data, to the extent such data exists prior to execution of this
Agreement or is developed outside the scope of this Agreement: |
|
1. |
Technical data as defined at DFARS 252.227-7013 (“Technical Data”), |
|
2. |
All data relating to the development, commercialization, manufacture of the test kits, |
|
3. |
All data relating to the manufacturing, quality control testing (including in-process, release and stability testing),
processing, releasing, or packaging of the test kits; and |
|
4. |
Any and all data relating to preparatory work for distributing, importing, exporting, selling, offering for sale,
supplying, offering for supply or otherwise exploiting the Awardee COVID 19 tests. |
All Background Data shall be owned by the Awardee, subject to the Government’s rights in Background Data
developed or produced in the performance of contract number HHSO100201800016C, including all executed modifications thereto. Awardee hereby grants the Government a non-exclusive license subject to the limitations specified in Article 10.C to use any
Background Data, other than clinical data, or financial, administrative, cost, pricing or management information, solely to the extent necessary for the Government to perform its obligations under this Agreement and meet its objective of facilitating
administration of the COVID-19 Tests delivered under this Agreement in accordance with FDA and other applicable regulations.
|
B. |
Subject Data. “Subject Data” is defined as all Technical Data generated by or
on behalf of Awardee in the performance of this Agreement. Subject Data shall be owned by the Awardee. The Government shall obtain “Unlimited rights”, as this term is defined in DFARS 252.227-7013(a)(16) in Subject Data specified for delivery
under this Agreement and Government Purpose Rights, as the term is defined in DFARS 252.227-7013(a)(13), in Subject Data not specified for delivery under this Agreement. . The Awardee agrees to retain and maintain in a clear and readable
manner, until [**] after completion or termination of this Agreement, all Subject Data. |
|
C. |
Restrictions on Government License Rights. Subject to the Government’s
pre-existing rights under contract HHSO100201800016C as modified: |
|
a. |
Background Data other than computer software in which the Government has rights under Article 10. A shall be received by
the Government subject to Limited Rights as defined at DFARS 252.227-7013. |
|
b. |
Background Data that is computer software in which the Government has rights under Article 10.A shall be received by
Government subject to Restricted Rights as defined at DFARS 252.227-7014, except that the Government shall instead receive commercial software license rights in such software that is a commercial item as defined at FAR 2.101. |
|
D. |
Marking of Data. The Awardee will mark any Data delivered under this Agreement
with the following legend: |
“Use, duplication, or disclosure is subject to the restrictions as stated in Agreement No.
W911NF-21-9-0001 between the Government and the Awardee.”
The Awardee may further mark Data furnished with the rights specified in Article 10.C as “Limited
Rights Data,” “Restricted Rights Software,” or “Commercial-Rights Software,” as appropriate. Any rights that the Awardee or the Government may have in Data delivered under this Agreement, whether arising under this Agreement or otherwise, will not be
affected by Awardee’s failure to mark Data pursuant to this Article.
All Subject Data, Technical Data and Software (each term as defined under DFARS 252.227-7013) which
shall be delivered under this Agreement with less than Unlimited Rights shall be identified in reasonable specificity and particular rights granted (Government Purpose, Limited or Restricted (all as defined in DFARS 252.227-7013)). If the data is
marked “Limited Rights”, the Awardee shall provide, upon request by the Government, an explanation to the Government as to why the data does not fall within the deliverables, and thus should not be accorded Unlimited Rights status.
ARTICLE 11: REGULATORY RIGHTS
The Awardee shall provide the Government with all material communications and summaries thereof, both
formal and informal, to or from FDA, regarding the Awardee’s EUA for its COVID-19 Test or the prototype project within [**], and make best efforts to ensure that the Government representatives are invited to participate in any formal or informal
meetings with FDA. Awardee shall (1) ensure that the Government representatives are consulted and are invited to participate in any formal or informal meetings with FDA related to Awardee’s COVID-19 Test and the prototype project; and (2) notify the
FDA that the Government has the right to discuss with FDA any development efforts regarding the prototype project. In addition to the foregoing, Awardee shall use diligent efforts to notify the Government within [**] of any event, risk, formal or
informal FDA communication, or other issue that would be reasonably expected to materially impact the Awardee’s EUA For the COIVD-19 Test or ability to advance to final 510(k) clearance of the Awardee’s COVID-19 Test.
ARTICLE 12: FOREIGN ACCESS TO DATA
|
A. |
The Parties will comply with any applicable U.S. export control statutes and regulations in
performing this Agreement. |
ARTICLE 13: SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS AND PRESS RELEASES
|
A. |
Neither Awardee nor the Government shall make, or permit any person to make, any public announcement
concerning the existence, subject matter or terms of this Agreement, the transactions contemplated by it, or the relationship between the Awardee and the Government hereunder, without the prior written consent of the other, such consent not to
be unreasonably withheld or delayed, except as required by law, any governmental or regulatory authority (including, without limitation, any relevant securities exchange), any court or other authority of competent jurisdiction. |
|
B. |
Notwithstanding the foregoing, Awardee and (its upstream licensor) retains the right, but not the
obligation, to prepare and submit scientific publications and release information to the public about its COVID-19 development program, without the Government’s consent or involvement. The Awardee shall inform the AOR when any abstract article
or other publication is published, and furnish a copy of it as finally published. |
|
C. |
Unless authorized in writing by the AO, the Awardee shall not display Government logos including
Operating Division or Staff Division logos on any publications. |
|
D. |
The Awardee shall not reference the products(s) or services(s) awarded under this contract in
commercial advertising, as defined in FAR 31.205-1, in any manner which states or implies Government approval or endorsement of the product(s) or service(s) provided. |
|
E. |
Subject to Article 4.B, the Awardee shall include this clause, including this section (d) in all
subawards where the sub-agreement holder may propose publishing the results of its work under the subaward. The Awardee shall acknowledge the support of the Government whenever publicizing the work under this Agreement in any written media by
including an acknowledgement substantially as follows: |
“This project has been funded in whole or in part by the U.S. Government under Agreement No.
W911NF-21-9-00XX. The US Government is authorized to reproduce and distribute reprints for Governmental purposes notwithstanding any copyright notation thereon.”
ARTICLE 14: ENSURING SUFFICIENT SUPPLY OF THE PRODUCT
|
A. |
In recognition of the Government’s significant funding for the development and manufacturing of the
COVID- 19 Test and the Government’s need to provide sufficient quantities of a COVID-19 tests to protect the United States population, the Government shall have the remedy described in this section to ensure sufficient supply of test kits to
meet the needs of the public health or national security. This remedy is not available to the Government unless and until any of the following conditions is met, and is not available as a result of a termination under Article 2(B) of this
Agreement: |
|
i. |
Awardee gives notice, required to be submitted to the Government no later than [**], following any formal management
decision to terminate the product development effort, including a decision not to maintain EUA or proceed to 510(k) clearance during the term of this Agreement or [**] thereafter; |
|
ii. |
Awardee gives written notice, required to be submitted to the Government no later than [**], of any filing that
anticipates Federal bankruptcy protection during the term of this Agreement or [**] thereafter. |
|
B. |
If one or more of the conditions listed in Section 14.A occurs, Awardee, upon the request of the
Government, subject to the terms of the pre-existing agreement with Licensor, shall provide the following items necessary for the Government to pursue licensure/authorization and manufacturing of the Technology with a third party for exclusive
sale to the U.S. Government: |
|
i. |
a writing evidencing a non-exclusive, nontransferable, irrevocable (except for cause), royalty-free paid-up license to
practice or have practiced for or on behalf of the U.S. Government any Awardee Background IP and Background Data, as those terms are defined in of this Agreement, necessary to manufacture or have manufactured the Technology; |
|
ii. |
any outstanding Deliverables contemplated or materials and possession of and title to manufacturing equipment purchased
with Government funds under this Agreement. |
|
C. |
This Article will survive the acquisition or merger of the Awardee by or with a third party. This
Article will survive the expiration of this agreement. |
ARTICLE 15: ARTICLE 15: INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE
|
A. |
Delivery and Acceptance. Awardee shall notify the AO and AOR at least [**]
prior to initial delivery of first shipment of test kits. Exceptions are permitted if approved by the AO. Upon notification, the AOR will instruct the Awardee to deliver kits to either up to three centralized Government-designated
distribution sites within the continental United States or up to three additional specific individual final destinations within the continental United States. Upon delivery of product, notification of delivery quantities shall be made to the
AOR. |
Upon receipt of the provided certificates and any inspection of product at the origin or destination
site(s) that was timely requested (physical or representative, i.e., pictures), the AOR will review and recommend acceptance or rejection. The Government shall accept product that conforms to contract requirements based on Certificates of Analysis
and certificate(s) of cGMP conformity provided by Awardee and review of temperature monitoring data. The AO will correspondingly notify Awardee of acceptance or rejection. However, the Government’s acceptance of product will be deemed to have
occurred if the Government does not provide written notice of acceptance or rejection within [**] of Awardee’s provision of all applicable certificates.
A. Inspection: The Government has the right to inspect and test all work called for by this Agreement,
to the extent practicable at all places and times, including the period of performance, and in any event before acceptance. The Government may also inspect the premises of the Awardee. The Government shall perform inspections and tests in a manner
that will not unduly delay the work. If the Government performs any inspection or test on the premises of the Awardee, the Awardee shall furnish, at no increase in price, all reasonable facilities and assistance for the safe and convenient
performance of these duties. Except as otherwise provided in the Agreement, the Government shall bear the expense of Government inspections or tests made at other than the Awardee’s premises.
B. The Government shall inspect/accept or reject the work as promptly as practicable after
completion/delivery, unless otherwise specified in the Agreement. Government failure to inspect and accept or reject the work shall not relieve the Awardee from responsibility, nor impose liability on the Government, for nonconforming work. Work is
nonconforming when it is defective in material or workmanship or is otherwise not in conformity with Agreement requirements. The Government has the right to reject nonconforming work. Inspection/Acceptance of the Prototype performed should not exceed
[**] after completion.
|
B. |
Vendor-managed Inventory. Product to be stored as VMI will be shipped to
Awardee’s own warehouse locations or its third party vendor’s site, and may be stored for a period not longer than [**]. Prior to expiration of this [**] period, the Government must either (a) provide Awardee with disposition instructions in
sufficient time to transfer and take possession of physical material from Awardee, (b) bilaterally modify this agreement to extend the period of vendor management of storage, or (c) bilaterally modify this Agreement to include destruction of
remaining doses. |
When held in VMI, these materials will be maintained in Awardee’s or its designated representative’s
quality and inventory systems. Product held in VMI is subject to the following requirements:
|
i. |
Provide temperature controlled storage at the manufacturer’s site approved by the Government, according to cGMP and
product specifications. |
|
ii. |
Where possible, store Project Agreement products physically segregated from other products. If physical separation is not
possible, separation of Project Agreement products must be controlled by a logical warehouse management system (WMS) at the case and pallet level. |
|
iii. |
Ensure proper labeling of stored materials as USG property. |
|
iv. |
Provide the Government access to review the security systems in place and request updates as needed in accordance with
the Security Plan. |
|
v. |
Make appropriate updates to the regulatory documentation supporting the continued use of the stored material for pandemic
response. |
|
vi. |
If using a storage site, provide the quality agreement, specify the location and terms of the storage contract and
receive approval by the Government. |
For accepted product in VMI, Awardee must notify the AOR of any proposed movement of the product. Any
deviations, out of specification (“OOS”) results, or other product issues, shall be reported to the USG within [**] of Awardee identification.
|
C. |
Government Sites. Product to be shipped to Government Sites shall be shipped
trackable by GPS. Awardee will include the following information on the packing lists provided with bulk shipments to the centralized depots: |
|
i. |
Transaction Information (TI) |
|
ii. |
Transaction History (TH) |
|
iii. |
Transaction Statement (TS) |
|
D. |
Title and Physical Risk of Loss. Risk of loss or damage to the supplies
provided under this contract shall remain with the Contractor until, and shall pass to the Government upon delivery of the supplies to the Government at the destination specified in the contract, i.e., F.O.B. Destination. |
Awardee will notify the AO and AOR of any storage or quality deviation for product held in VMI, within
[**]. To the extent that Awardee is responsible for the correction, repair or replacement of Government property held in VMI and replacement upon loss or damage is feasible, the Government will accept replacement of such property. The Government
understands that storage costs identified in this contract include insurance costs applicable to material that will become Government property, including product stored as VMI.
The AO and/or the AOR may perform inspection of materials and services. Inspections of material created
under this Project Agreement may be made by a duly authorized Government representative, and with reasonable notice.
|
E. |
Risk of Loss Due to Expiry. Both parties acknowledge that risk of loss due to
expiry is retained by the Government for all product accepted under this Agreement. In order to mitigate this risk, the Awardee will make kits available for delivery to VMI or Government distribution sites within [**] of the date of
manufacture. Provided this condition is met, the Awardee will have no obligation to replace product that has been accepted by the Government and expires prior to use. |
ARTICLE 16: ARTICLE 16: REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
The Government will have continuous involvement with Awardee throughout the duration of the Period of Performance
and is entitled to periodic reports as outlined below. Required components and frequency of such reporting is as follows:
|
A. |
Weekly Progress Meetings: Scheduled on a weekly basis, virtual format (either
telephone or videoconference), between the Contractor and the Government. Duration: [**] max. Review of previous weeks activities. Informative in nature to keep the USG apprised of project progress and to discuss issues that may require joint
resolution, such as milestone changes, political impacts on objectives, schedule, funding and deliverables. |
On a quarterly basis, at the request of the AOR, the Weekly Teleconference may be expanded in scope to allow for
a progress review of the preceding three months and planning for the remainder of the period of performance.
|
B. |
Daily and Ad hoc check-in, as requested by the PCT: A program specific designee
of the Awardee will hold a daily check-in with the AOR or AOR designee to discuss the performance of the Agreement. No agenda, presentation, or official minutes need to be maintained for the regular meeting. The AOR may cancel the daily
check-in or substitute a technical or program specific meeting as a replacement. Daily check-ins are expected only on business days during normal business hours. |
|
C. |
Confirmed, critical programmatic concerns, issues or probable risks that are likely to impact project
schedule/cost/performance: The Awardee will communicate and document all confirmed programmatic risks to the AOR within [**] of Awardee’s awareness. Awardee shall communicate via email or telephone.
Following resolution, Awardee will provide all associated deviation reports and corrective and preventative action plans to the AOR within [**] of finalization. |
In addition, the Awardee will report to the government any activity or incident that is in violation of
established security standards or indicates the loss or theft of government products within [**] of Awardee’s awareness of the activity or incident. Awardee will communicate via email, oral or written communication.
|
D. |
Supply chain resiliency, including Awardee locations: Within [**] of award, the
Awardee will provide the AOR with a supply chain resiliency plan. For each of the Awardee locations - including sub-agreement holders, the Awardee will provide address, point(s) of contact and a summary of work performed at the location. |
|
E. |
Quarterly Financial Status Report: |
The Awardee shall submit a Quarterly Financial Status Report no later than [**] after the end of each
quarter of performance. The Government will have
[**] to respond to the report with any comments and the Awardee will have an additional [**] to revise
the deliverable or respond to those comments. Reports will cover work performed every three (3) months for the duration of the Period of Performance (PoP).
For the industrial expansion effort, the Quarterly Financial Status Report shall include quarterly
expenditure forecasts with both the quarterly planned accrual and the cumulative total. Expenditure forecast submissions shall include analysis of the cost drivers for Estimate to Complete changes, if any, from the previous projection. The Awardee
shall provide all submissions in Excel format, including all formulas.
ARTICLE 17: Miscellaneous Clauses.
A. No Consent. Nothing in the terms of this Agreement constitutes
express or implied Government authorization and consent for Awardee or its subawardee(s) to utilize, manufacture or practice inventions covered by United States or foreign patents in the performance of work under this Agreement.
B. Patent Infringement. Each Party will advise the other Party
promptly and in reasonable written detail, of each claim or lawsuit of patent infringement based on the performance of this Agreement. When requested by either Party, all evidence and information in possession of the Party pertaining to such claim or
lawsuit will be provided to the other at no cost to the requesting Party.
C. Limitation of Liability. In no event will either Party be liable
to the other Party or any third party claiming through such Party for any indirect, incidental, consequential or punitive damages, or claims for lost profits, arising under or relating to this Agreement, whether based in contract, tort or otherwise,
even if the other Party has been advised of the possibility of such damages.
D. Disclosure of Information. Subject to Article 10, the Awardee
shall not release to anyone outside the Awardee’s organization any unclassified information, regardless of medium (e.g., film, tape, document), pertaining to any part of this Agreement or any program related to this Agreement, unless (i) the OTAO has
given prior written approval or (ii) the information is otherwise in the public domain before the date of release. For purposes of this clause, Awardee’s Organization includes entities identified as Collaborators in
E. Force Majeure. Neither Party will be liable to the other Party
for failure or delay in performing its obligations hereunder if such failure or delay arises from circumstances beyond the control and without the fault or negligence of the Party (a Force Majeure event). Examples of such circumstances are:
authorized acts of the government in either its sovereign or contractual capacity, war, insurrection, freight embargos, fire, flood, or strikes. The Party asserting Force Majeure as an excuse must take reasonable steps to minimize delay or damages
caused by unforeseeable events.
F. Severability. If any provision of this Agreement, or the
application of any such provision to any person or set of circumstances, is determined to be invalid, unlawful, void or unenforceable to any extent, the remainder of this Agreement, and the application of such provision to persons or circumstances
other than those as to which it is determined to be invalid, unlawful, void or unenforceable, will not be impaired or otherwise affected and will continue to be valid and enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by law.
G. Choice of Law. This Agreement and the resolution of disputes
hereunder will be governed, construed, and interpreted by the statutes, regulations, and/or legal precedent applicable to the Government of the United States of America. Unless explicitly stated, the Parties do not intend that this Agreement be
subject to the Federal Acquisition Regulation either directly or indirectly or by operation of law. When a specific FAR requirement is incorporated by reference in this Agreement, the text of the clause alone will apply without application or
incorporation of other provisions of these regulations.
H. Order of Precedence. In the event of a conflict between the
terms of this Agreement and the attachments incorporated herein, the conflict shall be resolved by giving precedence in descending order as follows: (i) the Articles of this Agreement, and the Appendices to the Agreement.
ARTICLE 18: PROHIBITION ON THE USE OF CERTAIN TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND VIDEO
SURVEILLANCE SERVICES OR EQUIPMENT
a) Definitions. As used in this clause—
Backhaul means intermediate links between the core network, or backbone network, and the small
subnetworks at the edge of the network (e.g., connecting cell phones/towers to the core telephone network). Backhaul can be wireless (e.g., microwave) or wired (e.g., fiber optic, coaxial cable, Ethernet).
Covered foreign country means The People’s Republic of China.
Covered telecommunications equipment or services means-
|
(1) |
Telecommunications equipment produced by Huawei Technologies Company or ZTE Corporation (or any subsidiary or affiliate
of such entities); |
|
(2) |
For the purpose of public safety, security of Government facilities, physical security surveillance of critical
infrastructure, and other national security purposes, video surveillance and telecommunications equipment produced by Hytera Communications Corporation, Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Company, or Dahua Technology Company (or any
subsidiary or affiliate of such entities); |
|
(3) |
Telecommunications or video surveillance services provided by such entities or using such equipment; or |
|
(4) |
Telecommunications or video surveillance equipment or services produced or provided by an entity that the Secretary of
Defense, in consultation with the Director of National Intelligence or the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, reasonably believes to be an entity owned or controlled by, or otherwise connected to, the government of a covered
foreign country. |
Critical technology means-
|
(1) |
Defense articles or defense services included on the United States Munitions List set forth in the International Traffic
in Arms Regulations under subchapter M of chapter I of title 22, Code of Federal Regulations; |
|
(2) |
Items included on the Commerce Control List set forth in Supplement No. 1 to part 774 of the Export Administration
Regulations under subchapter C of chapter VII of title 15, Code of Federal Regulations, and controlled- |
|
(i) |
Pursuant to multilateral regimes, including for reasons relating to national security, chemical and biological weapons
proliferation, nuclear nonproliferation, or missile technology; or |
|
(ii) |
For reasons relating to regional stability or surreptitious listening; |
|
(3) |
Specially designed and prepared nuclear equipment, parts and components, materials, software, and technology covered by
part 810 of title 10, Code of Federal Regulations (relating to assistance to foreign atomic energy activities); |
|
(4) |
Nuclear facilities, equipment, and material covered by part 110 of title 10, Code of Federal Regulations (relating to
export and import of nuclear equipment and material); |
|
(5) |
Select agents and toxins covered by part 331 of title 7, Code of Federal Regulations, part 121 of title 9 of such Code,
or part 73 of title 42 of such Code; or |
|
(6) |
Emerging and foundational technologies controlled pursuant to section 1758 of the Export Control Reform Act of 2018 (50
U.S.C. 4817). |
Interconnection arrangements means arrangements governing the physical connection of two or more
networks to allow the use of another’s network to hand off traffic where it is ultimately delivered (e.g., connection of a customer of telephone provider A to a customer of telephone company B) or sharing data and other information resources.
Reasonable inquiry means an inquiry designed to uncover any information in the entity’s
possession about the identity of the producer or provider of covered telecommunications equipment or services used by the entity that excludes the need to include an internal or third-party audit.
Roaming means cellular communications services (e.g., voice, video, data) received from
a visited network when unable to connect to the facilities of the home network either because signal coverage is too weak or because traffic is too high.
Substantial or essential component means any component necessary for the proper function or
performance of a piece of equipment, system, or service.
(1) Section 889(a)(1)(A) of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019
(Pub. L. 115-232) prohibits the head of an executive agency on or after August 13, 2019, from procuring or obtaining, or extending or renewing a contract to procure or obtain, any equipment, system, or service that uses covered telecommunications
equipment or services as a substantial or essential component of any system, or as critical technology as part of any system. The Contractor is prohibited from providing to the Government any equipment, system, or service that uses covered
telecommunications equipment or services as a substantial or essential component of any system, or as critical technology as part of any system, unless an exception at paragraph (c) of this clause applies or the covered telecommunication equipment or
services are covered by a waiver described in FAR 4.2104.
(2) Section 889(a)(1)(B) of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019
(Pub. L. 115-232) prohibits the head of an executive agency on or after August 13, 2020, from entering into a contract or agreement, or extending or renewing a contract or agreement, with an entity that uses any equipment, system, or service that
uses covered telecommunications equipment or services as a substantial or essential component of any system, or as critical technology as part of any system, unless an exception at paragraph (c) of this clause applies or the covered telecommunication
equipment or services are covered by a waiver described in FAR 4.2104. This prohibition applies to the use of covered telecommunications equipment or services, regardless of whether that use is in performance of work under a Federal contract
or agreement.
|
(c) |
Exceptions. This clause does not prohibit contractors from providing— |
(1) A service that connects to the facilities of a third-party, such as backhaul, roaming, or
interconnection arrangements; or
(2) Telecommunications equipment that cannot route or redirect user data traffic or permit
visibility into any user data or packets that such equipment transmits or otherwise handles.
|
(d) |
Reporting requirement |
(1) In the event the Contractor identifies covered telecommunications equipment or services used as
a substantial or essential component of any system, or as critical technology as part of any system, during contract or agreement performance, or the Contractor is notified of such by a subcontractor at any tier or by any other source, the Contractor
shall report the information in paragraph (d)(2) of this clause to the Agreements Officer, unless elsewhere in this contract or agreement are established procedures for reporting the information; in the case of the Department of Defense, the
Contractor shall report to the website at https://dibnet.dod.mil.
