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Risk Overview Q2, 2026
Risk Distribution
31% Finance & Corporate
24% Tech & Innovation
19% Legal & Regulatory
10% Ability to Sell
9% Production
7% Macro & Political
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
This chart displays the stock's most recent risk distribution according to category. TipRanks has identified 6 major categories: Finance & corporate, legal & regulatory, macro & political, production, tech & innovation, and ability to sell.
Risk Change Over Time
S&P500 Average
Sector Average
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DigitalOcean Holdings Risk Factors
New Risk (0)
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The chart shows the number of risks a company has disclosed. You can compare this to the sector average or S&P 500 average.
The quarters shown in the chart are according to the calendar year (January to December). Businesses set their own financial calendar, known as a fiscal year. For example, Walmart ends their financial year at the end of January to accommodate the holiday season.
The quarters shown in the chart are according to the calendar year (January to December). Businesses set their own financial calendar, known as a fiscal year. For example, Walmart ends their financial year at the end of January to accommodate the holiday season.
Risk Highlights Q2, 2026
Main Risk Category
Finance & Corporate
With 18 Risks
Finance & Corporate
With 18 Risks
Number of Disclosed Risks
58
No changes from last report
S&P 500 Average: 31
58
No changes from last report
S&P 500 Average: 31
Recent Changes
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Since Jun 2026
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Number of Risk Changed
0
No changes from last report
S&P 500 Average: 1
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S&P 500 Average: 1
See the risk highlights of DigitalOcean Holdings in the last period.
Risk Word Cloud
The most common phrases about risk factors from the most recent report. Larger texts indicate more widely used phrases.
Risk Factors Full Breakdown - Total Risks 58
Finance & Corporate
Total Risks: 18/58 (31%)Below Sector Average
Share Price & Shareholder Rights5 | 8.6%
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 1
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation designates the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware and, to the extent enforceable, the federal district courts of the United States of America as the exclusive forums for substantially all disputes between us and our stockholders, which restricts our stockholders' ability to choose the judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers, or employees.Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 2
Anti-takeover provisions in our charter documents and under Delaware law could make an acquisition of our company more difficult, limit attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management and limit the market price of our common stock.Provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws may have the effect of delaying or preventing a change of control or changes in our management. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws include provisions that:
- authorize our board of directors to issue, without further action by the stockholders, shares of undesignated preferred stock with terms, rights, and preferences determined by our board of directors that may be senior to our common stock;- require that any action to be taken by our stockholders be effected at a duly called annual or special meeting and not by written consent;- specify that special meetings of our stockholders can be called only by our board of directors, the chairperson of our board of directors, or our chief executive officer;- establish an advance notice procedure for stockholder proposals to be brought before an annual meeting, including proposed nominations of persons for election to our board of directors;- establish that our board of directors is divided into three classes, with each class serving three-year staggered terms;- prohibit cumulative voting in the election of directors;- provide that our directors may be removed for cause only upon the vote of at least 66 2/3% of our outstanding shares of voting stock;- provide that vacancies on our board of directors may be filled only by a majority of directors then in office, even though less than a quorum; and - require the approval of our board of directors or the holders of at least 66 2/3% of our outstanding shares of voting stock to amend our bylaws and certain provisions of our certificate of incorporation.
These provisions may frustrate or prevent any attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management by making it more difficult for stockholders to replace members of our board of directors, which is responsible for appointing the members of our management. In addition, because we are incorporated in Delaware, we are governed by the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, which generally, subject to certain exceptions, prohibits a Delaware corporation from engaging in any of a broad range of business combinations with any "interested" stockholder for a period of three years following the date on which the stockholder became an "interested" stockholder. Any of the foregoing provisions could limit the price that investors might be willing to pay in the future for shares of our common stock, and they could deter potential acquirers of our company, thereby reducing the likelihood that you would receive a premium for your shares of our common stock in an acquisition.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 3
Our issuance of additional capital stock in connection with financings, acquisitions, investments, our equity incentive plans or otherwise, and any conversions of our convertible notes, will dilute all other stockholders or may otherwise depress the price of our common stock.We expect to issue additional capital stock in the future that will result in dilution to all other stockholders. We expect to grant equity awards to employees, directors and consultants under our equity incentive plans. We may also raise capital through equity financings in the future. As part of our business strategy, we may acquire or make investments in companies, products or technologies and issue equity securities to pay for any such acquisition or investment. Any such issuances of additional capital stock may cause stockholders to experience significant dilution of their ownership interests and the per share value of our common stock to decline.
For example, if we elect to settle our conversion obligation under our 2030 Convertible Notes in shares of our common stock or a combination of cash and shares of our common stock, the issuance of such common stock may dilute the ownership interests of our stockholders and sales in the public market could adversely affect prevailing market prices. The 2030 Convertible Notes are convertible only in certain circumstances as described in the indenture governing the 2030 Convertible Notes. Any sales in the public market of the common stock issuable upon any conversion of the 2030 Convertible Notes could adversely affect prevailing market prices of our common stock. In addition, the existence of the Convertible Notes may encourage short selling by market participants because the conversion of the 2030 Convertible Notes could be used to satisfy short positions, or anticipated conversion of the 2030 Convertible Notes into shares of our common stock could depress the price of our common stock.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 4
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, 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. We are unable to predict the timing of or the effect that such sales may have on the prevailing market price of our common stock.
We have registered all of the shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding options, the settlement of outstanding RSUs, PRSUs, MRSUs or other equity incentives we may grant in the future, for public resale under the Securities Act. The shares of common stock will become eligible for sale in the public market to the extent such options are exercised or such RSUs, PRSUs, or MRSUs are settled, subject to compliance with applicable securities laws.
Further, holders of a substantial number of shares of our capital stock 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.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 5
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:
- actual or anticipated fluctuations in our financial condition or results of operations;- variance in our financial performance from expectations of securities analysts or the financial guidance we provide to the public;- changes in the pricing of our products and platform;- changes in our projected operating and financial results;- changes in laws or regulations applicable to our platform and products;- announcements by us or our competitors of significant business developments, acquisitions, or new offerings;- significant data breaches, disruptions to or other incidents involving our software;- our involvement in litigation;- future sales of our common stock by us or our stockholders;- changes in senior management or key personnel;- the trading volume of our common stock;- changes in the anticipated future size and growth rate of our market; and - general economic and market conditions.
Broad market and industry fluctuations, as well as general economic, geopolitical, regulatory, and market conditions, may also negatively impact the market price of our common stock. In addition, technology stocks have historically experienced high levels of volatility. In the past, companies that have experienced volatility in the market price of their securities have been subject to securities class action litigation. We have in the past and may in the future be the target of this type of litigation in the future, which could result in substantial expenses and divert our management's attention.
Accounting & Financial Operations3 | 5.2%
Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 1
We are required to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting. If we fail to maintain an effective system of internal controls, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results or prevent fraud. As a result, our stockholders could lose confidence in our financial reporting, which could harm our business and the trading price of our common stock.Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 2
We may not be able to sustain profitability in the future.While we have experienced revenue growth in recent periods, we are not certain whether or when we will obtain a high enough volume of sales to sustain or increase our growth or maintain profitability in the future. We also expect our costs and expenses will increase in future periods, which could negatively affect our future results of operations if our revenue also does not increase. Our efforts to grow our business may be costlier than we expect, or the rate of our growth in revenue may be slower than we expect, and we may not be able to increase our revenue enough to offset our increased operating expenses. We may incur significant losses in the future for a number of reasons, including the other risks described herein, and unforeseen expenses, difficulties, complications or delays, and other unknown events. If we are unable to sustain profitability, the value of our business and common stock may significantly decrease.
In addition, we expect to continue to expend substantial financial and other resources on:
- our technology infrastructure, including systems architecture, scalability, availability, performance, security, hardware, equipment and other capital expenditures, including expenses to increase or maintain data center capacity and to successfully optimize and operate data center facilities;- product development, including the development of new products and new functionality for our platform as well as investments in both further optimizing our existing products and infrastructure;- our sales and marketing organization to engage our existing and prospective customers, increase brand awareness and drive adoption of our products;- strategic investments and acquisitions; and - general administration, including increased legal and accounting expenses.
Additionally, we may encounter unforeseen operating expenses, difficulties, complications, delays, and other unknown factors that may result in losses in future periods. If our revenue growth does not meet our expectations in future periods, our business, financial position and results of operations may be harmed, and we may not sustain profitability in the future.
Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 3
We expect fluctuations in our financial results, making it difficult to project future results, and if we fail to meet the expectations of securities analysts or investors with respect to our results of operations, our stock price and the value of your investment could decline.Our results of operations have fluctuated in the past and are expected to fluctuate in the future due to a variety of factors, many of which are outside of our control. As a result, our past results may not be indicative of our future performance. In particular, you should not rely on the revenue growth of any prior quarterly or annual period as an indication of our future performance. Even if our revenue continues to increase, our revenue growth rate may decline in the future as a result of a variety of factors, including the maturation of our business. Overall growth of our revenue depends on a number of factors as described in more detail under the heading Part I, Item 1. "Business" in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, as well as the factors set forth below. We may not successfully accomplish any of our objectives and, as a result, it is difficult for us to forecast our future results of operations. If the assumptions that we use to plan our business are incorrect or change in reaction to changes in our market, we may be unable to maintain consistent revenue or revenue growth, our stock price could be volatile, and it may be difficult to achieve and maintain profitability.
In addition to the other risks described herein, factors that may affect our results of operations include the following:
- fluctuations in demand for or pricing and usage of our platform and products;- our ability to attract new customers and retain existing customers, including increasing their usage of our products;- customer expansion rates;- integration of new products;- timing and amount of our investments and capital expenditures related to successfully optimizing, utilizing and expanding our data center facilities;- the investment in and integration of new products and features relative to investments in our existing infrastructure and products;- our ability to control costs, including our operating expenses, and the timing of payment for expenses;- the amount and timing of non-cash expenses, including stock-based compensation, goodwill impairments and other non-cash charges;- the amount and timing of costs associated with recruiting, training and integrating new employees and retaining and motivating existing employees;- the effects of acquisitions and their integration;- general economic conditions, both domestically and internationally, including heightened inflation or changes in interest rates, uncertainty regarding changes in trade policies, and economic conditions specifically affecting industries in which our customers participate;- changes in regulatory or legal environments that may cause us to, among other elements, be unable to continue operating in a particular market, remove certain customers from our platform, and/or incur expenses associated with compliance;- changes in the competitive dynamics of our market, including consolidation among competitors or customers or new entrants into our market;- significant security breaches of, technical difficulties with, or interruptions to, the delivery and use of our products and platform capabilities;- our ability to control fraudulent registrations and usage of our platform, reduce bad debt and lessen capacity constraints on our data centers, servers and equipment; and - the impact of new accounting pronouncements.
