DRS Amendment No. 1
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As confidentially submitted with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission on February 14, 2020.

This draft registration statement has not been publicly filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and all information herein remains strictly confidential.

Registration No. 333-            

 

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

AMENDMENT NO. 1

TO

FORM S-1

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

BigCommerce Holdings, Inc.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

 

 

 

Delaware   7372   46-2707656

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

 

(Primary Standard Industrial

Classification Code Number)

 

(I.R.S. Employer Identification

Number)

 

 

BigCommerce Holdings, Inc.

11305 Four Points Drive

Building II, Third Floor

Austin, Texas 78726

(512) 865-4500

(Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Registrant’s Principal Executive Offices)

 

 

Brent Bellm

President and Chief Executive Officer

BigCommerce Holdings, Inc.

11305 Four Points Drive

Building II, Third Floor

Austin, Texas 78726

(512) 865-4500

(Name, Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Agent For Service)

 

 

Copies to:

 

Samer M. Zabaneh

Joseph Fore

Drew M. Valentine

DLA Piper LLP (US)

401 Congress Avenue, Suite 2500

Austin, Texas 78701-3799

(512) 457-7000

 

Jeff Mengoli

Chuck Cassidy

Justin Bowes
BigCommerce Holdings, Inc.
11305 Four Points Drive

Austin, Texas 78726
(512) 865-4500

 

Nicole Brookshire

Darren DeStefano

Mark Ballantyne

Cooley LLP

55 Hudson Yards

New York, New York 10001

(212) 479-6000

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable after the effective date of this Registration Statement.

If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, check the following box.  ☐

If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  ☐

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  ☐

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an “emerging growth company.” See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

 

Large accelerated filer

 

  

Accelerated filer

 

Non-accelerated filer

 

  

Smaller reporting company

 

    

Emerging growth company

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the Registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act.  ☒

 

 

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

 

 

Title of Each Class
of Securities to be Registered
  Proposed Maximum
Aggregate Offering Price(1)(2)
  Amount of Registration
Fee(3)

Series 1 Common Stock, $ 0.0001 par value per share

  $               $            

 

 

(1)

Includes shares which may be sold pursuant to the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares, solely to cover over-allotments, if any.

(2)

Estimated solely for the purpose of computing the amount of the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(o) under the Securities Act of 1933.

(3)

To be paid in connection with the initial filing of the registration statement.

The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

 

 

 


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EXPLANATORY NOTE

Pursuant to the applicable provisions of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act, we are omitting our financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2017 and for each of the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2019 because they relate to historical periods that we believe will not be required to be included in the prospectus at the time of the contemplated offering. We intend to amend this registration statement to include all financial information required by Regulation S-X at the date of such amendment before distributing a preliminary prospectus to investors.


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The information in this preliminary prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This preliminary prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and we are not soliciting offers to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

 

PROSPECTUS (Subject to Completion)

Issued                      , 2020

                Shares

 

 

LOGO

Series 1 Common Stock

 

 

BigCommerce Holdings, Inc. is offering                 shares of its Series 1 common stock. This is our initial public offering, and no public market currently exists for our shares of Series 1 common stock. We anticipate that the initial public offering price will be between $                and $                per share.

We have two classes of common stock, Series 1 common stock and Series 2 common stock. The rights of the holders of Series 1 common stock and Series 2 common stock are identical, except for voting and conversion rights. Each share of Series 1 common stock is entitled to one vote and is not convertible into another class or series of our securities. Series 2 common stock is not entitled to vote, except as required by law, and automatically converts without the payment of additional consideration into Series 1 common stock upon election or transfer by holders of Series 2 common stock in certain circumstances. As such, only holders of Series 1 common stock are entitled to vote on the election of members of the board of directors.

We intend to apply to list our Series 1 common stock on the            under the symbol “BIGC.”

 

 

We are an “emerging growth company” as defined under the federal securities laws and, as such, may elect to comply with reduced public company reporting requirements for this and future filings. See “Summary—Implications of being an emerging growth company.” Investing in our Series 1 common stock involves risks. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 18.

 

 

PRICE $            A SHARE

 

 

 

      

Price to
Public

      

Underwriting
Discounts
and
Commissions(a)

      

Proceeds to
BigCommerce

 

Per share

       $                              $                                         

Total

       $                              $                                                    

 

(a)

See “Underwriting” for a description of the compensation payable to the underwriters.

We have granted the underwriters the option to purchase up to an additional                shares of Series 1 common stock, solely to cover over-allotments, if any.

The Securities and Exchange Commission and state regulators have not approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

The underwriters expect to deliver the shares of Series 1 common stock on or about                     , 2020.

 

 

 

Morgan Stanley   Barclays   Jefferies   KeyBanc Capital Markets

                    , 2020


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Table of Contents

 

      Page    

Summary

    1        

Risk Factors

    18        

Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

    48        

Market, Industry, and Other Data

    49        

Use of Proceeds

    50        

Dividend Policy

    51        

Capitalization

    52        

Dilution

    54        

Selected Consolidated Financial Data

    57        

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

    60        

Our Business

    80        
      Page    

Management

    103      

Executive and Director Compensation

    110      

Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions

    120      

Principal Stockholders

    122      

Description of Capital Stock

    124      

U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations for Non-U.S. Holders

    130      

Shares Eligible for Future Sale

    134      

Underwriting

    137      

Legal Matters

    144      

Experts

    144      

Where You Can Find More Information

    145      

Index to Financial Statements

    F-1      
 

 

 

Neither we nor the underwriters have authorized anyone to provide you with information different from that contained in this prospectus, any amendment or supplement to this prospectus or any free writing prospectus prepared by us or on our behalf. Neither we nor the underwriters take any responsibility for, or can provide any assurance as to the reliability of, any information other than the information in this prospectus, any amendment or supplement to this prospectus or any free writing prospectus prepared by us or on our behalf. We and the underwriters are offering to sell, and seeking offers to buy, shares of our Series 1 common stock only in jurisdictions where offers and sales thereof are permitted. The information in this prospectus is accurate only as of the date of this prospectus, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus or any sale of our shares. Our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations may have changed since that date.

Until                     , 2020 (25 days after commencement of this offering), all dealers that buy, sell, or trade shares of our Series 1 common stock, whether or not participating in this offering, may be required to deliver a prospectus. This delivery requirement is in addition to a dealer’s obligation to deliver a prospectus when acting as an underwriter and with respect to their unsold allotments or subscriptions.

For investors outside of the United States, neither we nor the underwriters have done anything that would permit this offering or possession or distribution of this prospectus in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required, other than the United States. Persons outside of the United States who come into possession of this prospectus must inform themselves about, and observe any restrictions relating to, the offering of the shares of Series 1 common stock and the distribution of this prospectus outside of the United States.

 

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Summary

This summary highlights selected information that is presented in greater detail elsewhere in this prospectus. This summary does not contain all of the information that you should consider before investing in our Series 1 common stock. You should read this entire prospectus carefully, including “Risk Factors,” “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” and our consolidated financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus, before making an investment decision. As used in this prospectus, unless the context otherwise requires, references to “we,” “us,” “our,” the “Company,” or “BigCommerce” refers to BigCommerce Holdings, Inc. and its subsidiaries.

BigCommerce Holdings, Inc.

Overview

BigCommerce is leading a new era of ecommerce. Our software-as-a-service (“SaaS”) platform simplifies the creation of beautiful, engaging online stores by delivering a unique combination of ease-of-use, enterprise functionality, and flexibility. We power both our customers’ branded ecommerce stores and their cross-channel connections to popular online marketplaces, social networks, and offline point-of-sale (“POS”) systems. As of December 31, 2019, we served approximately 60,000 online stores across industries in approximately 120 countries.

BigCommerce operates at the forefront of a world of commerce that is changing rapidly. The transition from physical to digital commerce constitutes one of history’s biggest changes in human behavior, and the pace of change is accelerating. According to eMarketer Inc. (“eMarketer”), retail ecommerce was nonexistent in the early-1990s and grew to approximately 10% of all global retail spending in 2017. They predict it will take just five years for this percentage to double to 20% in 2022, as shown in the chart below. The growth in ecommerce has no end in sight.

The adoption of retail ecommerce is accelerating

 

 

LOGO

As commerce moves online, businesses must not only anticipate changing customer expectations, but also deliver engaging and highly personalized experiences across channels, necessitating a continuous process of digital transformation. We are currently witnessing major shifts in device usage from desktop to mobile, in mobile technology from responsive websites to progressive web applications, and in shopping venues from in-store to branded ecommerce sites, marketplaces, and social networks. The entire shopping journey, from product discovery to engagement to purchase and delivery, matters. To best serve their customers in this dynamic



 

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digital era, businesses need a platform for cross-channel commerce that nimbly keeps them at the forefront of user experience and innovation.

BigCommerce empowers businesses to turn digital transformation into competitive advantage. We provide a comprehensive platform for launching and scaling an ecommerce operation, including store design, catalog management, hosting, checkout, order management, reporting, and pre-integration into third-party services like payments, shipping, and accounting. All of our stores run on a single code base and share a global, multi-tenant architecture purpose-built for security, high performance, and innovation. Our platform serves stores in a wide variety of sizes, product categories, and purchase types, including business-to-consumer (“B2C”) and business-to-business (“B2B”). Our customers include Avery Dennison, Ben & Jerry’s, Burrow, SC Johnson, SkullCandy, Sony, and Woolrich.

When launched in 2009, BigCommerce initially targeted the small business (“SMB”) segment with a simple, low-cost, all-in-one solution delivered through the cloud. In 2015, company leadership transitioned from our original founders to our current chief executive officer and management team. We identified the market opportunity to become the first SaaS platform to combine enterprise-grade functionality, openness, and performance with SMB-friendly simplicity and ease-of-use. We consequently expanded our strategic focus to include the mid-market, which we define as sites with annual online sales between $1 million and $50 million, and large enterprise, which we define as sites with annual online sales from $50 million to billions of dollars. At the time, these segments primarily relied on “legacy software,” whether licensed, open source, or custom-developed. To build a better SaaS alternative, we began a multi-year investment in platform transformation. In the subsequent five years, in nearly every component of our platform, we added advanced functionality and openness using application programming interface (“API”) endpoints. This transformation – beginning with a simple product built for the low-end of the market, then adding advanced functionality and performance to compete in the mid-market and large enterprise segments – is classic disruptive innovation.

We strive to provide the world’s best SaaS ecommerce platform for all stages of customer growth. As of January 7, 2020, BuiltWith.com (“BuiltWith”) ranked us the world’s second most-used SaaS ecommerce platform among the top one million sites globally by traffic, which we believe consists primarily of established SMBs. We were ranked the second most-used SaaS ecommerce platform among the top 100,000 sites globally by traffic, which we believe consists primarily of mid-market and large enterprise businesses. For the mid-market and large enterprise segments, we believe we are differentiated because our platform combines three elements not typically offered together:

 

   

Multi-tenant SaaS. The speed, ease-of-use, high-performance, and continuously-updated benefits associated with multi-tenant SaaS.

 

   

Enterprise functionality. Enterprise-grade functionality capable of supporting sophisticated use cases and significant sales volumes.

 

   

Open SaaS. Platform-wide APIs that enable businesses to customize their sites and integrate with external applications and services.

We believe this powerful combination makes ecommerce success at scale more economically and operationally achievable than ever before.

We have become a leader in both branded-site and cross-channel commerce. Cross-channel commerce involves the integration of a customer’s commerce capabilities with other sites — online and offline — where consumers and businesses make their purchases. We offer free, direct integrations with leading social networks such as Facebook and Instagram, search engines such as Google, online marketplaces such as Amazon and eBay,



 

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and POS platforms such as Square, Clover (a Fiserv company), and Vend. A dynamic and growing cross-channel category is “headless commerce,” which refers to the integration of a back-end commerce platform like ours with a front-end user experience separately created in a content management system (“CMS”) or design framework. The most dynamic and interactive online user experiences are often created using these tools. We integrate seamlessly with the leading CMSs, digital experience platforms, design frameworks, and custom front ends.

Partners are essential to our open strategy. We believe we possess one of the deepest and broadest ecosystems of integrated technology solutions in the ecommerce industry. We strategically partner with, rather than compete against, the leading providers in adjacent categories, including payments, shipping, POS, CMS, customer relationship management (“CRM”), and enterprise resource planning (“ERP”). Our partner-centric strategy stands in contrast to our largest competitors, which operate complex software stacks that compete across categories. We focus our research and development investments in our core product to create a best-of-breed ecommerce platform. We believe this strategy has four advantages:

 

   

Core product focus. We can create the industry’s best ecommerce platform and innovate faster than our competition by focusing development on a single core product.

 

   

Best-of-breed choice. We offer our customers the choice of best-of-breed, tightly integrated solutions across verticals.

 

   

Cooperative marketing and sales. We co-market and co-sell with our strategic technology partners in each category.

 

   

High gross margins. We earn high-margin revenue share from a subset of our strategic technology partners, and this complements the high gross margin of our core ecommerce platform.

Our business has experienced strong growth. Our annual run-rate (“ARR”) reached $102.6 million as of December 31, 2018 and $             million as of December 31, 2019. Our ARR growth rate increased from 23% in 2018 to     % in 2019. Our revenue increased from $91.9 million in 2018 to $             million in 2019. Our revenue growth rate increased from 20% in 2018 to     % in 2019. Our gross margin was 76.1% in 2018 and     % in 2019. We had net losses of $38.9 million in 2018 and $            million in 2019. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Key business metrics—Annual revenue run-rate” for a description of how we calculate ARR.

Industry trends

Online shopping behaviors are evolving as ecommerce adoption is accelerating around the world. This puts tremendous pressure on businesses to pursue digital transformation with technology that innovates as fast as the market.

Accelerating growth of ecommerce as a share of total retail spend. More than half of the world’s population is now online, according to eMarketer, with four billion global internet users spending an average of seven hours online per day across ecommerce, content, social networks, and applications on desktop and mobile platforms. Global retail ecommerce will reach $3.5 trillion, representing 14% of total retail spending in 2019, according to eMarketer. They forecast that retail ecommerce will reach $6.5 trillion by 2023, representing 22% of retail spending. Digital influence extends to purchases made in the physical world as well. Forrester Research, Inc. (“Forrester”) estimates that digital touchpoints impacted 51% of total U.S. retail sales in 2018.

Consumers rapidly changing how they shop across online and offline channels. The internet has empowered consumers with a breadth of information, social interactions, and shopping alternatives far exceeding anything previously available. No longer can brands rely on a single channel — historically, the store shelves of the closest physical retailer, or more recently, a single branded website — to reach their target audience. Instead,



 

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businesses must address the breadth of touch points influencing what and where shoppers buy. These include content sites (information and influencers), social networks, search engines, marketplaces, and of course, their own branded sites. According to Internet Retailer’s Online Marketplaces Database report in 2019, 57% of global ecommerce occurs on marketplaces such as Amazon and eBay, so brands and retailers must consider those as potential sales channels. For sales that are transacted on our customers’ own ecommerce sites, roughly half of those originate from buyer journeys that began online somewhere else, such as a search engine, social network, or linked site. To maximize sales potential, businesses must embrace true omni-channel selling and ensure seamless, delightful experiences throughout each buyer’s journey.

Growth of direct-to-consumer, digitally native brands. Whereas consumer brands historically relied on retail distribution for their products, ecommerce enables a new model of direct-to-consumer, vertically-integrated digitally native brands (“DNBs”). DNBs sell products directly to consumers online as their primary distribution channel, frequently bypassing third-party retailers or the need for their own capital-intensive brick-and-mortar stores. In 2019, DNBs comprised 31 of the Internet Retailer Top 500 stores and grew sales at a much faster rate (29.5%) than non-DNBs (17.6%). The growth in DNBs has corresponded with demand for turnkey ecommerce platforms that support both rapid product launch and scaling to mid-market size and beyond.

B2B buying and selling also transitioning to the digital world. Historically B2B ecommerce adoption has lagged that of B2C, but that is now changing. B2B sellers are embracing digital transformation in pursuit of both efficiency and sales effectiveness, in response to business buyers whose user experience expectations have been reshaped by B2C shopping. According to Forrester, B2B ecommerce now exceeds $1 trillion in the United States. According to a Digital Commerce 360 survey of more than 200 B2B companies, more than 50% had yet to launch a transactional ecommerce site, but of those without an ecommerce site, 75% stated plans to have one within two years, signaling further growth ahead. Digital commerce can help B2B companies address complexities throughout their supply chains, thereby benefitting manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, and even raw materials suppliers.

Digital transformation is becoming the #1 priority in global IT spending. Digital transformation will soon outrank all other business information technology (“IT”) priorities combined. International Data Corporation (“IDC”) predicts that by 2023, digital transformation and innovation will account for more than 50% of all IT spending, as compared to 36% of IT spending in 2018. Traditionally, business IT priorities have been determined by IT departments. Increasingly, however, business line owners control the purchase decision for digital transformation spending. Business line owners are ultimately seeking to invest in initiatives that drive revenue growth, operational efficiency, and competitive advantage.

Market size and opportunity

Large, rapidly growing global market for ecommerce platform. IDC estimates that the global market for digital commerce applications, which we refer to as “ecommerce platforms,” was $4.7 billion in 2019 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (“CAGR”) of 12% to reach $7.5 billion in 2023. This global market includes legacy ecommerce platforms and SaaS ecommerce platforms. We believe our total addressable market is materially larger than ecommerce platform spend due to the additional revenue share that we earn from our technology partner ecosystem.

Both B2B and B2C investing in digital transformation. According to IDC, in 2018 B2C sites accounted for 69% of total global spend on ecommerce platforms, while B2B sites accounted for the remaining 31%. B2C and B2B businesses are spending today to enable the online sales of tomorrow. Forrester predicts that in 2023, 17% of all U.S. B2B sales will occur online. For that same year, eMarketer predicts that 16% of all U.S. B2C spending will occur online.

Global opportunity. According to BuiltWith, 42% of all ecommerce websites are based in the United States, and 58% are outside of the United States. IDC estimates that the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa



 

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(“EMEA”), and the Asia Pacific region (“APAC”) represented 63%, 26%, and 11% of total global spend on ecommerce platform technology in 2018, respectively, with EMEA and APAC growing at CAGRs of 8% and 17% through 2023, respectively.

Legacy software challenges

Legacy approach to ecommerce involves software ownership and management. Historically most businesses have licensed, owned, and/or managed the technology behind their ecommerce sites. Legacy approaches — led by custom-developed and licensed open source software — are still prevalent for the largest retail businesses. We believe the most commonly used ecommerce platforms for established SMBs are open source and on-premise software. According to BuiltWith, among the one million most trafficked websites globally, open source software holds three of the top four ecommerce platform spots, as of January 7, 2020. Although SaaS platforms have existed since the late 1990s, only within the last five years have multiple SaaS options begun to challenge legacy software leaders in the small, mid-market, and large enterprise segments.

Creating, managing, and modernizing online stores with legacy software is difficult. For businesses using legacy software, ecommerce can be enormously challenging, requiring significant headcount and a wide range of capabilities that may not be their core strengths. These capabilities include:

 

   

Site design and user experience. Legacy site design tools can quickly become outdated in functionality and user interface, making it difficult for businesses to keep pace with changing user experience expectations across device types.