(2) The Contractor shall report the following information pursuant to paragraph (d)(1) of this
clause
(i) Within [**] from the date of such identification or notification: the contract number; the
order number(s), if applicable; supplier name; supplier unique entity identifier (if known); supplier Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code (if known); brand; model number (original equipment manufacturer number, manufacturer part number, or
wholesaler number); item description; and any readily available information about mitigation actions undertaken or recommended.
(ii) Within [**] of submitting the information in paragraph (d)(2)(i) of this clause: any further
available information about mitigation actions undertaken or recommended. In addition, the Contractor shall describe the efforts it undertook to prevent use or submission of covered telecommunications equipment or services, and any additional efforts
that will be incorporated to prevent future use or submission of covered telecommunications equipment or services.
(e) Subcontracts. The Contractor shall insert the substance of this clause, including this
paragraph (e) and excluding paragraph (b)(2), in all subcontracts, subagreements and other contractual instruments, including subcontracts for the acquisition of commercial items.
Appendix A Statement of Work
Statement of Work (SOW): Point-of-Care (POC) Tests and Diagnostics
C.1. General Objectives.
The U.S. Government (USG) requires additional POC diagnostic test capacity, as the level of demand for diagnostic
resources during this COVID-19 Pandemic is unprecedented. There is a need to secure additional POC diagnostics to test the US population in response to the Pandemic. The Government seeks to expand the production capacity for Monitoring Systems and
COVID-19 Test Cartridges. The end deliverable of this effort is to provide the capacity to manufacture 100,000 cartridges per day.
As part of this effort, there shall result in an increase to its industrial base manufacturing capability for
COVID-19 Test Cartridges within the U.S., to include critical supply chain providers to 100,000 cartridges per day. The Awardee shall also onshore its cartridge and reader subcomponents manufacturing to the maximum extent possible, to further reduce
supply chain risk. The Awardee shall also develop a distribution process and increase shipping capability in order to ship all materials directly to the customer location.
C.2. Prototype Delivery.
C.2.2. The Awardee shall increase its industrial base manufacturing capability to manufacture 100,000 cartridges
per day.
C.2.2.1. The Awardee shall increase the manufacturing capability for the COVID-19 Test Cartridges to
100,000 cartridges per day.
C.2.2.2. The Awardee shall onshore its cartridge and reader subcomponents manufacturing.
C.2.2.3. The Awardee shall develop and expand its distribution process in order to ship all materials
directly to the customer location within the United States and its Territories.
C.3. Demonstration of Prototype Delivery.
C.3.1. The Awardee shall deliver 6 million COVID-19 Test Cartridge Packs.
C.3.2. The Awardee shall deliver 30,000 Health Monitoring Systems.
C.3.3. The Awardee shall deliver 60,000 COVID-19 External Control Swabs Packs.
C.3.4. The Awardee shall ship all deliverables to locations (TBD) within the United States.
C.3.5. The Awardee shall ensure appropriate quality assurance certification is supplied with each shipment.
C.4. Overall Management Objectives.
C.4.1. The Awardee shall be responsible for overall management and oversight of the work necessary to achieve the
objectives of this contract. The Contractor shall provide the overall management, integration, and coordination of all contractual activities, including a technical and administrative infrastructure to ensure the efficient planning, initiation,
implementation, and direction of all contractual activities.
The Contractor shall establish project milestones for each manufacturing capability/capacity for which expansion
is planned. The Awardee shall provide incremental progress against each milestone to the USG in accordance with established deliverables (see C.6 below). The Awardee shall report to the USG any changes or deviations planned or incurred by the
Contractor in pursuing the objectives of this contract. While primary responsibility for management and execution of the effort resides with the Awardee, the USG shall have input to the milestone review process and any changes to the objectives of
the agreement.
C.5. Risk Management Objectives.
The Awardee shall identify all anticipated project risks categorized as moderate or high and report them to the
USG in accordance with reporting requirements (see C.6 below). The Awardee shall manage all project risks using its in- house risk management capabilities, and report to the USG changes to all identified risks as they occur/arise. The USG shall be
permitted to participate in the risk management and mitigation processes associated with this project.
C.6. Status Reporting.
C.6.1. Monthly Progress Reports. The Awardee shall submit monthly progress reports no later than the [**] of the
month. Awardee format acceptable. Electronic submission acceptable in MS Office or PDF format. Financial information shall be MS Excel format. Monthly reports shall NOT be marked proprietary, and shall have Distribution Statement C (US Government and
their contractors). Each monthly report shall, at a minimum, contain the following:
|
● |
Summary of monthly progress for each of the Awardee’s facilities/capabilities associated with this effort. |
|
● |
Summary of progress towards established milestones for each facility/capability. |
|
● |
Identification of any milestone that is slipping or missed, and discussion of path forward to bring milestone back to
schedule, and impact on other milestones. |
|
● |
Summary of risks, discussion of potential impacts and efforts to mitigate. |
|
● |
Summary of overall schedule and changes from previous month. |
|
● |
Status updates from Manufacturing plan |
|
● |
Status updates from Distribution plan |
|
● |
Report any customer complaints |
|
● |
Report any known deficiencies of the materials and/or products |
|
● |
Financial summary of Awardee costs incurred by month to date, invoices submitted, and Government payments made. |
C.6.2. Weekly Progress Meetings. Scheduled on a weekly basis, virtual format (either telephone or
videoconference), between the Contractor and the Government. Duration: [**] max. Review of previous weeks activities. Informative in nature to keep the USG apprised of project progress and to discuss issues that may require joint resolution, such as
milestone changes, political impacts on objectives, schedule, funding and deliverables. Meeting minutes provided by the Awardee delivered to the USG within [**] of the meeting.
C.6.3. Quarterly In Process Reviews. Scheduled as needed, generally not more frequently than quarterly, virtual
format (either telephone or videoconference). Duration: [**] max. Review of previous quarter’s activities. Informative in nature to keep the USG apprised of project progress and to discuss issues that may require joint resolution, such as milestone
changes, political impacts on objectives, schedule, funding. An agenda for the meeting provided by the Awardee [**] prior to the scheduled meeting. Meeting minutes provided by the Awardee delivered to the USG within [**] of the meeting.
C.6.4. Final Report. Final Report shall NOT be marked proprietary, and shall have Distribution Statement C.
Contractor format acceptable. Electronic submission acceptable in MS Office or PDF format. Financial information shall be MS Excel format. Final report summarizing stated objectives and the progress that was achieved in meeting those objectives;
summary of risks incurred, impacts and mitigation; quantitative discussion of production throughput improvements achieved; financial summary of project; schedule summary for project, comparing original schedule to final schedule; recommendations for
path forward as applicable. Final Report due [**] after the last scheduled delivery for prototype demonstration.
C.6.5. Manufacturing Plan. The Awardee shall provide a detailed plan of action (contractor format acceptable) to
increase cartridge-manufacturing capability to meet the government’s delivery schedule (i.e. ramp up to 100K cartridges per day) and associated on-shoring component manufacturing within [**] of contract award.
The Awardee’s plan of action shall at a minimum, include the following:
|
a |
Timeline, materials required and strategy to set up and begin V2.0 manufacturing lines to manufacture the cartridges; |
|
b |
Timeline, materials required and strategy to upgrade the bioproduction capability to manufacture sufficient cartridge
reagents; |
|
c |
Timeline, materials required and strategy to onshore manufacturing of reagents and cartridge subcomponents; |
|
d |
Information on the US based manufacturing organization to replace existing organization; |
|
e |
Current GMP manufacturing status and plan to achieve GMP manufacturing, if not currently GMP; |
|
f |
Quality Assurance plan and Acceptance metrics; |
|
g |
Plan to comply with FDA EUA Letter of Authorization. |
C.6.6. Distribution Plan. The Awardee shall provide a detailed distribution plan for how all Test
Cartridge Packs, Monitoring Systems and External Control Swabs Packs will be shipped and delivered to required delivery locations within the United States and its Territories within [**] of contract award.
The Awardee’s distribution plan shall at a minimum, include the following: a Current distribution
processes; b Timeline and strategy to increase distribution process and shipping to handle the increase in number and volume of shipments.
C.6.7 Quality Management Plan. The Awardee shall provide (contractor format acceptable) within [**] of
contract award, a quality management plan for manufacturing efforts that conform to ISO 13485 standards as well as the Quality System Regulations at 21 CFR Part 820 which may include, but is not limited to, the quality policy and objectives,
management review, competencies and training, process document control, feedback, evaluation, corrective action and preventive action, process improvement, measurement, and data analysis processes. The framework is normally divided into
infrastructure, senior management responsibility, resource management, lifecycle management, and quality management system evaluation.
Appendix B
Project Schedule/Milestone Payment Schedule
The Government shall pay the Awardee, upon the submission of proper invoices or vouchers, the prices stipulated
in this Agreement for supplies delivered and accepted or services rendered and accepted, less any deductions provided in this Agreement.
For the industrial expansion, expenditures shall be submitted based on the awarded budget. Federal funds are to
be used only for work that a reasonable and prudent person would incur in carrying out the prototype project. An invoice will be submitted through Wide Area Work Flow (WAWF) in accordance with agreement requirements. Final payment of the Agreement
shall be determined upon mutual agreement and settlement of any outstanding deliverables.
The Awardee shall proceed with the performance in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement and
its Appendices. However, the Government may require the Awardee to cease performance at any time prior to the commencement of any milestone or task. Such notice to cease performance must be from the OTAO and be in writing, of which email is an
acceptable form.
The Parties acknowledge that the nature of this Prototype Project requires flexibility and the ability to react
to changing circumstances. Although the Statement of Work sets the scope for activities the Government may require under this Agreement, it is not intended to, and does not, prescribe with specificity each task that Awardee will perform. Instead, the
Government shall direct Awardee to perform specific tasks under the framework established in Articles 3 and 8 of the Agreement, with Government-approved tasks, funding, and deadlines. Awardee shall not perform any tasks that have not been explicitly
authorized by the Government.
Awardee will be responsible for submission of SOW’s, quotes, and proposals for price, performance, and schedule
for those efforts not already identified, priced or otherwise negotiated. Government approval will be required prior to commencing work.
Appendix C
Key Personnel
1. Awardee’s Organization and Key Personnel.
a. The Awardee’s organization shall be established with authority to effectively accomplish the objectives
of the Statement of Work. This organization shall become effective upon award of the Agreement and its integrity shall be maintained for the duration of the effort.
b. The key personnel listed below are considered to be critical to the successful performance of this
Agreement. Prior to replacing these key personnel, the Awardee shall obtain the written consent of the OTAO. In order to obtain such consent, the Awardee shall provide advance notice of the proposed changes and shall demonstrate that the
qualifications of the proposed substitute personnel are generally equivalent to or better than the qualifications of the personnel being replaced.
c. Prior to permanently removing any of the specified individuals to other contracts, the Awardee shall
provide the OTAO not less than [**] advance notice and shall submit justification (including proposed substitutions) in sufficient detail to permit evaluation of the impact on the program. No reassignment shall be made by the Awardee without written
consent of the OTAO. The “Key Personnel” list presented in Table 2 below may be amended from time to time during the course of the Agreement to either add or delete personnel, as appropriate.
Table 2: Key Personnel Summary
Appendix D
Government Property
Government Property: “Government Property” means any property (i) furnished by the Government and
facilitating performance of this Agreement, (ii) acquired by the Awardee under cost reimbursement terms of this Agreement, or (iii) acquired by the Awardee under fixed price terms of this Agreement (FP-GP) if specifically identified in this
Government Property Appendix. Except for commercial off the shelf software and licenses thereto, Government Property does not include intellectual property and software. The Government owns and holds title to all Government Property.
The Government shall deliver to the Awardee any Government Property required to be furnished as described in this
Agreement together with related data and information needed for its intended use. The delivery and/or performance dates specified in this Agreement are based upon the expectation that the Government-furnished property will be suitable for performance
and will be delivered to the Awardee by the dates stated in the Agreement. If not so suitable, the Awardee shall give timely written request to the OTAO who will advise the Awardee on a course of action to remedy the problem.
FPGP includes: [Mark N/A if none]:
The Awardee shall have, initiate and maintain a system of internal controls to manage, control, use, preserve, protect, repair,
account for and maintain Government Property in its possession and shall initiate and maintain the processes, systems, procedures, records required control and maintain accountability of Government Property.
The Awardee shall include this clause in all subcontracts under which Government Property comes into the
possession of any subawardee. Unless otherwise provided for in this Agreement or approved by the OTAO, the Awardee shall not: (i) use Government Property for any purpose other than to fulfill the requirements of this Agreement, or (ii) alter the
Government Property.
The Awardee shall establish and implement property management plans, systems, and procedures regarding its
acquisition of Government Property, its receipt of Government Property, in addition to, the status, dates furnished or acquired, identification, quantity, cost, marking, date placed in service, location, inventory and disposition of Government
Property, to include a reporting process for all discrepancies, loss of Government Property, physical inventory results, audits and self-assessments, corrective actions, and other property related reports as directed by the OTAO.
Upon conclusion or termination of the Agreement, the Awardee shall submit a request in writing to the OTAO, for
disposition/disposal instructions and shall store Government Property not to exceed [**] pending receipt of such instructions. Storage shall be at no additional cost to the Government unless otherwise noted in the Agreement. The Government, upon
written notice to the Awardee, may abandon any Government Property in place, at which time all obligations of the Government regarding such Government Property shall cease.
Awardee Liability for Government Property. “Loss of Government Property” means the loss, damage or
destruction to Government Property reducing the Government’s expected economic benefits of the property and includes loss of accountability but does not include planned and purposeful destructive testing, obsolescence, reasonable wear and tear or
manufacturing defects. THE AWARDEE SHALL BE LIABLE FOR LOSS OF GOVERNMENT PROPERTY IN AWARDEE’S POSSESSION, EXCEPT WHEN ANY ONE OF THE FOLLOWING APPLIES: (I) OTAO GRANTS RELIEF OF RESPONSIBILITY AND LIABILITY FOR LOSS OF THE PARTICULAR GOVERNMENT
PROPERTY; (II) GOVERNMENT PROPERTY IS DELIVERED OR SHIPPED UNDER THE GOVERNMENT’S INSTRUCTIONS AND SHIPPERS; OR (III) GOVERNMENT PROPERTY IS DISPOSED OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE GOVERNMENT’S DIRECTIONS.
Section E - Inspection and Acceptance
INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE TERMS
Supplies/services will be inspected/accepted at:
CLIN |
INSPECT AT |
INSPECT BY |
ACCEPT AT |
ACCEPT BY |
0001 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Government |
0002 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Government |
0003 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Government |
0004 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Government |
Section F - Deliveries or Performance
DELIVERY INFORMATION
CLIN |
DELIVERY DATE |
QUANTITY |
SHIP TO ADDRESS |
DODAAC / CAGE |
0001 |
08-APR-2021 |
1 |
JPM MEDICAL
JPM CBRN MEDICAL
1564 FREEDMAN DRIVE
FORT DETRICK, MD MD 21702 240-675-3192
FOB: Origin (Shipping Point)
|
W56XNH |
0002 |
11-MAR-2021 |
6,000,000 |
(SAME AS PREVIOUS LOCATION) FOB: Origin (Shipping Point) |
W56XNH |
0003 |
11-MAR-2021 |
30,000 |
(SAME AS PREVIOUS LOCATION) FOB: Origin (Shipping Point) |
W56XNH |
0004 |
11-MAR-2021 |
60,000 |
(SAME AS PREVIOUS LOCATION) FOB: Origin (Shipping Point) |
W56XNH |
Section G - Contract Administration Data
ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA
AA: 0212020202120400000664643255 S.0074658.5.22 6100.9000021001
COST CODE: A5XAH
AMOUNT: $480,916,636.62
ACRN
|
CLIN/SLIN
|
CIN
|
AMOUNT
|
|
|
|
|
AA |
0001 |
GFEBS001156060100001 |
$184,576,636.62 |
|
0002 |
GFEBS001156060100002 |
[**] |
|
0003 |
GFEBS001156060100003 |
[**] |
|
0004 |
GFEBS001156060100004 |
[**] |
Contract Modification Continuation Page
Page 2 of 2
Contract W911NF2190001
Modification Number: A00002
Modification Effective Date: 28 DEC 2020
PURPOSE OF MODIFICATION:
This Unilateral Other Administrative Action Modification is issued pursuant to: FAR 42.302(a).
The purpose of this no-cost unilateral modification is to incorporate the approved Health Resources Priority and
Allocations System (HRPAS) to aid in the procurement of supplies in support of Operation Warp Speed (OWS). The HRPAS Rating memo dated 22 December 2020 is attached herein.
Ship To location is changed as follows: from: W56XNH to: SW3100, [**], and SW3200, [**] for CLINS 0002, 0003, and
0004. Delivery quantities stated on Table 2B to each location are to be determined in advance of shipment by AOR [**].
CLOSING REMARKS:
The USD Cost Amount is USD 0.00.
The USD Fee Amount is USD 0.00.
The total funds obligated to this Contract equal USD 480,916,636.62.
The USD Total Contract Amount is USD 480,916,636.62.
As a result of this modification, the total obligated amount of this contract is unchanged.
The total contract amount of this contract is unchanged.
List of Attachments
CUE_HRPAS_Signed_Memo_122220.pdf HRPAS Signed Memo 122220
Ship_To_Locations_email_122820.pdf ShipTo Locations email
Except as provided by this contract modification, all terms and conditions of this contract remain unchanged
and in full force and effect.
Contract Modification Continuation Page
Page 2 of 2
Contract W911NF2190001
Modification Number: A00003
Modification Effective Date: 03 FEB 2021
PURPOSE OF MODIFICATION:
This Bilateral Other Administrative Action Modification is issued pursuant to:
FAR 42.302(a) The purpose of this bilateral modification is to make administrative revisions to this OTA as follows:
1. Remove Articles # 16 D AND 16 E as redundant or no longer required on this OTA.
Article 16, D, Supply chain resiliency plan
Article 16, E Quarterly Financial Status Report
2. This is a DO-HR rated order for the purpose of emergency preparedness and the
Contractor shall follow all the provisions of the Health Resources Priorities and Allocations System regulation (45 CFR Part 101). If the contractor needs to utilize industrial resources to fulfill this rated order for a health resource, it is
authorized pursuant to 45 CFR §101.35(b) to place the same priority rating and program identification symbol for health resources on its orders for industrial resources with its suppliers. The HRPAS Rating Memo dated 22 December 2020 authorized the
rating of DO-HR to aid in the procurement of supplies in support of Operation Warp Speed (OWS). The priority rating must be included on each successive order placed to obtain items or services needed to fill a customer's rated order. This continues
from contractor to subcontractor to supplier throughout the entire procurement chain.”
CLOSING REMARKS:
The USD Cost Amount is USD 0.00.
The USD Fee Amount is USD 0.00.
The total funds obligated to this Contract equal USD 480,916,636.62.
The USD Total Contract Amount is USD 480,916,636.62.
As a result of this modification, the total obligated amount of this contract is unchanged.
The total contract amount of this contract is unchanged.
Except as provided by this contract modification, all terms and conditions of this contract remain unchanged
and in full force and effect.
Contract Modification Continuation Page
Page 2 of 4
Contract W911NF2190001
Modification Number: A00003
Modification Effective Date: 03 MAR 2021
PURPOSE OF MODIFICATION:
This Bilateral Other Administrative Action Modification is issued pursuant to:
In accordance with the coordinated agreement to benefit both the Government and the Awardee to expand Cue's shipping and distribution capability, this modification is to effect the following changes:
ARTICLE 15:
1.) From: “A. Delivery and Acceptance. Awardee shall notify the AO and AOR at least [**] prior to initial
delivery of first shipment of test kits. Exceptions are permitted if approved by the AO. Upon notification, the AOR will instruct the Awardee to deliver kits to either up to [**] centralized Government designated distribution sites within the
continental United States or up to [**] additional specific individual final destinations within the continental United States. Upon delivery of product, notification of delivery quantities shall be made to the AOR.”
To: “A. Delivery and Acceptance. Awardee shall notify the AO and AOR at least [**] prior to initial
delivery of first shipment of test kits. Exceptions are permitted if approved by the AO. Upon notification, the AOR will instruct the Awardee to deliver kits to up to [**] centralized Government-designated distribution sites within the continental
United States and up to [**] additional specific individual final destinations within the continental United States. The AOR and Awardee shall agree on the locations prior to each delivery. For locations without a CAGE code or DODAAC, the Awardee
shall Ship In Place and use the Awardee's own CAGE code to invoice in WAWF. Upon acceptance by DCMA on site, the Awardee shall fill out an 1149 form to verify delivery of the product to each location for all Ship In Place deliveries. For locations
with a valid CAGE code or DODAAC, the Awardee shall Ship to Destination with the location's CAGE code or DODAAC to invoice in WAWF. Upon delivery of product, notification of delivery quantities shall be made to the AOR.”
2.) From: “The Government shall accept product that conforms to contract requirements based on Certificates of
Analysis and certificate(s) of cGMP conformity provided by Awardee and review of temperature monitoring data.”
To: “The Government shall accept product that conforms to agreement requirements based on Certificates of Analysis
and/or certificate(s) of conformity provided by Awardee and review of temperature monitoring data .”
ARTICLE 1 B.1
3.) From: “The prototype project under this Agreement is the demonstration by Awardee of the rapid, large scale
supply and logistics capability to manufacture and deliver to the Government within 5 months of the effective date of this Agreement 6 million Cue COVID-19 Assay Cartridges, 60,000 COVID-19 Control Swab Packs, and 30,000 Monitoring Systems by
achieving a sustained average per day production rate of at least 100,000 EUA or 510(k) cleared Cue COVID-19 Assay Cartridges over the last 7 days of the 5 month delivery period.”
To: “The prototype project under this Agreement is the demonstration by Awardee of the rapid, large scale supply
and logistics capability to manufacture and deliver to the Government within 12 months of the effective date of this Agreement at least 6 million Cue COVID-19 Assay Cartridges, 60,000 COVID-19 Control Swab Packs, and 30,000 Monitoring Systems by
achieving a sustained average per day production rate of approximately 100,000 EUA or 510(k) cleared Cue COVID-19 Assay Cartridges over a consecutive 7 day period during the 12 month delivery period.”
4.) From: “The prototype project will be successfully completed when Awardee has achieved a sustained average per
day production rate of at least 100,000 EUA or 510(k) cleared COVID-19 Assay Cartridges over a 7 day period, and has delivered a total of 6 million Cue COVID-19 Assay Cartridges, 30,000 monitoring systems, and 60,000 control swab packs.”
Contract Modification Continuation Page
Page 3 of 4
Contract W911NF2190001
Modification Number: A00003
Modification Effective Date: 03 MAR 2021
To: “The prototype project will be successfully completed when Awardee has achieved a sustained average per day
production rate of approximately 100,000 EUA or 510(k) cleared COVID-19 Assay Cartridges over a consecutive 7-day period during the 12 month delivery period, and has delivered a total of at least 6 million Cue COVID-19 Assay Cartridges, 30,000
monitoring systems, and 60,000 control swab packs.”
Article 1. B.7
5.) From: “Deliverables: Deliverables under this Agreement are listed in Table 1.