Any of these and other factors, or the cumulative effect of some of these factors, may cause our results of operations to vary significantly. If our results of operations fall below the expectations of investors and securities analysts who follow our stock, the price of our common stock could decline substantially, and we could face costly lawsuits, including securities class action suits.
Debt & Financing6 | 10.3%
Debt & Financing - Risk 1
The conditional conversion feature of the 2030 Convertible Notes, if triggered, may adversely affect our financial condition and operating results.Debt & Financing - Risk 2
Servicing our future debt, including the 2030 Convertible Notes, may require a significant amount of cash, and we may not have sufficient cash flow from our business to pay our indebtedness.In August 2025, we issued $625.0 million aggregate principal amount of the 2030 Convertible Notes in a private placement.
We may be required to use a substantial portion of our cash flows from operations to pay the principal on our indebtedness. Our ability to make scheduled payments of the principal of, or to refinance our indebtedness, including the 2030 Convertible Notes, depends on our future performance, which is subject to economic, financial, competitive and other factors beyond our control. Such payments will reduce the funds available to us for working capital, capital expenditures and other corporate purposes and limit our ability to obtain additional financing for working capital, capital expenditures, expansion plans and other investments, which may in turn limit our ability to implement our business strategy, heighten our vulnerability to downturns in our business, the industry, or in the general economy, limit our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in our business and the industry and prevent us from taking advantage of business opportunities as they arise. Our business may not be able to generate cash flow from operations in the future sufficient to service our debt and make necessary capital expenditures. If we are unable to generate such cash flow, we may be required to adopt one or more alternatives, such as selling assets, restructuring debt or obtaining additional equity capital on terms that may be onerous or highly dilutive. We may not be able to engage in any of these activities or engage in these activities on desirable terms, which could result in a default on our debt obligations.
In addition, we may incur substantial additional debt in the future, subject to the restrictions contained in our future debt agreements, some of which may be secured debt. We are not restricted under the terms of the indenture governing the 2030 Convertible Notes from incurring additional debt, securing existing or future debt, recapitalizing our debt, repurchasing our stock, pledging our assets, making investments, paying dividends, guaranteeing debt or taking a number of other actions that are not limited by the terms of the indenture governing the 2030 Convertible Notes that could have the effect of diminishing our ability to make payments on the 2030 Convertible Notes when due.
Debt & Financing - Risk 3
We may require additional capital to support the growth of our business, and this capital might not be available on acceptable terms, if at all.We have historically funded our operations through equity and debt financings and sales of our products. We cannot be certain if our operations will continue to generate sufficient cash to fully fund our ongoing operations or the growth of our business. If our ongoing operations, growth and any other investments to support our business cannot be funded by our operations, we may be required to engage in equity or debt financings to secure additional funds. Additional financing may not be available on terms favorable to us, if at all. If adequate funds are not available on acceptable terms, we may be unable to invest in future growth opportunities, which could harm our business, operating results, and financial condition. If we incur additional debt, the debt holders would have rights senior to holders of common stock to make claims on our assets, and the terms of any debt could restrict our operations, including our ability to pay dividends on our common stock. Furthermore, if we issue additional equity securities, stockholders will experience dilution, and the new equity securities could have rights senior to those of our common stock. Because our decision to issue securities in the future will depend on numerous considerations, including factors beyond our control, we cannot predict or estimate the amount, timing, or nature of any future issuances of debt or equity securities. As a result, our stockholders bear the risk of future issuances of debt or equity securities reducing the value of our common stock and diluting their interests. Our inability to obtain adequate financing on terms satisfactory to us, when we require it, could significantly limit our ability to continue to support our business growth, respond to business challenges, expand our operations or otherwise capitalize on our business opportunities due to lack of sufficient capital. Even if we are able to raise such capital, we cannot assure you that it will enable us to achieve better operating results or grow our business.
Debt & Financing - Risk 4
Our Credit Agreement currently imposes and any other debt we incur may impose significant operating and financial restrictions on us and our subsidiaries, which may prevent us from capitalizing on business opportunities.The Credit Agreement that governs our 2025 Credit Facility imposes significant operating and financial restrictions on us. These restrictions limit the ability of our subsidiaries, and effectively limit our ability to, among other things:
- incur or guarantee additional debt or issue disqualified equity interests;- pay dividends and make other distributions on, or redeem or repurchase, capital stock;- make certain investments;- incur certain liens;- enter into transactions with affiliates;- merge or consolidate;- enter into agreements that restrict the ability of restricted subsidiaries to make certain intercompany dividends, distributions, payments or transfers; and - transfer or sell assets.
Any other indebtedness we incur could impact our business and financial condition in one or more of the following ways:
- requiring a substantial portion of cash flow from operations to be dedicated to the payment of principal and interest on our indebtedness;- exposing us to increased interest expense;- making it more difficult for us to satisfy our obligations with respect to our indebtedness;- restricting us from making strategic acquisitions;- limiting our ability to obtain additional financing for working capital, capital expenditures, product development, satisfaction of debt service requirements, acquisitions and general corporate or other purposes;- increasing our vulnerability to adverse economic, industry or competitive developments; and - limiting our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in our business or market conditions and placing us at a competitive disadvantage compared to our competitors who may be better positioned to take advantage of opportunities that our leverage prevents us from exploiting.
As a result of any of the existing restrictions described above or any other restrictions arising from our indebtedness, we could be limited as to how we conduct our business and we may be unable to raise additional debt or equity financings to compete effectively or to take advantage of new business opportunities. The terms of any future indebtedness we may incur could include more restrictive covenants. We cannot assure you that we will be able to maintain compliance with these covenants in the future and, if we fail to do so, that we will be able to obtain waivers from the lenders or amend the covenants.
Our failure to comply with any of the existing restrictions described above or any other restrictions associated with the terms of any future indebtedness from time to time could result in an event of default, which, if not cured or waived, could result in us being required to repay these borrowings before their due date. If we are forced to refinance these borrowings on less favorable terms or are unable to refinance these borrowings, our results of operations and financial condition could be adversely affected.
Debt & Financing - Risk 5
The capped call transactions entered into in connection with the issuance of the 2030 Convertible Notes subject us to counterparty risk, may not operate as planned and could affect the value of our common stock.In August 2025, in connection with the pricing of the 2030 Convertible Notes and the exercise in full by the initial purchasers of their option to purchase additional 2030 Convertible Notes, we entered into capped call transactions with certain financial institutions, including an affiliate of an initial purchaser. Although the capped call transactions are generally expected to reduce the potential dilution to our common stock upon any conversion of the 2030 Convertible Notes and/or offset any cash payments we are required to make in excess of the principal amount of converted 2030 Convertible Notes, as the case may be, with such reduction and/or offset subject to a cap based on a cap price initially equal to $66.51 per share, and is subject to certain adjustments under the terms of the capped call transactions, the capped call transactions are complex, and they may not operate as planned. For example, these capped call transactions may not operate as we intend if we are required to adjust their terms as a result of transactions in the future or upon unanticipated developments that may adversely affect the functioning of the capped call transactions. If the capped call transactions do not operate as we intend, they may adversely affect the value of the 2030 Convertible Notes and our common stock.
In addition, the capped call counterparties or their respective affiliates may modify their hedge positions by entering into or unwinding various derivatives with respect to our common stock or purchasing or selling our common stock or other securities of ours in secondary market transactions prior to the maturity of the 2030 Convertible Notes. Such actions could affect the market price of our common stock (or avoid an increase or a decrease in the market price of our common stock) and the ability of a noteholder to convert the 2030 Convertible Notes. Also, to the extent such activity occurs during any observation period related to a conversion of 2030 Convertible Notes, that activity could affect the number of shares of common stock, if any, and value of the consideration that a noteholder will receive upon conversion of the 2030 Convertible Notes.
The capped call counterparties are financial institutions and we are subject to the risk that they might default under the capped call transactions. Our exposure to the credit risk of the capped call counterparties is not secured by any collateral. Global economic conditions have from time to time resulted in the actual or perceived failure or financial difficulties of many financial institutions. If a capped call counterparty becomes subject to insolvency proceedings, we will become an unsecured creditor in those proceedings with a claim equal to our exposure at that time under our transactions with that capped call counterparty. Our exposure will depend on many factors, but, generally, the increase in our exposure will be correlated with increases in the market price or the volatility of our common stock. In addition, upon a default by a capped call counterparty, we may suffer adverse tax consequences and more dilution than we currently anticipate with respect to our common stock. We can provide no assurances as to the financial stability or viability of any capped call counterparty.
Debt & Financing - Risk 6
Our leverage could adversely affect our financial condition, our ability to raise additional capital to fund our operations, our ability to operate our business, our ability to react to changes in the economy or our industry, divert our cash flow from operations for debt payments and prevent us from meeting our debt obligations.On May 5, 2025, we entered into the Credit Agreement, which provides for the Term Loan Facility and the Revolving Facility (collectively, the "2025 Credit Facility"). Upon entry into the Credit Agreement, we terminated the 2022 Credit Facility. In addition, on August 14, 2025, we issued $625.0 million aggregate principal amount of 0.00% convertible senior notes due 2030 (the "2030 Convertible Notes") in a private placement. We used approximately $83.9 million of the net proceeds from the 2030 Convertible Notes offering to pay the cost of related capped call transactions, and approximately $1.131 billion, consisting of approximately $606.1 million of the net proceeds from the 2030 Convertible Notes offering, together with $380.0 million of term loans under the Term Loan Facility and cash on hand, to repurchase in cash approximately $1.188 billion aggregate principal amount of our 0.00% Convertible Senior Notes due 2026. As of December 31, 2025, we had $420.0 million borrowing capacity available under our 2025 Credit Facility.