 

   

Multi-channel management. Connecting and maintaining multi-channel sales capabilities across POS, desktop and mobile websites, mobile applications, online marketplaces, and social networks is difficult, time consuming, and expensive.

 

   

Application and systems integration. Ecommerce requires a wide range of integrated third-party applications for even the simplest of sites, including payments, shipping, tax, and accounting. More sophisticated businesses will often incorporate dozens of integrated third-party applications.

 

   

Security. The brand and financial consequences of a security breach can be severe. Businesses must ensure security across the breadth and depth of their platform; third-party managed hosting of legacy software does not absolve companies of responsibility for their software.

 

   

Order processing and operations. Operating costs and complexities increase rapidly if software does not make the steps simple for fulfilling orders, serving shoppers, and managing financials.

 

   

Platform feature and performance upgrades. Static software becomes outdated and poorer-performing over time. Businesses of all sizes often lack the resources required to upgrade, patch, and modernize their legacy software in line with consumer and technology trends.

Legacy software does not meet the needs of most businesses. Due to the challenges mentioned above, legacy ecommerce software imposes an immense burden on companies that implement or maintain it themselves. Most businesses pursuing ecommerce are built and staffed to make or sell products; for these businesses, managing and maintaining software and technology infrastructure can be an operational distraction and financial burden. Three factors prompt many businesses to consider a SaaS alternative to legacy software for their ecommerce solutions:

 

   

Time, complexity, and skill sets required to implement and operate software;



 

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Financial cost of software licensing, engineering, hosting, and management; and

 

   

Burden of staying current and meeting high, ever-changing consumer expectations and demands.

Our solution

BigCommerce is a leading open SaaS platform for cross-channel commerce. We offer a complete, cloud-based ecommerce solution that scales with business growth. After years of significant investment in our product and technology, we believe we offer industry-leading capabilities, flexibility, scalability, and ease-of-use for a SaaS platform. All of our customers, regardless of size, operate on a single, global, multi-tenant architecture that offers a compelling solution for successful online selling.

 

   

Open. Platform APIs make our platform accessible to customization, modification, and integration.

 

   

Comprehensive. We provide complete functionality for setup, store design, store hosting, checkout, order processing, and order management.

 

   

Cloud. Our multi-tenant SaaS model includes both the hosting of our customers’ stores and cloud-based delivery of store management functionality.

 

   

Secure and compliant. We offer native security protection related to payments (PCI-DSS), information (ISO 27001), applications, and external threats. We comply with relevant regulations such as the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”).

 

   

Performant. All stores have built-in enterprise-grade security, speed, uptime, and hosting via the Google Cloud Platform.

 

   

B2C and B2B. We are both a full-featured B2C platform and supportive of a wide variety of B2B use cases either natively or in conjunction with third-party B2B extensions.

 

   

Cross-channel. We support cross-channel selling via native and third-party integrations with leading marketplaces, social networks, CMSs, and POS platforms.

 

   

Application ecosystem. Our application ecosystem is one of the largest among ecommerce platforms, including more than 600 pre-built applications and integrations promoted through our BigCommerce Apps Marketplace.

 

   

Ease-of-use. Approximately 70% of implementations are completed within two months. Small businesses can create their stores in as little as a few hours.

 

   

Delightful. Our beautiful store design themes and editing tools enable businesses to create unique, branded user experiences that delight their shoppers.

 

   

Affordable. Our monthly subscription fees start at $29.95 per month and increase with business size and functionality requirements.

 

   

Scalable. Higher-tiered plans offer more sophisticated functionality required by large enterprises, including advanced promotions, faceted search, and price lists.

 

   

Global. Our platform can be used by shoppers around the world, with front-end support for a shopper’s preferred language, as well as back-end control panel language options including English, Chinese, French, and Ukrainian, with more languages planned.



 

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Our competitive advantages

As a SaaS ecommerce market leader with a singular focus on our core platform, we strive to deliver the world’s best combination of advanced functionality, flexibility, scalability, and ease-of-use to fast-track the ecommerce success of businesses of all sizes.

Built to support growth from SMB to large enterprise. Originally designed for the needs of SMBs, BigCommerce now powers some of the largest brands in the world. Starting with a comprehensive but easy-to-use platform, businesses can grow to hundreds of millions in sales without encountering functionality, flexibility, or scalability limitations. We offer advanced SaaS-based capabilities for interactive visual merchandising, complex and large catalog management, faceted search, advanced promotions, customer groups, and complex price lists.

Open SaaS. Because every business is unique, and most large businesses have specific requirements not easily met “out of the box,” our product strategy emphasizes what we call “open SaaS.” Open SaaS refers to the exposure of SaaS platform functionality via APIs and software development kits. APIs enable our customers to access a wide variety of third-party applications, integrate with legacy systems, and customize when required. Open SaaS, as a strategy, thereby competes with the flexibility of legacy open source software. We believe our platform openness is industry-leading for SaaS, spanning areas such as checkout, cart, tax, pricing, promotions, and the storefront. Our open technology scales to meet high volumes of more than 400 API calls per second per customer.

With respect to both product functionality and platform openness, we deliver new features and API enhancements on a regular basis, without customer service disruption or the need for software upgrades. This constitutes a primary advantage of our multi-tenant SaaS platform relative to legacy software. With legacy software, businesses often need to manage and deploy enhancements and upgrades themselves, at significant operational and financial cost. In contrast, our customers benefit from a platform that seamlessly progresses its capabilities and performance on a regular basis, thereby staying ahead of industry trends, consumer expectations and demands, and competition. The power of our platform to support high growth better than legacy software is evidenced by the large and growing number of category leaders and Global 2000 businesses that select us as their ecommerce platform of choice.

Cross-channel commerce. We provide free connections to the two leading U.S. marketplaces, Amazon and eBay, and our technology partners enable integration to dozens of other leading marketplaces around the world. We are one of just two platforms that natively enables social selling on Facebook and Instagram Checkout. We have integrations and business partnerships with a wide range of leading POS software vendors, including Square, Clover (a Fiserv company), and Vend.

For our customers’ branded sites, our Stencil design framework offers more than 100 beautiful, pre-built, responsive theme variations along with the ability to custom design within a local development environment. Our visual design editor, currently in beta, enables drag-and-drop management of widgets and content blocks on pages that can contain anything from simple image rotations to powerful merchandising functionality.

We also support the option of fully headless commerce. We and our technology partners have developed integrations and support for leading commercial CMSs, including Acquia, Adobe Experience Manager, Bloomreach, Drupal, Sitecore, and WordPress. We are further utilized in conjunction with the leading progressive web application frameworks, including Deity, Gatsby, and Vue Storefront. Many businesses simultaneously utilize our native storefront capabilities along with headless commerce on blogs and other content sites.



 

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Lower total cost of ownership. We believe the total cost of ownership of our platform is substantially less than that of legacy software. The total cost of legacy software, including expenses related to software licensing, software engineering, hosting, technical operations, security management, and agency and systems integration support, can be substantial. Our customers can also benefit from pre-negotiated rates from our strategic payments partners, whose published rates are below those of our largest SaaS competitor for most plan types.

Performance and security. We have designed our platform to maximize uptime, minimize response time, and ensure a secure environment. Across all sites, our stores achieved 99.98% average uptime in 2019. For the cyber five peak holiday shopping days, we have reported zero site downtime every year since 2014.

As measured by Google PageSpeed Insights, our platform benchmarks faster than leading ecommerce sites. Faster response and page load times benefit customers by improving shopper experience and organic search engine page rankings. Unlike with managed software, security is built into the BigCommerce platform and service. We offer native payments security at PCI-DSS Level 1, and our security protocols have achieved ISO 27001 certification, the “gold standard” in security assessment.

Growth strategy

As a “customer first” company, we believe customer success is a fundamental prerequisite of all components of our growth strategy, and we therefore rank it first among our growth priorities.

Retain and grow existing customers through product and service leadership. We believe our long-term revenue growth is highly correlated with the success of our existing customers. We enable customer success through product excellence and service quality. We have extensive internal processes for aligning our product roadmap with the features and enhancements that drive customer growth. We also have mature internal processes for measuring service levels and satisfaction, along with closed-loop resolution of issues and feature requests. We strive for industry-leading customer retention rates, net promoter scores, service levels, and same-store sales growth. We experience revenue growth from our existing customers over time in a variety of ways, including (1) as our customers’ ecommerce sales grow, so does our subscription revenue, and (2) our customers purchase and deploy additional stores to serve their other brands, geographies, and/or use cases (e.g., B2B in addition to B2C).

Acquire new mid-market and large enterprise customers. Our flagship plan is BigCommerce Enterprise, which is tailored for mid-market and large enterprise businesses selling more than $1 million online per site. Our sales, marketing, agency partnership, and professional services teams all have organization structures dedicated to serving the needs of mid-market and large enterprise businesses. As of December 31, 2019, customers on our Enterprise plan generate approximately half of our ARR. These customers typically exhibit low churn and net revenue retention greater than 100%. Internet Retailer states that SaaS has now become the top choice of the largest U.S. retail ecommerce sites planning to re-platform, and we are aggressively positioning ourselves as the best SaaS solution for this segment.

Acquire new SMB customers. We target both established small businesses and start-ups committed to “make it big” on a platform that they will not outgrow. They exhibit lower churn and higher growth rates than do businesses that dabble in ecommerce. Established and complex businesses also place greater emphasis on the functionality, openness, and performance strengths of our platform. We have dedicated sales, marketing, and support organizations to serve the needs of SMBs. More than 70% of our SMB customers use a self-serve model and become customers without sales assistance.



 

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Expand into new and emerging segments. We seek to extend into new and emerging segments within ecommerce, including the following segments that are significant areas of potential growth and strategic focus for us:

 

   

Headless commerce. This refers to businesses whose technology strategy is to decouple their front-end customer experience technology from their back-end commerce platform. In terms of online strategy, these companies are typically brand-, marketing-, or experience-led. We serve headless use cases better than most of our competitors due to years of investment in our platform APIs and integration capabilities. Pre-built integrations connect our platform with leading CMSs, such as Acquia, Adobe, Bloomreach, Drupal, Sitecore, and WordPress.

 

   

B2B. As of December 31, 2019, approximately 10% of our customers use BigCommerce primarily for B2B sales. In many cases, these customers’ needs are met using our native functionality, including B2B features like customer groups and price lists. In other cases, these customers complement BigCommerce with purpose-built B2B extensions and applications in the BigCommerce Apps Marketplace. Over time, we intend to add more B2B functionality to both the BigCommerce Apps Marketplace and our native feature set.

 

   

Large enterprise. Increasingly, we are successfully competing for large enterprise sites selling more than $50 million annually online, with our Enterprise plan product feature set, along with our sales, marketing, solutioning, and service capabilities.

Expand internationally. We believe there is a significant opportunity to grow our business internationally. Businesses around the world increasingly value a SaaS ecommerce platform that delivers a combination of ease-of-use, enterprise functionality, and flexibility. As of January 3, 2020, 24% of our stores were located outside of the United States. In comparison, BuiltWith estimates that approximately 58% of ecommerce websites are outside of the United States. In July 2018, we launched our first dedicated European business team based in London and in January 2019, we launched our Asian presence in Singapore. The expansion in our regional business teams helped contribute to accelerating revenue growth in 2019 of     % in EMEA and     % in APAC. In addition to expanding our sales and marketing capabilities internationally, we are also enhancing our product and APIs to serve customers around the world.

Earn revenue share and customer referrals from our extensive partner ecosystem. Our marketplace of integrated application and technology solutions is one of the largest of any ecommerce platform. Partner solutions span every major category of relevance to ecommerce, including payments, shipping, tax, accounting and ERP, marketing, fulfillment, and cross-channel commerce. Our strategy is to partner – not compete – with our ecosystem. Many of our strategic technology partners pay us a revenue share on their gross sales to our joint customers and/or collaborate to co-sell and co-market BigCommerce to new customers and our respective installed bases. Our customers benefit from the best-of-breed offerings of our partners, the flexibility to choose without penalty the best offer for their needs, and the tailored programs developed with our strategic technology partners. We intend to grow partner-sourced revenue by expanding the value and scope of existing partnerships, selling and marketing partner solutions to our customer base, and acquiring and cultivating new, high-value relationships.

Risk factors

Investing in our Series 1 common stock involves substantial risks. Before you participate in this offering, you should carefully consider all of the information contained in this prospectus, including the information set forth under “Risk Factors.” Some of the more significant risks include the following:

 

   

We have a history of operating losses, and we may not be able to generate sufficient revenue to achieve and sustain profitability.



 

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Our future revenue and operating results will be harmed if we are unable to acquire new customers, retain existing customers, expand sales to our existing customers, or develop new functionality for our platform that achieves market acceptance.

 

   

We face intense competition, especially from well-established companies offering solutions and related applications. We may lack sufficient financial or other resources to maintain or improve our competitive position, which may harm our ability to add new customers, retain existing customers, and grow our business.

 

   

If we fail to adapt and respond effectively to rapidly changing technology, evolving industry standards, and changing customer needs or preferences, our platform may become less competitive.

 

   

Our success depends in part on our partner-centric strategy. Our business would be harmed if we fail to maintain or expand partner relationships.

 

   

The estimates of market opportunity and forecasts of market growth included in this prospectus may prove to be inaccurate. Even if the market in which we compete achieves the forecasted growth, our business could fail to grow at similar rates, if at all.

 

   

To the extent our security measures are compromised, our platform may be perceived as not being secure. This may result in customers curtailing or ceasing their use of our platform, our reputation being harmed, our incurring significant liabilities, and adverse effects on our results of operations and growth prospects.

 

   

Upon the completion of this offering, our directors, executive officers and current beneficial owners of 5% or more of our voting securities and their respective affiliates will beneficially own, in the aggregate, approximately     % of our outstanding Series 1 common stock, which may limit our stockholders’ ability to influence corporate matters and delay or prevent a third party from acquiring control over us.

 

   

We depend on third-party data hosting and transmission services. Increases in cost, interruptions in service, latency, or poor service from our third-party data center providers could impair the delivery of our platform. This could result in customer or shopper dissatisfaction, damage to our reputation, loss of customers, limited growth, and reduction in revenue.

 

   

Evolving global internet laws, regulations and standards, privacy regulations, cross-border data transfer restrictions, and data localization requirements, may limit the use and adoption of our services, expose us to liability, or otherwise adversely affect our business.

 

   

Our current operations are international in scope, and we plan further geographic expansion. This will create a variety of operational challenges.

Implications of being an emerging growth company

We qualify as an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “JOBS Act”). While we remain an emerging growth company, we are permitted and plan to rely on exemptions from certain disclosure requirements that are applicable to other public companies. These provisions include, but are not limited to:

 

   

presenting only two years of audited financial statements and only two years of related selected financial data in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” disclosure;

 

   

an exemption from compliance with the auditor attestation requirement in the assessment of our internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended;



 

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not being required to comply with any requirement that may be adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding mandatory audit firm rotation or a supplement to the auditor’s report providing additional information about the audit and the financial statements;

 

   

reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation arrangements in our periodic reports, registration statements and proxy statements; and

 

   

exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved.

We have elected to take advantage of certain reduced disclosure obligations in this prospectus and may elect to take advantage of other reduced reporting requirements in future filings. As a result, the information that we provide to our stockholders may be different from what you might receive from other public reporting companies that are not emerging growth companies and in which you hold equity interests.

In addition, the JOBS Act permits emerging growth companies to take advantage of an extended transition period to comply with new or revised accounting standards applicable to public companies. We are choosing to “opt out” of this provision and to comply with new or revised accounting standards as required of publicly-traded companies generally. This decision to opt out of the extended transition period is irrevocable.

We will remain an emerging growth company until the earliest of: (i) the end of the fiscal year in which the fifth anniversary of the closing of this offering occurs, (ii) the first fiscal year after our annual revenue exceeds $1.07 billion, (iii) the date on which we have, during the immediately preceding three-year period, issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities, and (iv) the end of any fiscal year in which the market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the end of the second quarter of that fiscal year.

Corporate information

We were formed in Australia in December 2003 under the name Interspire Pty Ltd and reorganized into a corporation in Delaware under the name BigCommerce Holdings, Inc. in February 2013. Our headquarters and principal executive offices are located at 11305 Four Points Drive, Building II, Third Floor, Austin, Texas 78726. Our telephone number is (512) 865-4500. Our corporate website address is www.BigCommerce.com. The information contained in, or that can be accessed through, our website is not incorporated by reference in and is not part of this prospectus. Investors should not rely on any such information in deciding whether to purchase our Series 1 common stock.

“BigCommerce,” our logo, and other trademarks or trade names of BigCommerce Holdings, Inc. appearing in this prospectus are our property. This prospectus also contains trademarks and trade names of other companies, which are the property of their respective owners. Solely for convenience, trademarks and trade names referred to in this prospectus may appear without the ® or symbols, but such references are not intended to indicate, in any way, that we will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, our rights or the right of the applicable licensor to these trademarks and trade names.



 

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The Offering

 

Series 1 common stock offered by us

            shares of Series 1 common stock (or             shares if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares of Series 1 common stock is exercised in full).

 

Underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares

We have granted the underwriters the option to purchase up to an additional             shares of Series 1 common stock.

 

Series 1 common stock to be outstanding after giving effect to this offering

            shares (or             shares if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares of Series 1 common stock is exercised in full).

 

Series 2 common stock to be outstanding after giving effect to this offering

            shares.

 

Total Series 1 and Series 2 common stock to be outstanding after giving effect to this offering

            shares (or             shares if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares of Series 1 common stock is exercised in full).

 

Use of proceeds

We estimate that our net proceeds from this offering, after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, will be approximately $             million (or $             million if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares of Series 1 common stock is exercised in full) based upon an assumed initial public offering price of $             per share of Series 1 common stock, which is the midpoint of the estimated price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus.

 

 

We intend to use the net proceeds from this offering:

 

   

to pay, in cash, dividends on our outstanding shares of Series F preferred stock, which have accumulated at a rate of 10% per annum of the original issue price of each such share (the “Series F Dividend”), and, as of                     , 2020, totaled $             million; and

 

   

for working capital and general corporate purposes, including sales and marketing, research and development, general and administrative matters, and capital expenditures.



 

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As a result of the anticipated payment of the Series F Dividend, certain of our beneficial owners of 5% or more of the outstanding shares of voting securities and their affiliated entities who are holders of our Series F preferred stock will receive approximately $             million of the net proceeds of this offering.

 

 

See “Use of Proceeds.”

 

Dividend policy

We have no current plans to pay dividends on our Series 1 common stock. Any future determination to pay dividends will be made at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on a variety of factors, including applicable laws, our financial condition, results of operations, contractual restrictions, capital requirements, business prospects, general business or financial market conditions and other factors that our board of directors may deem relevant. See “Dividend Policy.

 

Listing

We intend to apply to list our Series 1 common stock on the under the symbol “BIGC.”

 

Risk factors

Investing in our Series 1 common stock involves substantial risks. See “Risk Factors” for a discussion of risks you should carefully consider before deciding to invest in our Series 1 common stock.