Variances: Awardee shall promptly notify the Government of any anticipated shortage in quantity or deviation from any delivery date specified herein. The Government and the Awardee shall cooperate in good faith to adjust
Table 1 to reflect reasonable variations in the delivery schedule, provided that the total scheduled quantities are delivered and Awardee demonstrates a production capacity of 100,000 units per day within not more than [**] after award.”
To: “Deliverables: Deliverables under this Agreement are listed in Table 1.
Variances: Awardee shall promptly notify the Government of any anticipated shortage in quantity or deviation from any delivery date specified herein. The Government and the Awardee shall cooperate in good faith to adjust
Table 1 to reflect reasonable variations in the delivery schedule, provided that the total scheduled quantities are delivered and Awardee demonstrates a sustained average per day production rate over a consecutive 7-day period of approximately
100,000 EUA or 510(k) cleared units within not more than 12 months from the effective date of this agreement.”
Article 2.A.
6.) From: “The Term of this Agreement commences upon the Effective Date and extends through final payment. This
Agreement is anticipated to end 5 months after the Effective Date, subject to mutually agreed extensions pursuant to paragraph 2.D to facilitate the completion of the project(s).”
To: “The Term of this Agreement commences upon the Effective Date and extends through final payment. This
Agreement is anticipated to end 12 months after the Effective Date, subject to mutually agreed extensions pursuant to paragraph 2.E to facilitate the completion of the project(s).” The period of performance is hereby extended to October 12, 2021.
Contract Modification Continuation Page
Page 4 of 4
Contract W911NF2190001
Modification Number: A00003
Modification Effective Date: 03 MAR 2021
CLOSING REMARKS:
The USD Cost Amount is USD 0.00.
The USD Fee Amount is USD 0.00.
The total funds obligated to this Contract equal USD 480,916,636.62.
The USD Total Contract Amount is USD 480,916,636.62.
As a result of this modification, the total obligated amount of this contract is unchanged.
The total contract amount of this contract is unchanged.
Except as provided by this contract modification, all terms and conditions of this contract remain unchanged
and in full force and effect.
DATE:
|
April 19, 2021
|
TO:
|
Vonetta Goodson McNeal
Agreements Officer
Division Chief, Army Contracting Command- Aberdeen Proving Ground
|
FROM:
|
Michael F. Iademarco, MD, MPH
RADM, U.S. Public Health Service
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
|
SUBJECT:
|
Cue Health, Inc. Waiver Request Approval
|
According to the Cue Health, Inc. (Cue) Other Transaction Authority for Prototype Agreement (Agreement No. W911NF-21-9-0001) dated October
13, 2020, Article 1, Scope of the Agreement, para.1, the U.S. Government will be the exclusive purchaser of the entire production of the Awardee’s COVID-19 Test until the prototype project has been successfully completed, provided that: (1) Awardee
may honor contractual commitments executed before the effective date of the Agreement; (2) Awardee may request a waiver from the Government to respond to other than U.S. Federal Government urgent diagnostic testing requirements; and (3) Awardee may
use a reasonable number of tests for internal workforce testing and diagnostic purposes and for marketing, demonstration and evaluation and business development.
Pursuant to clause (2) above, Cue submitted a request for a waiver to fulfill commercial orders as follows:
|
1. |
Awardee may distribute commercially to recipients outside of the U.S. Federal Government up to one-half (50%) of the entire production of the Awardee’s
COVID-19 Test, measured monthly in arrears on a calendar-month basis.
|
|
2. |
This waiver shall be effective as of May 1, 2021, applicable to the Awardee’s production of COVID-19 Tests during April 2021, and shall remain in effect
for the duration of the Agreement, except as modified pursuant to paragraph 3 below.
|
|
3. |
The Government may modify this waiver to reasonably accommodate changes in Government requirements, by written notice to Awardee specifying the
increased or decreased percentage of the Awardee’s COVID-19 Test production that may be distributed to non-U.S. Federal Government recipients and the effective date of the modification, which shall be no less than fourteen (14) days after
Awardee’s receipt of such notice.
|
As the requirements owner for the Cue OTA, I approve Cue’s waiver request to fulfill commercial orders as submitted.
/s/ Michael F. Iademarco
|
|
4/19/2021
|
Michael F. Iademarco, MD, MPH
|
|
Date
|
RADM, USPHS
|
|
|
Exhibit 10.13
STANDARD INDUSTRIAL/COMMERCIAL MULTI-TENANT LEASE - NET
1. Basic Provisions (“Basic Provisions”).
1.1 Parties. This Lease (“Lease”), dated for reference purposes
only January 20, 2021, is made by and between Nancy Ridge Technology Center, L.P., a California limited partnership (“Lessor”) and Cue Health Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Lessee”),
(collectively the “Parties”, or individually a “Party”).
1.2(a) Premises: That certain real property, including all improvements therein or to be provided by Lessor
under the terms of this Lease, commonly known as (street address, unit/suite, city, state): 6330 Nancy Ridge Drive, Suites 107 and 108, San Diego, California 92121 (“Premises”). The Premises are located
in the County of San Diego, and are generally described as (describe briefly the nature of the Premises and the “Project”): approximately 8,010 rentable square feet in an industrial building. In addition to Lessee’s rights to use and occupy the
Premises as hereinafter specified, Lessee shall have non-exclusive rights to any utility raceways of the building containing the Premises (“Building”) and to the Common Areas (as defined in Paragraph 2.7
below), but shall not have any rights to the roof, or exterior walls of the Building or to any other buildings in the Project. The Premises, the Building, the Common Areas, the land upon which they are located, along with all other buildings and
improvements thereon, are herein collectively referred to as the “Project.” (See also Paragraph 2)
1.2(b) Parking: Pro rata share of unreserved vehicle parking spaces. (See also Paragraph 2.6)
1.3 Term: Approximately three year and zero months (“Original Term”)
commencing See Addendum (“Commencement Date”) and ending See Addendum (“Expiration Date”). (See also Paragraph 3)
1.4 Early Possession: If the Premises are available Lessee may have non-exclusive possession of the
Premises commencing on full execution of this Lease (“Early Possession Date”). (See also Paragraphs 3.2 and 3.3)
1.5 Base Rent: $27,234.00 per month (“Base Rent”), payable on
the first day of each month commencing on Commencement Date. (See also Paragraph 4)
☑ If this box is checked, there are provisions in this Lease for the Base Rent to be adjusted. See Addendum.
1.6 Lessee’s Share of Common Area Operating Expenses: four and 58/100ths percent ( 4.58 %) (“Lessee’s Share”). In the event that the size of the Premises and/or the Project are modified during the term of this Lease, Lessor shall recalculate Lessee’s Share to reflect such modification.
1.7 Base Rent and Other Monies Paid Upon Execution:
(a) Base Rent: $27,234.00 for the period first full month.
(b) Common Area Operating Expenses: The current estimate for the period first full month is
$2,803.50.
(c) Security Deposit: $27,234.00 (“Security Deposit”). (See
also Paragraph 5) See Addendum.
(d) Other: N/A for ____.
(e) Total Due Upon Execution of this Lease: $57,271.50.
1.8 Agreed Use: Lab, R&D, office, shipping, receiving, assembly, manufacturing, and other related
uses. (See also Paragraph 6)
1.9 Insuring Party. Lessor is the “Insuring Party”. (See also
Paragraph 8)
1.10 Real Estate Brokers. (See also Paragraph 15 and 25)
(a) Representation: Each Party acknowledges receiving a Disclosure Regarding Real Estate Agency
Relationship, confirms and consents to the following agency relationships in this Lease with the following real estate brokers (“Broker(s)”) and/or their agents (“Agent(s)”):
Lessor’s Brokerage Firm Jones Lange LaSalle License No. ___ Is the broker of (check one): ☑ the Lessor; or □ both the Lessee and Lessor (dual agent).
Lessor’s Agent Grant Schoneman and Chad Urie License No.s 01516695 and 01261962, respectively are (check one): ☑ the Lessor’s Agents (salesperson or broker associate); or □ both the Lessee’s Agent
and the Lessor’s Agent (dual agent).
Lessee’s Brokerage Firm Hughes Marino License No. ___ Is the broker of (check one): ☑ the Lessee; or □ both the Lessee and Lessor (dual agent).
Lessee’s Agent Shane Poppen License No. ___is (check one): ☑ the Lessee’s Agent (salesperson or broker associate); or □ both the Lessee’s Agent and the Lessor’s Agent (dual agent).
(b) Payment to Brokers. Lessor shall pay to the Brokers the brokerage fee agreed to in a separate
written agreement for the brokerage services rendered by the Brokers.
1.11 Guarantor. The obligations of the Lessee under this Lease are to be guaranteed by N/A (“Guarantor”). (See also Paragraph 37)
1.12 Attachments. Attached hereto are the following, all of which constitute a part of this Lease:
☑ an Addendum consisting of Paragraphs 50 through 74 ;
☑ a site plan depicting the Premises;
□ a site plan depicting the Project;
☑ a current set of the Rules and Regulations for the Project;
□ a current set of the Rules and Regulations adopted by the owners’ association;
□ a Work Letter;
□ other (specify): ____.
2. Premises.
2.1 Letting. Lessor hereby leases to Lessee, and Lessee hereby leases from Lessor, the Premises, for
the term, at the rental, and upon all of the terms, covenants and conditions set forth in this Lease. While the approximate square footage of the Premises may have been used in the marketing of the Premises for purposes of comparison, the Base
Rent stated herein is NOT tied to square footage and is not subject to adjustment should the actual size be determined to be different. NOTE: Lessee is advised to verify the actual size prior to executing this
Lease.
2.2 Condition. Lessor shall deliver that portion of the Premises contained within the Building (“Unit”)
to Lessee broom clean and free of debris on the Commencement Date or the Early Possession Date, whichever first occurs (“Start Date”), and, so long as the required service contracts described in Paragraph
7.1(b) below are obtained by Lessee and in effect within thirty days following the Start Date, warrants that the existing electrical, plumbing, fire sprinkler, lighting, heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems (“HVAC”), loading doors, sump pumps, if any, and all other such elements in the Unit, other than those constructed by Lessee, shall be in good operating condition on said date, that the structural elements of the
roof, bearing walls and foundation of the Unit shall be free of material defects, and that the Unit does not contain hazardous levels of any mold or fungi defined as toxic under applicable state or federal law. If a non-compliance with such
warranty exists as of the Start Date, or if one of such systems or elements should malfunction or fail within the appropriate warranty period, Lessor shall, as Lessor’s sole obligation with respect to such matter, except as otherwise provided in
this Lease, promptly after receipt of written notice from Lessee setting forth with specificity the nature and extent of such non-compliance, malfunction or failure, rectify same at Lessor’s expense. The warranty periods shall be as follows:
(i) 6 months as to the HVAC systems, and (ii) 30 days as to the remaining systems and other elements of the Unit. If Lessee does not give Lessor the required notice within the appropriate warranty period, correction of any such non-compliance,
malfunction or failure shall be the obligation of Lessee at Lessee’s sole cost and expense (except for the repairs to the fire sprinkler systems, roof, foundations, and/or bearing walls - see Paragraph 7). Lessor also warrants, that unless
otherwise specified in writing, Lessor is unaware of (i) any recorded Notices of Default affecting the Premise; (ii) any delinquent amounts due under any loan secured by the Premises; and (iii) any bankruptcy proceeding affecting the Premises.
2.3 Compliance. Lessor warrants that to the best of its knowledge the improvements on the Premises
comply with the building codes, applicable laws, covenants or restrictions of record, regulations, and ordinances (“Applicable Requirements”) that were in effect at the time that each improvement, or
portion thereof, was constructed. Said warranty does not apply to the use to which Lessee will put the Premises, modifications which may be required by the Americans with Disabilities Act or any similar laws as a result of Lessee’s use (see
Paragraph 49), or to any Alterations or Utility Installations (as defined in Paragraph 7.3(a)) made or to be made by Lessee. NOTE: Lessee is responsible for determining whether or not the Applicable
Requirements, and especially the zoning are appropriate for Lessee’s intended use, and acknowledges that past uses of the Premises may no longer be allowed. If the Premises do not comply with said warranty, Lessor shall, except as
otherwise provided, promptly after receipt of written notice from Lessee setting forth with specificity the nature and extent of such non-compliance, rectify the same at Lessor’s expense. If Lessee does not give Lessor written notice of a
non-compliance with this warranty within 6 months following the Start Date, correction of that non-compliance shall be the obligation of Lessee at Lessee’s sole cost and expense. If the Applicable Requirements are hereafter changed so as to
require during the term of this Lease the construction of an addition to or an alteration of the Unit, Premises and/or Building, the remediation of any Hazardous Substance, or the reinforcement or other physical modification of the Unit, Premises
and/or Building (“Capital Expenditure”), Lessor and Lessee shall allocate the cost of such work as follows:
(a) Subject to Paragraph 2.3(c) below, if such Capital Expenditures are required as a result of the specific and unique use of the Premises by
Lessee as compared with uses by tenants in general, Lessee shall be fully responsible for the cost thereof, provided, however, that if such Capital Expenditure is required during the last 2 years of this Lease and the cost thereof exceeds 6
months’ Base Rent, Lessee may instead terminate this Lease unless Lessor notifies Lessee, in writing, within 10 days after receipt of Lessee’s termination notice that Lessor has elected to pay the difference between the actual cost thereof and
the amount equal to 6 months’ Base Rent. If Lessee elects termination, Lessee shall immediately cease the use of the Premises which requires such Capital Expenditure and deliver to Lessor written notice specifying a termination date at least 90
days thereafter. Such termination date shall, however, in no event be earlier than the last day that Lessee could legally utilize the Premises without commencing such Capital Expenditure.
(b) If such Capital Expenditure is not the result of the specific and unique use of the Premises by Lessee (such as, governmentally mandated
seismic modifications), then Lessor shall pay for such Capital Expenditure and Lessee shall only be obligated to pay, each month during the remainder of the term of this Lease or any extension thereof, on the date that on which the Base Rent is
due, an amount equal to 1/144th of the portion of such costs reasonably attributable to the Premises. Lessee shall pay Interest on the balance but may prepay its obligation at any time. If, however, such Capital Expenditure is required during
the last 2 years of this Lease or if Lessor reasonably determines that it is not economically feasible to pay its share thereof, Lessor shall have the option to terminate this Lease upon 90 days prior written notice to Lessee unless Lessee
notifies Lessor, in writing, within 10 days after receipt of Lessor’s termination notice that Lessee will pay for such Capital Expenditure. If Lessor does not elect to terminate, and fails to tender its share of any such Capital Expenditure,
Lessee may advance such funds and deduct same, with Interest, from Rent until Lessor’s share of such costs have been fully paid. If Lessee is unable to finance Lessor’s share, or if the balance of the Rent due and payable for the remainder of
this Lease is not sufficient to fully reimburse Lessee on an offset basis, Lessee shall have the right to terminate this Lease upon 30 days written notice to Lessor.
(c) Notwithstanding the above, the provisions concerning Capital Expenditures are intended to apply only to non-voluntary, unexpected, and new
Applicable Requirements. If the Capital Expenditures are instead triggered by Lessee as a result of an actual or proposed change in use, change in intensity of use, or modification to the Premises then, and in that event, Lessee shall either:
(i) immediately cease such changed use or intensity of use and/or take such other steps as may be necessary to eliminate the requirement for such Capital Expenditure, or (ii) complete such Capital Expenditure at its own expense. Lessee shall not
have any right to terminate this Lease.
2.4 Acknowledgements. Lessee acknowledges that: (a) it has been given an opportunity to inspect and
measure the Premises, (b) it has been advised by Lessor and/or Brokers to satisfy itself with respect to the size and condition of the Premises (including but not limited to the electrical, HVAC and fire sprinkler systems, security, environmental
aspects, and compliance with Applicable Requirements and the Americans with Disabilities Act), and their suitability for Lessee’s intended use, (c) Lessee has made such investigation as it deems necessary with reference to such matters and
assumes all responsibility therefor as the same relate to its occupancy of the Premises, (d) it is not relying on any representation as to the size of the Premises made by Brokers or Lessor, (e) the square footage of the Premises was not material
to Lessee’s decision to lease the Premises and pay the Rent stated herein, and (f) neither Lessor, Lessor’s agents, nor Brokers have made any oral or written representations or warranties with respect to said matters other than as set forth in
this Lease. In addition, Lessor acknowledges that: (i) Brokers have made no representations, promises or warranties concerning Lessee’s ability to honor the Lease or suitability to occupy the Premises, and (ii) it is Lessor’s sole
responsibility to investigate the financial capability and/or suitability of all proposed tenants.
2.5 Lessee as Prior Owner/Occupant. The warranties made by Lessor in Paragraph 2 shall be of no force
or effect if immediately prior to the Start Date Lessee was the owner or occupant of the Premises. In such event, Lessee shall be responsible for any necessary corrective work.
2.6 Vehicle Parking. Lessee shall be entitled to use the number of Parking Spaces specified in
Paragraph 1.2(b) on those portions of the Common Areas designated from time to time by Lessor for parking. Lessee shall not use more parking spaces than said number. Said parking spaces shall be used for parking by vehicles no larger than
full-size passenger automobiles or pick-up trucks, herein called “Permitted Size Vehicles.” Lessor may regulate the loading and unloading of vehicles by adopting Rules and Regulations as provided in Paragraph 2.9. No vehicles other than
Permitted Size Vehicles may be parked in the Common Area without the prior written permission of Lessor. In addition:
(a) Lessee shall not permit or allow any vehicles that belong to or are controlled by Lessee or Lessee’s employees, suppliers, shippers,
customers, contractors or invitees to be loaded, unloaded, or parked in areas other than those designated by Lessor for such activities.
(b) Lessee shall not service or store any vehicles in the Common Areas.
(c) If Lessee permits or allows any of the prohibited activities described in this Paragraph 2.6, then Lessor shall have the right, without
notice, in addition to such other rights and remedies that it may have, to remove or tow away the vehicle involved and charge the cost to Lessee, which cost shall be immediately payable upon demand by Lessor.
2.7 Common Areas - Definition. The term “Common Areas” is
defined as all areas and facilities outside the Premises and within the exterior boundary line of the Project and interior utility raceways and installations within the Unit that are provided and designated by the Lessor from time to time for the
general non-exclusive use of Lessor, Lessee and other tenants of the Project and their respective employees, suppliers, shippers, customers, contractors and invitees, including parking areas, loading and unloading areas, trash areas, roofs,
roadways, walkways, driveways and landscaped areas.
2.8 Common Areas - Lessee’s Rights. Lessor grants to Lessee, for the benefit of Lessee and its
employees, suppliers, shippers, contractors, customers and invitees, during the term of this Lease, the non-exclusive right to use, in common with others entitled to such use, the Common Areas as they exist from time to time, subject to any
rights, powers, and privileges reserved by Lessor under the terms hereof or under the terms of any rules and regulations or restrictions governing the use of the Project. Under no circumstances shall the right herein granted to use the Common
Areas be deemed to include the right to store any property, temporarily or permanently, in the Common Areas. Any such storage shall be permitted only by the prior written consent of Lessor or Lessor’s designated agent, which consent may be
revoked at any time. In the event that any unauthorized storage shall occur, then Lessor shall have the right, without notice, in addition to such other rights and remedies that it may have, to remove the property and charge the cost to Lessee,
which cost shall be immediately payable upon demand by Lessor.
2.9 Common Areas - Rules and Regulations. Lessor or such other person(s) as Lessor may appoint shall
have the exclusive control and management of the Common Areas and shall have the right, from time to time, to establish, modify, amend and enforce reasonable rules and regulations (“Rules and Regulations”) for the management, safety, care, and
cleanliness of the grounds, the parking and unloading of vehicles and the preservation of good order, as well as for the convenience of other occupants or tenants of the Building and the Project and their invitees. Lessee agrees to abide by and
conform to all such Rules and Regulations, and shall use its best efforts to cause its employees, suppliers, shippers, customers, contractors and invitees to so abide and conform. Lessor shall not be responsible to Lessee for the non-compliance
with said Rules and Regulations by other tenants of the Project.
2.10 Common Areas - Changes. Lessor shall have the right, in Lessor’s sole discretion, from time to time:
(a) To make changes to the Common Areas, including, without limitation, changes in the location, size, shape and number of driveways,
entrances, parking spaces, parking areas, loading and unloading areas, ingress, egress, direction of traffic, landscaped areas, walkways and utility raceways;
(b) To close temporarily any of the Common Areas for maintenance purposes so long as reasonable access to the Premises remains available;
(c) To designate other land outside the boundaries of the Project to be a part of the Common Areas;
(d) To add additional buildings and improvements to the Common Areas;
(e) To use the Common Areas while engaged in making additional improvements, repairs or alterations to the Project, or any portion thereof;
and
(f) To do and perform such other acts and make such other changes in, to or with respect to the Common Areas and Project as Lessor may, in the
exercise of sound business judgment, deem to be appropriate.
3. Term.
3.1 Term. The Commencement Date, Expiration Date and Original Term of this Lease are as specified in
Paragraph 1.3.
3.2 Early Possession. Any provision herein granting Lessee Early Possession of the Premises is subject
to and conditioned upon the Premises being available for such possession prior to the Commencement Date. Any grant of Early Possession only conveys a non-exclusive right to occupy the Premises. If Lessee totally or partially occupies the
Premises prior to the Commencement Date, the obligation to pay Rent shall be abated for the period of such Early Possession. Any such Early Possession shall not affect the Expiration Date.
3.3 Delay In Possession.
3.4 Lessee Compliance. Lessor shall not be required to tender possession of the Premises to Lessee
until Lessee complies with its obligation to provide evidence of insurance (Paragraph 8.5). Pending delivery of such evidence, Lessee shall be required to perform all of its obligations under this Lease from and after the Start Date, including
the payment of Rent, notwithstanding Lessor’s election to withhold possession pending receipt of such evidence of insurance. Further, if Lessee is required to perform any other conditions prior to or concurrent with the Start Date, the Start
Date shall occur but Lessor may elect to withhold possession until such conditions are satisfied.
4. Rent.
4.1 Rent Defined. All monetary obligations of Lessee to Lessor under the terms of this Lease (except
for the Security Deposit) are deemed to be rent (“Rent”).
4.2 Common Area Operating Expenses. Lessee shall pay to Lessor during the term hereof, in addition to
the Base Rent, Lessee’s Share (as specified in Paragraph 1.6) of all Common Area Operating Expenses, as hereinafter defined, during each calendar year of the term of this Lease, in accordance with the following provisions:
(a) “Common Area Operating Expenses” are defined, for purposes of this Lease, as all costs relating to
the ownership and operation of the Project, including, but not limited to, the following:
(i) The operation, repair and maintenance, in neat, clean, good order and condition, and if necessary the replacement, of the following:
(aa) The Common Areas and Common Area improvements, including parking areas, loading and unloading areas, trash areas, roadways, parkways,
walkways, driveways, landscaped areas, bumpers, irrigation systems, Common Area lighting facilities, fences and gates, elevators, roofs, exterior walls of the buildings, building systems and roof drainage systems.
(bb) Exterior signs and any tenant directories.
(cc) Any fire sprinkler systems.
(dd) All other areas and improvements that are within the exterior boundaries of the Project but outside of the Premises and/or any other space occupied by a tenant.
(ii) The cost of water, gas, electricity and telephone to service the Common Areas and any utilities not separately metered.
(iii) The cost of trash disposal, pest control services, property management, security services, owners’ association dues and fees, the cost
to repaint the exterior of any structures and the cost of any environmental inspections.