We may enter into other financing arrangements from time to time. For example, during the year ended December 31, 2025, we entered into equipment financing arrangements with a third-party financial institution for $131.5 million.
We may not be able to refinance our existing indebtedness because of our amount of debt, debt incurrence restrictions under our debt agreements or adverse conditions in credit markets generally. Our inability to generate sufficient cash flow to satisfy our debt obligations, or to refinance our indebtedness on commercially reasonable terms or at all, would result in an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. Although our Credit Agreement contains restrictions on the incurrence of additional indebtedness and entering into certain types of other transactions, these restrictions are subject to a number of qualifications and exceptions. Additional indebtedness incurred in compliance with these restrictions could be substantial. These restrictions also do not prevent us from incurring certain obligations, such as trade payables.
Corporate Activity and Growth4 | 6.9%
Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 1
Acquisitions, strategic investments, partnerships, or alliances could be difficult to identify, pose integration challenges, divert the attention of management, disrupt our business, dilute stockholder value, and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 2
Our corporate culture has contributed to our success and if we cannot maintain this culture as we grow , we could lose the innovation, creativity and entrepreneurial spirit we have worked hard to foster, which could harm our business.We believe our corporate culture has been a key contributor to our success to date. If we do not continue to maintain our corporate culture as we grow or as a result of any reductions in workforce, we may be unable to foster the innovation, creativity and entrepreneurial spirit we believe we need to support our growth.
Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 3
We have in the past and may in the future undertake internal restructuring activities that could result in disruptions to our business or otherwise materially harm our results of operations or financial condition.We have in the past and may in the future undertake internal restructuring activities in an effort to better align our resources with our business strategy. We incur substantial costs to implement restructuring plans, and our restructuring activities may subject us to reputational risks and litigation risks and expenses. There can be no assurance that any restructuring activities that we undertake will achieve the cost savings, operating efficiencies or other benefits that we may initially expect. In addition, restructuring activities may result in loss of institutional knowledge and expertise, attrition beyond our intended reduction-in-force, or a negative impact on employee morale and productivity or our ability to attract highly-skilled employees. Internal restructurings can also require a significant amount of time and focus from management and other employees, which may divert attention from commercial operations. While we take actions to mitigate these risks, there can be no certainty that such efforts to mitigate are effective. If any internal restructuring activities we have undertaken or undertake in the future fail to achieve some or all of the expected benefits therefrom, our business, results of operations and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected.
Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 4
We may not be able to successfully manage our growth, and if we are not able to grow efficiently, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be harmed.The growth and expansion of our business will continue to require additional management, operational and financial resources. As usage of our platform grows, we will need to devote additional resources to improving and maintaining our infrastructure and integrating with third-party applications. In addition, we will need to appropriately scale our internal business systems and our services organization, including customer support, to serve our growing customer base, and to improve our information technology and financial infrastructure, operating and administrative systems and our ability to effectively manage headcount, capital and processes, including by reducing costs and inefficiencies. Any failure of or delay in these efforts could result in impaired system performance and reduced customer satisfaction, which would negatively impact our revenue growth and our reputation. Even if we are successful in our expansion efforts, they will be expensive and complex, and require the dedication of significant management time and attention. We cannot be sure that the expansion of and improvements to our internal infrastructure will be effectively implemented on a timely basis, if at all, and such failures could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
In addition, we must also continue to effectively manage our capital expenditures by maintaining and expanding our data center capacity, servers and equipment, grow in geographies where we currently have a small presence and support the performance, features and reliability of our service offerings and our customer service to remain competitive in a rapidly changing technological environment. If we fail to manage our growth, the quality of our platform and products may suffer, which could negatively affect our brand and reputation and harm our ability to retain and attract customers and employees.
Tech & Innovation
Total Risks: 14/58 (24%)Above Sector Average
Innovation / R&D3 | 5.2%
Innovation / R&D - Risk 1
If we fail to timely release updates and new features to our platform and adapt and respond effectively to rapidly changing technology, evolving industry standards, changing regulations, or customer needs, our platform and products may become less competitive.Innovation / R&D - Risk 2
The market for our platform and solutions may develop more slowly or differently than we expect.It is difficult to predict customer adoption rates and demand for our products and services, the entry of competitive products or services or the future growth rate and size of the Infrastructure-as-a-Service ("IaaS"), Platform-as-a-Service ("PaaS") and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), and artificial intelligence and machine learning ("AI/ML") markets. The expansion of these markets depends on a number of factors, including the cost, performance, and perceived value associated with the markets in which we operate. The market for these applications as a whole, including our platform and products, could be negatively affected by a number of factors, many of which are outside of our control. For example, demand for our products and services could be negatively impacted if we or other providers in our space experience security incidents, loss of customer data, disruptions or other similar problems. If there is a reduction in demand caused by technological challenges, weakening economic conditions, data security or privacy concerns, governmental regulation, competing technologies and products, or decreases in information technology spending or otherwise, either now or in the future, the market for our platform and products might not continue to develop or might develop more slowly than we expect, which would adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our core customer base consists of growing technology companies. As these customers grow, if we are unable to meet their evolving needs, we may not be able to retain them. Our business will also suffer if the market for our solutions proves less lucrative than projected or if we fail to effectively acquire and service such users.
We expect that our path to growth will, in part, rely on scaling our platform to meet the needs of our customers as they increase usage of our platform. Accordingly, if such customers fail to grow as expected, then our path to growth may be adversely affected. In addition, our inability to offer both suitable services to support their businesses at scale and suitable and appropriately priced services for the initial state of their business, could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We intend to continue to devote substantial resources to the market for our DNE Customers and the broader market for growing technology companies. However, these customers and potential customers may have limited budgets and may choose to allocate resources to items other than our solutions, especially in times of economic uncertainty or recessions. If these markets fail to be as lucrative as we project or we are unable to market and sell our services to such customers effectively, our ability to grow our revenues quickly and achieve or maintain profitability will be harmed.
Innovation / R&D - Risk 3
Our increased focus on the development and use of artificial intelligence and machine learning may result in reputational harm, liability or other adverse consequences to our business, results of operations or financial results.We continue to invest in our AI/ML product offerings, which may result in new or enhanced governmental or regulatory scrutiny, litigation, confidentiality, privacy or security risks, ethical concerns, or other complications that could adversely affect our business, reputation, or financial results. The increasing focus on the risks and strategic importance of AI/ML technologies has already resulted in regulatory restrictions that target products and services capable of enabling or facilitating AI/ML.
Several jurisdictions around the world, including Europe, the U.S. federal government and certain U.S. states, have proposed, enacted or are considering laws governing the development and use of AI/ML, such as the EU's AI Act. We expect other jurisdictions will adopt similar laws. Additionally, certain privacy laws extend rights to consumers (such as the right to delete certain personal data) and regulate automated decision making, which may be incompatible with our use of AI/ML. These obligations may make it harder for us to conduct our business using AI/ML, lead to regulatory fines or penalties, require us to change our business practices, retrain our AI/ML, or prevent or limit our use of AI/ML. For example, the FTC has required other companies to turn over (or disgorge) valuable insights or trainings generated through the use of AI/ML where they allege the company has violated privacy and consumer protection laws.
Any sensitive information (including confidential, competitive, proprietary, or personal data) that we input into a third-party generative AI/ML platform could be leaked or disclosed to others, including if sensitive information is used to train the third parties' AI/ML model. Additionally, where an AI/ML model ingests personal data and makes connections using such data, those technologies may reveal other personal or sensitive information generated by the model. Moreover, AI/ML models may create flawed, incomplete, or inaccurate outputs, some of which may appear correct. This may happen if the inputs that the model relied on were inaccurate, incomplete or flawed (including if a bad actor "poisons" the AI/ML with bad inputs or logic), or if the logic of the AI/ML is flawed (a so-called "hallucination").
Furthermore, concerns regarding third-party use of AI/ML for purposes contrary to governmental interests, including concerns relating to the misuse of AI/ML applications, models, and solutions, could result in restrictions on AI/ML products, for example those that can be used for training, refining, and deploying large language models (LLMs). If we cannot use AI/ML or that use is restricted, our business may be less efficient, or we may be at a competitive disadvantage.
In addition, unfavorable developments with evolving laws and regulations affecting AI/ML-related products may limit global adoption, impede our strategy and negatively impact our long-term expectations in this area. For example, there is significant uncertainty in the U.S. courts as to how AI/ML technologies affect intellectual property ownership, including copyright protections, and the use of AI/ML-related technology in the development of our products or implementation of AI/ML features in our products could expose us or our customers to claims of copyright infringement or misappropriation. We may not be able to anticipate how to respond to or comply with these rapidly evolving frameworks, and we may need to expend resources to adjust our offerings in certain jurisdictions if the legal frameworks are inconsistent across jurisdictions. The cost of complying with such frameworks could be significant and may increase our operating expenses.
Because AI/ML technology is highly complex and rapidly developing, it is not possible to predict all legal, operational or technological risks that may arise relating offering AI/ML products. It is also unclear how our status as an infrastructure provider for customers developing and deploying AI/ML applications as opposed to developing such applications ourselves will affect the applicability of these regulations on our offerings.
Trade Secrets3 | 5.2%
Trade Secrets - Risk 1
We may become subject to intellectual property claims from third parties, which may subject us to significant liability, increased costs, and impede our ability to operate our business.Trade Secrets - Risk 2
Any failure to obtain, maintain, protect or enforce our intellectual property and proprietary rights could impair our ability to protect our proprietary technology and brand.Our success depends to a significant degree on our ability to obtain, maintain, protect and enforce our intellectual property rights. We rely on a combination of trademarks, service marks, trade secrets, patents, copyrights, contractual restrictions, and confidentiality procedures to establish and protect our intellectual and proprietary rights, including in our technology, know-how, and brand. Legal standards relating to intellectual property rights are uncertain, in both the United States and other jurisdictions in which we operate, and protecting, monitoring, and defending our intellectual property rights might entail significant expense. Intellectual property rights that we have or may obtain may be challenged, circumvented, invalidated or held unenforceable. Furthermore, even though we attempt to enter into contractual provisions with third parties to control access to, or the distribution, use, misuse, misappropriation, reverse engineering or disclosure of, our intellectual property or technology, no assurance can be given that these agreements will be sufficient or effective in protecting our intellectual property rights.