The number of shares of our Series 1 common stock and Series 2 common stock to be outstanding after this offering is based on                 shares of our Series 1 common stock and                shares of Series 2 common stock outstanding as of December 31, 2019, and excludes:

 

   

            shares of Series 1 common stock issuable upon the exercise of options outstanding as of December 31, 2019 under our 2013 Stock Option Plan (the “2013 Plan”), at a weighted-average exercise price of $            per share;

 

   

            shares of Series 1 common stock issuable upon the exercise of warrants outstanding as of December 31, 2019, with a weighted-average exercise price of $            per share;

 

   

            shares of Series 1 common stock reserved for issuance under our 2020 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2020 Plan”), which will become effective in connection with this offering, as well as shares of our Series 1 common stock that may be issued pursuant to provisions in our 2020 Plan that automatically increase the Series 1 common stock reserve under our 2020 Plan; and

 

   

            shares of Series 1 common stock reserved for issuance under our 2020 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “2020 ESPP”), which will become effective in connection with this offering, as well as shares of our Series 1 common stock that may be issued pursuant to provisions in our 2020 ESPP that automatically increase the Series 1 common stock reserve under our 2020 ESPP.

Except as otherwise indicated, all information in this prospectus assumes or gives effect to:

 

   

no exercise of the outstanding options described above after December 31, 2019;

 

   

no exercise of the outstanding warrants described above after December 31, 2019;



 

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no conversion of any shares of Series 2 common stock into shares of Series 1 common stock after December 31, 2019;

 

   

no exercise by the underwriters of their option to purchase up to an additional                shares of our Series 1 common stock in this offering;

 

   

the automatic conversion of all of the outstanding shares of our preferred stock (including the shares of Series F preferred stock issuable upon the conversion of the Convertible Term Loan and the exercise of the Purchase Right (described below)) into an aggregate of                shares of Series 1 common stock and                shares of Series 2 common stock immediately prior to the closing of this offering;

 

   

the conversion of the Convertible Term Loan (as defined in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”) after December 31, 2019 into an aggregate of                shares of our Series F preferred stock, at a conversion price of $3.059 per share, and the automatic conversion of such shares into             shares of Series 1 common stock, immediately prior to the closing of this offering;

 

   

the exercise of the Purchase Right (as defined in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”) after December 31, 2019 for the purchase of              shares of our Series F preferred stock at a purchase price of $3.059, and the automatic conversion of such shares into                 shares of Series 1 common stock immediately prior to the closing of this offering;

 

   

the filing and effectiveness of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and the adoption of our amended and restated bylaws immediately prior to the closing of this offering;

 

   

an initial public offering price of $                per share of Series 1 common stock, which is the midpoint of the range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus; and

 

   

a one-for-                reverse stock split of our Series 1 common stock and Series 2 common stock effected on                , 2020.



 

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Summary Consolidated Financial Data

The following tables present summary financial data for our business for the periods indicated. We have derived the consolidated statement of operations data for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2019 and the consolidated balance sheet data as of December 31, 2019 from our audited consolidated financial statements appearing elsewhere in this prospectus. Our historical results are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected in the future. You should read the following summary consolidated financial data together with our consolidated financial statements and the related notes appearing elsewhere in this prospectus and the “Selected Consolidated Financial Data” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” sections of this prospectus.

 

     Year Ended December 31,  
              2018                        2019           
    

(in thousands, except per

share amounts)

 

Consolidated Statement of Operations Data:

     

Revenue

     $                    91,867                              

Cost of revenue(1)

     21,937     
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Gross profit

     69,930     

Operating expenses:

     

Sales and marketing(1)

     45,928     

Research and development(1)

     42,485     

General and administrative(1)

     19,497     
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total operating expenses

     107,910     
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Loss from operations

     (37,980)     

Interest income

     653     

Interest expense

     (1,489)     

Other expense

     (52)     
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Loss before provision for income taxes

     (38,868)     

Provision for income taxes

     10     
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net loss

     $                 (38,878)     
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Cumulative dividends and accretion of issuance costs on Series F preferred stock

     (4,712)     
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net loss attributable to common stockholders

     $                 (43,590)     
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Basic and diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders(2)

     $                     (0.86)     
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Weighted-average number of shares used to compute basic and diluted net loss per share(2)

     50,889     
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Basic and diluted pro forma net loss per share attributable to common stockholders(3)

     
     

 

 

 

Weighted-average number of shares used to compute pro forma net loss per share attributable to common stockholders, basic and diluted(3)

     
     

 

 

 


 

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(1)

Includes stock-based compensation expense as follows:

 

     Year Ended December 31,  
             2018                      2019          
     (in thousands)  

Cost of revenue

   $ 82     

Sales and marketing

     388     

Research and development

     432     

General and administrative

     1,169                          
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total stock-based compensation expense

   $     2,071     
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
(2)

See Note 11 to our audited consolidated financial statements appearing at the end of this prospectus for an explanation of the calculations of basic and diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders.

(3)

See Note     to our audited consolidated financial statements appearing at the end of this prospectus for an explanation of the calculations of pro forma basic and diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders.

In addition to our consolidated statement of operations data as determined in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”), we believe the following non-GAAP measure is useful in evaluating our business performance.

 

     Year Ended December 31,  
             2018                      2019          
     (in thousands)  

Other Financial Data:

     

Adjusted EBITDA(1)

   $
    (34,065)
 
  

 

(1)

This financial measure is not calculated in accordance with GAAP. See “Selected Financial Data—Non-GAAP financial measures” for information regarding our use of this non-GAAP financial measure and a reconciliation of such measure to its nearest comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP.

 

     As of December 31, 2019  
           Actual            Pro
forma(1)  
     Pro forma
as
adjusted(2)  
 
     (in thousands)  

Consolidated Balance Sheet Data:

        

Cash and cash equivalents

        

Working capital(3)

        

Total assets

        

Total liabilities

        

Convertible preferred stock

        

Total stockholders’ equity (deficit)

        

 

(1)

The pro forma consolidated balance sheet data give effect to: (i) the automatic conversion of all outstanding shares of preferred stock (including the shares of Series F preferred stock issuable upon conversion of the Convertible Term Loan and the exercise of the Purchase Right) into an aggregate of                shares of Series 1 common stock and                shares of Series 2 common stock immediately prior to the closing of this offering, (ii) the conversion of our Convertible Term Loan into Series F preferred stock, and the automatic conversion of such shares into                shares of Series 1 common stock immediately prior to the closing of this offering, (iii) the exercise of the Purchase Right at the option of the lenders under our Convertible Term Loan for the purchase of Series F preferred stock, and the automatic conversion of such shares into                shares of Series 1 common stock, immediately prior to the closing of this offering, and (iv) the payment in cash of the Series F Dividend which as of            , 2020 totaled $             million, immediately prior to the closing of this offering.



 

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(2)

The pro forma as adjusted consolidated balance sheet data give further effect to our issuance and sale of shares of Series 1 common stock in this offering at an assumed initial public offering price of $                per share, which is the midpoint of the estimated price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

 

  

The pro forma as adjusted information discussed above is illustrative only and will change based on the actual initial public offering price and other terms of this offering determined at pricing. Each $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price of $                 per share of Series 1 common stock, which is the midpoint of the estimated price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase (decrease) our pro forma as adjusted amount of each of cash and cash equivalents, working capital, total assets, and total stockholders’ equity (deficit) by $                 million, assuming that the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same and after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. Each increase (decrease) of 1,000,000 shares in the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase (decrease) our pro forma as adjusted amount of each of cash and cash equivalents, working capital, total assets, and total stockholders’ equity (deficit) by $                 million, assuming no change in the assumed initial public offering price per share and after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

(3)

We define working capital as current assets less current liabilities.



 

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Risk Factors

The following section discusses material risks and uncertainties that could adversely affect our business and financial condition. Investing in our Series 1 common stock involves substantial risks. You should carefully consider the following risk factors, as well as all of the other information contained in this prospectus, including “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of the Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and the consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto included elsewhere in this prospectus, before deciding to invest in our Series 1 common stock. Additional risks and uncertainties that we are unaware of may also become important factors that adversely affect our business. The occurrence of any of the following risks, or additional risks that we are unaware of, could materially and adversely affect our business, strategies, prospects, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. In such case, the market price of our Series 1 common stock could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment.

Risks related to our business and industry

We have a history of operating losses, and we may not be able to generate sufficient revenue to achieve and sustain profitability.

We have not yet achieved profitability. We incurred net losses of $38.9 million and $             million for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2019, respectively. As of December 31, 2019, we had an accumulated deficit of $             million. While we have experienced significant revenue growth over recent periods, we may not be able to sustain or increase our growth or achieve profitability in the future. We intend to continue to invest in sales and marketing efforts, research and development, and expansion into new geographies. In addition, we expect to incur significant additional legal, accounting and other expenses related to our being a public company as compared to when we were a private company. While our revenue has grown in recent years, if our revenue declines or fails to grow at a rate faster than these increases in our operating expenses, we will not be able to achieve and maintain profitability in future periods. As a result, we may continue to generate losses. We cannot assure you that we will achieve profitability in the future or that, if we do become profitable, we will be able to sustain profitability. Additionally, we may encounter unforeseen operating expenses, difficulties, complications, delays, and other unknown factors that may result in losses in future periods. If these losses exceed our expectations or our revenue growth expectations are not met in future periods, our financial performance will be harmed.

We have experienced strong growth in recent periods, and our recent growth rates may not be indicative of our future growth.

We have experienced strong growth in recent years. From the year ended December 31, 2018 to the year ended December 31, 2019, our revenue increased from $91.9 million to $             million, respectively. In future periods, we may not be able to sustain revenue growth consistent with recent history, or at all. We believe our revenue growth depends on a number of factors, including:

 

   

our ability to attract new customers and retain and increase sales to existing customers;

 

   

our ability to maintain and expand our relationships with our partners;

 

   

our ability to, and the ability of our partners to, successfully implement our platform, increase our existing customers’ use of our platform, and provide our customers with excellent customer support;

 

   

our ability to increase the number of our partners;

 

   

our ability to develop our existing platform and introduce new functionality to our platform;

 

   

our ability to expand into new market segments and internationally; and

 

   

our ability to earn revenue share and customer referrals from our partner ecosystem.

 

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We may not accomplish any of these objectives and, as a result, it is difficult for us to forecast our future revenue or revenue growth. If our assumptions are incorrect or change in reaction to changes in our market, or if we are unable to maintain consistent revenue or revenue growth, our stock price could be volatile, and it may be difficult to achieve and maintain profitability. You should not rely on our revenue for any prior periods as any indication of our future revenue or revenue growth.

Our future revenue and operating results will be harmed if we are unable to acquire new customers, retain existing customers, expand sales to our existing customers, or develop new functionality for our platform that achieves market acceptance.

To continue to grow our business, it is important that we continue to acquire new customers to purchase and use our platform. Our success in adding new customers depends on numerous factors, including our ability to: (1) offer a compelling ecommerce platform, (2) execute our sales and marketing strategy, (3) attract, effectively train and retain new sales, marketing, professional services, and support personnel in the markets we pursue, (4) develop or expand relationships with partners, payment providers, systems integrators, and resellers, (5) expand into new geographies and market segments, (6) efficiently onboard new customers on to our platform, and (7) provide additional paid services that complement the capabilities of our customers and their partners.

Our ability to increase revenue also depends in part on our ability to retain existing customers and to sell more functionality and adjacent services to our existing and new customers. Our customers have no obligation to renew their subscriptions for our solutions after the expiration of their initial subscription period. In order for us to maintain or improve our results of operations, it is important that our customers renew their subscriptions with us on the same or more favorable terms to us. Our ability to increase sales to existing customers depends on several factors, including their experience with implementing and using our platform, their ability to integrate our platform with other technologies, and our pricing model.

Our ability to generate revenue may be inconsistent across SMB, mid-market, and large enterprise customers. If we experience limited or inconsistent growth in any of these customer sets, particularly our mid-market and large enterprise customers, our business, financial condition, and operating results could be adversely affected.

If we are unable to provide enhancements, new features, or keep pace with current technological developments, our business could be adversely affected. If our new functionality and services initiatives do not continue to achieve acceptance in the market, our competitive position may be impaired, and our potential to generate new revenue or to retain existing revenue could be diminished. The adverse effect on our financial results may be particularly acute because of the significant research, development, marketing, sales, and other expenses we will have incurred in connection with the new functionality and services.

We face intense competition, especially from well-established companies offering solutions and related applications. We may lack sufficient financial or other resources to maintain or improve our competitive position, which may harm our ability to add new customers, retain existing customers, and grow our business.

The market for ecommerce solutions is evolving and highly competitive. We expect competition to increase in the future from established competitors and new market entrants. With the introduction of new technologies and the entry of new companies into the market, we expect competition to persist and intensify in the future. This could harm our ability to increase sales, maintain or increase renewals, and maintain our prices. We face intense competition from other software companies that may offer related ecommerce platform software solutions and services. Our competitors include larger companies that have acquired ecommerce platform solution providers in recent years. We also compete with custom software internally developed within ecommerce businesses. In addition, we face competition from niche companies that offer point products that attempt to address certain of the problems that our platform solves.

 

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Merger and acquisition activity in the technology industry could increase the likelihood that we compete with other large technology companies. Many of our existing competitors have, and our potential competitors could have, substantial competitive advantages such as greater name recognition, longer operating histories, larger sales and marketing budgets and resources, greater customer support resources, lower labor and development costs, larger and more mature intellectual property portfolios, and substantially greater financial, technical and other resources.

Some of our larger competitors also have substantially broader product lines and market focus and will therefore not be as susceptible to downturns in a particular market. Conditions in our market could change rapidly and significantly as a result of technological advancements, partnering by our competitors, or continuing market consolidation. New start-up companies that innovate, and large companies that are making significant investments in research and development, may invent similar or superior products and technologies that compete with our platform. In addition, some of our competitors may enter into new alliances with each other or may establish or strengthen cooperative relationships with agency partners, technology and application providers in complementary categories, or other parties. Furthermore, ecommerce on large marketplaces, such as Amazon, could increase as a percentage of all ecommerce activity, thereby reducing customer traffic to individual merchant websites. Any such consolidation, acquisition, alliance or cooperative relationship could lead to pricing pressure, a loss of market share, or a smaller addressable share of the market. It could also result in a competitor with greater financial, technical, marketing, service and other resources, all of which could harm our ability to compete.

Some of our larger competitors use broader product offerings to compete, including by selling at zero or negative margins, by bundling their product, or by closing access to their technology platforms. Potential customers may prefer to purchase from their existing suppliers rather than a new supplier regardless of product performance or features. Furthermore, potential customers may be more willing to incrementally add solutions to their existing infrastructure from competitors than to replace their existing infrastructure with our platform. These competitive pressures in our market, or our failure to compete effectively, may result in price reductions, fewer orders, reduced revenue and gross margins, increased net losses, and loss of market share. Any failure to meet and address these factors could harm our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

If we fail to adapt and respond effectively to rapidly changing technology, evolving industry standards, and changing customer needs or preferences, our platform may become less competitive.

The software industry is subject to rapid technological change, evolving industry standards and practices, and changing customer needs and preferences. The success of our business will depend, in part, on our ability to adapt and respond effectively to these changes on a timely basis. If we are unable to develop and sell new technology, features and functionality for our platform that satisfy our customers and that keep pace with rapid technological and industry change, our revenue and operating results could be adversely affected. If new technologies emerge that deliver competitive solutions at lower prices, more efficiently, more conveniently, or more securely, it could adversely impact our ability to compete.

Our platform must also integrate with a variety of network, hardware, mobile, and software platforms and technologies. We need to continuously modify and enhance our platform to adapt to changes and innovation in these technologies. If businesses widely adopt new ecommerce technologies, we would have to develop new functionality for our platform to work with those new technologies. This development effort may require significant engineering, marketing and sales resources, all of which would affect our business and operating results. Any failure of our platform to operate effectively with future technologies could reduce the demand for our platform. If we are unable to respond to these changes in a cost-effective manner, our platform may become less marketable and less competitive or obsolete, and our operating results may be negatively affected.

 

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Our success depends in part on our partner-centric strategy. Our business would be harmed if we fail to maintain or expand partner relationships.

Strategic technology partners are essential to our open strategy. A significant percentage of our customers choose to integrate our ecommerce platform with third-party application providers using our open APIs and software development kits. The functionality and popularity of our platform depends, in part, on our ability to integrate our platform with third-party applications and platforms, including marketplaces and social media sites. We are dependent on strategic technology partner solutions for major ecommerce categories, including payments, shipping, tax, accounting, ERP, marketing, fulfillment, cross-channel commerce, and POS. We will continue to depend on various third-party relationships to sustain and grow our business. Third-party application providers’ sites may change the features of their applications and platforms or alter their governing terms. They may restrict our ability to add, customize or integrate systems, functionality and shopper experiences. Such changes could limit or terminate our ability to use these third-party applications and platforms and provide our customers a highly extensible and customizable experience. This could negatively impact our offerings and harm our business. Marketplaces or social networks that have allow limited integration into their platforms, such as Amazon, eBay, Facebook and Instagram, may discontinue our access or allow other platforms to integrate or integrate more easily. This would increase competition for ecommerce platforms across their solutions. Our business will be negatively impacted if we fail to retain these relationships for any reason, including due to third parties’ failure to support or secure their technology or our integrations; errors, bugs, or defects in their technology; or changes in our platform. Any such failure could harm our relationship with our customers, our reputation and brand, our revenue, our business, and our results of operations.

Strategic technology partners and third parties may not be successful in building integrations, co-marketing our platform to provide a significant volume and quality of lead referrals, or continuing to work with us as their products evolve. Identifying, negotiating and documenting relationships with additional strategic technology partners requires significant resources. Integrating third-party technology can be complex, costly and time-consuming. Third parties may be unwilling to build integrations. We may be required to devote additional resources to develop integrations for business applications on our own. Providers of business applications with which we have integrations may decide to compete with us or enter into arrangements with our competitors, resulting in such providers withdrawing support for our integrations. Any failure of our platform to operate effectively with business applications could reduce the demand for our platform, resulting in customer dissatisfaction and harm to our business. If we are unable to respond to these changes or failures in a cost-effective manner, our platform may become less marketable, less competitive, or obsolete, and our results of operations may be negatively impacted.

We have strategic technology partnerships with third parties that pay us a revenue share on their gross sales to our joint customers and/or collaborate to co-sell and co-market BigCommerce to new customers. Certain of those strategic technology partners generate significant revenue for us, including PayPal, Google, and Stripe. While our contracts with strategic technology partners generally limit the ability of such partners to terminate the contract for convenience on short notice, certain of our strategic technology partners have termination for convenience clauses in their contracts with us. If our relationships with our strategic technology partners are disrupted, we may receive less revenue and incur costs to form other revenue-generating strategic technology partnerships. If our strategic technology partners were to be acquired by a competitor or were to acquire a competitor, it could compromise these relationships. This could harm our relationship with our customers, our reputation and brand, and our business and results of operations.

We are unable to track revenue-sharing on a real-time basis for some strategic technology partners, which can lead to delays and inaccuracies in reporting in accounting and revenue. In the past we have had, and could have in the future, disagreements with certain of our strategic technology partners on the amount of revenue share we are owed. Our forecasts for revenue-sharing arrangements and collaborations may be inaccurate. If we fail to accurately forecast the amount of revenue generated from our strategic technology partner relationships, our business and results of operations may be negatively impacted.