(iv) Reserves set aside for maintenance, repair and/or replacement of Common Area improvements and equipment.
(v) Real Property Taxes (as defined in Paragraph 10).
(vi) The cost of the premiums for the insurance maintained by Lessor pursuant to Paragraph 8.
(vii) Any deductible portion of an insured loss concerning the Building or the Common Areas.
(viii) Auditors’, accountants’ and attorneys’ fees and costs related to the operation, maintenance, repair and replacement of the Project.
(ix) The cost of any capital improvement to the Building or the Project not covered under the provisions of Paragraph 2.3 provided; however,
that Lessor shall allocate the cost of any such capital improvement over a 12 year period and Lessee shall not be required to pay more than Lessee’s Share of 1/144th of the cost of such capital improvement in any given month. Lessee shall pay
Interest on the unamortized balance but may prepay its obligation at any time.
(x) The cost of any other services to be provided by Lessor that are stated elsewhere in this Lease to be a Common Area Operating Expense.
(b) Any Common Area Operating Expenses and Real Property Taxes that are specifically attributable to the Unit, the Building or to any other
building in the Project or to the operation, repair and maintenance thereof, shall be allocated entirely to such Unit, Building, or other building. However, any Common Area Operating Expenses and Real Property Taxes that are not specifically
attributable to the Building or to any other building or to the operation, repair and maintenance thereof, shall be equitably allocated by Lessor to all buildings in the Project.
(c) The inclusion of the improvements, facilities and services set forth in Subparagraph 4.2(a) shall not be deemed to impose an obligation
upon Lessor to either have said improvements or facilities or to provide those services unless the Project already has the same, Lessor already provides the services, or Lessor has agreed elsewhere in this Lease to provide the same or some of
them.
(d) Lessee’s Share of Common Area Operating Expenses is payable monthly on the same day as the Base Rent is due hereunder. The amount of such
payments shall be based on Lessor’s estimate of the annual Common Area Operating Expenses. Within 60 days after written request (but not more than once each year) Lessor shall deliver to Lessee a reasonably detailed statement showing Lessee’s
Share of the actual Common Area Operating Expenses for the preceding year. If Lessee’s payments during such year exceed Lessee’s Share, Lessor shall credit the amount of such over-payment against Lessee’s future payments. If Lessee’s payments
during such year were less than Lessee’s Share, Lessee shall pay to Lessor the amount of the deficiency within 10 days after delivery by Lessor to Lessee of the statement.
(e) Common Area Operating Expenses shall not include any expenses paid by any tenant directly to third parties, or as to which Lessor is
otherwise reimbursed by any third party, other tenant, or insurance proceeds.
4.3 Payment. Lessee shall cause payment of Rent to be received by Lessor in lawful money of the
United States, without offset or deduction (except as specifically permitted in this Lease), on or before the day on which it is due. In the event that any invoice prepared by Lessor is inaccurate such inaccuracy shall not constitute a waiver
and Lessee shall be obligated to pay the amount set forth in this Lease. Rent for any period during the term hereof which is for less than one full calendar month shall be prorated based upon the actual number of days of said month. Payment of
Rent shall be made to Lessor at its address stated herein or to such other persons or place as Lessor may from time to time designate in writing. Acceptance of a payment which is less than the amount then due shall not be a waiver of Lessor’s
rights to the balance of such Rent, regardless of Lessor’s endorsement of any check so stating. In the event that any check, draft, or other instrument of payment given by Lessee to Lessor is dishonored for any reason, Lessee agrees to pay to
Lessor the sum of $25 in addition to any Late Charge and Lessor, at its option, may require all future Rent be paid by cashier’s check. Payments will be applied first to accrued late charges and attorney’s fees, second to accrued interest, then
to Base Rent and Common Area Operating Expenses, and any remaining amount to any other outstanding charges or costs.
5. Security Deposit. Lessee shall deposit with Lessor upon execution hereof the Security Deposit as security
for Lessee’s faithful performance of its obligations under this Lease. If Lessee fails to pay Rent, or otherwise Breaches under this Lease, Lessor may use, apply or retain all or any portion of said Security Deposit for the payment of any amount
already due Lessor, for Rents which will be due in the future, and/ or to reimburse or compensate Lessor for any liability, expense, loss or damage which Lessor may suffer or incur by reason thereof. If Lessor uses or applies all or any portion
of the Security Deposit, Lessee shall within 10 days after written request therefor deposit monies with Lessor sufficient to restore said Security Deposit to the full amount required by this Lease. Lessor shall not be required to keep the
Security Deposit separate from its general accounts. Within 90 days after the expiration or termination of this Lease, Lessor shall return that portion of the Security Deposit not used or applied by Lessor. Lessor shall upon written request
provide Lessee with an accounting showing how that portion of the Security Deposit that was not returned was applied. No part of the Security Deposit shall be considered to be held in trust, to bear interest or to be prepayment for any monies to
be paid by Lessee under this Lease. THE SECURITY DEPOSIT SHALL NOT BE USED BY LESSEE IN LIEU OF PAYMENT OF THE LAST MONTH’S RENT.
6. Use.
6.1 Use. Lessee shall use and occupy the Premises only for (1) the Agreed Use, or (2) subject to
Lessor’s consent, any other legal use which is reasonably comparable thereto, and for no other purpose. Lessee shall not use or permit the use of the Premises in a manner that is unlawful, creates damage, waste or a nuisance, or that disturbs
occupants of or causes damage to neighboring premises or properties. Other than guide, signal and seeing eye dogs, Lessee shall not keep or allow in the Premises any pets, animals, birds, fish, or reptiles. Lessor shall not unreasonably
withhold or delay its consent to any written request for a modification of the Agreed Use, so long as the same will not impair the structural integrity of the Building or the mechanical or electrical systems therein, and/or is not significantly
more burdensome to the Project. If Lessor elects to withhold consent, Lessor shall within 7 days after such request give written notification of same, which notice shall include an explanation of Lessor’s objections to the change in the Agreed
Use.
6.2 Hazardous Substances.
(a) Reportable Uses Require Consent. The term “Hazardous Substance”
as used in this Lease shall mean any product, substance, or waste whose presence, use, manufacture, disposal, transportation, or release, either by itself or in combination with other materials expected to be on the Premises, is either: (i)
potentially injurious to the public health, safety or welfare, the environment or the Premises, (ii) regulated or monitored by any governmental authority, or (iii) a basis for potential liability of Lessor to any governmental agency or third
party under any applicable statute or common law theory. Hazardous Substances shall include, but not be limited to, hydrocarbons, petroleum, gasoline, and/or crude oil or any products, by-products or fractions thereof. Lessee shall not engage
in any activity in or on the Premises which constitutes a Reportable Use of Hazardous Substances without the express prior written consent of Lessor and timely compliance (at Lessee’s expense) with all Applicable Requirements. “Reportable Use” shall mean (i) the installation or use of any above or below ground storage tank, (ii) the generation, possession, storage, use, transportation, or disposal of a Hazardous Substance that
requires a permit from, or with respect to which a report, notice, registration or business plan is required to be filed with, any governmental authority, and/or (iii) the presence at the Premises of a Hazardous Substance with respect to which
any Applicable Requirements requires that a notice be given to persons entering or occupying the Premises or neighboring properties. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Lessee may use any ordinary and customary materials reasonably required to be
used in the normal course of the Agreed Use, ordinary office supplies (copier toner, liquid paper, glue, etc.) and common household cleaning materials, so long as such use is in compliance with all Applicable Requirements, is not a Reportable
Use, and does not expose the Premises or neighboring property to any meaningful risk of contamination or damage or expose Lessor to any liability therefor. In addition, Lessor may condition its consent to any Reportable Use upon receiving such
additional assurances as Lessor reasonably deems necessary to protect itself, the public, the Premises and/or the environment against damage, contamination, injury and/or liability, including, but not limited to, the installation (and removal on
or before Lease expiration or termination) of protective modifications (such as concrete encasements) and/or increasing the Security Deposit.
(b) Duty to Inform Lessor. If Lessee knows, or has reasonable cause to believe, that a Hazardous
Substance has come to be located in, on, under or about the Premises, other than as previously consented to by Lessor, Lessee shall immediately give written notice of such fact to Lessor, and provide Lessor with a copy of any report, notice,
claim or other documentation which it has concerning the presence of such Hazardous Substance.
(c) Lessee Remediation. Lessee shall not cause or permit any Hazardous Substance to be spilled or
released in, on, under, or about the Premises (including through the plumbing or sanitary sewer system) and shall promptly, at Lessee’s expense, comply with all Applicable Requirements and take all investigatory and/or remedial action reasonably
recommended, whether or not formally ordered or required, for the cleanup of any contamination of, and for the maintenance, security and/or monitoring of the Premises or neighboring properties, that was caused or materially contributed to by
Lessee, or pertaining to or involving any Hazardous Substance brought onto the Premises during the term of this Lease, by or for Lessee, or Lessee’s agent’s or contractors.
(d) Lessee Indemnification. Lessee shall indemnify, defend and hold Lessor, its agents, employees,
lenders and ground lessor, if any, harmless from and against any and all loss of rents and/or damages, liabilities, judgments, claims, expenses, penalties, and attorneys’ and consultants’ fees arising out of or involving any Hazardous Substance
brought onto the Premises by or for Lessee, Lessee’s agents or contractors (provided, however, that Lessee shall have no liability under this Lease with respect to underground migration of any Hazardous Substance under the Premises from areas
outside of the Project not caused or contributed to by Lessee). Lessee’s obligations shall include, but not be limited to, the effects of any contamination or injury to person, property or the environment created or suffered by Lessee, and the
cost of investigation, removal, remediation, restoration and/or abatement, and shall survive the expiration or termination of this Lease. No termination, cancellation or release agreement entered into by Lessor and Lessee shall release Lessee
from its obligations under this Lease with respect to Hazardous Substances, unless specifically so agreed by Lessor in writing at the time of such agreement.
(e) Lessor Indemnification. Except as otherwise provided in paragraph 8.7, Lessor and its
successors and assigns shall indemnify, defend, reimburse and hold Lessee, its employees and lenders, harmless from and against any and all environmental damages, including the cost of remediation, which are suffered as a direct result of
Hazardous Substances on the Premises prior to Lessee taking possession or which are caused by the gross negligence or willful misconduct of Lessor, its agents or employees. Lessor’s obligations, as and when required by the Applicable
Requirements, shall include, but not be limited to, the cost of investigation, removal, remediation, restoration and/or abatement, and shall survive the expiration or termination of this Lease.
(f) Investigations and Remediations. Lessor shall retain the responsibility and pay for any
investigations or remediation measures required by governmental entities having jurisdiction with respect to the existence of Hazardous Substances on the Premises prior to the Lessee taking possession, unless such remediation measure is required
as a result of Lessee’s use (including “Alterations”, as defined in paragraph 7.3(a) below) of the Premises, in which event Lessee shall be responsible for such payment. Lessee shall cooperate fully in any such activities at the request of
Lessor, including allowing Lessor and Lessor’s agents to have reasonable access to the Premises at reasonable times in order to carry out Lessor’s investigative and remedial responsibilities.
(g) Lessor Termination Option. If a Hazardous Substance Condition (see Paragraph 9.1(e)) occurs
during the term of this Lease, unless Lessee is legally responsible therefor (in which case Lessee shall make the investigation and remediation thereof required by the Applicable Requirements and this Lease shall continue in full force and
effect, but subject to Lessor’s rights under Paragraph 6.2(d) and Paragraph 13), Lessor may, at Lessor’s option, either (i) investigate and remediate such Hazardous Substance Condition, if required, as soon as reasonably possible at Lessor’s
expense, in which event this Lease shall continue in full force and effect, or (ii) if the estimated cost to remediate such condition exceeds 12 times the then monthly Base Rent or $100,000, whichever is greater, give written notice to Lessee,
within 30 days after receipt by Lessor of knowledge of the occurrence of such Hazardous Substance Condition, of Lessor’s desire to terminate this Lease as of the date 60 days following the date of such notice. In the event Lessor elects to give
a termination notice, Lessee may, within 10 days thereafter, give written notice to Lessor of Lessee’s commitment to pay the amount by which the cost of the remediation of such Hazardous Substance Condition exceeds an amount equal to 12 times the
then monthly Base Rent or $100,000, whichever is greater. Lessee shall provide Lessor with said funds or satisfactory assurance thereof within 30 days following such commitment. In such event, this Lease shall continue in full force and effect,
and Lessor shall proceed to make such remediation as soon as reasonably possible after the required funds are available. If Lessee does not give such notice and provide the required funds or assurance thereof within the time provided, this Lease
shall terminate as of the date specified in Lessor’s notice of termination.
6.3 Lessee’s Compliance with Applicable Requirements. Except as otherwise provided in this Lease,
Lessee shall, at Lessee’s sole expense, fully, diligently and in a timely manner, materially comply with all Applicable Requirements, the requirements of any applicable fire insurance underwriter or rating bureau, and the recommendations of
Lessor’s engineers and/or consultants which relate in any manner to the Premises, without regard to whether said Applicable Requirements are now in effect or become effective after the Start Date. Lessee shall, within 10 days after receipt of
Lessor’s written request, provide Lessor with copies of all permits and other documents, and other information evidencing Lessee’s compliance with any Applicable Requirements specified by Lessor, and shall immediately upon receipt, notify Lessor
in writing (with copies of any documents involved) of any threatened or actual claim, notice, citation, warning, complaint or report pertaining to or involving the failure of Lessee or the Premises to comply with any Applicable Requirements.
Likewise, Lessee shall immediately give written notice to Lessor of: (i) any water damage to the Premises and any suspected seepage, pooling, dampness or other condition conducive to the production of mold; or (ii) any mustiness or other odors
that might indicate the presence of mold in the Premises.
6.4 Inspection; Compliance. Lessor and Lessor’s “Lender” (as
defined in Paragraph 30) and consultants authorized by Lessor shall have the right to enter into Premises at any time, in the case of an emergency, and otherwise at reasonable times after reasonable notice, for the purpose of inspecting and/or
testing the condition of the Premises and/or for verifying compliance by Lessee with this Lease. The cost of any such inspections shall be paid by Lessor, unless a violation of Applicable Requirements, or a Hazardous Substance Condition (see
Paragraph 9.1) is found to exist or be imminent, or the inspection is requested or ordered by a governmental authority. In such case, Lessee shall upon request reimburse Lessor for the cost of such inspection, so long as such inspection is
reasonably related to the violation or contamination. In addition, Lessee shall provide copies of all relevant material safety data sheets (MSDS) to Lessor within 10 days of the receipt of written request
therefor.
7. Maintenance; Repairs; Utility Installations; Trade Fixtures and Alterations.
7.1 Lessee’s Obligations.
(a) In General. Subject to the provisions of Paragraph 2.2 (Condition), 2.3 (Compliance), 6.3
(Lessee’s Compliance with Applicable Requirements), 7.2 (Lessor’s Obligations), 9 (Damage or Destruction), and 14 (Condemnation), Lessee shall, at Lessee’s sole expense, keep the Premises, Utility Installations (intended for Lessee’s exclusive
use, no matter where located), and Alterations in good order, condition and repair (whether or not the portion of the Premises requiring repairs, or the means of repairing the same, are reasonably or readily accessible to Lessee, and whether or
not the need for such repairs occurs as a result of Lessee’s use, any prior use, the elements or the age of such portion of the Premises), including, but not limited to, all equipment or facilities, such as plumbing, HVAC equipment, electrical,
lighting facilities, boilers, pressure vessels, fixtures, interior walls, interior surfaces of exterior walls, ceilings, floors, windows, doors, plate glass, and skylights but excluding any items which are the responsibility of Lessor pursuant to
Paragraph 7.2. Lessee, in keeping the Premises in good order, condition and repair, shall exercise and perform good maintenance practices, specifically including the procurement and maintenance of the service contracts required by Paragraph
7.1(b) below. Lessee’s obligations shall include restorations, replacements or renewals when necessary to keep the Premises and all improvements thereon or a part thereof in good order, condition and state of repair.
(b) Service Contracts. Lessee shall, at Lessee’s sole expense, procure and maintain contracts, with
copies to Lessor, in customary form and substance for, and with contractors specializing and experienced in the maintenance of the following equipment and improvements, if any, if and when installed on the Premises: (i) HVAC equipment, (ii)
boiler and pressure vessels, and (iii) clarifiers. However, Lessor reserves the right, upon notice to Lessee, to procure and maintain any or all of such service contracts, and Lessee shall reimburse Lessor, upon demand, for the cost thereof.
(c) Failure to Perform. If Lessee fails to perform Lessee’s obligations under this Paragraph 7.1,
Lessor may enter upon the Premises after 10 days’ prior written notice to Lessee (except in the case of an emergency, in which case no notice shall be required), perform such obligations on Lessee’s behalf, and put the Premises in good order,
condition and repair, and Lessee shall promptly pay to Lessor a sum equal to 115% of the cost thereof.
(d) Replacement. Subject to Lessee’s indemnification of Lessor as set forth in Paragraph 8.7 below,
and without relieving Lessee of liability resulting from Lessee’s failure to exercise and perform good maintenance practices, if an item described in Paragraph 7.1(b) cannot be repaired other than at a cost which is in excess of 50% of the cost
of replacing such item, then such item shall be replaced by Lessor, and the cost thereof shall be prorated between the Parties and Lessee shall only be obligated to pay, each month during the remainder of the term of this Lease or any extension
thereof, on the date on which Base Rent is due, an amount equal to the product of multiplying the cost of such replacement by a fraction, the numerator of which is one, and the denominator of which is 144 (ie. 1/144th of the cost per month).
Lessee shall pay Interest on the unamortized balance but may prepay its obligation at any time.
7.2 Lessor’s Obligations. Subject to the provisions of Paragraphs 2.2 (Condition), 2.3 (Compliance),
4.2 (Common Area Operating Expenses), 6 (Use), 7.1 (Lessee’s Obligations), 9 (Damage or Destruction) and 14 (Condemnation), Lessor, subject to reimbursement pursuant to Paragraph 4.2, shall keep in good order, condition and repair the
foundations, exterior walls, structural condition of interior bearing walls, exterior roof, fire sprinkler system, Common Area fire alarm and/or smoke detection systems, fire hydrants, parking lots, walkways, parkways, driveways, landscaping,
fences, signs and utility systems serving the Common Areas and all parts thereof, as well as providing the services for which there is a Common Area Operating Expense pursuant to Paragraph 4.2. Lessor shall not be obligated to paint the exterior
or interior surfaces of exterior walls nor shall Lessor be obligated to maintain, repair or replace windows, doors or plate glass of the Premises.
7.3 Utility Installations; Trade Fixtures; Alterations.
(a) Definitions. The term “Utility Installations” refers to
all floor and window coverings, air and/or vacuum lines, power panels, electrical distribution, security and fire protection systems, communication cabling, lighting fixtures, HVAC equipment, plumbing, and fencing in or on the Premises. The term
“Trade Fixtures” shall mean Lessee’s machinery and equipment that can be removed without doing material damage to the Premises. The term “Alterations” shall mean any modification of the improvements, other
than Utility Installations or Trade Fixtures, whether by addition or deletion. “Lessee Owned Alterations and/or Utility Installations” are defined as Alterations and/or Utility Installations made by Lessee
that are not yet owned by Lessor pursuant to Paragraph 7.4(a).
(b) Consent. Lessee shall not make any Alterations or Utility Installations to the Premises without
Lessor’s prior written consent. Lessee may, however, make non-structural Alterations or Utility Installations to the interior of the Premises (excluding the roof) without such consent but upon notice to Lessor, as long as they are not visible
from the outside, do not involve puncturing, relocating or removing the roof or any existing walls, will not affect the electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and/or life safety systems, do not trigger the requirement for additional modifications and/or
improvements to the Premises resulting from Applicable Requirements, such as compliance with Title 24, and/or life safety systems, and the cumulative cost thereof during this Lease as extended does not exceed a sum equal to 3 month’s Base Rent in
the aggregate or a sum equal to one month’s Base Rent in any one year. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Lessee shall not make or permit any roof penetrations and/or install anything on the roof without the prior written approval of Lessor. Lessor
may, as a precondition to granting such approval, require Lessee to utilize a contractor chosen and/or approved by Lessor. Any Alterations or Utility Installations that Lessee shall desire to make and which require the consent of the Lessor
shall be presented to Lessor in written form with detailed plans. Consent shall be deemed conditioned upon Lessee’s: (i) acquiring all applicable governmental permits, (ii) furnishing Lessor with copies of both the permits and the plans and
specifications prior to commencement of the work, and (iii) compliance with all conditions of said permits and other Applicable Requirements in a prompt and expeditious manner. Any Alterations or Utility Installations shall be performed in a
workmanlike manner with good and sufficient materials. Lessee shall promptly upon completion furnish Lessor with as-built plans and specifications. For work which costs an amount in excess of one month’s Base Rent, Lessor may condition its
consent upon Lessee providing a lien and completion bond in an amount equal to 150% of the estimated cost of such Alteration or Utility Installation and/or upon Lessee’s posting an additional Security Deposit with Lessor.
(c) Liens; Bonds. Lessee shall pay, when due, all claims for labor or materials furnished or
alleged to have been furnished to or for Lessee at or for use on the Premises, which claims are or may be secured by any mechanic’s or materialmen’s lien against the Premises or any interest therein. Lessee shall give Lessor not less than 10
days notice prior to the commencement of any work in, on or about the Premises, and Lessor shall have the right to post notices of non-responsibility. If Lessee shall contest the validity of any such lien, claim or demand, then Lessee shall, at
its sole expense defend and protect itself, Lessor and the Premises against the same and shall pay and satisfy any such adverse judgment that may be rendered thereon before the enforcement thereof. If Lessor shall require, Lessee shall furnish a
surety bond in an amount equal to 150% of the amount of such contested lien, claim or demand, indemnifying Lessor against liability for the same. If Lessor elects to participate in any such action, Lessee shall pay Lessor’s attorneys’ fees and
costs.
7.4 Ownership; Removal; Surrender; and Restoration.
(a) Ownership. Subject to Lessor’s right to require removal or elect ownership as hereinafter
provided, all Alterations and Utility Installations made by Lessee shall be the property of Lessee, but considered a part of the Premises. Lessor may, at any time, elect in writing to be the owner of all or any specified part of the Lessee Owned
Alterations and Utility Installations. Unless otherwise instructed per paragraph 7.4(b) hereof, all Lessee Owned Alterations and Utility Installations shall, at the expiration or termination of this Lease, become the property of Lessor and be
surrendered by Lessee with the Premises.
(b) Removal. By delivery to Lessee of written notice from Lessor not earlier than 90 and not later
than 30 days prior to the end of the term of this Lease, Lessor may require that any or all Lessee Owned Alterations or Utility Installations be removed by the expiration or termination of this Lease. Lessor may require the removal at any time
of all or any part of any Lessee Owned Alterations or Utility Installations made without the required consent.