Moreover, intellectual property laws, standards, and enforcement mechanisms in foreign countries may be uncertain, may not be as protective of intellectual property rights as those in the United States, or may not be available to us. As we expand our international activities, our exposure to unauthorized copying and use of our products, services, and other intellectual property, such as our trademarks, will likely increase. As we further expand internationally, we may be unable to register, obtain the right to use, or stop others from using, our brand names in certain jurisdictions.
Despite our efforts, we may be unable to adequately obtain, maintain, protect, and enforce our intellectual property rights or prevent third parties from infringing upon, misappropriating or otherwise violating our intellectual property rights. If we fail to protect our intellectual property rights adequately, our competitors may gain access to, or be able to replicate, our proprietary technology, products, or services, or may use brands similar to our own valuable brands, and our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects may be harmed. Our attempt to enforce our intellectual property rights, even if successful, could result in costly litigation or diversion of our management's attention and resources, and, as a result, delay sales or the implementation or introduction of our products and platform capabilities, or injure our reputation.
Trade Secrets - Risk 3
Indemnity provisions in various agreements to which we are party potentially expose us to substantial liability for infringement or misappropriation of intellectual property rights, failure to comply with data protection requirements and other losses.Our agreements with our customers and other third parties may include indemnification provisions under which we agree to indemnify or otherwise be liable to them for losses suffered or incurred, including as a result of intellectual property infringement or misappropriation claims or for failure to comply with data protection requirements. Large indemnity payments could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations. Although we attempt to contractually limit our liability with respect to such indemnity obligations, we are not always successful and may still incur substantial liability related to them, and we may be required to cease use of certain functions of our platform or products as a result of any such claims. Any dispute with a customer or other third party with respect to such obligations could have adverse effects on our relationship with such customer or other third party and other existing or prospective customers, reduce demand for our products and services and adversely affect our business, financial conditions and results of operations. In addition, although we carry general liability insurance, our insurance may not be adequate to indemnify us for all liability that may be imposed or otherwise protect us from liabilities or damages with respect to claims alleging compromises of customer data, and any such coverage may not continue to be available to us on acceptable terms or at all.
Cyber Security1 | 1.7%
Cyber Security - Risk 1
If our systems or those of the third parties with whom we work or our data are or were compromised, we could experience adverse consequences resulting from such compromise, including but not limited to regulatory investigations or actions, litigation, fines and penalties, disruptions to our business operations, loss of revenue or profits, loss of customers, and other adverse consequences.Technology7 | 12.1%
Technology - Risk 1
We use artificial intelligence-based tools in our business operations that may present risks and challenges to our business.Technology - Risk 2
Our artificial intelligence and machine learning ("AI/ML") products and services may not be successful, which could adversely affect our business operating results or financial condition.A growing part of our business involves AI/ML products and services, and we are devoting significant resources to develop and deploy such strategies. The AI/ML landscape is rapidly evolving and may create risks and challenges for our business. If we fail to develop and timely offer the right AI/ML offerings, if such offerings fail to meet our customers' demands, if such offerings fail to operate as expected, or if our competitors launch AI/ML offerings more quickly or more successfully than we do, we may lose our competitive position, our products may become obsolete, we may experience brand or reputational harm and our business, operating results or financial condition could be adversely affected.
In addition, the markets for AI/ML offerings or AI/ML-enabled products and services may not develop in the manner or time periods we anticipate, or at all. If domestic or global economies worsen, overall spending on the development of AI-related products and services may decrease, which would adversely impact demand for our products and services in these markets. Even if the demand for such products and services develops in the manner or in the time periods we anticipate, if we do not have timely and competitively-priced products and services that meet our customers' needs, we may miss a significant opportunity and our business, operating results and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected. Also, because the markets for AI/ML-related products and services are still emerging, demand for these products and services may be unpredictable and may vary significantly from one period to another. There can be no assurance that we will realize the desired or anticipated benefits with respect to the significant resources we are devoting to develop and deploy our AI/ML strategies. Accordingly, it is uncertain whether our AI/ML strategies will attract customers or generate revenue required to succeed in this highly competitive and rapidly changing market, and the failure to realize the anticipated benefits could adversely affect our business operating results or financial condition. See Risk Factor entitled "Our increased focus on the development and use of artificial intelligence and machine learning may result in reputational harm, liability or other adverse consequences to our business, results of operations or financial results" below.
Technology - Risk 3
Performance problems or defects associated with our platform may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.It may become increasingly difficult to maintain and improve our platform performance, especially during peak usage times and as our customer base grows and our platform becomes more complex. If our platform is unavailable or if our customers are unable to access our platform within a reasonable amount of time or at all, we may experience a loss of customers, lost or delayed market acceptance of our platform, delays in payment to us by customers, injury to our reputation and brand, legal claims against us, significant cost of remedying these problems and the diversion of our resources. In addition, to the extent that we do not effectively address capacity constraints, upgrade our systems as needed and continually develop our technology and network architecture to accommodate actual and anticipated changes in technology, our business, financial condition and results of operations, as well as our reputation, may be adversely affected.
Further, the software technology underlying our platform is inherently complex and may contain material defects or errors, particularly when new products are first introduced or when new features or capabilities are released. We have from time to time found defects or errors in our platform, and new defects or errors in our existing platform or new products may be detected in the future by us or our users. We cannot assure you that our existing platform and new products will not contain defects. Any real or perceived errors, failures, vulnerabilities, or bugs in our platform could result in negative publicity or lead to data security, access, retention or other performance issues, all of which could harm our business. The costs incurred in correcting such defects or errors may be substantial and could harm our business. Moreover, the harm to our reputation and legal liability related to such defects or errors may be substantial and could similarly harm our business.
Technology - Risk 4
We rely heavily on the reliability, security and performance of our internally developed systems and operations. Any difficulties in maintaining these systems may result in damage to our brand, service interruptions, decreased customer service or increased expenditures.The reliability and continuous availability of the software, hardware and workflow processes underlying our internal systems, networks and infrastructure and the ability to deliver our products are critical to our business. Any interruptions resulting in our inability to timely deliver our products, or materially impacting the efficiency or cost with which we provide our products, would harm our brand, profitability and ability to conduct business. If third-party vendors increase their prices and we are unable to successfully pass those costs on to our customers, it could have a substantial effect on our results of operations.
Technology - Risk 5
If we do not or cannot maintain the compatibility of our platform with third-party applications that our customers use in their businesses, our business will be harmed.Because our customers choose to integrate our products with certain capabilities provided by third-party providers, the functionality and popularity of our platform depends, in part, on our ability to integrate our platform and applications with developer tools and other third-party applications. These third parties may change the features of their technologies, restrict our access to their applications, or alter the terms governing use of their applications in a manner that is adverse to our business. Such changes could functionally limit or prevent our ability to use these third-party technologies in conjunction with our platform, which would negatively affect adoption of our platform and harm our business. If we fail to integrate our platform with third-party applications that our customers use, we may not be able to offer the functionality that our customers need, which would harm our business.
Technology - Risk 6
If we underestimate or overestimate our data center capacity requirements and our capital expenditures on data centers, servers and equipment, our results of operations could be adversely affected.The costs of building out, leasing and maintaining our data centers constitute a significant portion of our capital and operating expenses. To manage our capacity while minimizing unnecessary excess capacity costs, we continuously evaluate our short and long-term data center capacity requirements in order to effectively manage our capital expenditures. We may be unable to project accurately the rate or timing of increases in volume of usage on our platform or to successfully allocate resources to address such increases, and may underestimate the data center capacity needed to address such increases, and in response, we may be unable to increase our data capacity, and increase our capital expenditures on servers and other equipment, in an expedient and cost-effective manner to address such increases. If we underestimate our data center capacity requirements and capital expenditure requirements, we may not be able to provide our platform and products to current customers or service the expanding needs of our existing customers and may be required to limit new customer acquisition or enter into leases or other agreements for data centers, servers and other equipment that are not optimal, all of which may materially and adversely impair our results of operations.
In addition, many of our data center sites are subject to multi-year leases. If our capacity needs are reduced, or if we decide to close a data center, we may nonetheless be committed to perform our obligations under the applicable leases including, among other things, paying the base rent for the balance of the lease term and continuing to pay for any servers or other equipment. If we overestimate our data center capacity requirements and capital expenditures, and therefore secure excess data center capacity and servers or other equipment, our operating margins could be materially reduced.
Finally, the costs of operating our data centers have increased and may increase in the future due to rising energy prices as a result of global geopolitical issues.
Technology - Risk 7
We use open source software in our products, which could negatively affect our ability to sell our services or subject us to litigation or other actions.We use open source software in connection with developing, operating, and offering our products, services, and technology, and we expect to continue to incorporate open source software in our products, services, and technology in the future.
Some open source projects have known vulnerabilities and architectural instabilities and are provided on an "as-is" basis which, if not properly addressed, could negatively affect the performance of our product. Few of the licenses applicable to open source software have been interpreted by courts, and there is a risk that these licenses could be construed in a manner that could impose unanticipated conditions or restrictions on our ability to commercialize our products. For example, some open source licenses may, depending on the nature of our use and the terms of the applicable license, include terms requiring us to offer certain of our solutions for no cost, make our source code available, or license our modifications or derivative works under the terms of applicable open source licenses. From time to time, there have also been claims challenging the ownership rights in open source software against companies that incorporate it into their products, and the licensors of such open source software provide no warranties or indemnities with respect to such claims.
Our use of open source software, and participation in open source projects, may also limit our ability to assert certain of our intellectual property and proprietary rights against third parties, including competitors, who access or use software or technology that we have contributed to such open source projects.