 

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We leverage the sales and referral resources of agency and referral partners through a variety of programs. If we are unable to effectively utilize, maintain and expand these relationships, our revenue growth would slow, we would need to devote additional resources to the development, sales and marketing of our platform, and our financial results and future growth prospects would be harmed. Our referral partners may demand greater referral fees or commissions.

We have a limited operating history, which makes it difficult to forecast our future results of operations.

We launched in 2009 and in 2015 expanded our strategic focus to include mid-market and large enterprise customers. We have a limited operating history and limited time implementing our strategic focus on the mid-market and large enterprise segments. As a result, our ability to accurately forecast our future results of operations is limited and subject to a number of uncertainties, including our ability to plan for and model future growth. The market for our ecommerce platform is relatively new and evolving, which makes our business and future prospects difficult to evaluate. It is difficult to predict customer demand for our platform, customer retention and expansion rates, the size and growth rate of the market, the entry of competitive products, or the success of existing competitive products. Our historical revenue growth should not be considered indicative of our future performance. In future periods, our revenue growth could slow or our revenue could decline for a number of reasons, including slowing demand for our services, increasing competition, changing technology, decreasing growth of our market, or our failure, for any reason, to take advantage of growth opportunities. We will continue to encounter risks and uncertainties frequently experienced by growing companies in rapidly changing industries. If our assumptions regarding these risks, uncertainties, or future revenue growth are incorrect, or if we do not address these risks successfully, our operating and financial results could differ materially from our expectations, and our business could suffer.

The estimates of market opportunity and forecasts of market growth included in this prospectus may prove to be inaccurate. Even if the market in which we compete achieves the forecasted growth, our business could fail to grow at similar rates, if at all.

The market for ecommerce solutions is relatively new and will experience changes over time. Ecommerce market estimates and growth forecasts are uncertain and based on assumptions and estimates that may be inaccurate. Our addressable market depends on a number of factors, including businesses’ desire to differentiate themselves through ecommerce, partnership opportunities, changes in the competitive landscape, technological changes, data security or privacy concerns, customer budgetary constraints, changes in business practices, changes in the regulatory environment, and changes in economic conditions. Our estimates and forecasts relating to the size and expected growth of our market may prove to be inaccurate. Even if the market in which we compete meets the size estimates and growth forecasted in this prospectus, our business could fail to grow at similar rates, if at all.

If we fail to manage our growth effectively, we may be unable to execute our business plan, maintain high levels of service and customer satisfaction or adequately address competitive challenges.

We may continue to experience rapid growth and organizational change, which may continue to place significant demands on our management and our operational and financial resources. We have also experienced growth in the number of customers, the amount of transactions we process, and the amount of data that our hosting infrastructure supports. Our success will depend in part on our ability to manage this growth effectively. We will require significant capital expenditures and valuable management resources to grow without undermining our culture of innovation, teamwork, and attention to customer success, which has been central to our growth so far. If we fail to manage our anticipated growth and change in a manner that preserves our corporate culture, it could negatively affect our reputation and ability to retain and attract customers and employees.

 

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We intend to expand our international operations in the future. Our expansion will continue to place a significant strain on our managerial, administrative, financial, and other resources. If we are unable to manage our growth successfully, our business and results of operations could suffer.

It is important that we maintain a high level of customer service and satisfaction as we expand our business. As our customer base continues to grow, we will need to expand our account management, customer service, and other personnel. Failure to manage growth could result in difficulty or delays in launching our platform, declines in quality or customer satisfaction, increases in costs, difficulties in introducing new features, or other operational difficulties. Any of these could adversely impact our business performance and results of operations.

Failure to effectively develop and expand our marketing and sales capabilities could harm our ability to increase our customer base and achieve broader market acceptance of our platform. If we are not able to generate traffic to our website through digital marketing our ability to attract new customers may be impaired.

Our ability to increase our customer base and achieve broader market acceptance of our ecommerce platform will depend on our ability to expand our marketing and sales operations. We plan to continue expanding our sales force and strategic partners, both domestically and internationally. We also plan to dedicate significant resources to sales and marketing programs, including search engine and other online advertising. The effectiveness of our online advertising may continue to vary due to competition for key search terms, changes in search engine use, and changes in search algorithms used by major search engines and other digital marketing platforms. Our business and operating results will be harmed if our sales and marketing efforts do not generate a corresponding increase in revenue. We may not achieve anticipated revenue growth from expanding our sales force if we are unable to hire, develop and retain talented sales personnel, if our new sales personnel are unable to achieve desired productivity levels in a reasonable period of time, or if our sales and marketing programs are not effective.

If the cost of marketing our platform over search engines or other digital marketing platforms increases, our business and operating results could be adversely affected. Competitors also may bid on the search terms that we use to drive traffic to our website. Such actions could increase our marketing costs and result in decreased traffic to our website.

Furthermore, search engines and digital marketing platforms may change their advertising policies from time to time. If these policies delay or prevent us from advertising through these channels, it could result in reduced traffic to our website and subscriptions to our platform. New search engines and other digital marketing platforms may develop, particularly in specific jurisdictions, that reduce traffic on existing search engines and digital marketing platforms. If we are not able to achieve prominence through advertising or otherwise, we may not achieve significant traffic to our website through these new platforms and our business and operating results could be adversely affected.

To the extent our security measures are compromised, our platform may be perceived as not being secure. This may result in customers curtailing or ceasing their use of our platform, our reputation being harmed, our incurring significant liabilities, and adverse effects on our results of operations and growth prospects.

Our operations involve the storage and transmission of customer and shopper data or information. Cyberattacks and other malicious internet-based activity continue to increase, and cloud-based platform providers of services are expected to continue to be targeted. Threats include traditional computer “hackers,” malicious code (such as viruses and worms), employee theft or misuse and denial-of-service attacks. Sophisticated nation-states and nation-state supported actors now engage in such attacks, including advanced persistent threat intrusions. Despite significant efforts to create security barriers to such threats, it is virtually impossible for us to entirely mitigate these risks. If our security measures are compromised as a result of third-party action, employee or customer error, malfeasance, stolen or fraudulently obtained log-in credentials, or otherwise, our reputation could be damaged, our business may be harmed, and we could incur significant

 

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liability. We may be unable to anticipate or prevent techniques used to obtain unauthorized access or to compromise our systems because they change frequently and are generally not detected until after an incident has occurred. As we rely on third-party and public-cloud infrastructure, we will depend in part on third-party security measures to protect against unauthorized access, cyberattacks, and the mishandling of customer data. A cybersecurity event could have significant costs, including regulatory enforcement actions, litigation, litigation indemnity obligations, remediation costs, network downtime, increases in insurance premiums, and reputational damage.

We depend on third-party data hosting and transmission services. Increases in cost, interruptions in service, latency, or poor service from our third-party data center providers could impair the delivery of our platform. This could result in customer or shopper dissatisfaction, damage to our reputation, loss of customers, limited growth, and reduction in revenue.

We currently serve the majority of our platform functions from third-party data center hosting facilities operated by Google Cloud Platform, located in Iowa. We serve ancillary functions for our customers from third-party data center hosting facilities operated by Amazon Web Services, located in Virginia. Our platform is deployed to multiple data centers within these geographies, with additional geographies available for disaster recovery. Our operations depend, in part, on our third-party providers’ protection of these facilities from natural disasters, power or telecommunications failures, criminal acts, or similar events. If any third-party facility’s arrangement is terminated, or its service lapses, we could experience interruptions in our platform, latency, as well as delays and additional expenses in arranging new facilities and services.

A significant portion of our operating cost is from our third-party data hosting and transmission services. If the costs for such services increase due to vendor consolidation, regulation, contract renegotiation or otherwise, we may not be able to increase the fees for our ecommerce platform or professional services to cover the changes. As a result, our operating results may be significantly worse than forecasted. Our servers may be unable to achieve or maintain data transmission capacity sufficient for timely service of increased traffic or order processing. Our failure to achieve or maintain sufficient and performant data transmission capacity could significantly reduce demand for our platform.

Our customers often draw many shoppers over short periods of time, including from new product releases, holiday shopping seasons and flash sales. These events significantly increase the traffic on our servers and the volume of transactions processed on our platform. Despite precautions taken at our data centers, spikes in usage volume, or a natural disaster, an act of terrorism, vandalism or sabotage, closure of a facility without adequate notice, or other unanticipated problems could result in lengthy interruptions or performance degradation of our platform. Any damage to, or failure of, the systems of our third-party providers could result in interruptions to our platform. Even with current and planned disaster recovery arrangements, our business could be harmed. If we experience damage or interruption, our insurance policies may not adequately compensate us for any losses that we may incur. These factors in turn could further reduce our revenue, subject us to liability, cause us to issue credits, or cause customers to terminate their subscriptions, any of which could materially adversely affect our business.

If there are interruptions or performance problems associated with our technology or infrastructure, our existing customers may experience service outages, and our new customers may experience delays in using our platform.

Our continued growth depends, in part, on the ability of our existing and potential customers to access our platform 24 hours a day, seven days a week, without interruption or performance degradation. We have experienced and may, in the future, experience disruptions, data loss, outages, and other performance problems with our infrastructure. These can be due to a variety of factors, including infrastructure changes, introductions of new functionality, human or software errors, capacity constraints, denial-of-service attacks, or other security-related incidents, any of which may be recurring. As we continue to add customers, expand geographically, and

 

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enhance our platform’s functionality, the additional scale may increase complexity and our average uptime for future periods may decrease. We may not be able to identify the cause or causes of these performance problems promptly. If our platform is unavailable or if our customers are unable to access our platform within a reasonable amount of time, our business would be harmed. Any outage on our platform would impair the ability of our customers to engage in ecommerce, which would negatively impact our brand, reputation and customer satisfaction. We provide service credits to our customers for downtime they experience using our platform. Any downtime or malfunction could require us to issue a significant amount of service credits to customers. At times, we issue service credits to customers that we are not able to identify as having been affected by an incident. Issuing a significant amount of service credits would negatively impact our financial position. We depend on services from various third parties to maintain our infrastructure and any disruptions to these services, including from causes outside our control, would significantly impact our platform. In the future, these services may not be available to us on commercially reasonable terms, or at all. Loss of any of these services could decrease our platform’s functionality until we develop equivalent technology or, if equivalent technology is available from another party, we identify, obtain, and integrate it into our infrastructure. If we do not accurately predict our infrastructure capacity requirements, our customers could experience service shortfalls. We may also be unable to address capacity constraints, upgrade our systems, and develop our technology and network architecture to accommodate actual and anticipated technology changes.

Any of the above circumstances or events may harm our reputation, cause customers to terminate their agreements with us, impair our ability to grow our customer base, subject us to financial liabilities under our SLAs, and otherwise harm our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

We anticipate that our operations will continue to increase in complexity as we grow, which will create management challenges.

Our business has experienced strong growth and is complex. We expect this growth to continue and for our operations to become increasingly complex. To manage this growth, we continue to make substantial investments to improve our operational, financial and management controls as well as our reporting systems and procedures. We may not be able to implement and scale improvements to our systems and processes in a timely or efficient manner or in a manner that does not negatively affect our operating results. For example, we may not be able to effectively monitor certain extraordinary contract requirements or individually negotiated provisions as the number of transactions continues to grow. Our systems and processes may not prevent or detect all errors, omissions, or fraud. We may have difficulty managing improvements to our systems, processes and controls or in connection with third-party software. This could impair our ability to provide our platform to our customers, causing us to lose customers, limiting our platform to less significant updates, or increasing our technical support costs. If we are unable to manage this complexity, our business, operations, operating results and financial condition may suffer.

As our customer base continues to grow, we will need to expand our services and other personnel, and maintain and enhance our partnerships, to provide a high level of customer service. We also will need to manage our sales processes as our sales personnel and partner network continue to grow and become more complex, and as we continue to expand into new geographies and market segments. If we do not effectively manage this increasing complexity, the quality of our platform and customer service could suffer, and we may not be able to adequately address competitive challenges. These factors could impair our ability to attract and retain customers and expand our customers’ use of our platform.

We depend on our senior management team and the loss of one or more key employees or an inability to attract and retain highly skilled employees could adversely affect our business.

Our success depends largely upon the continued services of our executive officers. We rely on our leadership team for research and development, marketing, sales, services, and general and administrative functions, and on mission-critical individual contributors. From time to time, our executive management team may change from

 

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the hiring or departure of executives, which could disrupt our business. We do not have employment agreements with our executive officers or other key personnel that require them to continue to work for us for any specified period; therefore, they could terminate their employment with us at any time. The loss of one or more of our executive officers or key employees could have a serious adverse effect on our business.

To execute our growth plan, we must attract and retain highly qualified personnel. Competition for these personnel is intense, especially for experienced software engineers and senior sales executives. If we are unable to attract such personnel in cities where we are located, we may need to hire in other locations, which may add to the complexity and costs of our business operations. We expect to continue to experience, difficulty in hiring and retaining employees with appropriate qualifications. Many of the companies with which we compete for experienced personnel have greater resources than we have. If we hire employees from competitors or other companies, their former employers may attempt to assert that these employees or BigCommerce have breached legal obligations, resulting in a diversion of our time and resources. In addition, job candidates and existing employees often consider the value of the stock awards they receive in connection with their employment. If the perceived value of our stock awards declines, it may adversely affect our ability to recruit and retain highly skilled employees. If we fail to attract new personnel or fail to retain and motivate our current personnel, it could adversely affect our business and future growth prospects.

If we are unable to maintain our corporate culture as we grow, we could lose the innovation, teamwork, passion and focus on execution that we believe contribute to our success, and our business may be harmed.

We believe a critical component to our success has been our corporate culture. We have invested substantial time and resources in building our team. As we grow and develop the infrastructure of a public company, our operations may become increasingly complex. We may find it difficult to maintain these important aspects of our corporate culture. Any failure to preserve our culture could negatively affect our future success, including our ability to retain and recruit personnel, and to effectively focus on and pursue our corporate objectives.

We may need to reduce or change our pricing model to remain competitive.

We price our subscriptions based on a combination of gross merchandise volume (“GMV”), order volume, and feature functionality. We expect that we may need to change our pricing from time to time. As new or existing competitors introduce products that compete with ours or reduce their prices, we may be unable to attract new customers or retain existing customers. We also must determine the appropriate price to enable us to compete effectively internationally. Mid-market and large enterprise customers may demand substantial price discounts as part of the negotiation of sales contracts. As a result, we may be required or choose to reduce our prices or otherwise change our pricing model, which could adversely affect our business, operating results, and financial condition.

Our sales cycle with mid-market and large enterprise customers can be long and unpredictable, and our sales efforts require considerable time and expense.

The timing of our sales with our mid-market and large enterprise customers and related revenue recognition is difficult to predict because of the length and unpredictability of the sales cycle for these customers. Mid-market and large enterprise customers, particularly those in highly regulated industries and those requiring customized applications, may have a lengthy sales cycle for the evaluation and implementation of our platform. This may cause a delay between increasing operating expenses for such sales efforts and, upon successful sales, the generation of corresponding revenue. We are often required to spend significant time and resources to better educate our potential mid-market and large enterprise customers and familiarize them with the platform. The length of our sales cycle for these customers, from initial evaluation to contract execution, is generally three to six months but can vary substantially. On occasion, some customers will negotiate their contracts to include a trial period, delayed payment or a number of months on a promotional basis.

 

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As the purchase and launch of our platform can be dependent upon customer initiatives, infrequently, our sales cycle can extend to up to twelve months. As a result, much of our revenue is generated from the recognition of contract liabilities from contracts entered into during previous periods. Customers often view a subscription to our ecommerce platform and services as a strategic decision with significant investment. As a result, customers frequently require considerable time to evaluate, test and qualify our platform prior to entering into or expanding a subscription. During the sales cycle, we expend significant time and money on sales and marketing and contract negotiation activities, which may not result in a sale. Additional factors that may influence the length and variability of our sales cycle include:

 

   

the effectiveness of our sales force as we hire and train our new salespeople to sell to mid-market and large enterprise customers;

 

   

the discretionary nature of purchasing and budget cycles and decisions;

 

   

the obstacles placed by customers’ procurement process;

 

   

economic conditions and other factors impacting customer budgets;

 

   

customers’ integration complexity;

 

   

customers’ familiarity with SaaS ecommerce solutions;

 

   

customers’ evaluation of competing products during the purchasing process; and

 

   

evolving customer demands.

Given these factors, it is difficult to predict whether and when a sale will be completed, and when revenue from a sale will be recognized. Consequently, a shortfall in demand for our solutions and services or a decline in new or renewed contracts in a given period may not significantly reduce our revenue for that period but could negatively affect our revenue in future periods.

If we fail to maintain or grow our brand recognition, our ability to expand our customer base will be impaired and our financial condition may suffer.

We believe maintaining and growing the BigCommerce brand is important to supporting continued acceptance of our existing and future solutions, attracting new customers to our platform, and retaining existing customers. We also believe that the importance of brand recognition will increase as competition in our market increases. Successfully maintaining our brand will depend largely on the effectiveness of our marketing efforts, our ability to provide a reliable and useful platform to meet the needs of our customers at competitive prices, our ability to maintain our customers’ trust, our ability to continue to develop new functionality and solutions, and our ability to successfully differentiate our platform. Additionally, our partners’ performance may affect our brand and reputation if customers do not have a positive experience. Brand promotion activities may not generate customer awareness or yield increased revenue. Even if they do, any increased revenue may not offset the expenses we incurred in building our brand. If we fail to successfully promote and maintain our brand, we may fail to attract enough new customers or retain our existing customers to realize a sufficient return on our brand-building efforts, and our business could suffer.

If we fail to offer high quality support, our business and reputation could suffer.

Our customers rely on our personnel for support related to our subscription and customer solutions. High-quality support is important for the renewal and expansion of our agreements with existing customers. The importance of high-quality support will increase as we expand our business and pursue new customers, particularly mid-market and large enterprise customers. If we do not help our customers quickly resolve issues and provide effective ongoing support, our ability to sell new software to existing and new customers could suffer and our reputation with existing or potential customers could be harmed.

 

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We store personal information of our customers and their shoppers. If the security of this information is compromised or is otherwise accessed without authorization, our reputation may be harmed and we may be exposed to liability and loss of business.

We transmit or store personal information, credit card information and other confidential information of our partners, our customers, and their shoppers. Third-party applications available on our platform and mobile applications may also store personal information, credit card information, and other confidential information. We do not proactively monitor the content that our customers upload or the information provided to us through the applications integrated with our ecommerce platform; therefore, we do not control the substance of the content on our servers, which may include personal information.

We use third-party service providers and subprocessors to help us deliver services to customers and their shoppers. These service providers and subprocessors may store personal information, credit card information and/or other confidential information. Such information may be the target of unauthorized access or subject to security breaches as a result of third-party action, employee error, malfeasance or otherwise. Any of these could (a) result in the loss of information, litigation, indemnity obligations, damage to our reputation and other liability, or (b) have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Because the techniques used to obtain unauthorized access or sabotage systems change frequently and generally are not identified until they are launched against a target, we may be unable to anticipate these techniques or to implement adequate preventative measures. Even if such a data breach did not arise out of our action or inaction, or if it were to affect one or more of our competitors or our customers’ competitors, rather than us, the resulting concern could negatively affect our customers and our business. Concerns regarding data privacy and security may cause some of our customers to stop using our platform and fail to renew their subscriptions. In addition, failures to meet our customers’ or shoppers’ expectations with respect to security and confidentiality of their data and information could damage our reputation and affect our ability to retain customers, attract new customers, and grow our business.