(c) Surrender; Restoration. Lessee shall surrender the Premises by the Expiration Date or any
earlier termination date, with all of the improvements, parts and surfaces thereof broom clean and free of debris, and in good operating order, condition and state of repair, ordinary wear and tear excepted. “Ordinary wear and tear” shall not
include any damage or deterioration that would have been prevented by good maintenance practice. Notwithstanding the foregoing and the provisions of Paragraph 7.1(a), if the Lessee occupies the Premises for 12 months or less, then Lessee shall
surrender the Premises in the same condition as delivered to Lessee on the Start Date with NO allowance for ordinary wear and tear. Lessee shall repair any damage occasioned by the installation, maintenance or removal of Trade Fixtures, Lessee
owned Alterations and/or Utility Installations, furnishings, and equipment as well as the removal of any storage tank installed by or for Lessee. Lessee shall also remove from the Premises any and all Hazardous Substances brought onto the
Premises by or for Lessee, or Lessee’s agents or contractors (except Hazardous Substances which were deposited via underground migration from areas outside of the Project) to the level specified in Applicable Requirements. Trade Fixtures shall
remain the property of Lessee and shall be removed by Lessee. Any personal property of Lessee not removed on or before the Expiration Date or any earlier termination date shall be deemed to have been abandoned by Lessee and may be disposed of or
retained by Lessor as Lessor may desire. The failure by Lessee to timely vacate the Premises pursuant to this Paragraph 7.4(c) without the express written consent of Lessor shall constitute a holdover under the provisions of Paragraph 26 below.
8. Insurance; Indemnity.
8.1 Payment of Premiums. The cost of the premiums for the insurance policies required to be carried by
Lessor, pursuant to Paragraphs 8.2(b), 8.3(a) and 8.3(b), shall be a Common Area Operating Expense. Premiums for policy periods commencing prior to, or extending beyond, the term of this Lease shall be prorated to coincide with the corresponding
Start Date or Expiration Date.
8.2 Liability Insurance.
(a) Carried by Lessee. Lessee shall obtain and keep in force a Commercial General Liability policy of
insurance protecting Lessee and Lessor as an additional insured against claims for bodily injury, personal injury and property damage based upon or arising out of the ownership, use, occupancy or maintenance of the Premises and all areas
appurtenant thereto. Such insurance shall be on an occurrence basis providing single limit coverage in an amount not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence with an annual aggregate of not less than $2,000,000. Lessee shall add Lessor as an
additional insured by means of an endorsement at least as broad as the Insurance Service Organization’s “Additional Insured-Managers or Lessors of Premises” Endorsement. The policy shall not contain any intra-insured exclusions as between
insured persons or organizations, but shall include coverage for liability assumed under this Lease as an “insured contract” for the performance of Lessee’s indemnity obligations under this Lease. The limits of said insurance shall not, however,
limit the liability of Lessee nor relieve Lessee of any obligation hereunder. Lessee shall provide an endorsement on its liability policy(ies) which provides that its insurance shall be primary to and not contributory with any similar insurance
carried by Lessor, whose insurance shall be considered excess insurance only.
(b) Carried by Lessor. Lessor shall maintain liability insurance as described in Paragraph 8.2(a), in
addition to, and not in lieu of, the insurance required to be maintained by Lessee. Lessee shall not be named as an additional insured therein.
8.3 Property Insurance - Building, Improvements and Rental Value.
(a) Building and Improvements. Lessor shall obtain and keep in force a policy or policies of
insurance in the name of Lessor, with loss payable to Lessor, any ground-lessor, and to any Lender insuring loss or damage to the Premises. The amount of such insurance shall be equal to the full insurable replacement cost of the Premises, as
the same shall exist from time to time, or the amount required by any Lender, but in no event more than the commercially reasonable and available insurable value thereof. Lessee Owned Alterations and Utility Installations, Trade Fixtures, and
Lessee’s personal property shall be insured by Lessee not by Lessor. If the coverage is available and commercially appropriate, such policy or policies shall insure against all risks of direct physical loss or damage (except the perils of flood
and/or earthquake unless required by a Lender), including coverage for debris removal and the enforcement of any Applicable Requirements requiring the upgrading, demolition, reconstruction or replacement of any portion of the Premises as the
result of a covered loss. Said policy or policies shall also contain an agreed valuation provision in lieu of any coinsurance clause, waiver of subrogation, and inflation guard protection causing an increase in the annual property insurance
coverage amount by a factor of not less than the adjusted U.S. Department of Labor Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers for the city nearest to where the Premises are located. If such insurance coverage has a deductible clause, the
deductible amount shall not exceed a commercially reasonable amount.
(b) Rental Value. Lessor shall also obtain and keep in force a policy or policies in the name of
Lessor with loss payable to Lessor and any Lender, insuring the loss of the full Rent for one year with an extended period of indemnity for an additional 180 days (“Rental Value insurance”). Said insurance shall contain an agreed valuation
provision in lieu of any coinsurance clause, and the amount of coverage shall be adjusted annually to reflect the projected Rent otherwise payable by Lessee, for the next 12 month period.
(c) Adjacent Premises. Lessee shall pay for any increase in the premiums for the property insurance
of the Building and for the Common Areas or other buildings in the Project if said increase is caused by Lessee’s acts, omissions, use or occupancy of the Premises.
(d) Lessee’s Improvements. Since Lessor is the Insuring Party, Lessor shall not be required to insure
Lessee Owned Alterations and Utility Installations unless the item in question has become the property of Lessor under the terms of this Lease.
8.4 Lessee’s Property; Business Interruption Insurance; Worker’s Compensation Insurance.
(a) Property Damage. Lessee shall obtain and maintain insurance coverage on all of Lessee’s personal
property, Trade Fixtures, and Lessee Owned Alterations and Utility Installations. Such insurance shall be full replacement cost coverage with a commercially reasonable deductible. The proceeds from any such insurance shall be used by Lessee for
the replacement of personal property, Trade Fixtures and Lessee Owned Alterations and Utility Installations.
(b) Business Interruption. Lessee shall obtain and maintain loss of income and extra expense
insurance in amounts as will reimburse Lessee for direct or indirect loss of earnings attributable to all perils commonly insured against by prudent lessees in the business of Lessee or attributable to prevention of access to the Premises as a
result of such perils.
(c) Worker’s Compensation Insurance. Lessee shall obtain and maintain Worker’s Compensation Insurance
in such amount as may be required by Applicable Requirements. Such policy shall include a ‘Waiver of Subrogation’ endorsement. Lessee shall provide Lessor with a copy of such endorsement along with the certificate of insurance or copy of the
policy required by paragraph 8.5.
(d) No Representation of Adequate Coverage. Lessor makes no representation that the limits or forms
of coverage of insurance specified herein are adequate to cover Lessee’s property, business operations or obligations under this Lease.
8.5 Insurance Policies. Insurance required herein shall be by companies maintaining during the policy
term a “General Policyholders Rating” of at least A-, VII, as set forth in the most current issue of “Best’s Insurance Guide”, or such other rating as may be required by a Lender. Lessee shall not do or permit to be done anything which
invalidates the required insurance policies. Lessee shall, prior to the Start Date, deliver to Lessor copies of policies of such insurance or certificates with copies of the required endorsements evidencing the existence and amounts of the
required insurance. No such policy shall be cancelable or subject to modification except after 30 days prior written notice to Lessor. Lessee shall, at least 10 days prior to the expiration of such policies, furnish Lessor with evidence of
renewals or “insurance binders” evidencing renewal thereof, or Lessor may increase his liability insurance coverage and charge the cost thereof to Lessee, which amount shall be payable by Lessee to Lessor upon demand. Such policies shall be for
a term of at least one year, or the length of the remaining term of this Lease, whichever is less. If either Party shall fail to procure and maintain the insurance required to be carried by it, the other Party may, but shall not be required to,
procure and maintain the same.
8.6 Waiver of Subrogation. Without affecting any other rights or remedies, Lessee and Lessor each
hereby release and relieve the other, and waive their entire right to recover damages against the other, for loss of or damage to its property arising out of or incident to the perils required to be insured against herein. The effect of such
releases and waivers is not limited by the amount of insurance carried or required, or by any deductibles applicable hereto. The Parties agree to have their respective property damage insurance carriers waive any right to subrogation that such
companies may have against Lessor or Lessee, as the case may be, so long as the insurance is not invalidated thereby.
8.7 Indemnity. Except for Lessor’s gross negligence or willful misconduct and subject to the waiver of
subrogation below, Lessee shall indemnify, protect, defend and hold harmless the Premises, Lessor and its agents, Lessor’s master or ground lessor, partners and Lenders, from and against any and all claims, loss of rents and/or damages, liens,
judgments, penalties, attorneys’ and consultants’ fees, expenses and/or liabilities arising out of, involving, or in connection with, a Breach of the Lease by Lessee and/or the use and/or occupancy of the Premises and/or Project by Lessee and/or
by Lessee’s employees, contractors or invitees. If any action or proceeding is brought against Lessor by reason of any of the foregoing matters, Lessee shall upon notice defend the same at Lessee’s expense by counsel reasonably satisfactory to
Lessor and Lessor shall cooperate with Lessee in such defense. Lessor need not have first paid any such claim in order to be defended or indemnified.
8.8 Exemption of Lessor and its Agents from Liability. Notwithstanding the negligence or breach of this
Lease by Lessor or its agents and without limiting the generality of Paragraph 8.6 above, with respect to all claims for which Lessee maintains first party casualty insurance or is required to maintain
insurance under Paragraph 8.4 above neither Lessor nor its agents shall be liable under any circumstances for: (i) injury or damage to the person or goods, wares, merchandise or other property of Lessee,
Lessee’s employees, contractors, invitees, customers, or any other person in or about the Premises, whether such damage or injury is caused by or results from fire, steam, electricity, gas, water or rain, indoor air quality, the presence of mold
or from the breakage, leakage, obstruction or other defects of pipes, fire sprinklers, wires, appliances, plumbing, HVAC or lighting fixtures, or from any other cause, whether the said injury or damage results from conditions arising upon the
Premises or upon other portions of the Building, or from other sources or places, (ii) any damages arising from any act or neglect of any other tenant of Lessor or from the failure of Lessor or its agents to enforce the provisions of any other
lease in the Project, or (iii) injury to Lessee’s business or for any loss of income or profit therefrom. Instead, it is intended that Lessee’s sole recourse in the event of such damages or injury be to file a claim on the insurance policy(ies)
that Lessee is required to maintain pursuant to the provisions of paragraph 8. See Addendum.
8.9 Failure to Provide Insurance.
9. Damage or Destruction.
9.1 Definitions.
(a) “Premises Partial Damage” shall mean damage or destruction to the improvements on the Premises,
other than Lessee Owned Alterations and Utility Installations, which can reasonably be repaired in 3 months or less from the date of the damage or destruction, and the cost thereof does not exceed a sum equal to 6 month’s Base Rent. Lessor shall
notify Lessee in writing within 30 days from the date of the damage or destruction as to whether or not the damage is Partial or Total.
(b) “Premises Total Destruction” shall mean damage or destruction to the improvements on the Premises,
other than Lessee Owned Alterations and Utility Installations and Trade Fixtures, which cannot reasonably be repaired in 3 months or less from the date of the damage or destruction and/or the cost thereof exceeds a sum equal to 6 month’s Base
Rent. Lessor shall notify Lessee in writing within 30 days from the date of the damage or destruction as to whether or not the damage is Partial or Total.
(c) “Insured Loss” shall mean damage or destruction to improvements on the Premises, other than Lessee
Owned Alterations and Utility Installations and Trade Fixtures, which was caused by an event required to be covered by the insurance described in Paragraph 8.3(a), irrespective of any deductible amounts or coverage limits involved.
(d) “Replacement Cost” shall mean the cost to repair or rebuild the improvements owned by Lessor at
the time of the occurrence to their condition existing immediately prior thereto, including demolition, debris removal and upgrading required by the operation of Applicable Requirements, and without deduction for depreciation.
(e) “Hazardous Substance Condition” shall mean the occurrence or discovery of a condition involving
the presence of, or a contamination by, a Hazardous Substance, in, on, or under the Premises which requires restoration.
9.2 Partial Damage - Insured Loss. If a Premises Partial Damage that is an Insured Loss occurs, then
Lessor shall, at Lessor’s expense, repair such damage (but not Lessee’s Trade Fixtures or Lessee Owned Alterations and Utility Installations) as soon as reasonably possible and this Lease shall continue in full force and effect; provided,
however, that Lessee shall, at Lessor’s election, make the repair of any damage or destruction the total cost to repair of which is $10,000 or less, and, in such event, Lessor shall make any applicable insurance proceeds available to Lessee on a
reasonable basis for that purpose. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the required insurance was not in force or the insurance proceeds are not sufficient to effect such repair, the Insuring Party shall promptly contribute the shortage in
proceeds as and when required to complete said repairs. In the event, however, such shortage was due to the fact that, by reason of the unique nature of the improvements, full replacement cost insurance coverage was not commercially reasonable
and available, Lessor shall have no obligation to pay for the shortage in insurance proceeds or to fully restore the unique aspects of the Premises unless Lessee provides Lessor with the funds to cover same, or adequate assurance thereof, within
10 days following receipt of written notice of such shortage and request therefor. If Lessor receives said funds or adequate assurance thereof within said 10 day period, the party responsible for making the repairs shall complete them as soon as
reasonably possible and this Lease shall remain in full force and effect. If such funds or assurance are not received, Lessor may nevertheless elect by written notice to Lessee within 10 days thereafter to: (i) make such restoration and repair
as is commercially reasonable with Lessor paying any shortage in proceeds, in which case this Lease shall remain in full force and effect, or (ii) have this Lease terminate 30 days thereafter. Lessee shall not be entitled to reimbursement of any
funds contributed by Lessee to repair any such damage or destruction. Premises Partial Damage due to flood or earthquake shall be subject to Paragraph 9.3, notwithstanding that there may be some insurance coverage, but the net proceeds of any
such insurance shall be made available for the repairs if made by either Party.
9.3 Partial Damage - Uninsured Loss. If a Premises Partial Damage that is not an Insured Loss occurs,
unless caused by a negligent or willful act of Lessee (in which event Lessee shall make the repairs at Lessee’s expense), Lessor may either: (i) repair such damage as soon as reasonably possible at Lessor’s expense (subject to reimbursement
pursuant to Paragraph 4.2), in which event this Lease shall continue in full force and effect, or (ii) terminate this Lease by giving written notice to Lessee within 30 days after receipt by Lessor of knowledge of the occurrence of such damage.
Such termination shall be effective 60 days following the date of such notice. In the event Lessor elects to terminate this Lease, Lessee shall have the right within 10 days after receipt of the termination notice to give written notice to
Lessor of Lessee’s commitment to pay for the repair of such damage without reimbursement from Lessor. Lessee shall provide Lessor with said funds or satisfactory assurance thereof within 30 days after making such commitment. In such event this
Lease shall continue in full force and effect, and Lessor shall proceed to make such repairs as soon as reasonably possible after the required funds are available. If Lessee does not make the required commitment, this Lease shall terminate as of
the date specified in the termination notice.
9.4 Total Destruction. Notwithstanding any other provision hereof, if a Premises Total Destruction
occurs, this Lease shall terminate 60 days following such Destruction. If the damage or destruction was caused by the gross negligence or willful misconduct of Lessee, Lessor shall have the right to recover Lessor’s damages from Lessee, except
as provided in Paragraph 8.6.
9.5 Damage Near End of Term. If at any time during the last 6 months of this Lease there is damage for
which the cost to repair exceeds one month’s Base Rent, whether or not an Insured Loss, Lessor may terminate this Lease effective 60 days following the date of occurrence of such damage by giving a written termination notice to Lessee within 30
days after the date of occurrence of such damage. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if Lessee at that time has an exercisable option to extend this Lease or to purchase the Premises, then Lessee may preserve this Lease by, (a) exercising such
option and (b) providing Lessor with any shortage in insurance proceeds (or adequate assurance thereof) needed to make the repairs on or before the earlier of (i) the date which is 10 days after Lessee’s receipt of Lessor’s written notice
purporting to terminate this Lease, or (ii) the day prior to the date upon which such option expires. If Lessee duly exercises such option during such period and provides Lessor with funds (or adequate assurance thereof) to cover any shortage in
insurance proceeds, Lessor shall, at Lessor’s commercially reasonable expense, repair such damage as soon as reasonably possible and this Lease shall continue in full force and effect. If Lessee fails to exercise such option and provide such
funds or assurance during such period, then this Lease shall terminate on the date specified in the termination notice and Lessee’s option shall be extinguished.
9.6 Abatement of Rent; Lessee’s Remedies.
(a) Abatement. In the event of Premises Partial Damage or Premises Total Destruction or a Hazardous
Substance Condition for which Lessee is not responsible under this Lease, the Rent payable by Lessee for the period required for the repair, remediation or restoration of such damage shall be abated in proportion to the degree to which Lessee’s
use of the Premises is impaired, but not to exceed the proceeds received from the Rental Value insurance. All other obligations of Lessee hereunder shall be performed by Lessee, and Lessor shall have no liability for any such damage,
destruction, remediation, repair or restoration except as provided herein.
(b) Remedies. If Lessor is obligated to repair or restore the Premises and does not commence, in a
substantial and meaningful way, such repair or restoration within 90 days after such obligation shall accrue, Lessee may, at any time prior to the commencement of such repair or restoration, give written notice to Lessor and to any Lenders of
which Lessee has actual notice, of Lessee’s election to terminate this Lease on a date not less than 60 days following the giving of such notice. If Lessee gives such notice and such repair or restoration is not commenced within 30 days
thereafter, this Lease shall terminate as of the date specified in said notice. If the repair or restoration is commenced within such 30 days, this Lease shall continue in full force and effect. “Commence” shall mean either the unconditional
authorization of the preparation of the required plans, or the beginning of the actual work on the Premises, whichever first occurs.
9.7 Termination; Advance Payments. Upon termination of this Lease pursuant to Paragraph 6.2(g) or
Paragraph 9, an equitable adjustment shall be made concerning advance Base Rent and any other advance payments made by Lessee to Lessor. Lessor shall, in addition, return to Lessee so much of Lessee’s Security Deposit as has not been, or is not
then required to be, used by Lessor.
10. Real Property Taxes.
10.1 Definition. As used herein, the term “Real Property Taxes”
shall include any form of assessment; real estate, general, special, ordinary or extraordinary, or rental levy or tax (other than inheritance, personal income or estate taxes); improvement bond; and/or license fee imposed upon or levied against
any legal or equitable interest of Lessor in the Project, Lessor’s right to other income therefrom, and/or Lessor’s business of leasing, by any authority having the direct or indirect power to tax and where the funds are generated with reference
to the Project address. The term “Real Property Taxes” shall also include any tax, fee, levy, assessment or charge, or any increase therein: (i) imposed by reason of events occurring during the term of this Lease, including but not limited to,
a change in the ownership of the Project, (ii) a change in the improvements thereon, and/or (iii) levied or assessed on machinery or equipment provided by Lessor to Lessee pursuant to this Lease. In calculating Real Property Taxes for any
calendar year, the Real Property Taxes for any real estate tax year shall be included in the calculation of Real Property Taxes for such calendar year based upon the number of days which such calendar year and tax year have in common.
10.2 Payment of Taxes. Except as otherwise provided in Paragraph 10.3, Lessor shall pay the Real Property
Taxes applicable to the Project, and said payments shall be included in the calculation of Common Area Operating Expenses in accordance with the provisions of Paragraph 4.2.
10.3 Additional Improvements. Common Area Operating Expenses shall not include Real Property Taxes
specified in the tax assessor’s records and work sheets as being caused by additional improvements placed upon the Project by other lessees or by Lessor for the exclusive enjoyment of such other lessees. Notwithstanding Paragraph 10.2 hereof,
Lessee shall, however, pay to Lessor at the time Common Area Operating Expenses are payable under Paragraph 4.2, the entirety of any increase in Real Property Taxes if assessed solely by reason of Alterations, Trade Fixtures or Utility
Installations placed upon the Premises by Lessee or at Lessee’s request or by reason of any alterations or improvements to the Premises made by Lessor subsequent to the execution of this Lease by the Parties.
10.4 Joint Assessment. If the Building is not separately assessed, Real Property Taxes allocated to the
Building shall be an equitable proportion of the Real Property Taxes for all of the land and improvements included within the tax parcel assessed, such proportion to be determined by Lessor from the respective valuations assigned in the
assessor’s work sheets or such other information as may be reasonably available. Lessor’s reasonable determination thereof, in good faith, shall be conclusive.
10.5 Personal Property Taxes. Lessee shall pay prior to delinquency all taxes assessed against and levied
upon Lessee Owned Alterations and Utility Installations, Trade Fixtures, furnishings, equipment and all personal property of Lessee contained in the Premises. When possible, Lessee shall cause its Lessee Owned Alterations and Utility
Installations, Trade Fixtures, furnishings, equipment and all other personal property to be assessed and billed separately from the real property of Lessor. If any of Lessee’s said property shall be assessed with Lessor’s real property, Lessee
shall pay Lessor the taxes attributable to Lessee’s property within 10 days after receipt of a written statement setting forth the taxes applicable to Lessee’s property.
11. Utilities and Services. Lessee shall pay for all water, gas, heat, light, power, telephone, trash disposal
and other utilities and services supplied to the Premises, together with any taxes thereon. Notwithstanding the provisions of Paragraph 4.2, if at any time in Lessor’s sole judgment, Lessor determines that Lessee is using a disproportionate
amount of water, electricity or other commonly metered utilities, or that Lessee is generating such a large volume of trash as to require an increase in the size of the trash receptacle and/or an increase in the number of times per month that it
is emptied, then Lessor may increase Lessee’s Base Rent by an amount equal to such increased costs. There shall be no abatement of Rent and Lessor shall not be liable in any respect whatsoever for the inadequacy, stoppage, interruption or
discontinuance of any utility or service due to riot, strike, labor dispute, breakdown, accident, repair or other cause beyond Lessor’s reasonable control or in cooperation with governmental request or directions.
Within fifteen days of Lessor’s written request, Lessee agrees to deliver to Lessor such information, documents and/or authorization as Lessor needs in order for Lessor to comply with new or existing Applicable
Requirements relating to commercial building energy usage, ratings, and/or the reporting thereof.
12. Assignment and Subletting.
12.1 Lessor’s Consent Required.
(a) Lessee shall not voluntarily or by operation of law assign, transfer, mortgage or encumber (collectively, “assign or assignment”) or
sublet all or any part of Lessee’s interest in this Lease or in the Premises without Lessor’s prior written consent.
(b) Unless Lessee is a corporation and its stock is publicly traded on a national stock exchange, a change in the control of Lessee shall
constitute an assignment requiring consent. The transfer, on a cumulative basis, of 25% or more of the voting control of Lessee shall constitute a change in control for this purpose.
(c) The involvement of Lessee or its assets in any transaction, or series of transactions (by way of merger, sale, acquisition, financing,
transfer, leveraged buy-out or otherwise), whether or not a formal assignment or hypothecation of this Lease or Lessee’s assets occurs, which results or will result in a reduction of the Net Worth of Lessee by an amount greater than 25% of such
Net Worth as it was represented at the time of the execution of this Lease or at the time of the most recent assignment to which Lessor has consented, or as it exists immediately prior to said transaction or transactions constituting such
reduction, whichever was or is greater, shall be considered an assignment of this Lease to which Lessor may withhold its consent. “Net Worth of Lessee” shall mean the net worth of Lessee (excluding any guarantors) established under generally
accepted accounting principles.
(d) An assignment or subletting without consent shall, at Lessor’s option, be a Default curable after notice per Paragraph 13.1(d), or a
noncurable Breach without the necessity of any notice and grace period. If Lessor elects to treat such unapproved assignment or subletting as a noncurable Breach, Lessor may either: (i) terminate this Lease, or (ii) upon 30 days written notice,
increase the monthly Base Rent to 110% of the Base Rent then in effect. Further, in the event of such Breach and rental adjustment, (i) the purchase price of any option to purchase the Premises held by Lessee shall be subject to similar
adjustment to 110% of the price previously in effect, and (ii) all fixed and non-fixed rental adjustments scheduled during the remainder of the Lease term shall be increased to 110% of the scheduled adjusted rent.