Moreover, we cannot ensure that we have incorporated open source software in our products, services, and technology in a manner that is consistent with the terms of the applicable license or our current policies and procedures. If an author or other third party that distributes such open source software were to allege that we had not complied with the conditions of one or more of these licenses or such third party changes the type of open source license applicable to such software without our knowledge, we or our customers could be subject to lawsuits, and we could incur significant legal expenses defending against such allegations, be subject to significant damages resulting from the suits, enjoined from the sale of our products that contained the open source software, and required to comply with onerous conditions or restrictions on these products, which could disrupt the distribution and sale of these products. Such litigation could be costly for us to defend, have a negative effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations, or require us to devote additional research and development resources to change or reengineer our products or take other remedial actions.
Legal & Regulatory
Total Risks: 11/58 (19%)Above Sector Average
Regulation3 | 5.2%
Regulation - Risk 1
We are subject to anti-corruption, anti-bribery, anti-money laundering, and similar laws, and non-compliance with such laws can subject us to criminal or civil liability and harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.Regulation - Risk 2
We are subject to governmental export and import controls, economic sanctions, and foreign investment laws and regulations that could impair our ability to compete in international markets or subject us to liability if we are not in full compliance with applicable laws.Our business activities are subject to various export, import, sanctions, and foreign investment laws and regulations, including, without limitation, the United States Department of Commerce's Export Administration Regulations and various economic and trade sanctions regulations administered by the United States Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Controls. The United States export control laws and United States economic sanctions laws include restrictions or prohibitions on the sale or supply of certain products and services to United States embargoed or sanctioned countries, governments, persons and entities. In addition, various countries regulate the import of certain technology and have enacted or could enact laws that could limit our ability to provide our customers access to our platform or could limit our customers' ability to access or use our platform in those countries.
We incorporate encryption technology into certain of our products. U.S. export control laws require authorization for the export of encryption items. In addition, various countries regulate the import of certain encryption technology, including through import permitting and licensing requirements, and have enacted laws that could limit our ability to distribute our products and services or could limit our customers' ability to implement our products and services in those countries. Obtaining the necessary authorizations, including any required license, for a particular transaction may be time-consuming, is not guaranteed, and may result in the delay or loss of sales opportunities.
Trade-related laws and restrictions continue to evolve in response to geopolitical tensions and the introduction and increasing adoption of new technologies. Most recently, new export controls have included strict licensing restrictions on exports of U.S. regulated semiconductor- and supercomputer-related products and technologies, as well as certain chips and chip-related products and technologies. New regulations relating to certain U.S. person transactions, including acquisitions of equity interest, involving persons with a qualifying nexus to China and specified technology sectors, to include semiconductors and artificial intelligence, also have been implemented. These as well as other restrictions that could be forthcoming may impact certain of our business activities, particularly as they relate directly or indirectly to China. Further, achieving compliance with such developments may require additional resources and raise costs. Although we take precautions to prevent our platform from being provided in violation of such laws, our platform may have in the past, and could in the future be, provided inadvertently in violation of such laws, despite the precautions we take. If we fail to comply with these laws and regulations, we and certain of our employees could be subject to civil or criminal penalties, including the possible loss of export privileges and fines. We may also be adversely affected through penalties, reputational harm, loss of access to certain markets, compliance costs, or otherwise.
Changes in our platform, or future changes in trade-related regulations may prevent our users with international operations from utilizing our platform globally or, in some cases, prevent the export or import of our platform to certain countries, governments, or persons altogether. Any change in export or import regulations, economic sanctions, foreign investment laws, or other related legislation, or change in the countries, governments, persons, or technologies targeted by such regulations, could result in decreased use of our platform by, or in our decreased ability to export or sell subscriptions to our platform to, existing or potential users with international operations. Any decreased use of our platform or limitation on our ability to export or sell our platform would likely adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial results.
Regulation - Risk 3
Our business could be affected by the enactment of new governmental regulations regarding the internet or the application of additional or different existing governmental regulation to our business, products, or services.The legal and regulatory environment pertaining to the internet and products and services such as ours, both in the United States and internationally, is uncertain and may change. New laws may be passed, existing but previously inapplicable or unenforced laws may be deemed to apply, legal safe harbors may be narrowed, and courts may issue decisions affecting existing regulations or leading to new ones. Furthermore, legal and regulatory authorities, both in the United States and internationally, may characterize or recharacterize us and our business, products, or services in ways that would apply additional or different regulations to us. These changes could affect, among other things, areas related to our business such as the following:
- the liability of online service providers for actions by customers or users, including fraud, illegal content, spam, phishing, libel and defamation, hate speech, infringement of third-party intellectual property and other abusive conduct;- other claims based on the nature and content of internet materials;- privacy and security issues;- consumer protection risks;- evolving regulatory framework for AI/ML;- digital marketing aspects;- characteristics and quality of services, including changes to networking relationships and anti-circumvention technologies;- the contractual terms within our terms of service and other agreements with customers;- the developing global regulatory landscape regarding the internet, including changing regulatory approaches to net neutrality and censorship restrictions on ISPs, which could negatively affect our business or ability to attract and retain customers in ways that we cannot predict;- cross-border e-commerce issues; and - ease of access by our users to our platform.
New laws or regulations, or new applications or interpretations of existing laws or regulations, could hinder growth and decrease acceptance, both of the internet and online services, or of our specific products or services, both generally or with respect to certain uses or industries. Such legal changes could increase our costs of doing business, subject our business to increased liability for non-compliance, or prevent us from marketing or delivering our services over the internet or in specific jurisdictions, thereby materially adversely affecting our business and results of operations. In addition, certain jurisdictions may require us to establish a local corporate presence in the country, which could increase our exposure to government censorship demands, heightened data security and breach risks, and regulatory enforcement. Failure to comply with such requirements could result in fines, operational restrictions, or the suspension or prohibition of our ability to do business in those regions.
Litigation & Legal Liabilities2 | 3.4%
Litigation & Legal Liabilities - Risk 1
Activities of our customers or the content on their websites could subject us to liability.Litigation & Legal Liabilities - Risk 2
We have in the past and may in the future be named as a defendant in litigation, including securities class action lawsuits and stockholder derivative lawsuits. Any lawsuits could result in substantial damages, divert management's time and attention from our business, and have a material adverse effect on our results of operations. Lawsuits may be costly to defend or pursue and are uncertain in their outcome.We have in the past and may in the future be involved in litigation, including securities class action lawsuits and stockholder derivative lawsuits. For example, in September 2023, a putative class action lawsuit was filed against us and certain of our current and former executive officers for alleged violations of the U.S. federal securities laws, which was subsequently dismissed. Lawsuits are subject to inherent uncertainties, and the actual defense and disposition costs will depend upon many unknown factors and their outcomes are necessarily uncertain. We could be forced to expend significant resources and incur significant expense in the defense of any lawsuits. Monitoring, initiating and defending against legal actions are time-consuming for our management, may be expensive and may detract from our ability to fully focus our internal resources on our business activities. We may not be successful in having any lawsuits dismissed or settled within the limits of our insurance coverage. There also could be adverse publicity associated with any such lawsuits that could negatively affect public perception of our business, regardless of whether the allegations are valid or whether we are ultimately found liable.
Taxation & Government Incentives4 | 6.9%
Taxation & Government Incentives - Risk 1
Changes in our effective tax rate or tax liability may have an adverse effect on our results of operations.Taxation & Government Incentives - Risk 2
Our ability to use our net operating losses and other tax credits to offset future taxable income may be subject to certain limitations.As of December 31, 2025, we had net operating losses ("NOL") carryforwards for federal, state and foreign income tax purposes and other tax credit carryforwards for federal and state tax purposes. Certain of these NOL carryforwards and tax credit carryforwards will expire in various years beginning in 2029 for federal purposes and 2030 for state purposes if not utilized. Our ability to utilize our NOL carryforwards and other tax credit carryforwards to offset taxable income may be subject to certain limitations. Under Sections 382 and 383 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended ("the Code"), a corporation that undergoes an "ownership change" (as defined under Section 382 of the Code and applicable Treasury Regulations) is subject to limitations on its ability to utilize its pre-change NOLs or other tax credits to offset future taxable income. We have experienced ownership changes under Section 382 of the Code in the past and may experience a future ownership change under Section 382 of the Code that could affect our ability to utilize the NOLs to offset our income. Furthermore, our ability to utilize NOLs and tax credits of companies that we have acquired or may acquire in the future may be subject to limitations. There is also a risk that regulatory changes, such as suspensions on the use of NOLs or other tax credits, or other unforeseen reasons, could cause our existing NOLs or tax credits to expire or otherwise be unavailable to reduce current or future income tax liabilities, including for state tax purposes. For these reasons, we may not be able to utilize a material portion of the NOLs and tax credits reflected on our balance sheet, which could potentially result in increased future tax liability to us and could adversely affect our operating results and financial condition.
Taxation & Government Incentives - Risk 3
We could be required to collect additional taxes or be subject to other tax liabilities or obligations that may increase the costs our clients would have to pay for our products and adversely affect our results of operations.An increasing number of jurisdictions have considered or adopted laws to impose tax obligations on companies without a physical presence in the jurisdiction. The Supreme Court of the United States has ruled that online sellers can be required to collect sales and use tax despite not having a physical presence in the buyer's state. State or local governments may adopt, or begin to enforce, laws requiring us to calculate, collect, and remit sales and use taxes in their jurisdictions. Similarly, many foreign jurisdictions have considered or adopted laws that impose obligations related to value-added taxes, digital services taxes, or other taxes on companies without a physical presence in the foreign jurisdiction. A successful assertion by one or more state or local governments or foreign jurisdictions requiring us to collect taxes where we presently do not do so, or to collect more taxes in a jurisdiction in which we currently collect some taxes, could result in substantial tax liabilities, including taxes on past sales, as well as penalties and interest. Obligations to calculate, collect and remit sales, value-added, digital services, or other taxes in jurisdictions in which we have no physical presence could also create additional administrative burdens for us, put us at a competitive disadvantage if similar obligations are not imposed on our competitors, and decrease our future sales, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
Taxation & Government Incentives - Risk 4
Our international operations may subject us to potential adverse tax consequences.The amount of taxes we pay in different jurisdictions may depend on the application of the tax laws of the various jurisdictions, including the United States, to our international business activities, changes in tax rates, new or revised tax laws or interpretations of existing tax laws and policies, and our ability to operate our business in a manner consistent with our corporate structure and intercompany arrangements. The taxing authorities of the jurisdictions in which we operate may challenge our methodologies for pricing intercompany transactions pursuant to our intercompany arrangements or disagree with our determinations as to the income and expenses attributable to specific jurisdictions. If such a challenge or disagreement were to occur, and our position was not sustained, we could be required to pay additional taxes, interest, and penalties, which could result in one-time tax charges, higher effective tax rates, reduced cash flows and lower overall profitability of our operations. Our financial statements could fail to reflect adequate reserves to cover such a contingency.