Our failure to comply with legal or contractual requirements around the security of personal information could lead to significant fines and penalties, as well as claims by our customers, their shoppers, or other stakeholders. These proceedings or violations could force us to spend money in defense or settlement of these proceedings, result in the imposition of monetary liability or injunctive relief, divert management’s time and attention, increase our costs of doing business, and materially adversely affect our reputation and the demand for our platform.

If our security measures fail to protect credit card information adequately, we could be liable to our partners, the payment card associations, our customers, their shoppers and consumers with whom we have a direct relationship. We could be subject to fines and higher transaction fees, we could face regulatory or other legal action, and our customers could end their relationships with us. The limitations of liability in our contracts may not be enforceable or adequate or would otherwise protect us from any such liabilities or damages with respect to any particular claim.

Our insurance coverage, including coverage for errors and omissions, may not continue to be available on acceptable terms or may not be available in sufficient amounts to cover one or more large claims. Our insurers could deny coverage as to any future claim. The successful assertion of one or more large claims against us, or changes in our insurance policies, including premium increases or the imposition of large deductible or co-insurance requirements, could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

We are also subject to federal, state, and foreign laws regarding cybersecurity and the protection of data. Many jurisdictions have enacted laws requiring companies to notify individuals of security breaches involving certain types of personal information. Our agreements with certain customers and partners require us to notify

 

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them of certain security incidents. Some jurisdictions and customers require us to safeguard personal information or confidential information using specific measures. If we fail to observe these requirements, our business, operating results, and financial condition could be adversely affected.

Evolving global internet laws, regulations and standards, privacy regulations, cross-border data transfer restrictions, and data localization requirements may limit the use and adoption of our services, expose us to liability, or otherwise adversely affect our business.

Federal, state, or foreign governmental bodies or agencies have in the past adopted, and may in the future adopt, laws and regulations affecting the use of the internet as a commercial medium. These laws and regulations could impact taxation, internet neutrality, tariffs, content, copyrights, distribution, electronic contracts and other communications, consumer protection, and the characteristics and quality of services. Legislators and regulators may make legal and regulatory changes, or apply existing laws, in ways that require us to incur substantial costs, expose us to unanticipated civil or criminal liability, or cause us to change our business practices. These laws and regulations and resulting increased costs could materially harm our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

Laws and regulations governing data privacy are constantly evolving. Many of these laws and regulations, including the European Union’s GDPR and the California Consumer Protection Act (the “CCPA”), contain detailed requirements regarding collecting and processing personal information, restrict the use and storage of such information, and govern the effectiveness of consumer consent. They could restrict our ability to store and process personal data (in particular, our ability to use certain data for purposes such as risk or fraud avoidance, marketing or advertising), to control our costs by using certain vendors or service providers, and to offer certain services in certain jurisdictions. Further, the CCPA requires covered companies to provide new disclosures to California consumers, provide such consumers new ways to opt-out of certain sales of personal information, and allow for a new cause of action for data breaches. Such laws could restrict our customers’ ability to run their businesses; for example, by limiting their ability to effectively market to interested shoppers. This could reduce our revenue and the general demand for our services.

Such laws and regulations are often inconsistent and may be subject to amendment or re-interpretation, which may cause us to incur significant costs and expend significant effort to ensure compliance. Our response to these requirements globally may not meet the expectations of individual customers, their shoppers, or other stakeholders, which could reduce the demand for our services. Some customers or other service providers may respond to these evolving laws and regulations by asking us to make certain privacy or data-related contractual commitments that we are unable or unwilling to make. This could lead to the loss of current or prospective customers or other business relationships.

Certain laws and regulations, like the GDPR, also include restrictions on the transfer of personal information across national borders. Because our services are accessible worldwide, certain foreign jurisdictions may claim that we are required to comply with such laws even in jurisdictions where we have no local entity, employees or infrastructure. Some of these laws include strict localization provisions that require certain data to be stored within a particular region or jurisdiction. We rely on a globally distributed infrastructure in order to be able to provide our services efficiently, and consequently may not be able to meet the expectations of customers who are located in or otherwise subject to such localization requirements, which may reduce the demand for our services.

Our failure to comply with these and additional laws or regulations could expose us to significant fines and penalties imposed by regulators, as well as legal claims by our customers, or their shoppers, or other relevant stakeholders. Similarly, many of these laws require us to maintain an online privacy policy and terms of service that disclose our practices regarding the collection, processing and disclosure of personal information. If these disclosures contain any information that a court or regulator finds to be inaccurate or inadequate, we could also be exposed to legal or regulatory liability. Any such proceedings or violations could force us to spend money in

 

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defense or settlement, result in the imposition of monetary liability or demanding injunctive relief, divert management’s time and attention, increase our costs of doing business, and materially adversely affect our reputation.

Mobile devices are increasingly being used to conduct commerce, and if our platform does not operate as effectively when accessed through these devices, our customers and their shoppers may not be satisfied with our services, which could harm our business.

Ecommerce transacted over mobile devices continues to grow more rapidly than desktop transactions. We are dependent on the interoperability of our platform with third-party mobile devices and mobile operating systems as well as web browsers that are out of our control. Changes in such devices, systems or web browsers that degrade the functionality of our platform or give preferential treatment to competitive services could adversely affect usage of our platform. Mobile ecommerce is a key element in our strategy and effective mobile functionality is integral to our long-term development and growth strategy. If our customers and their shoppers have difficulty accessing and using our platform on mobile devices, our business and operating results could be adversely affected.

Activities of customers, their shoppers, and our partners could damage our brand, subject us to liability and harm our business and financial results.

Our terms of service prohibit our customers from using our platform to engage in illegal activities and our terms of service permit us to take down a customer’s shop if we become aware of illegal use. Customers may nonetheless engage in prohibited or illegal activities or upload store content in violation of applicable laws, which could subject us to liability. Our partners may engage in prohibited or illegal activities, which could subject us to liability. Furthermore, our brand may be negatively impacted by the actions of customers or partners that are deemed to be hostile, offensive, inappropriate or illegal. We do not proactively monitor or review the appropriateness of the content of our customers’ stores or our partners’ activities. Our safeguards may not be sufficient for us to avoid liability or avoid harm to our brand. Hostile, offensive, inappropriate, or illegal use could adversely affect our business and financial results.

In many jurisdictions, laws relating to the liability of providers of online services for activities of their shoppers and other third parties are being tested by actions based on defamation, invasion of privacy, unfair competition, copyright and trademark infringement, and other theories. Any court ruling or other governmental regulation or action that imposes liability on customers of online services in connection with the activities of their shoppers could harm our business. We could also be subject to liability under applicable law, which may not be fully mitigated by our terms of service. Any liability attributed to us could adversely affect our brand, reputation, ability to expand our subscriber base, and financial results.

Unfavorable conditions in our industry or the global economy, or reductions in IT spending, could limit our ability to grow our business and negatively affect our results of operations.

Our results of operations may vary based on the impact of changes in our industry or the global economy on us or our customers. The revenue growth and potential profitability of our business depend on demand for our platform. Current or future economic uncertainties or downturns could adversely affect our business and results of operations. Negative conditions in the global economy or individual markets, including changes in gross domestic product growth, financial and credit market fluctuations, political turmoil, natural catastrophes, warfare and terrorist attacks on the United States, Europe, Australia, the Asia Pacific region or elsewhere, could cause a decrease in business investments, including spending on IT and negatively affect our business. In particular, given our investment in our development capabilities in Ukraine, political turmoil, warfare, or terrorist attacks in Ukraine could negatively affect our business.

To the extent our platform is perceived by customers and potential customers as costly, or too difficult to launch or migrate to, it would negatively affect our growth. Our revenue may be disproportionately affected by

 

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delays or reductions in general IT spending. Competitors, many of whom are larger and more established than we are, may respond to market conditions by lowering prices and attempting to lure away our customers. In addition, consolidation in certain industries may result in reduced overall spending on our platform. We cannot predict the timing, strength or duration of any economic slowdown, instability or recovery, generally or within any particular industry. If the economic conditions of the general economy or markets in which we operate worsen from present levels, our business, results of operations and financial condition could be adversely affected.

Natural catastrophic events and man-made problems such as power disruptions, computer viruses, data security breaches and terrorism may disrupt our business.

We rely heavily on our network infrastructure and IT systems for our business operations. An online attack, earthquake, fire, terrorist attack, power loss, telecommunications failure, or other similar catastrophic event could cause system interruptions, delays in accessing our service, reputational harm, and loss of critical data. Such events could prevent us from providing our platform to our customers. A catastrophic event that results in the destruction or disruption of our data centers, or our network infrastructure or IT systems, including any errors, defects or failures in third-party hardware, could affect our ability to conduct normal business operations, and adversely affect our operating results.

In addition, as computer malware, viruses, computer hacking, fraudulent use attempts, and phishing attacks have become more prevalent, we face increased risk from these activities. These activities threaten the performance, reliability, security and availability of our platform. Any computer malware, viruses, computer hacking, fraudulent use attempts, phishing attacks, or other data security breaches to our systems could, among other things, harm our reputation and our ability to retain existing customers and attract new customers.

We could incur substantial costs in protecting or defending our proprietary rights. Failure to adequately protect our rights could impair our competitive position. We could lose valuable assets, experience reduced revenue, and incur costly litigation.

Our success is dependent, in part, upon protecting our proprietary technology. We rely on a combination of trade secret laws, contractual provisions, trademarks, service marks, copyrights and patents in an effort to establish and protect our proprietary rights. However, the steps we take to protect our intellectual property may be inadequate. While we have been issued a patent in the United States and have an additional patent application pending, we may be unable to obtain patent protection for the technology covered in our patent application. We make business decisions about when to seek patent protection for a particular technology and when to rely upon trade secret protection. The approach we select may ultimately prove to be inadequate.

Our patent or patents issued in the future may not provide us with competitive advantages, or may be successfully challenged by third parties. Any of our patents, trademarks, or other intellectual property rights may be challenged or circumvented by others or invalidated through administrative process or litigation. Others may independently develop similar products, duplicate any of our solutions or design around our patents, or adopt similar or identical brands for competing platforms. Legal standards relating to the validity, enforceability, and scope of protection of intellectual property rights are uncertain. Despite our precautions, it may be possible for unauthorized third parties to copy our platform and use information that we regard as proprietary to create products and services that compete with ours. Some license provisions restricting unauthorized use, copying, transfer, and disclosure of our intellectual property may be unenforceable under the laws of jurisdictions outside the United States.

To the extent we expand our international activities, our exposure to unauthorized copying and use of our platform and proprietary information may increase. Moreover, effective trademark, copyright, patent, and trade secret protection may not be available or commercially feasible in every country in which we conduct business. Further, intellectual property law, including statutory and case law, particularly in the United States, is constantly developing. Changes in the law could make it harder for us to enforce our rights.

 

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We enter into confidentiality and invention assignment agreements with our employees and consultants. We enter into confidentiality agreements with strategic and business partners. These agreements may not be effective in controlling access to and distribution of our proprietary information. These agreements do not prevent our competitors or partners from independently developing technologies that are equivalent or superior to our platform.

We may be required to spend significant resources to monitor, protect, and enforce our intellectual property rights. Litigation may be necessary in the future to enforce our intellectual property rights and protect our trade secrets. Litigation brought to protect and enforce our intellectual property rights could be costly, time-consuming, and distracting to management. Such litigation could result in the impairment or loss of portions of our intellectual property. Enforcement of our intellectual property rights may be met with defenses, counterclaims, and countersuits attacking the validity and enforceability of our intellectual property. An adverse determination of any litigation proceedings could put our intellectual property at risk of being invalidated or interpreted narrowly. An adverse determination could risk the issuance or cancellation of pending patent and trademark filings. Because of the substantial discovery required in connection with intellectual property litigation, our confidential or sensitive information could be compromised by disclosure in litigation. Litigation could result in public disclosure of results of hearings, motions, or other interim developments. If securities analysts or investors perceive these results to be negative, it could have a substantial adverse effect on the price of our common stock.

Our inability to protect our proprietary technology against unauthorized copying or use, as well as any costly litigation or diversion of our management’s attention and resources, could delay further sales or the implementation of our platform, impair the functionality of our platform, delay introductions of new functionality to our platform, result in the substitution of inferior or more costly technologies into our platform, or injure our reputation. We will not be able to protect our intellectual property if we are unable to enforce our rights or if we do not detect unauthorized use of our intellectual property. Policing unauthorized use of our technologies, trade secrets, and intellectual property may be difficult, expensive, and time-consuming, particularly in foreign countries where the laws may not be as protective of intellectual property rights as those in the United States and where mechanisms for enforcement of intellectual property rights may be weak. If we fail to meaningfully protect our intellectual property and proprietary rights, our business, operating results, and financial condition could be adversely affected.

We have been, and may in the future be, subject to legal proceedings and litigation, including intellectual property disputes, which are costly and may subject us to significant liability and increased costs of doing business. Our business may suffer if it is alleged or determined that our technology infringes the intellectual property rights of others.

The software industry is characterized by the existence of a large number of patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, and other intellectual and proprietary rights. Companies in the software industry are often required to defend against litigation claims based on allegations of infringement or other violations of intellectual property rights. Our technologies may not be able to withstand any third-party claims or rights against their use. These lawsuits are time-consuming and expensive to resolve and they divert management’s time and attention. Our future success depends in part on not infringing the intellectual property rights of others.

Many software companies have the capability to dedicate substantially greater resources to enforce their intellectual property rights and to defend claims that may be brought against them. Any litigation may also involve patent holding companies or other adverse patent owners that have no relevant product revenue and against which our patent may therefore provide little or no deterrence. We have and may in the future need to enter into settlement agreements that require us to pay settlement fees and that encumber a portion of our intellectual property. Any claims or litigation could cause us to incur significant expenses and, whether or not successfully asserted against us, could require that we pay substantial damages, ongoing royalty or license payments, require us to re-engineer all or a portion of our platform, or require that we comply with other

 

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unfavorable terms. If a third party is able to obtain an injunction preventing us from accessing third-party intellectual property rights, or if we cannot license or develop technology for any infringing aspect of our business, we would be forced to limit or stop sales of our software or cease business activities covered by such intellectual property. It could prevent us from competing effectively.

We may be contractually obligated to indemnify our customers for infringement of a third party’s intellectual property rights. Responding to such claims regardless of their merit, can be time-consuming, costly to defend in litigation and damage our reputation and brand. We also may be required to redesign our platform, delay releases, enter into costly settlement or license agreements, pay costly damage awards, or face a temporary or permanent injunction prohibiting us from marketing or selling our platform. Requiring us to change one or more aspects of the way we deliver our platform may harm our business.

Although we carry general liability insurance and other insurance, our insurance may not cover potential claims of this type. Our insurance may not be adequate to cover us for all liability that may be imposed. We may not be able to maintain our insurance coverage. We cannot predict the outcome of lawsuits, and cannot assure you that the results of any of these actions will not have an adverse effect on our business, operating results or financial condition.

Indemnity provisions in various agreements potentially expose us to substantial liability for intellectual property infringement, data protection and other losses.

Some of our agreements with customers and other third parties include indemnification provisions under which we agree to indemnify them for losses suffered or incurred as a result of claims of intellectual property infringement, data protection, damages to property or persons, or other liabilities relating to or arising from our platform, services or other contractual obligations. Some of these indemnity agreements provide for uncapped liability for which we would be responsible, and some indemnity provisions survive termination or expiration of the applicable agreement. Large indemnity payments could harm our business, results of operations and financial condition. Although we normally contractually limit our liability with respect to such obligations, we may still incur substantial liability related to them and we may be required to cease use of certain functions of our platform or services as a result of any such claims. Any dispute with a customer with respect to such obligations could have adverse effects on our relationship with that customer, other existing customers, and new customers. Such a dispute could harm our business and results of operations.

We rely on third-party proprietary and open source software for our platform. Our inability to obtain third-party licenses for such software, or obtain them on favorable terms, or any errors or failures caused by such software could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Some of our offerings include software or other intellectual property licensed from third parties. It may be necessary in the future to renew licenses relating to various aspects of these applications or to seek new licenses for existing or new applications. Necessary licenses may not be available on acceptable terms or under open source licenses permitting redistribution in commercial offerings, if at all. Our inability to obtain certain licenses or other rights or to obtain such licenses or rights on favorable terms could result in delays in product releases until equivalent technology can be identified, licensed or developed, if at all, and integrated into our platform. It may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. Third parties may allege that additional licenses are required for our use of their software or intellectual property. We may be unable to obtain such licenses on commercially reasonable terms or at all. The inclusion in our offerings of software or other intellectual property licensed from third parties on a non-exclusive basis could limit our ability to differentiate our offerings from those of our competitors. To the extent that our platform depends upon the successful operation of third-party software, any undetected errors or defects in such third-party software could impair the functionality of our platform, delay new feature introductions, result in a failure of our platform, and injure our reputation.

 

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Our use of open source software could subject us to possible litigation or cause us to subject our platform to unwanted open source license conditions that could negatively impact our sales.

A significant portion of our platform incorporates open source software, and we expect to incorporate open source software into other offerings or solutions in the future. Such open source software is generally licensed by its authors or other third parties under open source licenses. Little legal precedent governs the interpretation of these licenses; therefore, the potential impact of these terms on our business is unknown and may result in unanticipated obligations regarding our technologies. If a distributor of open source software were to allege that we had not complied with its license, we could be required to incur significant legal expenses. If we combine our proprietary software with open source software or utilize open source software in a certain manner, under some open source licenses, we could be in breach of the license if we did not release the source code of our proprietary software. Releasing our source code could substantially help our competitors develop products that are similar to or better than ours.

If our platform fails to perform properly, and if we fail to develop enhancements to resolve performance issues, we could lose customers, become subject to performance or warranty claims, or incur significant costs.

Our operations are dependent upon our ability to prevent system interruption. The applications underlying our platform are inherently complex and may contain material defects or errors, which may cause disruptions in availability or other performance problems. Defects, errors, disruptions in service, cyber-attacks or other performance problems with our software, whether in connection with the day-to-day operation, upgrades or otherwise, could result in: loss of customers; lost or delayed market acceptance and sales of our platform; delays in payment to us by customers; injury to our reputation and brand; legal claims, including warranty and service claims, against us; diversion of our resources, including through increased service and warranty expenses or financial concessions; and increased insurance costs.

We have found defects in our platform and may discover additional defects in the future that could result in data unavailability, unauthorized access to, loss, corruption, or other harm to our customers’ data. We may not be able to detect and correct defects or errors before release. Consequently, we or our customers may discover defects or errors after our platform has been employed. We implement bug fixes and upgrades as part of our regularly scheduled system maintenance. If we do not complete this maintenance according to schedule or if customers are otherwise dissatisfied with the frequency and/or duration of our maintenance services and related system outages, customers could terminate their contracts, or delay or withhold payment to us, or cause us to issue credits, make refunds, or pay penalties. The costs incurred or delays resulting from the correction of defects or errors in our software or other performance problems may be substantial and could adversely affect our operating results.