(e) Lessee’s remedy for any breach of Paragraph 12.1 by Lessor shall be limited to compensatory damages and/or injunctive relief.
(f) Lessor may reasonably withhold consent to a proposed assignment or subletting if Lessee is in Default at the time consent is requested.
(g) Notwithstanding the foregoing, allowing a de minimis portion of the Premises, ie. 20 square feet or less, to be used by a third party
vendor in connection with the installation of a vending machine or payphone shall not constitute a subletting.
12.2 Terms and Conditions Applicable to Assignment and Subletting.
(a) Regardless of Lessor’s consent, no assignment or subletting shall : (i) be effective without the express written assumption by such
assignee or sublessee of the obligations of Lessee under this Lease, (ii) release Lessee of any obligations hereunder, or (iii) alter the primary liability of Lessee for the payment of Rent or for the performance of any other obligations to be
performed by Lessee.
(b) Lessor may accept Rent or performance of Lessee’s obligations from any person other than Lessee pending approval or disapproval of an
assignment. Neither a delay in the approval or disapproval of such assignment nor the acceptance of Rent or performance shall constitute a waiver or estoppel of Lessor’s right to exercise its remedies for Lessee’s Default or Breach.
(c) Lessor’s consent to any assignment or subletting shall not constitute a consent to any subsequent assignment or subletting.
(d) In the event of any Default or Breach by Lessee, Lessor may proceed directly against Lessee, any Guarantors or anyone else responsible for
the performance of Lessee’s obligations under this Lease, including any assignee or sublessee, without first exhausting Lessor’s remedies against any other person or entity responsible therefor to Lessor, or any security held by Lessor.
(e) Each request for consent to an assignment or subletting shall be in writing, accompanied by information relevant to Lessor’s determination
as to the financial and operational responsibility and appropriateness of the proposed assignee or sublessee, including but not limited to the intended use and/or required modification of the Premises, if any, together with a fee of $500 as
consideration for Lessor’s considering and processing said request. Lessee agrees to provide Lessor with such other or additional information and/or documentation as may be reasonably requested. (See also Paragraph 36)
(f) Any assignee of, or sublessee under, this Lease shall, by reason of accepting such assignment, entering into such sublease, or entering
into possession of the Premises or any portion thereof, be deemed to have assumed and agreed to conform and comply with each and every term, covenant, condition and obligation herein to be observed or performed by Lessee during the term of said
assignment or sublease, other than such obligations as are contrary to or inconsistent with provisions of an assignment or sublease to which Lessor has specifically consented to in writing.
(g) Lessor’s consent to any assignment or subletting shall not transfer to the assignee or sublessee any Option granted to the original Lessee
by this Lease unless such transfer is specifically consented to by Lessor in writing. (See Paragraph 39.2)
12.3 Additional Terms and Conditions Applicable to Subletting. The following terms and conditions shall
apply to any subletting by Lessee of all or any part of the Premises and shall be deemed included in all subleases under this Lease whether or not expressly incorporated therein:
(a) Lessee hereby assigns and transfers to Lessor all of Lessee’s interest in all Rent payable on any sublease, and Lessor may collect such
Rent and apply same toward Lessee’s obligations under this Lease; provided, however, that until a Breach shall occur in the performance of Lessee’s obligations, Lessee may collect said Rent. In the event that the amount collected by Lessor
exceeds Lessee’s then outstanding obligations any such excess shall be refunded to Lessee. Lessor shall not, by reason of the foregoing or any assignment of such sublease, nor by reason of the collection of Rent, be deemed liable to the
sublessee for any failure of Lessee to perform and comply with any of Lessee’s obligations to such sublessee. Lessee hereby irrevocably authorizes and directs any such sublessee, upon receipt of a written notice from Lessor stating that a Breach
exists in the performance of Lessee’s obligations under this Lease, to pay to Lessor all Rent due and to become due under the sublease. Sublessee shall rely upon any such notice from Lessor and shall pay all Rents to Lessor without any
obligation or right to inquire as to whether such Breach exists, notwithstanding any claim from Lessee to the contrary.
(b) In the event of a Breach by Lessee, Lessor may, at its option, require sublessee to attorn to Lessor, in which event Lessor shall
undertake the obligations of the sublessor under such sublease from the time of the exercise of said option to the expiration of such sublease; provided, however, Lessor shall not be liable for any prepaid rents or security deposit paid by such
sublessee to such sublessor or for any prior Defaults or Breaches of such sublessor.
(c) Any matter requiring the consent of the sublessor under a sublease shall also require the consent of Lessor.
(d) No sublessee shall further assign or sublet all or any part of the Premises without Lessor’s prior written consent.
(e) Lessor shall deliver a copy of any notice of Default or Breach by Lessee to the sublessee, who shall have the right to cure the Default of
Lessee within the grace period, if any, specified in such notice. The sublessee shall have a right of reimbursement and offset from and against Lessee for any such Defaults cured by the sublessee.
13. Default; Breach; Remedies.
13.1 Default; Breach. A “Default” is defined as a failure by the
Lessee to comply with or perform any of the terms, covenants, conditions or Rules and Regulations under this Lease. A “Breach” is defined as the occurrence of one or more of the following Defaults, and the
failure of Lessee to cure such Default within any applicable grace period:
(a) The abandonment of the Premises; or the vacating of the Premises without providing a commercially reasonable level of security, or where
the coverage of the property insurance described in Paragraph 8.3 is jeopardized as a result thereof, or without providing reasonable assurances to minimize potential vandalism.
(b) The failure of Lessee to make any payment of Rent or any Security Deposit required to be made by Lessee hereunder, whether to Lessor or to
a third party, when due, to provide reasonable evidence of insurance or surety bond, or to fulfill any obligation under this Lease which endangers or threatens life or property, where such failure continues for a period of 3 business days
following written notice to Lessee. THE ACCEPTANCE BY LESSOR OF A PARTIAL PAYMENT OF RENT OR SECURITY DEPOSIT SHALL NOT CONSTITUTE A WAIVER OF ANY OF LESSOR’S RIGHTS, INCLUDING LESSOR’S RIGHT TO RECOVER POSSESSION OF THE PREMISES.
(c) The failure of Lessee to allow Lessor and/or its agents access to the Premises or the commission of waste, act or acts constituting public
or private nuisance, and/or an illegal activity on the Premises by Lessee, where such actions continue for a period of 3 business days following written notice to Lessee. In the event that Lessee commits waste, a nuisance or an illegal activity
a second time then, the Lessor may elect to treat such conduct as a non-curable Breach rather than a Default.
(d) The failure by Lessee to provide (i) reasonable written evidence of compliance with Applicable Requirements, (ii) the service contracts,
(iii) the rescission of an unauthorized assignment or subletting, (iv) an Estoppel Certificate or financial statements, (v) a requested subordination, (vi) evidence concerning any guaranty and/or Guarantor, (vii) any document requested under
Paragraph 41, (viii) material safety data sheets (MSDS), or (ix) any other documentation or information which Lessor may reasonably require of Lessee under the terms of this Lease, where any such failure continues for a period of 10 days
following written notice to Lessee.
(e) A Default by Lessee as to the terms, covenants, conditions or provisions of this Lease, or of the rules adopted under Paragraph 2.9
hereof, other than those described in subparagraphs 13.1(a), (b), (c) or (d), above, where such Default continues for a period of 30 days after written notice; provided, however, that if the nature of Lessee’s Default is such that more than 30
days are reasonably required for its cure, then it shall not be deemed to be a Breach if Lessee commences such cure within said 30 day period and thereafter diligently prosecutes such cure to completion.
(f) The occurrence of any of the following events: (i) the making of any general arrangement or assignment for the benefit of creditors; (ii)
becoming a “debtor” as defined in 11 U.S.C. § 101 or any successor statute thereto (unless, in the case of a petition filed against Lessee, the same is dismissed within 60 days); (iii) the appointment of a
trustee or receiver to take possession of substantially all of Lessee’s assets located at the Premises or of Lessee’s interest in this Lease, where possession is not restored to Lessee within 30 days; or (iv) the attachment, execution or other
judicial seizure of substantially all of Lessee’s assets located at the Premises or of Lessee’s interest in this Lease, where such seizure is not discharged within 30 days; provided, however, in the event that any provision of this subparagraph
is contrary to any applicable law, such provision shall be of no force or effect, and not affect the validity of the remaining provisions.
(g) The discovery that any financial statement of Lessee or of any Guarantor given to Lessor was materially false.
(h) If the performance of Lessee’s obligations under this Lease is guaranteed: (i) the death of a Guarantor, (ii) the termination of a
Guarantor’s liability with respect to this Lease other than in accordance with the terms of such guaranty, (iii) a Guarantor’s becoming insolvent or the subject of a bankruptcy filing, (iv) a Guarantor’s refusal to honor the guaranty, or (v) a
Guarantor’s breach of its guaranty obligation on an anticipatory basis, and Lessee’s failure, within 60 days following written notice of any such event, to provide written alternative assurance or security, which, when coupled with the then
existing resources of Lessee, equals or exceeds the combined financial resources of Lessee and the Guarantors that existed at the time of execution of this Lease.
13.2 Remedies. If Lessee fails to perform any of its affirmative duties or obligations, within 10
days after written notice (or in case of an emergency, without notice), Lessor may, at its option, perform such duty or obligation on Lessee’s behalf, including but not limited to the obtaining of reasonably required bonds, insurance policies, or
governmental licenses, permits or approvals. Lessee shall pay to Lessor an amount equal to 115% of the costs and expenses incurred by Lessor in such performance upon receipt of an invoice therefor. In the event of a Breach, Lessor may, with or
without further notice or demand, and without limiting Lessor in the exercise of any right or remedy which Lessor may have by reason of such Breach:
(a) Terminate Lessee’s right to possession of the Premises by any lawful means, in which case this Lease shall terminate and Lessee shall
immediately surrender possession to Lessor. In such event Lessor shall be entitled to recover from Lessee: (i) the unpaid Rent which had been earned at the time of termination; (ii) the worth at the time of award of the amount by which the
unpaid rent which would have been earned after termination until the time of award exceeds the amount of such rental loss that the Lessee proves could have been reasonably avoided; (iii) the worth at the time of award of the amount by which the
unpaid rent for the balance of the term after the time of award exceeds the amount of such rental loss that the Lessee proves could be reasonably avoided; and (iv) any other amount necessary to compensate Lessor for all the detriment proximately
caused by the Lessee’s failure to perform its obligations under this Lease or which in the ordinary course of things would be likely to result therefrom, including but not limited to the cost of recovering possession of the Premises, expenses of
reletting, including necessary renovation and alteration of the Premises, reasonable attorneys’ fees, and that portion of any leasing commission paid by Lessor in connection with this Lease applicable to the unexpired term of this Lease. The
worth at the time of award of the amount referred to in provision (iii) of the immediately preceding sentence shall be computed by discounting such amount at the discount rate of the Federal Reserve Bank of the District within which the Premises
are located at the time of award plus one percent. Efforts by Lessor to mitigate damages caused by Lessee’s Breach of this Lease shall not waive Lessor’s right to recover any damages to which Lessor is otherwise entitled. If termination of this
Lease is obtained through the provisional remedy of unlawful detainer, Lessor shall have the right to recover in such proceeding any unpaid Rent and damages as are recoverable therein, or Lessor may reserve the right to recover all or any part
thereof in a separate suit. If a notice and grace period required under Paragraph 13.1 was not previously given, a notice to pay rent or quit, or to perform or quit given to Lessee under the unlawful detainer statute shall also constitute the
notice required by Paragraph 13.1. In such case, the applicable grace period required by Paragraph 13.1 and the unlawful detainer statute shall run concurrently, and the failure of Lessee to cure the Default within the greater of the two such
grace periods shall constitute both an unlawful detainer and a Breach of this Lease entitling Lessor to the remedies provided for in this Lease and/or by said statute.
(b) Continue the Lease and Lessee’s right to possession and recover the Rent as it becomes due, in which event Lessee may sublet or assign,
subject only to reasonable limitations. Acts of maintenance, efforts to relet, and/or the appointment of a receiver to protect the Lessor’s interests, shall not constitute a termination of the Lessee’s right to possession.
(c) Pursue any other remedy now or hereafter available under the laws or judicial decisions of the state wherein the Premises are located.
The expiration or termination of this Lease and/or the termination of Lessee’s right to possession shall not relieve Lessee from liability under any indemnity provisions of this Lease as to matters occurring or accruing during the term hereof or
by reason of Lessee’s occupancy of the Premises.
13.3 Inducement Recapture. Any agreement for free or abated rent or other charges, the cost of tenant
improvements for Lessee paid for or performed by Lessor, or for the giving or paying by Lessor to or for Lessee of any cash or other bonus, inducement or consideration for Lessee’s entering into this Lease, all of which concessions are
hereinafter referred to as “Inducement Provisions,” shall be deemed conditioned upon Lessee’s full and faithful performance of all of the terms, covenants and conditions of this Lease. Upon Breach of this
Lease by Lessee, any such Inducement Provision shall automatically be deemed deleted from this Lease and of no further force or effect, and any rent, other charge, bonus, inducement or consideration theretofore abated, given or paid by Lessor
under such an Inducement Provision shall be immediately due and payable by Lessee to Lessor, notwithstanding any subsequent cure of said Breach by Lessee. The acceptance by Lessor of rent or the cure of the Breach which initiated the operation
of this paragraph shall not be deemed a waiver by Lessor of the provisions of this paragraph unless specifically so stated in writing by Lessor at the time of such acceptance.
13.4 Late Charges. Lessee hereby acknowledges that late payment by Lessee of Rent will cause Lessor to
incur costs not contemplated by this Lease, the exact amount of which will be extremely difficult to ascertain. Such costs include, but are not limited to, processing and accounting charges, and late charges which may be imposed upon Lessor by
any Lender. Accordingly, if any Rent shall not be received by Lessor within 5 days after such amount shall be due, then, without any requirement for notice to Lessee, Lessee shall immediately pay to Lessor a one-time late charge equal to 10% of
each such overdue amount or $100, whichever is greater. The parties hereby agree that such late charge represents a fair and reasonable estimate of the costs Lessor will incur by reason of such late payment. Acceptance of such late charge by
Lessor shall in no event constitute a waiver of Lessee’s Default or Breach with respect to such overdue amount, nor prevent the exercise of any of the other rights and remedies granted hereunder. In the event that a late charge is payable
hereunder, whether or not collected, for 3 consecutive installments of Base Rent, then notwithstanding any provision of this Lease to the contrary, Base Rent shall, at Lessor’s option, become due and payable quarterly in advance.
13.5 Interest. Any monetary payment due Lessor hereunder, other than late charges, not received by
Lessor, when due shall bear interest from the 31st day after it was due. The interest (“Interest”) charged shall be computed at the rate of 10% per annum but shall not exceed the maximum rate allowed by
law. Interest is payable in addition to the potential late charge provided for in Paragraph 13.4.
13.6 Breach by Lessor.
(a) Notice of Breach. Lessor shall not be deemed in breach of this Lease unless Lessor fails within a
reasonable time to perform an obligation required to be performed by Lessor. For purposes of this Paragraph, a reasonable time shall in no event be less than 30 days after receipt by Lessor, and any Lender whose name and address shall have been
furnished to Lessee in writing for such purpose, of written notice specifying wherein such obligation of Lessor has not been performed; provided, however, that if the nature of Lessor’s obligation is such that more than 30 days are reasonably
required for its performance, then Lessor shall not be in breach if performance is commenced within such 30 day period and thereafter diligently pursued to completion.
(b) Performance by Lessee on Behalf of Lessor. In the event that neither Lessor nor Lender cures said
breach within 30 days after receipt of said notice, or if having commenced said cure they do not diligently pursue it to completion, then Lessee may elect to cure said breach at Lessee’s expense and offset from Rent the actual and reasonable cost
to perform such cure, provided however, that such offset shall not exceed an amount equal to the greater of one month’s Base Rent or the Security Deposit, reserving Lessee’s right to reimbursement from Lessor for any such expense in excess of
such offset. Lessee shall document the cost of said cure and supply said documentation to Lessor.
14. Condemnation. If the Premises or any portion thereof are taken under the power of eminent domain or sold
under the threat of the exercise of said power (collectively “Condemnation”), this Lease shall terminate as to the part taken as of the date the condemning authority takes title or possession, whichever
first occurs. If more than 10% of the floor area of the Unit, or more than 25% of the parking spaces is taken by Condemnation, Lessee may, at Lessee’s option, to be exercised in writing within 10 days after Lessor shall have given Lessee written
notice of such taking (or in the absence of such notice, within 10 days after the condemning authority shall have taken possession) terminate this Lease as of the date the condemning authority takes such possession. If Lessee does not terminate
this Lease in accordance with the foregoing, this Lease shall remain in full force and effect as to the portion of the Premises remaining, except that the Base Rent shall be reduced in proportion to the reduction in utility of the Premises caused
by such Condemnation. Condemnation awards and/or payments shall be the property of Lessor, whether such award shall be made as compensation for diminution in value of the leasehold, the value of the part taken, or for severance damages;
provided, however, that Lessee shall be entitled to any compensation paid by the condemnor for Lessee’s relocation expenses, loss of business goodwill and/or Trade Fixtures, without regard to whether or not this Lease is terminated pursuant to
the provisions of this Paragraph. All Alterations and Utility Installations made to the Premises by Lessee, for purposes of Condemnation only, shall be considered the property of the Lessee and Lessee shall be entitled to any and all
compensation which is payable therefor. In the event that this Lease is not terminated by reason of the Condemnation, Lessor shall repair any damage to the Premises caused by such Condemnation.
15. Brokerage Fees.
15.1 Additional Commission.
15.2 Assumption of Obligations.
15.3 Representations and Indemnities of Broker Relationships. Lessee and Lessor each represent and
warrant to the other that it has had no dealings with any person, firm, broker, agent or finder (other than the Brokers and Agents, if any) in connection with this Lease, and that no one other than said named Brokers and Agents is entitled to any
commission or finder’s fee in connection herewith. Lessee and Lessor do each hereby agree to indemnify, protect, defend and hold the other harmless from and against liability for compensation or charges which may be claimed by any such unnamed
broker, finder or other similar party by reason of any dealings or actions of the indemnifying Party, including any costs, expenses, attorneys’ fees reasonably incurred with respect thereto.
16. Estoppel Certificates.
(a) Each Party (as “Responding Party”) shall within 10 days after written notice from the other Party
(the “Requesting Party”) execute, acknowledge and deliver to the Requesting Party a statement in writing in form similar to the then most current “Estoppel Certificate”
form published BY AIR CRE, plus such additional information, confirmation and/or statements as may be reasonably requested by the Requesting Party.
(b) If the Responding Party shall fail to execute or deliver the Estoppel Certificate within such 10 day period, the Requesting Party may
execute an Estoppel Certificate stating that: (i) the Lease is in full force and effect without modification except as may be represented by the Requesting Party, (ii) there are no uncured defaults in the Requesting Party’s performance, and
(iii) if Lessor is the Requesting Party, not more than one month’s rent has been paid in advance. Prospective purchasers and encumbrancers may rely upon the Requesting Party’s Estoppel Certificate, and the Responding Party shall be estopped from
denying the truth of the facts contained in said Certificate. In addition, Lessee acknowledges that any failure on its part to provide such an Estoppel Certificate will expose Lessor to risks and potentially cause Lessor to incur costs not
contemplated by this Lease, the extent of which will be extremely difficult to ascertain.
(c) If Lessor desires to finance, refinance, or sell the Premises, or any part thereof, Lessee and all Guarantors shall within 10 days after
written notice from Lessor deliver to any potential lender or purchaser designated by Lessor such financial statements as may be reasonably required by such lender or purchaser, including but not limited to Lessee’s financial statements for the
past 3 years. All such financial statements shall be received by Lessor and such lender or purchaser in confidence and shall be used only for the purposes herein set forth.
17. Definition of Lessor. The term “Lessor” as used herein shall mean
the owner or owners at the time in question of the fee title to the Premises, or, if this is a sublease, of the Lessee’s interest in the prior lease. In the event of a transfer of Lessor’s title or interest in the Premises or this Lease, Lessor
shall deliver to the transferee or assignee (in cash or by credit) any unused Security Deposit held by Lessor. Upon such transfer or assignment and delivery of the Security Deposit, as aforesaid, the prior Lessor shall be relieved of all
liability with respect to the obligations and/or covenants under this Lease thereafter to be performed by the Lessor. Subject to the foregoing, the obligations and/or covenants in this Lease to be performed by the Lessor shall be binding only
upon the Lessor as hereinabove defined.
18. Severability. The invalidity of any provision of this Lease, as determined by a court of competent
jurisdiction, shall in no way affect the validity of any other provision hereof.
19. Days. Unless otherwise specifically indicated to the contrary, the word “days”
as used in this Lease shall mean and refer to calendar days.
20. Limitation on Liability. The obligations of Lessor under this Lease shall not constitute personal
obligations of Lessor, or its partners, members, directors, officers or shareholders, and Lessee shall look to the Premises, and to no other assets of Lessor, for the satisfaction of any liability of Lessor with respect to this Lease, and shall
not seek recourse against Lessor’s partners, members, directors, officers or shareholders, or any of their personal assets for such satisfaction.
21. Time of Essence. Time is of the essence with respect to the performance of all obligations to be performed
or observed by the Parties under this Lease.
22. No Prior or Other Agreements; Broker Disclaimer. This Lease contains all agreements between the Parties
with respect to any matter mentioned herein, and no other prior or contemporaneous agreement or understanding shall be effective. Lessor and Lessee each represents and warrants to the Brokers that it has made, and is relying solely upon, its own
investigation as to the nature, quality, character and financial responsibility of the other Party to this Lease and as to the use, nature, quality and character of the Premises. Brokers have no responsibility with respect thereto or with
respect to any default or breach hereof by either Party.
23. Notices.
23.1 Notice Requirements. All notices required or permitted by this Lease or applicable law shall be in
writing and may be delivered in person (by hand or by overnight courier such as FedEx) or may be sent by certified or registered mail or U.S. Postal Service Express Mail, with postage prepaid, or or by email, and shall be deemed sufficiently
given if served in a manner specified in this Paragraph 23. The addresses noted adjacent to a Party’s signature on this Lease shall be that Party’s address for delivery or mailing of notices. Either Party may by written notice to the other
specify a different address for notice, except that upon Lessee’s taking possession of the Premises, the Premises shall constitute Lessee’s address for notice. A copy of all notices to Lessor shall be concurrently transmitted to such party or
parties at such addresses as Lessor may from time to time hereafter designate in writing.
23.2 Date of Notice. Any notice sent by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, shall be
deemed given on the date of delivery shown on the receipt card, or if no delivery date is shown, the postmark thereon. Notices delivered by United States Express Mail or overnight courier that guarantees next day delivery shall be deemed given
24 hours after delivery of the same to the Postal Service or courier. Notices delivered by hand, or transmitted by by email shall be deemed delivered upon actual receipt. If notice is received on a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, it shall be
deemed received on the next business day.
23.3 Options. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in order to exercise any Options (see paragraph 39), the
Notice must be sent by Certified Mail (return receipt requested), Express Mail (signature required), courier (signature required) or some other methodology that provides a receipt establishing the date the notice was received by the Lessor.