Our tax provision could also be impacted by changes in accounting principles, changes in U.S. federal, state, or international tax laws applicable to corporate multinationals, other fundamental law changes currently being considered by many countries, and changes in taxing jurisdictions' administrative interpretations, decisions, policies, and positions. For example, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development ("OECD") has been spearheading a multilateral effort on proposals, commonly referred to as "BEPS 2.0", which, to the extent implemented, will make important changes to the international tax system. These proposals are based on two "pillars", involving the reallocation of taxing rights in respect of certain multinational enterprises above a fixed profit margin to the jurisdictions in which they carry on business (Pillar One) (based on the thresholds, we currently expect to be outside the scope of the Pillar One proposals, but could fall within their scope in the future) and imposing a minimum effective corporate tax rate on certain multinational enterprises (Pillar Two). A number of countries in which we conduct business have enacted, or are in the process of enacting, core elements of the Pillar Two rules. The OECD has issued administrative guidance providing transition and safe harbor rules around the implementation of Pillar Two. Based on our current understanding of the minimum revenue thresholds, we currently expect to be outside the scope of the Pillar Two proposals but could fall within their scope in the future, which could increase our tax obligations and require us to incur additional material costs to ensure compliance with any such rules in the countries where we do business. We are monitoring developments and evaluating the potential impacts of these new rules, including on our effective tax rates, and our eligibility to qualify for the transition and safe harbor rules.
Environmental / Social2 | 3.4%
Environmental / Social - Risk 1
Our policies regarding user privacy could cause us to experience adverse business and reputational consequences with customers, employees, suppliers, government entities, users, and other third parties.Environmental / Social - Risk 2
Evolving data privacy and security requirements, including third-party compliance, present regulatory, litigation, and business risks.In the ordinary course of business, we process sensitive information. Our data processing activities subject us to various data privacy and security obligations, including regional laws, guidance, industry standards, external and internal privacy and security policies, contractual requirements, directives, regulations, and other obligations relating to data privacy and security.
In the United States, federal, state, and local governments have enacted numerous data privacy and security laws, including data breach notification laws, personal data privacy laws, consumer protection laws (e.g., Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act), and other similar laws (e.g., wiretapping laws). We publish privacy policies, and other notices including disclosures regarding compliance with certain security or privacy certifications or self-governing compliance frameworks. Regulators in various jurisdictions are increasingly scrutinizing these disclosures and other statements. If these policies, disclosures or other statements are determined to be deficient, insufficiently transparent, misleading, deceptive, or otherwise inconsistent with our practices, we could be subject to investigations, enforcement actions, penalties, or other adverse consequences. In the United States, such actions may be brought by federal agencies and state attorneys general.
In addition, privacy advocates and industry groups have regularly proposed, and may propose in the future, self-regulatory standards with which we must legally comply or that contractually apply to us. If we fail to follow these security standards even if no customer or personal information is compromised, we may incur significant fines or experience a significant increase in costs or reputational harm. Additionally, under various privacy laws and other obligations, we may be required to obtain certain consents to process personal data. Our inability or failure to do so could result in adverse consequences.
Numerous U.S. states have enacted comprehensive privacy laws that impose certain obligations on covered businesses, including providing specific disclosures in privacy notices and affording residents with certain rights concerning their personal data. As applicable, such rights may include the right to access, correct or delete certain personal data, and to opt-out of certain data processing activities, such as targeted advertising, profiling and automated decision-making. The exercise of these rights may impact our business and ability to provide our products and services. Certain states also impose stricter requirements for processing certain personal data, including sensitive information, such as conducting data privacy impact assessments.
These state laws allow for statutory fines for noncompliance. For example, the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 ("CCPA") applies to personal data of consumers, business representatives, and employees who are California residents, and requires businesses to provide specific disclosures in privacy notices and honor requests of such individuals to exercise certain privacy rights. The CCPA provides for fines and allows private litigants affected by certain data breaches to recover significant statutory damages. Similar laws are being considered in several other states, as well as at the federal and local levels, and we expect more states to pass similar laws in the future.
Outside the United States, an increasing number of laws, regulations, and industry standards may govern data privacy and security. For example, the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation ("EU GDPR"), the United Kingdom's GDPR (UK GDPR), and China's Personal Information Protection Law ("PIPL") impose strict requirements for processing personal data.
For example, under the EU GDPR, companies may face temporary or definitive bans on data processing and other corrective actions; fines of up to 20.0 million Euros under the EU GDPR, 17.5 million pounds sterling under the UK GDPR or, in each case 4% of annual global revenue, whichever is greater; or private litigation related to processing of personal data brought by classes of data subjects or consumer protection organizations authorized at law to represent their interests. In Canada, the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act ("PIPEDA") and various related provincial laws, as well as Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation ("CASL"), apply to our operations. In Australia, the Privacy Act also applies to our operations.
As another example, the General Data Protection Law ("Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados Pessoais", or "LGPD") (Law No. 13,709/2018) may apply to our operations. The LGPD broadly regulates processing personal data of individuals in Brazil and imposes compliance obligations and penalties comparable to those of the EU GDPR. The Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection, or the FADP, also applies to the collection and processing of personal data by companies located in Switzerland, or in certain circumstances, by companies located outside of Switzerland.
We also have customers in Asia and may be subject to new and emerging data privacy regimes in Asia, including China's PIPL, which imposes a set of specific obligations on covered businesses in connection with their processing and transfer of personal data and imposes fines of up to RMB 50 million or 5% of the prior year's total annual revenue of the violator. India's new privacy legislation, the Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDP), also applies to our operations.
In addition to the EU GDPR, the European Commission has proposed a draft regulation, known as the Regulation on Privacy and Electronic Communications ("ePrivacy Regulation"), which is intended to replace the current ePrivacy Directive. If adopted, the ePrivacy Regulation could impose additional or enhanced consent and privacy requirements governing the use of communications content and metadata. Such requirements could negatively impact our platform and products and our relationships with our customers.
Compliance with the EU GDPR and, if and when effective, the proposed ePrivacy Regulation, may require us to incur substantial operational costs or modify our business practices. We may not be successful in our efforts to achieve compliance, which could adversely affect our ability to retain or attract new European or multi-national customers or increase our potential liability under customer agreements. Although we utilize data centers in the European Economic Area ("EEA") and elsewhere globally to host certain customer and user data originating from the EU, we may be required to implement additional systems or processes to maintain such data in the EEA, resulting in increased costs and operational complexity. Similar data localization requirements in other jurisdictions could further increase the costs of establishing and maintaining data storage and processing infrastructure.
In the ordinary course of business, we transfer personal data from Europe and other jurisdictions to the United States or other countries. Europe and other jurisdictions have enacted laws requiring data to be localized or limiting the transfer of personal data to other countries. Certain jurisdictions, including the EEA and the United Kingdom (UK), have enacted laws that restrict or condition the transfer of personal data to the United States and other countries whose privacy protections are deemed inadequate. Other jurisdictions have adopted or may adopt similar data localization or cross-border data transfer requirements.
Although there are currently mechanisms that may permit transfers of personal data from the EEA and UK to the United States in compliance with law, including standard contractual clauses, the UK's International Data Transfer
Agreement or Addendum, and the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework and the UK extension thereto (which allows for transfers to relevant U.S.-based organizations who self-certify compliance and participate in the Framework), these mechanisms are subject to evolving regulatory interpretations and legal challenges. As a result, there can be no assurance that we will be able to continue to rely on these mechanisms or otherwise lawfully transfer personal data to the United States or other jurisdictions.
If we are unable to transfer personal data lawfully, or if the requirements for a compliant transfer become unduly burdensome, we could experience significant adverse consequences, including disruptions to or degradation of our operations, increased compliance costs, limitations on our ability to work with customers, partners, vendors, or other third parties, or the need to relocate some or all of our data processing or business operations to other jurisdictions at substantial expense. We could also face increased regulatory scrutiny, investigations, fines, penalties, injunctions, or restrictions on our processing of personal data necessary.
Data privacy and security obligations, as well as customer and consumer expectations regarding data protection, are rapidly evolving, increasingly stringent, and subject to differing and sometimes conflicting interpretations across jurisdictions. Compliance with these requirements requires significant management attention and resources, and may necessitate changes to our products, services, systems, practices, or business model, as well as those of third parties that process data on our behalf.
Furthermore, the laws, regulations, and policies that are applicable to the businesses of our customers may limit the use and adoption of, and reduce the overall demand for, our products. Privacy and data security concerns, whether valid or not valid, may inhibit market adoption of our products, particularly in certain industries and foreign countries.
Actual or perceived failures by us or our third party partners to comply with applicable data privacy and security obligations could result in regulatory enforcement actions, litigation (including class-action claims and mass arbitration demands); additional reporting or oversight obligations, bans or restrictions on processing data; or orders to delete or refrain from using personal data. Privacy-related claims have become increasingly common and, in some cases, may permit the recovery of statutory damages on a per-violation basis, which could be substantial depending on the volume of data involved.
Any of these events could have a material adverse effect on our reputation, business, results of operations, or financial condition, including but not limited to though loss of customers, interruptions to our business operations; limitations of our ability to process data or to operate in certain jurisdictions, limited ability to develop or commercialize our products, expenditure of time and resources to defend any claim or inquiry, adverse publicity, or required changes to our products or services.