Payment transactions on our ecommerce platform subject us to regulatory requirements, additional fees, and other risks that could be costly and difficult to comply with or that could harm our business.

We are required by our payment processors to comply with payment card network operating rules and we have agreed to reimburse our payment processors for any fees or fines they are assessed by payment card networks as a result of any rule violations by us or our customers. The payment card networks set and interpret the card rules. We face the risk that one or more payment card networks or other processors may, at any time, assess penalties against us, against our customers, or terminate our ability to accept credit card payments or other forms of online payments from shoppers. This would have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and operating results.

If we fail to comply with the payment card network rules, including the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (“PCI-DSS”) and those of each of the credit card brands, we would breach our contractual obligations to our payment processors, financial institutions, partners, and customers. Such a failure may subject us to fines, penalties, damages, higher transaction fees, and civil liability. It could prevent us from processing or

 

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accepting payment cards or lead to a loss of payment processor partners, even if customer or shopper information has not been compromised.

We provide our ecommerce platform to businesses in highly-regulated industries, which subjects us to a number of challenges and risks.

We provide our ecommerce platform to customers in highly regulated industries such as pharmaceuticals, insurance, healthcare and life sciences, and we may have customers in other highly-regulated industries in the future. Providing our ecommerce platform to such entities subjects us to a number of challenges and risks. Selling to such entities can be highly competitive, expensive, and time-consuming, often requiring significant upfront time and expense without any assurance that these efforts will generate a sale. Customers in highly-regulated industries may demand shorter subscription periods or other contract terms that differ from our standard arrangements, including terms that can lead those customers to obtain broader rights in our offerings than would be standard. Such entities may have statutory, contractual, or other legal rights to terminate contracts with us or our partners due to a default or for other reasons. Any such termination may adversely affect our reputation, business, results of operations and financial condition. Additionally, due to the heightened regulatory environment in which they operate, potential customers in these industries may encounter additional difficulties when trying to move away from legacy ecommerce platforms to an open SaaS platform like the one we provide.

Our ability to use our net operating losses to offset future taxable income may be subject to certain limitations.

As of December 31, 2019, we had accumulated federal and state net operating loss (“NOL”) carryforwards of $         million and $         million, respectively. The federal and state NOL carryforwards will begin to expire in              and             , respectively. Certain of the federal losses have no expiration. As of December 31, 2019, we also had total foreign NOL carryforwards of $         million, which do not expire under local law. In general, under Section 382 of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), a corporation that undergoes an “ownership change” is subject to limitations on its ability to utilize its pre-change NOLs to offset future taxable income. If we undergo an ownership change in connection with this offering, our ability to utilize NOLs could be limited by Section 382 of the Code. Future changes in our stock ownership, some of which are outside of our control, could result in an ownership change under Section 382 of the Code. Furthermore, our ability to utilize NOLs of companies that we have acquired or may acquire in the future may be subject to limitations. Furthermore, our losses in Australia are subject to the change of ownership test rules in that jurisdiction that when applied may limit our ability to fully utilize our Australian NOLs. For these reasons, we may not be able to utilize a material portion of the NOLs, even if we were to achieve profitability.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “TCJA”) was enacted on December 22, 2017 and significantly reformed the Code. The TCJA, among other things, includes changes to U.S. federal tax rates and the rules governing NOL carryforwards. For NOLs arising in tax years beginning after December 31, 2017, the TCJA limits a taxpayer’s ability to utilize NOL carryforwards to 80% of taxable income. NOLs arising in tax years ending after December 31, 2017 can be carried forward indefinitely, but carryback is generally prohibited. NOLs generated in tax years beginning before January 1, 2018 will not be subject to the taxable income limitation. NOLs generated in tax years ending before January 1, 2018 will continue to have a two-year carryback and twenty-year carryforward period. Deferred tax assets for NOLs will need to be measured at the applicable tax rate in effect when the NOL is expected to be utilized. The changes in the carryforward/carryback periods as well as the new limitation on use of NOLs may significantly impact our valuation allowance assessments for NOLs generated after December 31, 2017 and may affect our ability to fully utilize our available NOLs.

We may be subject to additional obligations to collect and remit sales tax and other taxes. We may be subject to tax liability for past sales, which could harm our business.

State, local and foreign jurisdictions have differing rules and regulations governing sales, use, value added and other taxes, and these rules and regulations are subject to varying interpretations that may change over time.

 

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In particular, the applicability of such taxes to our ecommerce platform in various jurisdictions is unclear. These jurisdictions’ rules regarding tax nexus are complex and vary significantly. As a result, we could face tax assessments and audits. Our liability for these taxes and associated penalties could exceed our original estimates. Jurisdictions in which we have not historically collected or accrued sales, use, value added, or other taxes could assert our liability for such taxes. This could result in substantial tax liabilities and related penalties for past sales. It could also discourage customers from using our platform or otherwise harm our business and operating results.

Changes in tax laws or regulations that are applied adversely to us or our customers could increase the cost of our ecommerce platform and adversely impact our business.

New income, sales, use, or other tax laws, statutes, rules, regulations, or ordinances could be enacted at any time. Any new taxes could adversely affect our domestic and international business operations and our business and financial performance. Existing tax laws, statutes, rules, regulations, or ordinances could be interpreted, changed, modified or applied adversely to us. These events could require us or customers using our ecommerce platform to pay additional tax amounts on a prospective or retroactive basis. They could require us or our customers to pay fines and/or penalties and interest for past amounts deemed to be due. If we raise our prices to offset the costs of these changes, existing and potential future customers may elect not to continue to subscribe or elect to subscribe to our ecommerce platform in the future. Additionally, new, changed, modified, or newly interpreted or applied tax laws could increase our customers’ and our compliance, operating and other costs, as well as the costs of our platform. Any or all of these events could adversely impact our business and financial performance.

Our current operations are international in scope, and we plan further geographic expansion. This will create a variety of operational challenges.

A component of our growth strategy involves the further expansion of our operations and customer base internationally. In the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2019, revenue generated from customers outside the United States was 18.3% and     % of our total revenue, respectively. We currently have locations in the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom (“UK”), Singapore, and Ukraine. We are continuing to adapt and develop strategies to address international markets, but such efforts may not be successful.

As of December 31, 2019, 14.2% of our full-time employees were located outside of the United States. In addition, 43 private entrepreneurs provide services to us in Ukraine. We expect that our international activities will continue to grow over the foreseeable future as we continue to pursue opportunities in existing and new international markets. This will require significant management attention and financial resources. We may face difficulties, including: (1) costs associated with developing software and providing support in many languages, (2) varying seasonality patterns, (3) potential adverse movement of currency exchange rates, (4) longer payment cycles and difficulties in collecting accounts receivable, (5) tariffs and trade barriers, (6) a variety of regulatory or contractual limitations on our ability to operate, (7) adverse tax events, (8) reduced protection of intellectual property rights, and (9) a geographically and culturally diverse workforce and customer base. Failure to overcome any of these difficulties could negatively affect our results of operations.

Our current international operations and future initiatives involve a variety of risks, including:

 

   

changes in a country’s or region’s political or economic conditions;

 

   

the need to adapt and localize our platform for specific countries;

 

   

greater difficulty collecting accounts receivable and longer payment cycles;

 

   

potential changes in trade relations arising from policy initiatives implemented by the current administration, which has been critical of existing and proposed trade agreements;

 

   

unexpected changes in laws, regulatory requirements, taxes, or trade laws;

 

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more stringent regulations relating to privacy and data security and the unauthorized use of, or access to, commercial and personal information, particularly in Europe;

 

   

differing labor regulations, especially in Europe, where labor laws are generally more advantageous to employees as compared to the United States, including deemed hourly wage and overtime regulations in these locations;

 

   

challenges inherent in efficiently managing an increased number of employees over large geographic distances, including the need to implement appropriate systems, policies, benefits and compliance programs;

 

   

difficulties in managing a business in new markets with diverse cultures, languages, customs, legal systems, alternative dispute systems and regulatory systems;

 

   

increased travel, real estate, infrastructure and legal compliance costs associated with international operations;

 

   

currency exchange rate fluctuations and the resulting effect on our revenue and expenses, and the cost and risk of entering into hedging transactions if we chose to do so in the future;

 

   

limitations on our ability to reinvest earnings from operations in one country to fund the capital needs of our operations in other countries;

 

   

laws and business practices favoring local competitors or general preferences for local vendors;

 

   

limited or insufficient intellectual property protection or difficulties enforcing our intellectual property;

 

   

political instability or terrorist activities;

 

   

risks related to global health epidemics, such as the novel Coronavirus, including restrictions on our ability and our customers’ ability to travel, disruptions in our customers’ ability to distribute products, and temporary closures of our customers’ facilities;

 

   

exposure to liabilities under anti-corruption and anti-money laundering laws, including the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended (the “FCPA”), the U.S. domestic bribery statute contained in 18 U.S.C. § 201, the U.S. Travel Act, the UK Bribery Act of 2010, the UK Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and similar laws and regulations in other jurisdictions; and

 

   

adverse tax burdens and foreign exchange controls that could make it difficult to repatriate earnings and cash.

Our limited experience in operating our business internationally increases the risk that future expansion efforts that we may undertake will not be successful. If we invest substantial time and resources to expand our international operations and are unable to do so successfully, our business and operating results will suffer.

Our international operations may subject us to potential adverse tax consequences.

We are expanding our international operations and staff to better support our growth into international markets. Our corporate structure and associated transfer pricing policies contemplate future growth into the international markets, and consider the functions, risks and assets of the various entities involved in the intercompany transactions. The amount of taxes we pay in different jurisdictions may depend: on (1) the application of the tax laws of the various jurisdictions, including the United States, to our international business activities, (2) changes in tax rates, (3) new or revised tax laws or interpretations of existing tax laws and policies, and (4) our ability to operate our business in a manner consistent with our corporate structure and intercompany arrangements. Taxing authorities may challenge the pricing methodologies of 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. This 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.

 

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The TCJA was enacted on December 22, 2017 and significantly reformed the Code. The TCJA, among other things: (1) includes changes to U.S. federal tax rates, (2) imposes additional limitations on the deductibility of interest, (3) has both positive and negative changes to the utilization of future NOL carryforwards as described above, (4) allows for the expensing of certain capital expenditures, and (5) puts into effect the migration from a “worldwide” system of taxation to a partially territorial system. Our net deferred tax assets and liabilities and valuation allowance was revalued at the newly enacted U.S. corporate rate. We continue to await guidance from the tax authorities on some of the changes that will affect us. Such future guidance could result in significant one-time charges in the current or future taxable years and could increase our future U.S. tax expense. The impact of this tax reform on holders of our Series 1 common stock is uncertain and could be adverse.

Loss of certain tax benefits that we enjoy in Ukraine could have a negative impact on our operating results and profitability.

Substantially all of the persons who provide services used by us in Ukraine are independent contractors who are registered as private entrepreneurs with the tax authorities. They are third-party suppliers operating as independent contractors, for whom we are not required to pay social duties and personal income tax applicable to employees. Nevertheless, Ukrainian tax authorities may take a view that would result in additional financial obligations. Ukrainian tax authorities could assert a position on the classification of our independent contractors contrary to ours. They could claim we had to withhold personal income tax and to accrue single social contribution in relation to employees’ remuneration. If a national authority or court enacts legislation or adopts regulations that change the manner in which employees and independent contractors are classified, or makes any adverse determination with respect to some or all of our independent contractors, we could incur significant costs arising from fines or judgments as a result of tax withholding. All of these factors could in turn result in material adverse effects on our financial condition.

We are subject to governmental export and import controls that could impair our ability to compete in international markets and subject us to liability if we violate the controls.

Our platform is subject to U.S. export controls, including the Export Administration Regulations and economic sanctions administered by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control. We incorporate encryption technology into our platform. These encryption products and the underlying technology may be exported outside of the United States only with the required export authorizations, including by license, a license exception or other appropriate government authorizations.

Furthermore, our activities are subject to the U.S. economic sanctions laws and regulations that prohibit the shipment of certain products and services to countries, governments, and persons targeted by U.S. embargoes or sanctions. The current administration has been critical of existing trade agreements and may impose more stringent export and import controls. Obtaining the necessary export license or other authorization for a particular sale may be time-consuming and may result in the delay or loss of sales opportunities even if the export license ultimately may be granted. While we take precautions to prevent our platform from being exported in violation of these laws, including obtaining authorizations for our platform, performing geolocation IP blocking and screenings against U.S. and other lists of restricted and prohibited persons, we cannot guarantee that the precautions we take will prevent violations of export control and sanctions laws. Violations of U.S. sanctions or export control laws can result in significant fines or penalties and possible incarceration for responsible employees and managers could be imposed for criminal violations of these laws.

If our partners fail to obtain appropriate import, export or re-export licenses or permits, we may also be adversely affected, through reputational harm as well as other negative consequences, including government investigations and penalties. We presently incorporate export control compliance requirements into our strategic partner agreements; however, no assurance can be given that our partners will comply with such requirements.

Various countries regulate the import and export of certain encryption and other technology, including import and export licensing requirements. Some countries have enacted laws that could limit our ability to

 

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distribute our platform or could limit our customers’ ability to implement our platform in those countries. Changes in our platform or future changes in export and import regulations may create delays in the introduction of our platform in international markets, prevent our customers with international operations from launching our platform globally or, in some cases, prevent the export or import of our platform to certain countries, governments, or persons altogether. Various governmental agencies have proposed additional regulation of encryption technology, including the escrow and government recovery of private encryption keys. Any change in export or import regulations, economic sanctions, or related legislation, or change in the countries, governments, persons, or technologies targeted by such regulations, could limit our ability to export or sell our platform to existing or potential customers with international operations. Any decreased use of our platform or limitation on our ability to export or sell our platform would adversely affect our business, operating results, and prospects.

We are exposed to fluctuations in currency exchange rates, which could negatively affect our operating results.

Our customer subscription and partner and services contracts are primarily denominated in U.S. dollars, and therefore substantially all of our revenue is not subject to foreign currency risk. However, a strengthening of the U.S. dollar could increase the real cost of our platform to our customers outside of the United States, which could adversely affect our operating results. In addition, an increasing portion of our operating expenses is incurred and an increasing portion of our assets is held outside the United States. These operating expenses and assets are denominated in foreign currencies and are subject to fluctuations due to changes in foreign currency exchange rates. If we are not able to successfully hedge against the risks associated with currency fluctuations, our operating results could be adversely affected.

We are subject to anti-corruption, anti-bribery, anti-money laundering, and similar laws. Non-compliance with such laws can subject us to criminal and/or civil liability and harm our business.

We are subject to the FCPA, the U.S. domestic bribery statute contained in 18 U.S.C. § 201, the U.S. Travel Act, the UK Bribery Act of 2010, the UK Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and other anti-bribery and anti-money laundering laws in the countries in which we conduct activities. Anti-corruption and anti-bribery laws have been enforced aggressively in recent years. These laws are interpreted broadly to prohibit companies and their employees and third-party intermediaries from authorizing, promising, offering, or providing, directly or indirectly, improper payments or anything else of value to recipients in the public or private sector. As we increase our international sales and business and sales to the public sector, we may engage with partners and third-party intermediaries to market our services and to obtain necessary permits, licenses, and other regulatory approvals. In addition, we or our third-party intermediaries may have direct or indirect interactions with officials and employees of government agencies or state-owned or affiliated entities. We can be held liable for corrupt or other illegal activities of these third-party intermediaries, our employees, representatives, contractors, partners, and agents, even if we do not explicitly authorize such activities.

While we have policies and procedures to address compliance with such laws, our employees and agents could violate our policies and applicable law, for which we may be ultimately held responsible. As we increase our international sales and business, our risks under these laws may increase.

Noncompliance with anti-corruption, anti-bribery or anti-money laundering laws could subject us to whistleblower complaints, investigations, sanctions, settlements, prosecution, other enforcement actions, disgorgement of profits, significant fines, damages, other civil and criminal penalties or injunctions, suspension and/or debarment from contracting with certain persons, the loss of export privileges, reputational harm, adverse media coverage, and other collateral consequences. If any subpoenas or investigations are launched, or governmental or other sanctions are imposed, or if we do not prevail in any possible civil or criminal litigation, our business, results of operations, and financial condition could be materially harmed. Responding to any action will likely result in a materially significant diversion of management’s attention and resources and significant defense costs and other professional fees. Enforcement actions and sanctions could further harm our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

 

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Changes in subjective assumptions, estimates and judgments by management related to complex accounting matters or changes in accounting principles generally accepted in the United States, could significantly affect our financial condition and results of operations.

GAAP and related pronouncements, implementation guidelines and interpretations apply to a wide range of matters that are relevant to our business, including revenue recognition, stock-based compensation, and deferred commissions. These matters are complex and involve subjective assumptions, estimates and judgments by our management. Changes in GAAP, these accounting pronouncements or their interpretation or changes in underlying assumptions, estimates or judgments by our management, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”), the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), and others could significantly change our reported or expected financial performance, which could impact the market price for our common stock.

The terms of our Credit Facility and Convertible Term Loan with Silicon Valley Bank restrict, and any future indebtedness would likely restrict our operations.

Our Amended and Restated Loan and Security Agreement (as amended, our “Credit Facility”) and Convertible Term Loan, each with Silicon Valley Bank (“SVB”), contain, and any future indebtedness would likely contain, a number of covenants that impose significant operating and financial restrictions on us, including restrictions on our ability to take actions that may be in our best interests. Our Credit Facility requires us to satisfy specified financial covenants. Our ability to meet those financial covenants can be affected by events beyond our control, and we may not be able to continue to meet those covenants. A breach of any of these covenants or the occurrence of other events specified in the Credit Facility and Convertible Term Loan could result in an event of default under the Credit Facility or Convertible Term Loan, as applicable. Upon the occurrence of an event of default, SVB could elect to declare all amounts outstanding under the Credit Facility or Convertible Term Loan to be immediately due and payable and terminate all commitments to extend further credit. If we were unable to repay those amounts, SVB could proceed against the collateral granted to them to secure such indebtedness. We have pledged substantially all of our assets, including our intellectual property, as collateral under the Credit Facility and Convertible Term Loan.

If SVB accelerates the repayment of borrowings, if any, we may not have sufficient funds to repay our existing debt. Our outstanding balance for the Credit Facility and the Convertible Term Loan were $        million and $        million, respectively, as of December 31, 2019. Our Credit Facility with SVB is due to mature in October 2021 and the Convertible Term Loan maturity date is in October 2022. We may seek to enter into an extension of such debt arrangements or enter into a new facility with another lender. We may not be able to extend the term or obtain other debt financing on terms that are favorable to us, if at all. If we are unable to obtain adequate financing or financing on satisfactory terms when required, our ability to support our business growth and to respond to business challenges could be significantly impaired, and our business may be harmed.

We may acquire or invest in companies, which may divert our management’s attention and result in additional dilution to our stockholders. We may be unable to integrate acquired businesses and technologies successfully or achieve the expected benefits of such acquisitions.