24. Waivers.
(a) No waiver by Lessor of the Default or Breach of any term, covenant or condition hereof by Lessee, shall be deemed a waiver of any other
term, covenant or condition hereof, or of any subsequent Default or Breach by Lessee of the same or of any other term, covenant or condition hereof. Lessor’s consent to, or approval of, any act shall not be deemed to render unnecessary the
obtaining of Lessor’s consent to, or approval of, any subsequent or similar act by Lessee, or be construed as the basis of an estoppel to enforce the provision or provisions of this Lease requiring such consent.
(b) The acceptance of Rent by Lessor shall not be a waiver of any Default or Breach by Lessee. Any payment by Lessee may be accepted by
Lessor on account of monies or damages due Lessor, notwithstanding any qualifying statements or conditions made by Lessee in connection therewith, which such statements and/or conditions shall be of no force or effect whatsoever unless
specifically agreed to in writing by Lessor at or before the time of deposit of such payment.
(c) THE PARTIES AGREE THAT THE TERMS OF THIS LEASE SHALL GOVERN WITH REGARD TO ALL MATTERS RELATED THERETO AND HEREBY WAIVE THE PROVISIONS OF
ANY PRESENT OR FUTURE STATUTE TO THE EXTENT THAT SUCH STATUTE IS INCONSISTENT WITH THIS LEASE.
25. Disclosures Regarding The Nature of a Real Estate Agency Relationship.
(i) Lessor’s Agent. A Lessor’s agent under a listing agreement with the Lessor acts as the
agent for the Lessor only. A Lessor’s agent or subagent has the following affirmative obligations: To the Lessor: A fiduciary duty of utmost care, integrity, honesty, and loyalty in dealings
with the Lessor. To the Lessee and the Lessor: (a) Diligent exercise of reasonable skills and care in performance of the agent’s duties. (b) A duty of honest and fair dealing and good faith.
(c) A duty to disclose all facts known to the agent materially affecting the value or desirability of the property that are not known to, or within the diligent attention and observation of, the Parties. An agent is not obligated to reveal to
either Party any confidential information obtained from the other Party which does not involve the affirmative duties set forth above.
(ii) Lessee’s Agent. An agent can agree to act as agent for the Lessee only. In these
situations, the agent is not the Lessor’s agent, even if by agreement the agent may receive compensation for services rendered, either in full or in part from the Lessor. An agent acting only for a Lessee has the following affirmative
obligations. To the Lessee: A fiduciary duty of utmost care, integrity, honesty, and loyalty in dealings with the Lessee. To the Lessee and the Lessor:
(a) Diligent exercise of reasonable skills and care in performance of the agent’s duties. (b) A duty of honest and fair dealing and good faith. (c) A duty to disclose all facts known to the agent materially affecting the value or desirability
of the property that are not known to, or within the diligent attention and observation of, the Parties. An agent is not obligated to reveal to either Party any confidential information obtained from the other Party which does not involve the
affirmative duties set forth above.
(iii) Agent Representing Both Lessor and Lessee. A real estate agent, either acting directly
or through one or more associate licenses, can legally be the agent of both the Lessor and the Lessee in a transaction, but only with the knowledge and consent of both the Lessor and the Lessee. In a dual agency situation, the agent has the
following affirmative obligations to both the Lessor and the Lessee: (a) A fiduciary duty of utmost care, integrity, honesty and loyalty in the dealings with either Lessor or the Lessee. (b) Other duties to the Lessor and the Lessee as stated
above in subparagraphs (i) or (ii). In representing both Lessor and Lessee, the agent may not, without the express permission of the respective Party, disclose to the other Party confidential information, including, but not limited to, facts
relating to either Lessee’s or Lessor’s financial position, motivations, bargaining position, or other personal information that may impact rent, including Lessor’s willingness to accept a rent less than the listing rent or Lessee’s willingness
to pay rent greater than the rent offered. The above duties of the agent in a real estate transaction do not relieve a Lessor or Lessee from the responsibility to protect their own interests. Lessor and Lessee should carefully read all
agreements to assure that they adequately express their understanding of the transaction. A real estate agent is a person qualified to advise about real estate. If legal or tax advice is desired, consult a competent professional. Both Lessor
and Lessee should strongly consider obtaining tax advice from a competent professional because the federal and state tax consequences of a transaction can be complex and subject to change.
(b)
(c) Lessor and Lessee agree to identify to Brokers as “Confidential” any communication or information given Brokers that is considered by such
Party to be confidential.
26. No Right To Holdover. Lessee has no right to retain possession of the Premises or any part thereof beyond
the expiration or termination of this Lease. In the event that Lessee holds over, then the Base Rent shall be increased to 150% of the Base Rent applicable immediately preceding the expiration or termination. Holdover Base Rent shall be
calculated on monthly basis. Nothing contained herein shall be construed as consent by Lessor to any holding over by Lessee.
27. Cumulative Remedies. No remedy or election hereunder shall be deemed exclusive but shall, wherever
possible, be cumulative with all other remedies at law or in equity.
28. Covenants and Conditions; Construction of Agreement. All provisions of this Lease to be observed or
performed by Lessee are both covenants and conditions. In construing this Lease, all headings and titles are for the convenience of the Parties only and shall not be considered a part of this Lease. Whenever required by the context, the
singular shall include the plural and vice versa. This Lease shall not be construed as if prepared by one of the Parties, but rather according to its fair meaning as a whole, as if both Parties had prepared it.
29. Binding Effect; Choice of Law. This Lease shall be binding upon the Parties, their personal
representatives, successors and assigns and be governed by the laws of the State in which the Premises are located. Any litigation between the Parties hereto concerning this Lease shall be initiated in the county in which the Premises are
located. Signatures to this Lease accomplished by means of electronic signature or similar technology shall be legal and binding.
30. Subordination; Attornment; Non-Disturbance.
30.1 Subordination. This Lease and any Option granted hereby shall be subject and subordinate to any
ground lease, mortgage, deed of trust, or other hypothecation or security device (collectively, “Security Device”), now or hereafter placed upon the Premises, to any and all advances made on the security
thereof, and to all renewals, modifications, and extensions thereof. Lessee agrees that the holders of any such Security Devices (in this Lease together referred to as “Lender”) shall have no liability or
obligation to perform any of the obligations of Lessor under this Lease. Any Lender may elect to have this Lease and/or any Option granted hereby superior to the lien of its Security Device by giving written notice thereof to Lessee, whereupon
this Lease and such Options shall be deemed prior to such Security Device, notwithstanding the relative dates of the documentation or recordation thereof.
30.2 Attornment. In the event that Lessor transfers title to the Premises, or the Premises are acquired
by another upon the foreclosure or termination of a Security Device to which this Lease is subordinated (i) Lessee shall, subject to the non-disturbance provisions of Paragraph 30.3, attorn to such new owner, and upon request, enter into a new
lease, containing all of the terms and provisions of this Lease, with such new owner for the remainder of the term hereof, or, at the election of the new owner, this Lease will automatically become a new lease between Lessee and such new owner,
and (ii) Lessor shall thereafter be relieved of any further obligations hereunder and such new owner shall assume all of Lessor’s obligations, except that such new owner shall not: (a) be liable for any act or omission of any prior lessor or
with respect to events occurring prior to acquisition of ownership; (b) be subject to any offsets or defenses which Lessee might have against any prior lessor, (c) be bound by prepayment of more than one month’s rent, or (d) be liable for the
return of any security deposit paid to any prior lessor which was not paid or credited to such new owner.
30.3 Non-Disturbance. With respect to Security Devices entered into by Lessor after the execution of this
Lease, Lessee’s subordination of this Lease shall be subject to receiving a commercially reasonable non-disturbance agreement (a “Non-Disturbance Agreement”) from the Lender which Non-Disturbance Agreement
provides that Lessee’s possession of the Premises, and this Lease, including any options to extend the term hereof, will not be disturbed so long as Lessee is not in Breach hereof and attorns to the record owner of the Premises.
30.4 Self-Executing. The agreements contained in this Paragraph 30 shall be effective without the
execution of any further documents; provided, however, that, upon written request from Lessor or a Lender in connection with a sale, financing or refinancing of the Premises, Lessee and Lessor shall execute such further writings as may be
reasonably required to separately document any subordination, attornment and/or Non-Disturbance Agreement provided for herein.
31. Attorneys’ Fees. If any Party or Broker brings an action or proceeding involving the Premises whether
founded in tort, contract or equity, or to declare rights hereunder, the Prevailing Party (as hereafter defined) in any such proceeding, action, or appeal thereon, shall be entitled to reasonable attorneys’ fees. Such fees may be awarded in the
same suit or recovered in a separate suit, whether or not such action or proceeding is pursued to decision or judgment. The term, “Prevailing Party” shall include, without limitation, a Party or Broker who
substantially obtains or defeats the relief sought, as the case may be, whether by compromise, settlement, judgment, or the abandonment by the other Party or Broker of its claim or defense. The attorneys’ fees award shall not be computed in
accordance with any court fee schedule, but shall be such as to fully reimburse all attorneys’ fees reasonably incurred. In addition, Lessor shall be entitled to attorneys’ fees, costs and expenses incurred in the preparation and service of
notices of Default and consultations in connection therewith, whether or not a legal action is subsequently commenced in connection with such Default or resulting Breach ($200 is a reasonable minimum per occurrence for such services and
consultation).
32. Lessor’s Access; Showing Premises; Repairs. Lessor and Lessor’s agents shall have the right to enter the
Premises at any time, in the case of an emergency, and otherwise at reasonable times after reasonable prior notice for the purpose of showing the same to prospective purchasers, lenders, or tenants, and making such alterations, repairs,
improvements or additions to the Premises as Lessor may deem necessary or desirable and the erecting, using and maintaining of utilities, services, pipes and conduits through the Premises and/or other premises as long as there is no material
adverse effect on Lessee’s use of the Premises. All such activities shall be without abatement of rent or liability to Lessee.
33. Auctions. Lessee shall not conduct, nor permit to be conducted, any auction upon the Premises without
Lessor’s prior written consent. Lessor shall not be obligated to exercise any standard of reasonableness in determining whether to permit an auction.
34. Signs. Lessor may place on the Premises ordinary “For Sale” signs at any time and ordinary “For Lease”
signs during the last 6 months of the term hereof. Except for ordinary “For Sublease” signs which may be placed only on the Premises, Lessee shall not place any sign upon the Project without Lessor’s prior written consent. All signs must comply
with all Applicable Requirements.
35. Termination; Merger. Unless specifically stated otherwise in writing by Lessor, the voluntary or other
surrender of this Lease by Lessee, the mutual termination or cancellation hereof, or a termination hereof by Lessor for Breach by Lessee, shall automatically terminate any sublease or lesser estate in the Premises; provided, however, that Lessor
may elect to continue any one or all existing subtenancies. Lessor’s failure within 10 days following any such event to elect to the contrary by written notice to the holder of any such lesser interest, shall constitute Lessor’s election to have
such event constitute the termination of such interest.
36. Consents. All requests for consent shall be in writing. Except as otherwise provided herein, wherever in
this Lease the consent of a Party is required to an act by or for the other Party, such consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed. Lessor’s actual reasonable costs and expenses (including but not limited to architects’, attorneys’,
engineers’ and other consultants’ fees) incurred in the consideration of, or response to, a request by Lessee for any Lessor consent, including but not limited to consents to an assignment, a subletting or the presence or use of a Hazardous
Substance, shall be paid by Lessee upon receipt of an invoice and supporting documentation therefor. Lessor’s consent to any act, assignment or subletting shall not constitute an acknowledgment that no Default or Breach by Lessee of this Lease
exists, nor shall such consent be deemed a waiver of any then existing Default or Breach, except as may be otherwise specifically stated in writing by Lessor at the time of such consent. The failure to specify herein any particular condition to
Lessor’s consent shall not preclude the imposition by Lessor at the time of consent of such further or other conditions as are then reasonable with reference to the particular matter for which consent is being given. In the event that either
Party disagrees with any determination made by the other hereunder and reasonably requests the reasons for such determination, the determining party shall furnish its reasons in writing and in reasonable detail within 10 business days following
such request.
37. Guarantor.
37.1 Execution. The Guarantors, if any, shall each execute a guaranty in the form most recently published
BY AIR CRE.
37.2 Default. It shall constitute a Default of the Lessee if any Guarantor fails or refuses, upon request
to provide: (a) evidence of the execution of the guaranty, including the authority of the party signing on Guarantor’s behalf to obligate Guarantor, and in the case of a corporate Guarantor, a certified copy of a resolution of its board of
directors authorizing the making of such guaranty, (b) current financial statements, (c) an Estoppel Certificate, or (d) written confirmation that the guaranty is still in effect.
38. Quiet Possession. Subject to payment by Lessee of the Rent and performance of all of the covenants,
conditions and provisions on Lessee’s part to be observed and performed under this Lease, Lessee shall have quiet possession and quiet enjoyment of the Premises during the term hereof.
39. Options. If Lessee is granted any option, as defined below, then the following provisions shall apply.
39.1 Definition. “Option” shall mean: (a) the right to extend or
reduce the term of or renew this Lease or to extend or reduce the term of or renew any lease that Lessee has on other property of Lessor; (b) the right of first refusal or first offer to lease either the Premises or other property of Lessor; (c)
the right to purchase, the right of first offer to purchase or the right of first refusal to purchase the Premises or other property of Lessor.
39.2 Options Personal To Original Lessee. Any Option granted to Lessee in this Lease is personal to the
original Lessee, and cannot be assigned or exercised by anyone other than said original Lessee or a Permitted Assignee (as such term is defined in the Addendum) and only while the original Lessee is in full possession of the Premises and, if
requested by Lessor, with Lessee certifying that Lessee has no intention of thereafter assigning or subletting.
39.3 Multiple Options. In the event that Lessee has any multiple Options to extend or renew this Lease, a
later Option cannot be exercised unless the prior Options have been validly exercised.
39.4 Effect of Default on Options.
(a) Lessee shall have no right to exercise an Option: (i) during the period commencing with the giving of any notice of Default and
continuing until said Default is cured, (ii) during the period of time any Rent is unpaid (without regard to whether notice thereof is given Lessee), or (iii) during the time Lessee is in Breach of this Lease.
(b) The period of time within which an Option may be exercised shall not be extended or enlarged by reason of Lessee’s inability to exercise
an Option because of the provisions of Paragraph 39.4(a).
(c) An Option shall terminate and be of no further force or effect, notwithstanding Lessee’s due and timely exercise of the Option, if, after
such exercise and prior to the commencement of the extended term or completion of the purchase, (i) Lessee fails to pay Rent for a period of 30 days after such Rent becomes due (without any necessity of Lessor to give notice thereof), or (ii) if
Lessee commits a Breach of this Lease.
40. Security Measures. Lessee hereby acknowledges that the Rent payable to Lessor hereunder does not include
the cost of guard service or other security measures, and that Lessor shall have no obligation whatsoever to provide same. Lessee assumes all responsibility for the protection of the Premises, Lessee, its agents and invitees and their property
from the acts of third parties.
41. Reservations. Lessor reserves the right: (i) to grant, without the consent or joinder of Lessee, such
easements, rights and dedications that Lessor deems necessary, (ii) to cause the recordation of parcel maps and restrictions, and (iii) to create and/or install new utility raceways, so long as such easements, rights, dedications, maps,
restrictions, and utility raceways do not unreasonably interfere with the use of the Premises by Lessee. Lessee agrees to sign any documents reasonably requested by Lessor to effectuate such rights.
42. Performance Under Protest. If at any time a dispute shall arise as to any amount or sum of money to be paid
by one Party to the other under the provisions hereof, the Party against whom the obligation to pay the money is asserted shall have the right to make payment “under protest” and such payment shall not be regarded as a voluntary payment and there
shall survive the right on the part of said Party to institute suit for recovery of such sum. If it shall be adjudged that there was no legal obligation on the part of said Party to pay such sum or any part thereof, said Party shall be entitled
to recover such sum or so much thereof as it was not legally required to pay. A Party who does not initiate suit for the recovery of sums paid “under protest” within 6 months shall be deemed to have waived its right to protest such payment.
43. Authority; Multiple Parties; Execution.
(a) If either Party hereto is a corporation, trust, limited liability company, partnership, or similar entity, each individual executing
this Lease on behalf of such entity represents and warrants that he or she is duly authorized to execute and deliver this Lease on its behalf. Each Party shall, within 30 days after request, deliver to the other Party satisfactory evidence of
such authority.
(b) If this Lease is executed by more than one person or entity as “Lessee”, each such person or entity shall be jointly and severally
liable hereunder. It is agreed that any one of the named Lessees shall be empowered to execute any amendment to this Lease, or other document ancillary thereto and bind all of the named Lessees, and Lessor may rely on the same as if all of the
named Lessees had executed such document.
(c) This Lease may be executed by the Parties in counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original and all of which together shall
constitute one and the same instrument.
44. Conflict. Any conflict between the printed provisions of this Lease and the typewritten or handwritten
provisions shall be controlled by the typewritten or handwritten provisions.
45. Offer. Preparation of this Lease by either party or their agent and submission of same to the other Party
shall not be deemed an offer to lease to the other Party. This Lease is not intended to be binding until executed and delivered by all Parties hereto.
46. Amendments. This Lease may be modified only in writing, signed by the Parties in interest at the time of
the modification. As long as they do not materially change Lessee’s obligations hereunder, Lessee agrees to make such reasonable non-monetary modifications to this Lease as may be reasonably required by a Lender in connection with the obtaining
of normal financing or refinancing of the Premises.
47. Waiver of Jury Trial. THE PARTIES HEREBY WAIVE THEIR RESPECTIVE RIGHTS TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY ACTION OR PROCEEDING INVOLVING
THE PROPERTY OR ARISING OUT OF THIS AGREEMENT.
48. Arbitration of Disputes. An Addendum requiring the Arbitration of all disputes between the Parties arising
out of this Lease □ is ☑ is not attached to this Lease.
49. Accessibility; Americans with Disabilities Act.
(a) The Premises:
☑ have not undergone an inspection by a Certified Access Specialist (CASp). Note: A Certified Access Specialist (CASp) can inspect the subject premises and determine whether the subject premises comply with all of the
applicable construction-related accessibility standards under state law. Although state law does not require a CASp inspection of the subject premises, the commercial property owner or lessor may not prohibit the lessee or tenant from obtaining a
CASp inspection of the subject premises for the occupancy or potential occupancy of the lessee or tenant, if requested by the lessee or tenant. The parties shall mutually agree on the arrangements for the time and manner of the CASp inspection,
the payment of the fee for the CASp inspection, and the cost of making any repairs necessary to correct violations of construction-related accessibility standards within the premises.
□ have undergone an inspection by a Certified Access Specialist (CASp) and it was determined that the Premises met all applicable construction-related accessibility standards pursuant to California Civil Code §55.51 et
seq. Lessee acknowledges that it received a copy of the inspection report at least 48 hours prior to executing this Lease and agrees to keep such report confidential.
□ have undergone an inspection by a Certified Access Specialist (CASp) and it was determined that the Premises did not meet all applicable construction-related accessibility standards pursuant to California Civil Code
§55.51 et seq. Lessee acknowledges that it received a copy of the inspection report at least 48 hours prior to executing this Lease and agrees to keep such report confidential except as necessary to complete repairs and corrections of violations
of construction related accessibility standards.
In the event that the Premises have been issued an inspection report by a CASp the Lessor shall provide a copy of the disability access inspection certificate to Lessee within 7 days of the execution of this Lease.
(b) Since compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other state and local accessibility statutes are dependent upon
Lessee’s specific use of the Premises, Lessor makes no warranty or representation as to whether or not the Premises comply with ADA or any similar legislation. In the event that Lessee’s use of the Premises requires modifications or additions to
the Premises in order to be in compliance with ADA or other accessibility statutes, Lessee agrees to make any such necessary modifications and/or additions at Lessee’s expense.
LESSOR AND LESSEE HAVE CAREFULLY READ AND REVIEWED THIS LEASE AND EACH TERM AND PROVISION CONTAINED HEREIN, AND BY THE EXECUTION OF THIS LEASE SHOW THEIR INFORMED AND VOLUNTARY CONSENT THERETO. THE
PARTIES HEREBY AGREE THAT, AT THE TIME THIS LEASE IS EXECUTED, THE TERMS OF THIS LEASE ARE COMMERCIALLY REASONABLE AND EFFECTUATE THE INTENT AND PURPOSE OF LESSOR AND LESSEE WITH RESPECT TO THE PREMISES.
ATTENTION: NO REPRESENTATION OR RECOMMENDATION IS MADE BY AIR CRE OR BY ANY BROKER AS TO THE LEGAL SUFFICIENCY, LEGAL EFFECT, OR TAX CONSEQUENCES OF THIS LEASE OR THE TRANSACTION TO WHICH IT RELATES.
THE PARTIES ARE URGED TO:
1. SEEK ADVICE OF COUNSEL AS TO THE LEGAL AND TAX CONSEQUENCES OF THIS LEASE.
2. RETAIN APPROPRIATE CONSULTANTS TO REVIEW AND INVESTIGATE THE CONDITION OF THE PREMISES. SAID INVESTIGATION SHOULD INCLUDE BUT
NOT BE LIMITED TO: THE POSSIBLE PRESENCE OF HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES, THE ZONING OF THE PREMISES, THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY, THE CONDITION OF THE ROOF AND OPERATING SYSTEMS, COMPLIANCE WITH THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT AND THE SUITABILITY OF
THE PREMISES FOR LESSEE’S INTENDED USE.
WARNING: IF THE PREMISES ARE LOCATED IN A STATE OTHER THAN CALIFORNIA, CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF THE LEASE MAY NEED TO BE REVISED TO COMPLY WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE IN WHICH THE PREMISES ARE LOCATED.
The parties hereto have executed this Lease at the place and on the dates specified above their respective signatures.
Executed at: ____
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Executed at: ____
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On: 1/22/2021
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On: 1/22/2021
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By LESSOR:
Nancy Ridge Technology Center, L.P., a California limited partnership
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By LESSEE:
Cue Health Inc., a Delaware corporation
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By:
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/s/ Ayub Khattak |
By:
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/s/ Christopher L. Loughridge |
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Name Printed: Ayub Khattak
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Name Printed: Christopher L. Loughridge
Title: Manager of General Partner
Phone: ____
Fax: ____
Email: ____
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Title: ____
Phone: ____
Fax: ____
Email: ____
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By
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By:
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Name Printed: ____
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Name Printed: ____
Title: ____
Phone: ____
Fax: ____
Email: ____
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Title: ____
Phone: ____
Fax: ____
Email: ____
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Address: 7920 Miramar Road, Suite 123, San Diego, California 92126 (See addendum for additional address)
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Address: 6330 Nancy Ridge Drive, Suite 107, San Diego, California 92126
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Federal ID No.: _____
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BROKER
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BROKER
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/s/ Jones Lange LaSalle
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/s/ Hughes Marino
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Attn: Grant Schoneman and Chad Urie
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Attn: Shane Poppen
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Title: ____
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Title: ____
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Address: ____
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Address: ____
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Phone: ____
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Phone: ____
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Fax: ____
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Fax: ____
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Email: ____
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Email: ____
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Federal ID NO.: ____
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Federal ID NO.: ____
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Broker DRE License #: ____
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Broker DRE License #: ____
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Agent DRE License #: ____
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Agent DRE License #: ____
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AIR CRE * https://www.aircre.com * 213-687-8777 * contracts@aircre.com
NOTICE: No part of these works may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing.