Furthermore, certain customers operate in highly regulated industries and require us to comply with additional data protection and security obligations. For example, to support certain customers in the healthcare industry, we are required to comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 ("HIPAA") and enter into business associate agreements ("BAAs"), which impose additional obligations and potential liabilities, including penalties and fines in the event we fail to comply with the terms of such agreements. Meeting these requirements may require further investment in our platform, systems, and controls, and may increase our operating expenses, as well as increase our exposure to penalties and fines in the event of noncompliance.
Ability to Sell
Total Risks: 6/58 (10%)Below Sector Average
Competition1 | 1.7%
Competition - Risk 1
The markets in which we participate are competitive, and if we do not compete effectively, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be harmed.Sales & Marketing4 | 6.9%
Sales & Marketing - Risk 1
We are focused on expanding the number of DNE Customers on our platform, both through expanding usage by existing customers and attracting new DNE Customers. Net new sales to DNE Customers involve risks that may not be present or that are present to a lesser extent with sales to smaller customers.Sales & Marketing - Risk 2
If we are unable to expand usage of our platform by existing customers, attract new customers and/or retain existing customers, we may not achieve the growth we expect, which would adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.In order to grow our business, we must continue to expand the usage by our existing customers on our platform, attract new customers in a cost-effective manner and enable these customers to realize the benefits associated with our products and services. Our business is usage-based and it is important for our business and financial results that our paying customers maintain or increase their usage of our platform and purchase additional products from us. Historically, we have relied on our self-service customer acquisition model for a significant majority of our revenue. We complement our self-service customer acquisition model with a sales force focused on inside sales, targeted outside sales and partnership opportunities to drive revenue growth. If our self-service customer acquisition model is not as effective as we anticipate or our sales force is not successful at growing our customer base, specifically our DNE Customers, our future growth will be impacted.
In addition, we must persuade potential customers that our products offer significant advantages over those of our competitors. As our market matures, our products evolve, and competitors introduce lower cost or differentiated products that are perceived to compete with our platform and products, our ability to maintain or expand usage of our platform could be impaired. Even if we do attract new customers, the cost of new customer acquisition, product implementation and ongoing customer support may prove higher than anticipated, thereby impacting our profitability.
Other factors, many of which are out of our control, may now or in the future impact our ability to add new customers in a cost-effective manner, include:
- potential customers' commitments to existing platforms or greater familiarity or comfort with other platforms or products;- our failure to expand, retain, and motivate our sales and marketing personnel;- our failure to obtain or maintain industry security certifications for our platform and products;- negative media, industry, or financial analyst commentary regarding our platform and the identities and activities of some of our customers;- the perceived risk, commencement, or outcome of litigation; and - deteriorating general economic conditions.
The majority of our contracts with our customers are based on our terms of service, which do not require our customers to commit to a specific contractual period, and which permit the customer to terminate their contracts or decrease usage of our products and services without advance notice. These customers generally have no obligation to maintain their usage of our platform. This ease of termination could cause our results of operations to fluctuate significantly from quarter to quarter. Our customer retention may decline or fluctuate as a result of a number of factors, including our customers' satisfaction with the security, performance, and reliability of our products, our prices and usage plans, our customers' budgetary restrictions, the perception that competitive products provide better or less expensive options, negative public perception of us or our customers, and deteriorating general economic conditions. As a result, we may face high rates of customer churn if we are unable to meet our customer needs, requirements and preferences.
Our future financial performance also depends in part on our ability to expand our existing customers' usage of our platform and sell additional products to our existing customers. Conversely, our paying customers may reduce their usage to lower-cost pricing tiers if they do not see the marginal value in maintaining their usage at a higher-cost pricing tier, thereby impacting our ability to increase revenue. In order to expand our commercial relationships with our customers, existing customers must decide that the incremental cost associated with such an increase in usage or subscription to additional products is justified by the additional functionality. Our customers' decision whether to increase their usage or subscribe to additional products is driven by a number of factors, including customer satisfaction with the security, performance, and reliability of our platform and existing products, the functionality of any new products we may offer, general economic conditions, and customer reaction to our pricing model. If our efforts to expand our relationships with our existing customers are not successful, our financial condition and results of operations may materially suffer.
In addition, to encourage awareness, usage, familiarity and adoption of our platform and products, we may offer a credit or other incentives to new customers who sign up for and use our platform. To the extent that we are unable to successfully retain customers after use of the initial incentives, we will not realize the intended benefits of these marketing strategies and our ability to grow our revenue will be adversely affected.
Sales & Marketing - Risk 3
We may be unable to accurately predict the optimal pricing necessary to attract new customers and retain existing customers. Our pricing model subjects us to various challenges that could make it difficult for us to derive sufficient value from our customers.We have in the past changed our pricing model from time to time and in the future may need to make further changes to the pricing model. As the market for our products matures, or as new competitors introduce new products or services that compete with ours, we may be unable to attract new customers using the same pricing models as we have used historically. Pricing decisions may also impact the mix of adoption among our customers and negatively impact our overall revenue. We generally charge our customers for their usage of our platform, and the add-on features and functionality they choose to enable. We do not know whether our current or potential customers or the market in general will continue to accept this pricing model going forward and, if it fails to gain acceptance, our business could be harmed. In addition, certain customers may demand substantial price concessions. As a result, in the future we may be required to reduce our prices or develop new pricing models, which could adversely affect our revenue, gross margin, profitability, financial position, and cash flow.
Sales & Marketing - Risk 4
Our ability to maintain customer satisfaction depends in part on the quality of our customer support. Failure to maintain high-quality customer support could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operation, and financial condition.We believe that the successful use of our platform and products requires a high level of support and engagement for many of our customers, particularly our business customers. In order to deliver appropriate customer support and engagement, we must successfully assist our customers in deploying and continuing to use our platform and products, resolving performance issues, addressing interoperability challenges with the customers' existing IT infrastructure, and responding to security threats and cyber-attacks and performance and reliability problems that may arise from time to time.
Because our platform and products are designed to be highly configurable and to rapidly implement customers' reconfigurations, if customers make errors in configuring our platform and products, they may experience significant disruption to their workloads on our platform. Increased demand for customer support, without corresponding increases in revenue, could increase our costs and adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
In addition, we rely on our user community to serve as a resource for questions on any part of our platform. Members of our user community are not obligated to participate in discussions with other users, and to the extent they do not, our customers' ability to find answers to questions about our platform or services may suffer. If we are unable to develop self-service support resources that are easy to use and that our customers utilize to resolve their technical issues, or if our customers choose not to take advantage of these self-service support services, our customers' experience with our platform may be negatively impacted.
There can be no assurance that we will be able to hire sufficient support personnel as and when needed, particularly if our sales exceed our internal forecasts. To the extent that we are unsuccessful in hiring, training, and retaining adequate support resources, our ability to provide high-quality and timely support to our customers will be negatively impacted, and our customers' satisfaction and their usage of our platform could be adversely affected.
Brand / Reputation1 | 1.7%
Brand / Reputation - Risk 1
If we fail to maintain and enhance our brands, our ability to expand our customer base will be impaired and our business, financial condition and results of operations may suffer.Production
Total Risks: 5/58 (9%)Below Sector Average
Employment / Personnel2 | 3.4%
Employment / Personnel - Risk 1
If we fail to retain and motivate, or fail to attract qualified personnel to support our operations, our business and future growth prospects would be harmed.Employment / Personnel - Risk 2
If we fail to effectively integrate new members of our executive leadership team and senior management or if we fail to retain and motivate members of our executive leadership team and senior management team and other key employees, our business and future growth prospects could be harmed.Our success largely depends on our ability to effectively integrate new members of our executive leadership team and senior management. In 2024, we hired a Chief Executive Officer, Chief Ecosystem and Growth Officer and Chief Revenue Officer, and in 2026, we hired a new Chief Product and Technology Officer, in addition to other members of senior management. The ability of these members of leadership and senior management to understand our business, operations, and strategic plans will be critical to the Company and our management's ability to make informed decisions about our strategic direction and operations. Ensuring that executives and management gain detailed knowledge of our operations may take time and resources. An inadequate transition may cause disruption to our business due to, among other things, diverting management's attention away from the Company's financial and operational goals or causing a deterioration in morale.
Additionally, our success and future growth depend largely upon the continued services of our executive leadership team, members of senior management and other key employees. If we fail to motivate or retain our executive leadership team, members of senior management and other key employees, our success and future growth may be impacted. Our executive officers and other key employees are employed on an at-will basis, which means that these personnel could terminate their employment with us at any time. The loss of one or more of our executive officers, or the failure by our executive team to effectively work with our employees and lead our company, could harm our business.
Supply Chain3 | 5.2%
Supply Chain - Risk 1
We rely on our relationships with third-party software providers and other partners for certain essential financial and operational services, and a failure or disruption in these services could materially and adversely affect our ability to manage our business effectively.Supply Chain - Risk 2
We rely on a limited number of suppliers for certain components of the equipment we use to operate our network and any disruption in the availability of these components could delay our ability to expand or increase the capacity of our platform or replace defective equipment.We do not manufacture the products or components we use to build our platform and the related infrastructure. We rely on a limited number of suppliers for several components of the equipment we use to operate our platform and provide products to our customers. Our reliance on these suppliers exposes us to risks, including:
- reduced control over production costs and constraints based on the then current availability, terms, and pricing of these components;- competition with larger cloud computing companies and other consumers with respect to high demand equipment, such as GPUs;- limited ability to control the quality, quantity and cost of our products or of their components;- the potential for binding price or purchase commitments with our suppliers at higher than market rates;- limited ability to adjust production volumes in response to our customers' demand fluctuations;- labor and political unrest at facilities we do not operate or own;- geopolitical disputes and tensions, regulatory restrictions and sanctions disrupting our supply chain;- changes in trade policies and related uncertainties, including the imposition and enforceability of tariffs, trade controls and other trade barriers or retaliation for those measures by other governments, which may impact the pricing and availability of these components and future pricing expectations;- business, legal compliance, litigation and financial concerns affecting our suppliers or their ability to manufacture and ship our products in the quantities, quality and manner we require;- impacts on our supply chain from adverse public health developments, including outbreaks of contagious diseases; and - disruptions due to floods, earthquakes, storms and other natural disasters, particularly in countries with limited infrastructure and disaster recovery resources.