We may evaluate and consider potential strategic transactions, including acquisitions of, or investments in, businesses, technologies, services, products and other assets in the future. An acquisition, investment or business relationship may result in unforeseen operating difficulties and expenditures. In particular, we may encounter difficulties assimilating or integrating the businesses, technologies, products, personnel or operations of the acquired companies. Key personnel of the acquired companies may choose not to work for us, their software may not be easily adapted to work with ours, or we may have difficulty retaining the customers of any acquired business due to changes in ownership, management or otherwise. We may also experience difficulties integrating personnel of the acquired company into our business and culture. Acquisitions may also disrupt our business, divert our resources and require significant management attention that would otherwise be available for development of our existing business. The anticipated benefits of any acquisition, investment or business relationship may not be realized or we may be exposed to unknown risks or liabilities.

 

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Negotiating these transactions can be time-consuming, difficult and expensive, and our ability to close these transactions may often be subject to approvals that are beyond our control. Consequently, these transactions, even if undertaken and announced, may not close. For one or more of those transactions, we may:

 

   

issue additional equity securities that would dilute our stockholders;

 

   

use cash that we may need in the future to operate our business;

 

   

incur debt on terms unfavorable to us or that we are unable to repay;

 

   

incur large charges or substantial liabilities;

 

   

encounter difficulties retaining key employees of the acquired company or integrating diverse software codes or business cultures; and

 

   

become subject to adverse tax consequences, substantial depreciation, or deferred compensation charges.

Risks related to owning our Series 1 common stock and this offering

There may not be an active trading market for our Series 1 common stock, which may cause shares of our Series 1 common stock to trade at a discount from the initial public offering price and make it difficult to sell the shares of Series 1 common stock you purchase.

Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our Series 1 common stock. It is possible that after this offering, an active trading market will not develop or, if developed, that any market will not be sustained. This would make it difficult for you to sell your shares of Series 1 common stock at an attractive price or at all. The initial public offering price per share of Series 1 common stock was determined through discussions among the representatives of the underwriters and us. It may not be indicative of the price at which shares of our Series 1 common stock will trade in the public market after this offering.

The market price of shares of our Series 1 common stock may be volatile, which could cause the value of your investment to decline.

Even if an active trading market develops, the market price of our Series 1 common stock may be highly volatile and could be subject to wide fluctuations. Securities markets worldwide experience significant price and volume fluctuations. This market volatility, as well as general economic, market, or political conditions, could reduce the market price of shares of our Series 1 common stock regardless of our operating performance.

Our operating results could be below the expectations of public market analysts and investors due to a number of potential factors, including: (1) variations in our quarterly operating results or dividends, if any, to stockholders, (2) additions or departures of key management personnel, (3) publication of research reports about our industry, (4) litigation and government investigations, (5) changes or proposed changes in laws or regulations or differing interpretations or enforcement of laws or regulations affecting our business, (6) adverse market reaction to any indebtedness we may incur or securities we may issue in the future, (7) changes in market valuations of similar companies, (8) speculation in the press or investment community, (9) announcements by our competitors of significant contracts, acquisitions, dispositions, strategic partnerships, joint ventures or capital commitments, and (10) adverse publicity about the industries we participate in or individual scandals. In response, the market price of shares of our Series 1 common stock could decrease significantly. You may be unable to resell your shares of Series 1 common stock at or above the initial public offering price.

Following periods of volatility in the overall market and the market price of a company’s securities, securities class action litigation has often been instituted against these companies. Such litigation, if instituted against us, could result in substantial costs and a diversion of our management’s attention and resources.

 

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Our ability to timely raise capital in the future may be limited, or may be unavailable on acceptable terms, if at all. Our failure to raise capital when needed could harm our business, operating results and financial condition. Debt or equity issued to raise additional capital may reduce the value of our Series 1 common stock.

We have funded our operations since inception primarily through equity financings, debt, and payments by our customers for use of our platform and related services. We cannot be certain when or if our operations will generate sufficient cash to fund our ongoing operations or the growth of our business.

We intend to continue to make investments to support our business and may require additional funds. Additional financing may not be available on favorable terms, 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 could have rights senior to holders of Series 1 common stock to make claims on our assets. The terms of any debt could restrict our operations, including our ability to pay dividends on our Series 1 common stock. If we issue additional equity securities, stockholders will experience dilution, and the new equity securities could have rights senior to those of our Series 1 common stock. Because our decision to issue securities in the future offering 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 Series 1 common stock and diluting their interest.

Insiders will continue to have substantial control over us after this offering, which may limit our stockholders’ ability to influence corporate matters and delay or prevent a third party from acquiring control over us.

Upon completion of this offering, our directors, executive officers, and current beneficial owners of 5% or more of our voting securities and their respective affiliates will beneficially own, in the aggregate, approximately        % of our outstanding Series 1 common stock compared to        % represented by the shares sold in this offering. Further, we anticipate that Steven J. Murray, a member of our board of directors and an operating member of Revolution Growth, Lawrence Bohn, a member of our board of directors and a partner of General Catalyst Group, and Jeff Richards, a member of our board of directors and managing director of GGV Capital, will beneficially own an aggregate of approximately        %,        % and        % of our Series 1 common stock, respectively, following this offering. This significant concentration of ownership may adversely affect the trading price for our Series 1 common stock because investors often perceive disadvantages in owning stock in companies with controlling stockholders. In addition, these stockholders will be able to exercise influence over all matters requiring stockholder approval, including the election of directors and approval of corporate transactions, such as a merger or other sale of our company or its assets. This concentration of ownership could limit your ability to influence corporate matters and may have the effect of delaying or preventing a change in control, including a merger, consolidation or other business combination involving us, or discouraging a potential acquirer from making a tender offer or otherwise attempting to obtain control, even if that change in control would benefit our other stockholders. For information regarding the ownership of our outstanding stock by our executive officers, directors, and current beneficial owners of 5% or more of our voting securities and their respective affiliates, please see the section titled “Principal Stockholders.”

We have no current plans to pay cash dividends on our Series 1 common stock; as a result, you may not receive any return on investment unless you sell your Series 1 common stock for a price greater than that which you paid for it.

We have no current plans to pay dividends on our Series 1 common stock. Any future determination to pay dividends will be made at the discretion of our board of directors, subject to applicable laws. It will depend on a number of factors, including our financial condition, results of operations, capital requirements, contractual, legal, tax and regulatory restrictions, general business conditions, and other factors that our board of directors may deem relevant. In addition, our ability to pay cash dividends is restricted by the terms of our debt financing arrangements, and any future debt financing arrangement likely will contain terms restricting or limiting the

 

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amount of dividends that may be declared or paid on our common stock. As a result, you may not receive any return on an investment in our Series 1 common stock unless you sell your Series 1 common stock for a price greater than that which you paid for it.

If our operating and financial performance in any given period does not meet the guidance that we provide to the public or the expectations of investment analysts, the market price of our Series 1 common stock may decline.

We may, but are not obligated to, provide public guidance on our expected operating and financial results for future periods. Any such guidance will comprise forward-looking statements, subject to the risks and uncertainties described in this prospectus and in our other public filings and public statements. Our actual results may not always be in line with or exceed any guidance we have provided, especially in times of economic uncertainty. If, in the future, our operating or financial results for a particular period do not meet any guidance we provide or the expectations of investment analysts, or if we reduce our guidance for future periods, the market price of our Series 1 common stock may decline as well. Even if we do issue public guidance, there can be no assurance that we will continue to do so in the future.

We will incur increased costs and become subject to additional regulations and requirements as a result of becoming a public company. This could lower our profits or make it more difficult to run our business.

As a public company, we will incur significant legal, accounting, and other expenses that we have not incurred as a private company, including costs associated with public company reporting requirements. We also have incurred and will continue to incur costs associated with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (“Sarbanes-Oxley”), and related rules implemented by the SEC and the             . The expenses generally incurred by public companies for reporting and corporate governance purposes have been increasing. We expect these rules and regulations to increase our legal and financial compliance costs and to make some activities more time-consuming and costly. We are currently unable to estimate these costs with any certainty. These laws and regulations also could make it more difficult or costly for us to obtain certain types of insurance, including director and officer liability insurance. We may be forced to accept reduced policy limits and coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain the same or similar coverage. These laws and regulations could also make it more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified persons to serve on our board of directors, on our board committees, or as our executive officers. If we are unable to satisfy our obligations as a public company, we could be subject to delisting of our Series 1 common stock, fines, sanctions, and other regulatory action and potentially civil litigation.

We are an “emerging growth company.” The reduced public company reporting requirements applicable to emerging growth companies may make our Series 1 common stock less attractive to investors.

We qualify as an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act. While we remain an emerging growth company, we are permitted and plan to rely on exemptions from certain disclosure requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies. These provisions include: (1) presenting only two years of audited financial statements, (2) presenting only two years of related selected financial data and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” disclosure, (3) an exemption from compliance with the auditor attestation requirement in the assessment of our internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404 of Sarbanes-Oxley, (4) not being required to comply with any requirement that may be adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding mandatory audit firm rotation or a supplement to the auditor’s report providing additional information about the audit and the financial statements, (5) reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation arrangements in our periodic reports, registration statements and proxy statements, and (6) exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. As a result, the information we provide will be different than the information that is available with respect to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies.

 

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In this prospectus, we have not included all of the executive compensation-related information that would be required if we were not an emerging growth company. We cannot predict whether investors will find our Series 1 common stock less attractive if we rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our Series 1 common stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our Series 1 common stock. The market price of our Series 1 common stock may be more volatile.

We will remain an emerging growth company until the earliest of: (1) the end of the fiscal year in which the fifth anniversary of the closing of this offering occurs, (2) the first fiscal year after our annual gross revenue exceed $1.07 billion, (3) the date on which we have, during the immediately preceding three-year period, issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities, and (4) the end of any fiscal year in which the market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the end of the second quarter of that fiscal year.

If we are unable to implement and maintain effective internal control over financial reporting in the future, investors may lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports, and the market price of our Series 1 common stock may decline.

As a public company, we will be required to maintain internal controls over financial reporting and to report any material weaknesses in such internal controls. In addition, beginning with our second annual report on Form 10-K, we will be required to furnish a report by management on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting, pursuant to Section 404 of Sarbanes-Oxley. The process of designing, implementing and testing the internal control over financial reporting required to comply with this obligation is time-consuming, costly, and complicated.

If we identify material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting, if we are unable to comply with the requirements of Section 404 of Sarbanes-Oxley in a timely manner, or if we are unable to assert that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, we will be unable to certify that our internal control over financial reporting is effective. We cannot assure you that there will not be material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in our internal control over financial reporting in the future. Any failure to maintain internal control over financial reporting could severely inhibit our ability to accurately report our financial condition or results of operations. If we are unable to conclude that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, or if our independent registered public accounting firm determines we have a material weakness or significant deficiency in our internal control over financial reporting, investors may lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports and the market price of our Series 1 common stock could decline. We could become subject to investigations by the stock exchange on which our securities are listed, the SEC or other regulatory authorities, which could require additional financial and management resources.

Increases in interest rates may cause the market price of our Series 1 common stock to decline.

Interest rates are at or near record lows. Increases in interest rates may cause a corresponding decline in demand for equity investments. Any such increase in interest rates or reduction in demand for our Series 1 common stock resulting from other relatively more attractive investment opportunities may cause the market price of our Series 1 common stock to decline.

If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or reports about our business or publish negative reports, the market price of our Series 1 common stock could decline.

The trading market for our Series 1 common stock will be influenced by the research and reports that industry or securities analysts publish about us or our business. If regular publication of research reports ceases, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which in turn could cause the market price or trading volume of our Series 1 common stock to decline. Moreover, if one or more of the analysts who cover us downgrades our Series 1 common stock or if our reporting results do not meet their expectations, the market price of our Series 1 common stock could decline.

 

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We will have broad discretion in the use of the net proceeds from this offering and may not use them effectively.

Our management currently intends to use the net proceeds from this offering in the manner described in “Use of Proceeds” and will have broad discretion in the application of a significant part of the net proceeds from this offering. The failure by our management to apply these funds effectively could result in financial losses that could harm our business, cause the market price of our Series 1 common stock to decline, and delay the development of our operations. We may invest the net proceeds from this offering in a manner that does not contribute to the growth and financial performance of our business, which would negatively impact the value of our Series 1 common stock.

Investors in this offering will experience immediate and substantial dilution.

The initial public offering price per share of Series 1 common stock will be substantially higher than our pro forma net tangible book value per share immediately after this offering. If you purchase shares of our Series 1 common stock in this offering, you will suffer immediate dilution of $             per share, or $             per share if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares in full. This represents the difference between (1) our pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share after giving effect to the sale of Series 1 common stock in this offering, and (2) the assumed initial public offering price of $             per share, which is the midpoint of the estimated price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus. See “Dilution.”

You will be diluted by the future issuance of common stock, preferred stock or securities convertible into common or preferred stock, in connection with our incentive plans, acquisitions, capital raises or otherwise.

After this offering we will have approximately              shares of Series 1 common stock and approximately              shares of Series 2 common stock. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, which will become effective prior to the closing of this offering, authorizes us to issue these shares of common stock and options, rights, warrants, and appreciation rights relating to common stock for the consideration and on the terms and conditions established by our board of directors in its sole discretion, whether in connection with acquisitions or otherwise.

In the future, we expect to obtain financing or to further increase our capital resources by issuing additional shares of our capital stock or offering debt or other equity securities, including senior or subordinated notes, or debt securities convertible into equity or shares of preferred stock. Issuing additional shares of our capital stock or other equity securities or securities convertible into equity may dilute the economic and voting rights of our existing stockholders or reduce the market price of our Series 1 common stock or both. Debt securities convertible into equity could be subject to adjustments in the conversion ratio pursuant to which certain events may increase the number of equity securities issuable upon conversion. Shares of preferred stock, if issued, could have a preference with respect to liquidating distributions or a preference with respect to dividend payments that could limit our ability to pay dividends to the holders of our Series 1 common stock. Additional shares of Series 2 common stock, if issued, may further dilute the economic rights of our Series 1 common stock. Holders of our Series 1 common stock are not entitled to receive economic consideration per share for their shares in excess of that payable to the holders of the then outstanding shares of Series 2 common stock in the event of a merger, consolidation or tender or exchange offer. Our decision to issue securities in any future offering will depend on market conditions and other factors beyond our control, which may adversely affect the amount, timing or nature of our future offerings. As a result, holders of our Series 1 common stock bear the risk that our future offerings may reduce the market price of our Series 1 common stock and dilute their stockholdings in us. See “Description of Capital Stock.”

We have reserved an aggregate of              shares of Series 1 common stock for issuance under our 2013 Plan and 2020 Plan. Any Series 1 common stock that we issue, including under our 2013 Plan and 2020 Plan or other equity incentive plans that we may adopt in the future, would dilute the percentage ownership held by the

 

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investors who purchase Series 1 common stock in this offering. We intend to file one or more registration statements on Form S-8 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), to register shares of our Series 1 common stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable for shares of our Series 1 common stock issued pursuant to our 2013 Plan, 2020 Plan, and 2020 ESPP. Any such Form S-8 registration statements will automatically become effective upon filing. Accordingly, shares registered under such registration statements will be available for sale in the open market.

If we or the pre-IPO investors sell additional shares of our Series 1 common stock after this offering, the market price of our Series 1 common stock could decline.

The sale of substantial amounts of shares of our Series 1 common stock in the public market, or the perception that such sales could occur, could harm the prevailing market price of shares of our Series 1 common stock. These sales, or the possibility that these sales may occur, might make it more difficult for us to sell equity securities in the future at a time and at a price that we deem appropriate. Upon the closing of this offering we will have a total of              shares of our Series 1 common stock outstanding (or              shares if the underwriters exercise in full their option to purchase additional shares of Series 1 common stock) and an additional              shares of our Series 1 common stock issuable upon the full exercise of our outstanding warrants. Of the outstanding              shares of Series 1 common stock, the              shares sold in this offering (or              shares if the underwriters exercise in full their option to purchase additional shares of Series 1 common stock) will be freely tradable without restriction or further registration under the Securities Act, except that any shares held by our affiliates, as that term is defined under Rule 144 of the Securities Act, may be sold only in compliance with the limitations described in “Shares Eligible for Future Sale.”

The remaining outstanding              shares of Series 1 common stock held by or issuable to our pre-IPO investors and management after this offering will be subject to certain restrictions on resale. We, our officers, directors and certain pre-IPO investors that collectively will own              shares of Series 1 common stock (including shares issuable on exchange of Series 2 common stock) following this offering (or              shares of Series 1 common stock if the underwriters exercise in full their option to purchase additional shares of Series 1 common stock), will sign lock-up agreements with the underwriters. Subject to certain customary exceptions, these agreements will restrict the sale of the shares of our Series 1 common stock held for 180 days following the date of this prospectus. Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and Barclays Capital Inc., in their sole discretion, may release the securities subject to these lock-up agreements described above in whole or in part at any time prior to the expiration of the restrictive provisions contained in those lock-up agreements. Upon the expiration of the lock-up agreements, all of such shares of Series 1 common stock will be eligible for resale in a public market, subject, in the case of shares held by our affiliates, to volume, manner of sale, and other limitations under Rule 144. Commencing 180 days following this offering, certain pre-IPO investors will have the right, subject to certain exceptions and conditions, to require us to register their shares of Series 1 common stock under the Securities Act, and they will have the right to participate in future registrations of securities by us. Registration of any of these outstanding shares of Series 1 common stock would result in such shares becoming freely tradable without compliance with Rule 144 upon effectiveness of the registration statement. See “Shares Eligible for Future Sale.”

As restrictions on resale end, the market price of our shares of Series 1 common stock could drop significantly if the holders of these restricted shares sell them or are perceived by the market as intending to sell them. These factors could also make it more difficult for us to raise additional funds through future offerings of our shares of common stock or other securities.

Provisions in our organizational documents and certain rules imposed by regulatory authorities may delay or prevent our acquisition by a third party.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws will contain several provisions that may make it more difficult or expensive for a third party to acquire control of us without the

 

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approval of our board of directors. These provisions, which may delay, prevent or deter a merger, acquisition, tender offer, proxy contest, or other transaction that stockholders may consider favorable, include the following:

 

   

the division of our board of directors into three classes and the election of each class for three-year terms;

 

   

advance notice requirements for stockholder proposals and director nominations;

 

   

provisions limiting stockholders’ ability to call special meetings of stockholders, to require special meetings of stockholders to be called, and to take action by written consent;

 

   

restrictions on business combinations with interested stockholders;

 

   

in certain cases, the approval of holders representing at least 6623% of the total voting power of the shares entitled to vote generally in the election of directors will be required for stockholders to adopt, amend or repeal our bylaws, or amend or repeal certain provisions of our certificate of incorporation;

 

   

no cumulative voting;

 

   

the required approval of holders representing at least 6623% of the total voting power of the shares entitled to vote at an election of the directors to remove directors; and

 

   

the ability of our board of directors to designate the terms of and issue new series of preferred stock without stockholder approval, which could be used, among other things, to institute a rights plan that would have the effect of significantly diluting the stock ownership of a potential hostile acquirer, likely preventing acquisitions that have not been approved by our governing body.

These provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws could discourage potential takeover attempts and reduce the price that investors might be willing to pay for shares of our Series 1 common stock in the future, which could reduce the market price of our Series 1 common stock. For more information, see “Description of Capital Stock.”