Addendum to Lease
This Addendum, dated January 20, 2021, constitutes an addendum to that certain Standard Industrial/Commercial Multi-Tenant Lease—Net (“the Lease”) by Nancy Ridge Technology Center, L.P., a California limited partnership (“Lessor”), and Cue Health Inc. (“Lessee”) pertaining to the Premises commonly known as 6330 Nancy Ridge Drive, Suites 107 and 108, San Diego, California 92121.
Defined (capitalized) terms used in this Addendum shall have the same meanings as in the Lease. References contained herein to “this Lease” shall mean collectively the Lease, this Addendum, and all attached
exhibits and schedules. Lessor and Lessee hereby supplement the Lease, as follows:
50. Commencement Date; Expiration Date. As used in this Lease, “Commencement Date” shall mean the date that is the later of (1) February 1, 2021 or (2) the date on which Lessor has Substantially Completed (as defined below) Lessor’s Work (defined below) and delivered to Lessee possession of the Premises. As used in this Lease, “Expiration Date” means the last date of the thirty-sixth full calendar month following the Commencement Date (e.g., if the Commencement Date is January 15, 2021, then the
Expiration Date will be January 31, 2024). “Substantially Completed” means that Lessor’s Work has been completed other than Punchlist Items (as defined below) “Punchlist Items” shall mean only commercially
reasonable punchlist items, the non-completion of which does not unreasonably interfere with Lessee’s use or occupancy of the Premises, and which punchlist items shall be corrected promptly by Lessor (within sixty (60) days following Lessor’s receipt
of written notice thereof from Lessee) without unreasonable interference with Lessee’s use of or access to or from the Premises.
51. Additional Parties for Notices.
51.1 All notices to be delivered to Lessor under this Lease shall also be delivered to the following parties in the manner described in Paragraph 23 of
the Lease:
Rose Harris
7920 Miramar Road, Suite 123
San Diego, California 92126-4206
Telephone: 858-271-4833
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F. Sigmund Luther
5333 Mission Center Road, Suite 360
San Diego, California 92102
Telephone: 619-239-0755
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51.2 All notices to be delivered to Lessee under this Lease shall also be delivered to the following party in the manner described in Paragraph 23 of
the Lease:
Cooley LLP
4401 Eastgate Mall
San Diego, California 92121-1909
Attention Michael Levinson.
52. Annual Increases in Base Rent; Base Rent Abatement. On each anniversary of the Commencement Date, the Base Rent shall increase by three percent.
The Base Rent for the second full calendar month of the Original Term shall be abated.
53. Right to Recapture. Lessor shall have the option, in Lessor’s sole and unfettered discretion, to terminate this Lease and recapture the Premises in lieu of approving any proposed
sublease or assignment (excluding any sublease or assignment to a Permitted Assignee (defined below) and excluding any transfer to a Permitted Assignee).
54. Assignment/Subleasing Overage. If Lessee assigns this Lease or subleases any portion of the Premises for more consideration than that paid by Lessee to Lessor (less any expenses
incurred by Lessee during the Original Term to obtain such assignment or sublease, including without limitation brokerage fees and commissions, legal fees, moving costs, cost of improvements and marketing expenses), then 75 percent of such overage
shall be paid by Lessee to Lessor as additional Rent. If excess rent is being determined for a subtenant(s) that occupy(ies) less than all of the Premises, then the excess rent shall be the difference between (1) the amount of the rent and other
amounts paid by the subtenant and (2) the amount of Base Rent and other charges due under this Lease, multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the useable floor area of the Premises occupied by the subtenant and the denominator or which is
the total useable floor area of the Premises.
55. Confidentiality. All terms of this Lease are confidential. Lessee shall not share any of the terms or conditions of this Lease with any other party without Lessor’s prior
written permission; however, such confidentiality obligation shall not apply to Lessee’s disclosure to (1) Lessee’s attorneys, accountants, and other persons related to Lessee who, in the normal course of business, would have access to such knowledge
or (2) any local, state, or federal regulation or law enforcement agency requesting the same under color of law or (3) prospective assignees, sublessees, investors, lenders and similar parties with a reasonable need to know the terms of this Lease.
56. Exemption of Lessor; Waiver of Consequential Damages. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Lease, (a) except for the waiver of subrogation provision in Paragraph 8.6 and except that Lessee shall look solely to its insurance required to be carried pursuant to Paragraphs 8.2(a), 8.4(a) or 8.4(b), in no event shall Lessor be
exculpated in any manner to the extent of the gross negligence, willful misconduct or breach of this Lease by or of Lessor or any officer, employee, director, manager, contractor, or agent of Lessor and (b) neither Lessor nor Lessee shall have any
liability to the other for any consequential, indirect, special or punitive damages.
57. Default Notices. Any notices that are required to be served as a condition to initiating a special proceeding for unlawful detainer may be served pursuant to Code of Civil
Procedure section 1162 or Paragraph 23 of the Lease, and any notice of Default described in the Lease will be in lieu of (not in addition to) any notice required by the Code of Civil Procedure. With respect
to all notices that may be delivered, the parties agree that in addition to the manner of delivery provided in Paragraph 23 of the Lease, notices may be delivered by FedEx or other similar overnight delivery
service that provides evidence of receipt.
58. Payment of Deductible Amounts. Notwithstanding the waiver of subrogation in Paragraph 8.6 of the Lease, Lessee’s obligation with respect
to payment of any “deductible amount” under Lessor’s liability, fire and/or casualty policies of insurance shall be as follows:
58.1 If the damage or destruction is caused by the negligent or intentional act or omission by Lessee or Lessee’s agents, employees, invitees, or contractors or otherwise arises out of the
operation of the Lessee’s business and/or occupancy of the Premises, then Lessee shall pay the full deductible amount, and such amount shall not be included in Common Area Operating Expenses; however, Lessee’s obligation under this Paragraph 58.1 shall not exceed $10,000.00 for each occurrence to which this Paragraph 58.1 applies.
58.2 If the damage or destruction is caused by a negligent or intentional act or omission by another tenant of the Building or such other tenant’s agents, invitees, employees or contractors
or otherwise arises out of the operation of such other tenant’s business and/or such other tenant’s occupancy of another portion of the Building, then (1) such other tenant shall pay the full “deductible amount,” (2) Lessee shall have no
responsibility or liability therefor, and (3) such amount shall not be included as an element of Common Area Operating Expenses.
58.3 If the damage or destruction arises from any other cause other than a cause described in the preceding subparagraphs 58.1 or 58.2, then the
deductible amount shall be an item of Common Area Operating Expenses.
59. No Public Testing. Lessee shall not use the Premises to conduct on-site testing of or taking samples from members of the general public. Nothing contained in this Paragraph 59 shall be construed to prohibit Lessee from conducting on-site testing of or taking samples from Lessee’s employees, even if such employees do not typically work at the Premises.
60. Attorneys’ Fees. Lessor shall further be entitled to recover reasonable attorneys’ fees incurred in connection with any hearing or motion for assumption or rejection of the Lease
under United States Code Title 11.
61. Exit Assessment. Upon the expiration or earlier termination of this Lease, Lessee shall surrender the Premises to Lessor free of any Hazardous Substance brought upon, kept,
used, stored, handled, treated, generated in, or released or disposed of by Lessee (collectively, “Lessee HazMat Operations”). At least 1 month prior to the surrender of the Premises or such earlier date as
Lessee may elect to cease operations at the Premises, Lessee shall deliver to Lessor a narrative description of the actions proposed (or required by any governmental authority) to be taken by Lessee in order to surrender the Premises at the
expiration or earlier termination of this Lease, free from any residual impact from the Lessee HazMat Operations and otherwise released for unrestricted use and occupancy (i.e., for all of the same uses as Lessee during its use of the Premises) (the
“Decommissioning and HazMat Closure Plan”). Such Decommissioning and HazMat Closure Plan shall be accompanied by a current listing of (i) all Hazardous Materials licenses and permits held by or on behalf of
any Lessee Party with respect to the Premises, and (ii) all Hazardous Materials used, stored, handled, treated, generated, released or disposed of by Lessee from the Premises, and shall be subject to the commercially reasonable review and approval of
Lessor’s environmental consultant. In connection with the review and approval of the Decommissioning and HazMat Closure Plan, upon the request of Lessor, Lessee shall deliver to Lessor or its consultant such additional nonproprietary information
concerning Lessee HazMat Operations as Lessor shall reasonably request. On or before such surrender, Lessee shall deliver to Lessor evidence that the approved Decommissioning and HazMat Closure Plan shall have been satisfactorily completed and
Lessor shall have the right, subject to reimbursement at Lessee’s expense as set forth below, to cause Lessor’s environmental consultant to inspect the Premises and perform such additional procedures as may be deemed reasonably necessary to confirm
that the Premises are, as of the effective date of such surrender or early termination of this Lease, free from any residual impact from Lessee HazMat Operations. Lessee shall reimburse Lessor, as Additional Rent, for the actual out-of-pocket
expense incurred by Lessor for Lessor’s environmental consultant to review and approve the Decommissioning and HazMat Closure Plan and to visit the Premises and verify satisfactory completion of the same, which cost shall not exceed $2,500. Lessor
shall have the unrestricted right to deliver such Decommissioning and HazMat Closure Plan and any report by Lessor’s environmental consultant with respect to the surrender of the Premises to third parties. If Lessee shall fail to prepare or submit a
Decommissioning and HazMat Closure Plan approved by Lessor, or if Lessee shall fail to complete the approved Decommissioning and HazMat Closure Plan, or if such Decommissioning and HazMat Closure Plan, whether or not approved by Lessor, shall fail to
adequately address any residual effect of Lessee HazMat Operations in, on or about the Premises, Lessor shall have the right to take such actions as Lessor may deem reasonable or appropriate to assure that the Premises and the Project are surrendered
free from any residual impact from Lessee HazMat Operations, the cost of which actions shall be reimbursed by Lessee as Additional Rent.
62. Lessee’s Remedies. In addition to the remedies in Paragraph 9.6 of the Lease, Lessee shall have the right to terminate this Lease
following Premises Partial Damage under the following circumstances:
62.1 If the Premises Partial Damage materially affects Lessee’s use of the Premises, Lessee may terminate this Lease if either (1) the reasonably estimated time to repair the damage exceeds
90 days or (2) Lessor has failed to complete Lessor’s repair work within the Repair Period (defined below) and such failure continues for 20 days following delivery by Lessee to Lessor of written notice that Lessee elects to terminate this Lease if
Lessor’s repair work is not completed within 20 days after delivery of the notice. As used herein, the term “Repair Period” shall mean the longer of (1) a period commencing on the date of the casualty and
expiring 90 days thereafter or (2) a period commencing on the date of the casualty and expiring on the date Lessor has specified in a written notice delivered to Lessee as Lessor’s estimate of the reasonable time to repair; however, if, within 60
days following the date of the casualty, Lessor fails to deliver to Lessee a written notice that specifies Lessor’s estimate of the reasonable time to repair, then the Repair Period shall be for 90 days following the date of the casualty. In the
case of termination when the reasonably estimated time to repair exceeds 90 days, Lessee must deliver to Lessor written notice of Lessee’s election to terminate within 30 days following the date of Lessee’s receipt from Lessor of written notice that
the reasonably estimated time to repair exceeds 90 days, and such termination shall be effective upon Lessor’s receipt of the notice or such later date specified in the notice not exceeding 30 days after Lessor’s receipt of the notice. In the case
of termination when Lessor has not completed Lessor’s repair work within the Repair Period, Lessee must deliver Lessee’s 20-day notice prior to Lessor’s completion of Lessor’s repair work, and termination shall be effective upon expiration of the
20-day period. Nothing contained in this paragraph shall be construed to waive or relieve Lessee from any obligation that may exist to pay or contribute to the deductible amount or the cost of repair and restoration as provided above.
62.2 If at any time during the last nine months of this Lease the Premises is damaged and (1) such damage materially affects Lessee’s use of the Premises, (2) the cost of repair exceeds two
months’ Base Rent, and (3) such damage was not caused by Lessee or Lessee’s employees, agents, or contractors, then Lessee may terminate this Lease following the occurrence of such damage by giving a written termination notice to Lessor within 30
days after the date of occurrence of such damage. If Lessee elects to terminate this Lease as allowed under the preceding sentence, then (1) such termination shall be effective as of the date Lessee specifies in such notice and (2) the obligations
of the Parties under this Lease shall be the same as if this Lease naturally expired on the date of such termination.
63. Permitted Lease Assignments. Lessor’s consent shall not be required for an assignment of this Lease (i) to any person(s) or entity that controls, is controlled by, or is under
common control with Lessee, (ii) to any entity resulting from the merger, acquisition, consolidation, or other reorganization with Lessee, whether or not Lessee is the surviving entity, (iii) to any person or legal entity that acquires all or
substantially all of the assets or stock of Lessee (each of the foregoing is hereinafter referred to as a “Permitted Assignee”), (iv) in connection with a sale of shares or other equity interests in Lessee
pursuant to a registered public offering, or (v) in connection with any transfer of shares of stock in Lessee which transfer does not reduce the net worth of Lessee, provided that before such assignment shall be effective, (a) the Permitted Assignee
shall deliver to Lessor a written document by which the Permitted Assignee assumes the obligations of Lessee under this Lease if the transaction involves an actual assignment of this Lease (e.g., if this Lease is assigned in connection with a sale of
Lessee’s assets), (b) Lessor shall be given written notice of such assignment, including a copy of the document(s) that evidence the assignment, and (c) the use of the Premises by the Permitted Assignee shall be as set forth in Paragraph 1.8 of the Lease. The term “control” means possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management, affairs, and policies of anyone, whether through the
ownership of voting securities, by contract, or otherwise. A Permitted Assignee shall be permitted to exercise Lessee’s option to extend the term of this Lease.
64. Building Signage. Lessee may, at Lessee’s cost, install Lessee’s name and logo on the exterior of the Premises, subject to Lessee’s receipt of Lessor’s prior written consent with
respect to the size, design, and means of attachment. Lessor’s consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. Upon expiration or earlier termination of this Lease, Lessee shall remove all signs installed by Lessee in or about the Premises and repair
all damage caused by such removal.
65. Contractors. Lessor may require that Lessee use Lessor’s selected contractors to complete Alterations or perform Lessee’s maintenance and repair obligations with respect to the
plumbing, electrical, and mechanical systems in the Premises; however, Lessee’s right to require that Lessee use Lessor’s selected contractors shall be subject to the condition that Lessor furnish to Lessee the names of at least two contractors for
each trade for which Lessor requires that Lessee use Lessor’s selected contractors.
66. Renewal Option. Lessee shall have one three-year option to renew the Lease. The renewal option shall expire and be of no further force
or effect if Lessee (a) Defaults under any of the terms or the Lease beyond applicable notice and cure periods, (b) fails to deliver Notice exercising said option nine months or more prior to the Expiration
Date, or (c) subleases any portion of the Premises or Assigns the Lease to anyone other than an affiliate of Lessee. If the provisions of this paragraph conflict with the provisions of Paragraph 39 of the
Lease, the provisions of this paragraph shall prevail. During the option period, all terms and conditions of this Lease shall remain in effect, except that Base Rent for the first year of the option period shall be the greater of (1) the Base Rent
in effect during the year preceding the commencement of the option period or (2) the then prevailing market rate for comparable space in the Sorrento Mesa area. After the Base Rent has been established for the first year of the option period, the
Base Rent shall be subject to three percent annual increases, as provided above.
67. Lessor’s Work; Lessee’s Early Access. Lessor shall, at Lessor’s cost, complete the following work (collectively “Lessor’s Work”) (1) paint interior walls of the Premises using Project standard paint, (2) install Project standard lighting in Premises, and (3) install Project standard floor tile in lab areas of Premises. Provided Lessee and
Lessee’s contractor(s) do not interfere with the completion of Lessor’s Work and subject to Paragraph 3.2 of the Lease, Lessee may have early access to the Premises to install Lessee’s-Owned Alterations and
Utility Installations. Subject to Lessee’s compliance with Paragraph 7.3 of the Lease, Lessee may install in the Premises (1) new doors to create two small ante rooms in the
lab support room closest to the hallway in Suite 107, (2) modified mechanical systems so that labs are negative pressure, (3) additional door(s)/opening between Suite 107 and 108, (4) connection to the backup generator to Suite 108, (5) additional
emergency outlets, and (6) polished concrete in the office area.
68. Exclusions to Common Area Operating Expenses. Common Area Operating Expenses shall not include:
68.1 Leasing commissions, attorneys’ fees, costs and disbursements and other expenses incurred in connection with negotiations or disputes with tenants, or other occupants or prospective
tenants or other occupants, or associated with the enforcement of any leases or the defense of Lessor’s title to or interest in the Project or any part thereof.
68.2 Costs (including permit, license and inspection fees) incurred in renovating or otherwise improving or decorating, painting or redecorating space for other tenants or other occupants or
in renovating or redecorating vacant space.
68.3 Expenses in connection with services or other benefits of a type that are not provided to Lessee, but that are provided to other tenant(s) or occupant(s).
68.4 Repairs and maintenance for items that are covered by guaranties that are or will be honored by the guarantor.
68.5 Costs incurred due to violation by Lessor or any tenant of the terms and conditions of any other lease.
68.6 Payments in respect to overhead and/or profit to subsidiaries of affiliates of Lessor or to any party as a result of noncompetitive selection process, for management or other services
on or to the Project, or for supplies or other materials to the extent that the costs of such services, supplies or other materials exceed the costs that would have been paid had the services, supplies or materials been provided by parties
unaffiliated with the Lessor on a competitive basis.
68.7 Costs related to Lessor refinancing the debt on the Project, including points and closing costs.
68.8 Debt interest or amortization payments on any mortgages or deeds of trust
68.9 Costs and expenses incurred by Lessor in connection with repairs undertaken by Lessor under the sections of the Lease entitled “Damage or Destruction” or “Condemnation.”
68.10 reserves for or depreciation of the Project.
68.11 salaries, wages, benefits and other compensation paid to officers and employees of Lessor who are not assigned in whole or in part (and, if in part, then on a pro rata basis based on
the amount of time devoted to the Project) to the operation, management, maintenance or repair of the Project.
68.12 general organizational, administrative and overhead costs relating to maintaining Lessor’s existence, either as a corporation, partnership, or other entity, including general
corporate, legal and accounting expenses.
68.13 costs of Lessor’s charitable or political contributions, or of fine art maintained at the Project.
68.14 a property management fee in excess of 4% of gross receipts.
68.15 any expenses otherwise includable within Operating Expenses to the extent actually reimbursed by persons other than tenants of the Project under leases for space in the Project.
68.16 any costs incurred to remove, study, test or remediate hazardous materials that exist in or about the Project prior to the Commencement Date; and costs incurred to remove, remedy,
contain, or treat hazardous material, which hazardous material is brought into the Project or onto the Project after the date hereof by Lessor or any other tenant of the Project.
69. Control Areas. Lessee shall not store at the Premises more than Lessee’s pro rata share of allowed combustible materials based upon the ratio of the Premises floor area to the
total “Control Area” of which the Premises is a part.
70. Energy Efficiency Reporting. Lessee acknowledges that Lessor may, from time to time, be required to disclose certain information concerning the Premises’ energy use pursuant to
California Public Resources Code Section 25402.10 and the regulations promulgated pursuant thereto (collectively, together with any future law or regulation regarding disclosure of energy efficiency data with respect to the Building, “Energy Disclosure Regulations”). Lessee shall cooperate with Lessor with respect to any disclosure and/or reporting requirements pursuant to any Energy Disclosure Regulations. Without limiting the generality of
the foregoing, Lessee shall, within 20 days following request from Lessor, disclose to Lessor all information requested by Lessor in connection with the Energy Disclosure Regulations. Lessee acknowledges that this information shall be provided on a
non-confidential basis and may be provided by Lessor to the applicable utility providers, the California Energy Commission (and other governmental entities having jurisdiction with respect to the Energy Disclosure Regulations), and any third parties
to whom Lessor is required to make the disclosures pursuant to the Energy Disclosure Regulations.
71. AIR Printed Form Corrections. The printed portion of the AIR form is modified as follows:
(a) [Intentionally deleted.]
(b) Paragraph 6.2(g) shall be amended as follows: “(g) Lessor Termination Option. If a Hazardous
Substance Condition (see Paragraph 9.1(e)) occurs during the term of this Lease, unless Lessee is legally responsible therefor (in which case Lessee shall make the investigation and remediation thereof required by the Applicable Requirements and this
Lease shall continue in full force and effect, but subject to Lessor’s rights under Paragraph 6.2(d) and Paragraph 13), Lessor shall investigate and remediate such Hazardous Substance Condition, if required, as soon as reasonably possible at Lessor’s
expense.”
(c) In no event shall Lessee be responsible for any cost or expense pursuant to Paragraph 6.4 except to the extent that Lessee caused or contributed
to a Hazardous Substance Condition.
(d) The following is hereby added to Paragraph 8.8: “Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Lease, neither Lessor nor Lessee
shall have any liability to the other for any consequential, indirect, special or punitive damages.”
(e) Paragraph 9.6(a) is hereby amended by deleting the following term from the end of the first sentence: “but not to exceed the proceeds received
from the Rental Value insurance.”
(f) Paragraph 12.1(d) shall be amended to read as follows: “(d) An assignment or subletting without consent shall be a Default curable after notice
per Paragraph 13.1(d).”
(g) The last sentence of Paragraph 31 is hereby replaced with the following: “In addition, if Lessee is in Default of this Lease, Lessor shall be
entitled to attorneys’ fees, costs and expenses incurred in the preparation and service of notices of such Default and consultations in connection therewith, whether or not a legal action is subsequently commenced in connection with such Default or
resulting Breach ($200 is a reasonable minimum per occurrence for such services and consultation).”
(h) Lessee’s obligation to reimburse Lessor for reasonable third-party out-of-pocket expenses incurred by Lessor in connection with Lessee’s request
for Lessor’s consent under Paragraph 36 of the Lease shall not exceed $1,000.00 unless Lessor provides to Lessee advance written notice that such expenses may exceed $1,000.00.
72. Changes to Project. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Lease, in no event shall Lessor operate, maintain or make any changes
to the Project or any portion thereof that will unreasonably interfere with or limit (a) Lessee’s access to or from the Premises, (b) Lessee’s use of the Premises, (c) Lessee’s parking, or signage under this Lease, or (d) views of or from the
Premises.
73. Payment of Rent. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Lease, Lessee may at its election pay any Rent to Lessor by electronic
transfer and Lessor shall provide Lessee with ACH information upon request from Lessee.
74. Interference. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Lease, if (1) Lessee is unable to use the Premises or any parking rights
under this Lease (whether by lack of services, lack of utilities, lack of access, repairs or construction, or any other reason, (2) such inability to use is not caused by an occurrence for which Lessee is required to maintain insurance under the
terms of this Lease and (3) inability to use is not caused by Lessee and provided that such inability to use is caused by the acts or omissions of Lessor) for more than five (5) business days, then Rent shall be abated until the Premises may be used
by Lessee (and if such lack of use is limited to a portion of the Premises, then such abatement of Rent shall be prorated based on the portion of the Premises that is unavailable) and if such inability lasts longer than thirty (30) days, then Lessee
may, at its election, terminate this Lease.
Schedule of Exhibits
Exhibit A Diagram of the Project that Includes the Location of the Premises
Exhibit B Rules and Regulations
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