In addition, we are continually working to expand and enhance our platform features, technology and network infrastructure and other technologies to accommodate substantial increases in the volume of usage on our platform, the amount of content we host and our overall total customers. We may be unable to project accurately the rate or timing of these increases or to successfully allocate resources to address such increases, and may underestimate the data center capacity needed to address such increases, and our limited number of suppliers may not be able to quickly respond to our needs, which could have a negative impact on customer experience and our financial results. In the future, we may be required to allocate additional resources, including spending substantial amounts, to build, purchase or lease data centers and equipment and upgrade our technology and network infrastructure in order to handle increased customer usage, and our suppliers may not be able to satisfy such requirements. In addition, our network or our suppliers' networks might be unable to achieve or maintain data transmission capacity high enough to process orders or download data effectively or in a timely manner. Our failure, or our suppliers' failure, to achieve or maintain high data transmission capacity could significantly reduce consumer demand for our products. Such reduced demand and resulting loss of traffic, cost increases, or failure to accommodate new technologies could harm our business, revenue and financial condition.
Supply Chain - Risk 3
We rely on third-party data center providers to help ensure the functionality of our platform and products. If our data center providers fail to meet the requirements of our business, or if our data center facilities experience damage, interruption or a security breach, our ability to provide access to our platform and maintain the performance of our network could be negatively impacted.We lease space with third-party data center providers located in the United States, India, Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, the Netherlands, Singapore and Australia. Our business is reliant on these data center facilities. Given that we lease this data center space, we do not control the operation of these third-party facilities. Consequently, we may be subject to service disruptions as well as failures to provide adequate support for reasons that are outside of our direct control. All of our data center facilities and network infrastructure are vulnerable to damage or interruption from a variety of sources including earthquakes, floods, fires, power loss, system failures, computer vulnerabilities, physical or electronic break-ins, human error, malfeasance or interference, including by employees, former employees, or contractors, terrorism and other catastrophic events. We and our data centers have experienced, and may in the future experience, disruptions, outages and other performance problems due to a variety of factors, including infrastructure changes and capacity constraints, due to an overwhelming number of customers accessing our platform simultaneously. Data center facilities housing our network infrastructure may also be subject to local administrative actions, changes to legal or permitting requirements, labor disputes, litigation to stop, limit, or delay operations, and other legal challenges, including local government agencies seeking to gain access to customer accounts for law enforcement or other reasons. In addition, while we have entered into various agreements for the lease of data center space, equipment, maintenance and other services, the third party could fail to live up to the contractual obligations under those agreements.
Other factors, many of which are beyond our control, that can affect the delivery, performance, and availability of our platform and products include:
- the development, maintenance, and functioning of the infrastructure of the internet as a whole;- the performance and availability of third-party telecommunications services with the necessary speed, data capacity, and security for providing reliable internet access and services;- the failure of our redundancy systems, in the event of a service disruption at one of the facilities hosting our network infrastructure, to redistribute load to other components of our network;- the failure of our disaster recovery and business continuity plans;- the failure of utility providers to deliver power at sufficient levels on commercially acceptable terms to support our data centers; and - decisions by the owners and operators of the co-location and ISP-partner facilities where our network infrastructure is deployed or by global telecommunications service provider partners who provide us with network bandwidth to terminate our contracts, discontinue services to us, shut down operations or facilities, increase prices, change service levels, limit bandwidth, declare bankruptcy, breach their contracts with us, or prioritize the traffic of other parties.
The occurrence of any of these factors, or our inability to efficiently and cost-effectively fix such errors or other problems that may be identified, could damage our reputation, negatively impact our relationship with our customers, or otherwise materially harm our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
The components of our global network are interrelated, such that disruptions or outages affecting one or more of our network data center facilities may increase the strain on other components of our network. In addition, the failure of any of our data center facilities for any significant period of time could place a significant strain upon the ongoing operation of our business, as we have only limited redundant functionality for these facilities, and there may be concentration issues regarding the storing and backup of customer data. Such a failure of a core data center facility could degrade and slow down our network, reduce the functionality of our products for our customers, impact our ability to bill our customers, and otherwise materially and adversely impact our business, reputation, and results of operations.
In addition, if we do not optimize and operate these data center facilities efficiently, or if we fail to expand our data centers in a timely manner to meet increased customer demand, it could result in either lack of available capacity (resulting in poor service performance or technical issues) or excess data center capacity (resulting in increased unnecessary costs), both of which could result in the dissatisfaction or loss of customers and cause our business, results of operations and financial condition to suffer. As we continue to add product and service capabilities, our data center networks become increasingly complex and operating them becomes more challenging.
The terms of our existing data center agreements and leases vary in length and expire on various dates. Upon the expiration or termination of our data center facility leases, we may not be able to renew these leases on terms acceptable to us, if at all. Even if we are able to renew the leases on our existing data centers, rental rates, which will be determined based on then-prevailing market rates with respect to the renewal option periods and which will be determined by negotiation with the landlord after the renewal option periods, may increase from the rates we currently pay under our existing lease agreements. Migrations to new facilities could also be expensive and present technical challenges that may result in downtime for our affected customers. There can also be no assurances that our plans to mitigate customer downtime for affected customers will be successful.
Macro & Political
Total Risks: 4/58 (7%)Below Sector Average
Economy & Political Environment1 | 1.7%
Economy & Political Environment - Risk 1
Unfavorable conditions in our industry or the global economy, or reductions in information technology spending, could limit our ability to grow our business and negatively affect our results of operations.International Operations1 | 1.7%
International Operations - Risk 1
Our current operations are international in scope, and we plan further geographic expansion, creating a variety of operational challenges.Natural and Human Disruptions1 | 1.7%
Natural and Human Disruptions - Risk 1
Our business could be disrupted by catastrophic occurrences and similar events.Capital Markets1 | 1.7%
Capital Markets - Risk 1
We are exposed to fluctuations in currency exchange rates and interest rates, which could negatively affect our results of operations and our ability to invest and hold our cash.See a full breakdown of risk according to category and subcategory. The list starts with the category with the most risk. Click on subcategories to read relevant extracts from the most recent report.
FAQ
What are “Risk Factors”?
Risk factors are any situations or occurrences that could make investing in a company risky.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requires that publicly traded companies disclose their most significant risk factors. This is so that potential investors can consider any risks before they make an investment.
They also offer companies protection, as a company can use risk factors as liability protection. This could happen if a company underperforms and investors take legal action as a result.
It is worth noting that smaller companies, that is those with a public float of under $75 million on the last business day, do not have to include risk factors in their 10-K and 10-Q forms, although some may choose to do so.
How do companies disclose their risk factors?
Publicly traded companies initially disclose their risk factors to the SEC through their S-1 filings as part of the IPO process.
Additionally, companies must provide a complete list of risk factors in their Annual Reports (Form 10-K) or (Form 20-F) for “foreign private issuers”.
Quarterly Reports also include a section on risk factors (Form 10-Q) where companies are only required to update any changes since the previous report.
According to the SEC, risk factors should be reported concisely, logically and in “plain English” so investors can understand them.
How can I use TipRanks risk factors in my stock research?
Use the Risk Factors tab to get data about the risk factors of any company in which you are considering investing.
You can easily see the most significant risks a company is facing. Additionally, you can find out which risk factors a company has added, removed or adjusted since its previous disclosure. You can also see how a company’s risk factors compare to others in its sector.
Without reading company reports or participating in conference calls, you would most likely not have access to this sort of information, which is usually not included in press releases or other public announcements.
A simplified analysis of risk factors is unique to TipRanks.
What are all the risk factor categories?
TipRanks has identified 6 major categories of risk factors and a number of subcategories for each. You can see how these categories are broken down in the list below.
1. Financial & Corporate
- Accounting & Financial Operations - risks related to accounting loss, value of intangible assets, financial statements, value of intangible assets, financial reporting, estimates, guidance, company profitability, dividends, fluctuating results.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights – risks related to things that impact share prices and the rights of shareholders, including analyst ratings, major shareholder activity, trade volatility, liquidity of shares, anti-takeover provisions, international listing, dual listing.
- Debt & Financing – risks related to debt, funding, financing and interest rates, financial investments.
- Corporate Activity and Growth – risks related to restructuring, M&As, joint ventures, execution of corporate strategy, strategic alliances.
2. Legal & Regulatory
- Litigation and Legal Liabilities – risks related to litigation/ lawsuits against the company.
- Regulation – risks related to compliance, GDPR, and new legislation.
- Environmental / Social – risks related to environmental regulation and to data privacy.
- Taxation & Government Incentives – risks related to taxation and changes in government incentives.
3. Production
- Costs – risks related to costs of production including commodity prices, future contracts, inventory.
- Supply Chain – risks related to the company’s suppliers.
- Manufacturing – risks related to the company’s manufacturing process including product quality and product recalls.
- Human Capital – risks related to recruitment, training and retention of key employees, employee relationships & unions labor disputes, pension, and post retirement benefits, medical, health and welfare benefits, employee misconduct, employee litigation.
4. Technology & Innovation
- Innovation / R&D – risks related to innovation and new product development.
- Technology – risks related to the company’s reliance on technology.
- Cyber Security – risks related to securing the company’s digital assets and from cyber attacks.
- Trade Secrets & Patents – risks related to the company’s ability to protect its intellectual property and to infringement claims against the company as well as piracy and unlicensed copying.
5. Ability to Sell
- Demand – risks related to the demand of the company’s goods and services including seasonality, reliance on key customers.
- Competition – risks related to the company’s competition including substitutes.
- Sales & Marketing – risks related to sales, marketing, and distribution channels, pricing, and market penetration.
- Brand & Reputation – risks related to the company’s brand and reputation.
6. Macro & Political
- Economy & Political Environment – risks related to changes in economic and political conditions.
- Natural and Human Disruptions – risks related to catastrophes, floods, storms, terror, earthquakes, coronavirus pandemic/COVID-19.
- International Operations – risks related to the global nature of the company.
- Capital Markets – risks related to exchange rates and trade, cryptocurrency.