The provision of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation requiring exclusive venue in the Court of Chancery in the State of Delaware for certain types of lawsuits may have the effect of discouraging lawsuits against our directors and officers.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware be the sole and exclusive forum for: (1) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of our company, (2) any action asserting a claim of breach of fiduciary duty owed by any director (including any director serving as a member of the Executive Committee), officer, agent or other employee or stockholder of our company to us or our stockholders, (3) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the Delaware General Corporation Law (“DGCL”), the amended and restated certificate of incorporation or our bylaws or as to which the DGCL confers jurisdiction on the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, or (4) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine, in each case subject to such Court of Chancery having personal jurisdiction over the indispensable parties named as defendants therein. However, the exclusive forum clauses described above shall not apply to suits brought to enforce a duty or liability created by the Securities Act, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction. Although we believe this provision benefits us by providing increased consistency in the application of Delaware law in the types of lawsuits to which it applies, the provision may have the effect of discouraging lawsuits against our directors and officers. The enforceability of similar choice of forum provisions in other companies’ certificates of incorporation has been challenged in legal proceedings. It is possible that, in connection with any applicable action brought against us, a court could find the choice of forum provisions contained in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to be inapplicable or unenforceable in such action. If so, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.

 

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Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This prospectus contains forward-looking statements. Any statements about our expectations, beliefs, plans, predictions, forecasts, objectives, assumptions, or future events or performance are not historical facts and may be forward-looking. These statements are often, but not always, made through the use of words or phrases such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “can,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “ongoing,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “will,” and similar words or phrases. These forward-looking statements include statements concerning the following:

 

   

our expectations regarding our revenue, expenses, sales, and operations;

 

   

anticipated trends and challenges in our business and the markets in which we operate;

 

   

our ability to compete in our industry and innovation by our competitors;

 

   

our ability to anticipate market needs or develop new or enhanced services to meet those needs;

 

   

our ability to manage growth and to expand our infrastructure;

 

   

our ability to establish and maintain intellectual property rights;

 

   

our ability to manage expansion into international markets and new industries;

 

   

our ability to hire and retain key personnel;

 

   

our expectations regarding the use of proceeds from this offering;

 

   

our ability to successfully identify, manage, and integrate any existing and potential acquisitions;

 

   

our ability to adapt to emerging regulatory developments, technological changes, and cybersecurity needs;

 

   

our anticipated cash needs and our estimates regarding our capital requirements and our need for additional financing; and

 

   

other statements described in this prospectus under “Risk Factors,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” and “Our Business.”

Although we believe the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, these statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties which are subject to change based on various important factors, some of which are beyond our control. For more information regarding these risks and uncertainties as well as certain additional risks that we face, refer to “Risk Factors,” as well as factors more fully described in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and elsewhere in this prospectus.

If one or more of the factors affecting the expectations reflected in our forward-looking information and statements proves incorrect, our actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, forward-looking information and statements. Therefore, we caution the reader not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information or statements. The effect of these factors is difficult to predict. Factors other than these also could adversely affect our results, and the reader should not consider these factors to be a complete set of all potential risks or uncertainties. New factors emerge from time to time, and management cannot assess the impact of any such factor on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. Any forward-looking statements only speak as of the date of this document, and we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking information or statements, whether written or oral, to reflect any change, except as required by law. All forward-looking statements attributable to us are expressly qualified by these cautionary statements.

 

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Market, Industry, and Other Data

This prospectus includes estimates regarding market and industry data and forecasts, which are based on publicly available information, industry publications and surveys, including from eMarketer, Forrester, Gartner, IDC, and Vertical Web Media LLC (publisher of Digital Commerce 360 and Internet Retailer). These estimates are also based on reports from government agencies and our own estimates based on our management’s knowledge of, and experience in, the industry and markets in which we compete. We have not independently verified the accuracy or completeness of the data contained in third-party publications and reports and other publicly available information referred to in this prospectus. None of the third-party publications or reports referred to in this prospectus were prepared on our or on our affiliates’ behalf or at our expense.

The sources of certain statistical data, estimates, and forecasts contained in this prospectus are the following independent industry publications or reports:

 

   

eMarketer: Global Ecommerce 2019 Report, published June 2019;

 

   

IDC: Market Glance: Digital Commerce Software, 3Q19, published September 2019; Direct Digital Transformation Investment Spending to Approach $7.4 Trillion Between 2020 and 2023, published October 2019;

 

   

Internet Retailer: 2019 Online Marketplaces Report, published June 2019; Leading Vendors to the Top 1000 E-Retailers, published October 2018;

 

   

Digital Commerce 360: 2019 U.S. Top 500 Report; published May 2019;

 

   

Forrester: Digital-Influenced Retail Sales Forecast, 2018 to 2023 (US), published December 2018; US B2B eCommerce Will Hit $1.8 Trillion By 2023, published January 2019; and

 

   

Gartner: Gartner Peer Insights Customers’ Choice for Digital Commerce Software, published April 2019.

The Forrester studies described herein represent data, research, opinions, or viewpoints prepared by Forrester and are not representations of fact. We have been advised by Forrester that its studies speak as of their original date (and not as of the date of this prospectus) and any opinions expressed in the studies are subject to change without notice.

The Gartner reports described herein represent research opinion or viewpoints published, as part of a syndicated subscription service by Gartner, and are not representations of fact. Each Gartner report speaks as of its original publication date (and not as of the date of this prospectus), and the opinions expressed in the Gartner reports are subject to change without notice. Gartner Peer Insights Customers’ Choice constitute the subjective opinions of individual end-user reviews, ratings, and data applied against a documented methodology; they neither represent the views of, nor constitute an endorsement by, Gartner or its affiliates.

In presenting this information, we have made certain assumptions that we believe to be reasonable based on such data and other similar sources, and on our knowledge of, and our experience to date in, the markets for our products. Market data is subject to change and may be limited by the availability of raw data, the voluntary nature of the data gathering process, and other limitations inherent in any statistical survey of market data. These data involve a number of assumptions and limitations which are necessarily subject to a high degree of uncertainty. The industry in which we operate is subject to a high degree of uncertainty and risk due to a variety of factors, including those described in “Risk Factors,” that could cause our future performance to differ materially from our assumptions and estimates. In addition, customer preferences are subject to change. Accordingly, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such market data.

 

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Use of Proceeds

We estimate that our net proceeds from the sale of our Series 1 common stock in this offering will be approximately $             million (or approximately $             million if the underwriters fully exercise their option to purchase additional shares from us in this offering), assuming an initial public offering price of $             per share, which is the midpoint of the range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, and after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

A $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price of $             per share would increase (decrease) the net proceeds to us from this offering by approximately $             million, assuming that the number of shares offered, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same and after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. Each increase (decrease) of 1,000,000 shares in the number of shares of Series 1 common stock offered by us in this offering, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase (decrease) the net proceeds to us from this offering by approximately $             million, assuming the assumed initial public offering price per share remains the same and after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commission and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

The principal purposes of this offering are to increase our financial flexibility, create a public market for our Series 1 common stock, and facilitate future access to the public equity markets. We intend to use a portion of the net proceeds from this offering to pay in cash the Series F Dividend, which as of                     , 2020 totaled $             million. As a result of the anticipated payment of the Series F Dividend, holders of our Series F preferred stock will receive approximately $             million of the net proceeds of this offering, including entities affiliated with General Catalyst Group and Lawrence Bohn, a member of our board of directors, and entities affiliated with GGV Capital and Jeff Richards, a member of our board of directors, which will receive approximately $             million and $             million, respectively. We intend to use the remainder of the net proceeds from this offering for working capital and general corporate purposes, including sales and marketing, research and development, general and administrative matters, and capital expenditures. We may also use a portion of the net proceeds from this offering to acquire, license, or invest in products, technologies or businesses that are complementary to our business. However, we currently have no agreements or commitments to complete any such transaction.

Based on our current plans, we believe the net proceeds received from this offering will be sufficient to meet our working capital and capital expenditure needs and debt service obligations for at least the next twelve months. We have based this estimate on assumptions that may prove to be wrong, and we could use our available capital resources sooner than we currently expect.

Our expected use of net proceeds from this offering represents our current intentions based upon our present plans and business condition. As of the date of this prospectus, we cannot predict with complete certainty all of the particular uses for the net proceeds to be received upon the closing of this offering or the actual amounts that we will spend on the uses set forth above.

The timing and amount of our actual application of the net proceeds from this offering will be based on many factors, including our cash flows from operations and the growth of our business. We may find it necessary or advisable to use the net proceeds for other purposes, and we will have broad discretion in the application of the net proceeds. Pending the uses described above, we plan to invest the net proceeds from this offering in short-term, interest-bearing obligations, investment-grade instruments, certificates of deposit, or direct or guaranteed obligations of the U.S. government.

 

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Dividend Policy

We do not anticipate declaring or paying any cash dividends on our capital stock in the foreseeable future, other than the accrued and unpaid Series F Dividend to be paid in cash immediately prior to the closing of this offering. Any future determination to declare and pay cash dividends, if any, will be made at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on a variety of factors, including applicable laws, our financial condition, results of operations, contractual restrictions, capital requirements, business prospects, general business or financial market conditions, and other factors our board of directors may deem relevant. In addition, our ability to pay cash dividends is currently restricted by the terms of the agreements governing our Credit Facility and our Convertible Term Loan. Our ability to pay cash dividends on our capital stock in the future may also be limited by the terms of any preferred securities we may issue or agreements governing any additional indebtedness we may incur.

 

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Capitalization

The following table sets forth our cash and cash equivalents and capitalization as of December 31, 2019 on:

 

   

an actual basis;

 

   

a pro forma basis, to reflect (i) the automatic conversion of all outstanding shares of preferred stock (including the shares of Series F preferred stock issuable upon conversion of the Convertible Term Loan and the exercise of the Purchase Right) into an aggregate of              shares of Series 1 common stock and              shares of Series 2 common stock, (ii) the conversion of our Convertible Term Loan into             shares of our Series F preferred stock, at a conversion price of $3.059 per share, and the automatic conversion of such shares into              shares of Series 1 common stock, (iii) the exercise of the Purchase Right at the option of the lenders under our Convertible Term Loan for the purchase of shares of our Series F preferred stock at a purchase price of $3.059, and the automatic conversion of such shares into              shares of Series 1 common stock, (iv) the payment in cash of the Series F Dividend, which, as of                 , 2020, totaled $                 million, and (v) the effectiveness of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, each immediately prior to the closing of this offering; and

 

   

a pro forma as adjusted basis, to further reflect the sale and issuance by us of              shares of Series 1 common stock in this offering, based on an assumed initial public offering price of $            per share of Series 1 common stock, which is the midpoint of the estimated price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

You should read this table, together with the information contained in this prospectus, including “Use of Proceeds,” “Selected Consolidated Financial Data,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” and the audited consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus.

 

    As of December 31, 2019  
        Actual         Pro forma     Pro forma
as adjusted
 
    (in thousands, except per share
amounts)
 

Cash and cash equivalents

  $       $       $    
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Long-term debt, including current portion

  $       $       $    
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Convertible preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share (Series A, B, C, D, D-1, E, E-1 and F):             shares authorized;             shares issued and outstanding, actual; no shares authorized, issued and outstanding, pro forma and pro forma as adjusted

     
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Stockholders’ equity (deficit):

     

Preferred stock, $0.0001 par value per share: no shares authorized, no shares issued and outstanding, actual;             shares authorized, no shares issued and outstanding, pro forma;             shares authorized, no shares issued and outstanding, pro forma as adjusted

    —         —         —    

Series 1 common stock, $0.0001 par value per share:             shares authorized,             shares issued and outstanding, actual;             shares authorized,              shares issued and outstanding, pro forma;              shares authorized,             shares issued and outstanding, pro forma as adjusted

     

Series 2 common stock, $0.0001 par value per share:             shares authorized,              shares issued and outstanding, actual;             shares authorized,             shares issued and outstanding, pro forma and pro forma as adjusted

     

Additional paid-in capital

     

Accumulated deficit

     

Total stockholders’ equity (deficit)

     
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total capitalization

  $                   $                   $                
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

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Each $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price of $            per share of Series 1 common stock, which is the midpoint of the estimated price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase (decrease) the pro forma as adjusted cash and cash equivalents, additional paid-in capital, total stockholders’ equity (deficit), and total capitalization by approximately $             million, assuming that the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same, and after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated expenses payable by us. Each increase (decrease) of 1,000,000 shares in the number of shares of Series 1 common stock offered by us in this offering, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase (decrease) the pro forma as adjusted cash and cash equivalents, additional paid-in capital, total stockholders’ equity (deficit), and total capitalization by approximately $             million, assuming the assumed initial public offering price per share remains the same and after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

The outstanding share information in the table above excludes:

 

   

                shares of Series 1 common stock issuable upon the exercise of options outstanding as of December 31, 2019 under our 2013 Plan, at a weighted-average exercise price of $             per share;

 

   

                shares of Series 1 common stock issuable upon the exercise of warrants outstanding as of December 31, 2019, with a weighted-average exercise price of $             per share;

 

   

                shares of Series 1 common stock reserved for issuance under our 2020 Plan, which will become effective in connection with this offering, as well as shares of our Series 1 common stock that may be issued pursuant to provisions in our 2020 Plan that automatically increase the Series 1 common stock reserve under our 2020 Plan; and

 

   

                shares of Series 1 common stock reserved for issuance under our 2020 ESPP, which will become effective in connection with this offering, as well as shares of our Series 1 common stock that may be issued pursuant to provisions in our 2020 ESPP that automatically increase the Series 1 common stock reserve under our 2020 ESPP.

 

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Dilution

If you invest in the initial public offering of our Series 1 common stock, your interest will be diluted to the extent of the excess of the initial public offering price per share of our Series 1 common stock over the pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share of our common stock immediately after this offering.

Our historical net tangible book value (deficit) as of December 31, 2019 was $             million, or $             per share of common stock. Our historical net tangible book value (deficit) is the amount of our total tangible assets less our total liabilities and the carrying value of our redeemable convertible preferred stock, which is not included within stockholders’ equity (deficit). Historical net tangible book value (deficit) per share represents historical net tangible book value (deficit) divided by the total number of shares of Series 1 common stock and Series 2 common stock outstanding as of December 31, 2019.

Our pro forma net tangible book value as of December 31, 2019 was $             million, or $             per share of common stock. Pro forma net tangible book value represents the amount of our total tangible assets less our total liabilities, after giving effect to: (i) the automatic conversion of all outstanding shares of our preferred stock (including the shares of Series F preferred stock issuable upon conversion of the Convertible Term Loan and the exercise of the Purchase Right) into an aggregate of              shares of Series 1 common stock and              shares of Series 2 common stock, (ii) the conversion of our Convertible Term Loan into              shares of our Series F preferred stock, at a conversion price of $3.059 per share, and the automatic conversion of such shares into             shares of Series 1 common stock, (iii) the exercise of the Purchase Right at the option of the lenders under our Convertible Term Loan for the purchase of shares of our Series F preferred stock at a purchase price of $3.059, and the automatic conversion of such shares into              shares of Series 1 common stock, and (iv) the payment in cash of the Series F Dividend, which, as of             , 2020, totaled $            million, in each case immediately prior to the closing of this offering. Pro forma net tangible book value per share represents pro forma net tangible book value divided by the total number of shares of Series 1 common stock and Series 2 common stock outstanding as of December 31, 2019, after giving effect to the pro forma adjustments described above.

After giving effect to the sale and issuance by us of             shares of Series 1 common stock in this offering, at an assumed initial public offering price of $             per share of Series 1 common stock, which is the midpoint of the estimated price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, our pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value at December 31, 2019 would have been $             million, or $             per share of common stock. Dilution per share to new investors purchasing shares in this offering is determined by subtracting pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering from the initial public offering price per share of Series 1 common stock paid by new investors purchasing shares in this offering.

The following table illustrates the immediate dilution on a per share basis to new investors purchasing shares in this offering.

 

Assumed initial public offering price per share of Series 1 common stock

    $                

Historical net tangible book value (deficit) per share as of December 31, 2019

  $                  

Increase per share attributable to the pro forma adjustments described above

   
 

 

 

   

Pro forma net tangible book value per share as of December 31, 2019

   

Increase in pro forma net tangible book value per share attributable to new investors purchasing shares in this offering

   
 

 

 

   

Pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering

   
   

 

 

 

Dilution per share to new investors purchasing shares in this offering

    $    
   

 

 

 

 

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The pro forma as adjusted dilution information discussed above is illustrative only and will change based on the actual initial public offering price and other terms of this offering determined at pricing. Each $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price of $             per share of Series 1 common stock, which is the midpoint of the estimated price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase (decrease) our pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value by $             million, or $             per share of Series 1 common stock, assuming that the number of shares of Series 1 common stock offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same and after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. Each increase of 1,000,000 shares in the number of shares of Series 1 common stock offered by us would increase our pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering by $             and decrease the dilution per share to new investors by $            , assuming the assumed initial public offering price per share remains the same and after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. Each decrease of 1,000,000 shares in the number of shares of Series 1 common stock offered by us would decrease our pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering by $             and increase the dilution per share to new investors by $            , assuming the assumed initial public offering price per share remains the same and after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

If the underwriters exercise in full their option to purchase additional shares of Series 1 common stock from us in this offering, our pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value after the offering would be $             per share, and the dilution to new investors would be $             per share, in each case assuming an initial public offering price of $             per share, which is the midpoint of the estimated price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, and after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

The following table summarizes, on the same pro forma as adjusted basis described above as of December 31, 2019, the total number of shares of Series 1 common stock purchased from us, the total cash consideration paid to us and the average price per share paid by existing stockholders and by new investors purchasing shares of Series 1 common stock in this offering at an assumed initial stock price of $             per share, which is the midpoint of the estimated price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, before deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

 

     Shares purchased          Total consideration          Weighted-
average
price per
share
 
       Number          Percent        Amount      Percent  

Existing stockholders

    

            

                   %      $                              %      $                

New investors

              
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

        100%      $          100%      $    
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Each $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price of $             per share of Series 1 common stock, which is the midpoint of the estimated price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase (decrease) total consideration paid by new investors in this offering and total consideration paid by all investors by approximately $         million, assuming that the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same. Each increase (decrease) of 1,000,000 shares in the number of shares of Series 1 common stock offered by us, as set forth on the cover of this prospectus, would increase (decrease) the total consideration paid by new investors by $             million and, in the case of an increase, would increase the percentage of total consideration paid by new investors by              percentage points and, in the case of a decrease, would decrease the percentage of total consideration paid by new investors by              percentage points, assuming the assumed initial public offering price per share remains the same.

 

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If the underwriters exercise in full their option to purchase additional shares of Series 1 common stock, the percentage of shares of our common stock held by existing stockholders would be decreased to     % of the total number of our common stock outstanding after this offering, and the number of shares held by new investors participating in this offering would be increased to     % of the total number of shares of our common stock outstanding after this offering.

The foregoing table excludes:

 

   

            shares of Series 1 common stock issuable upon the exercise of options outstanding as of December 31, 2019 under our 2013 Plan, at a weighted-average exercise price of $             per share;

 

   

            shares of Series 1 common stock issuable upon the exercise of warrants outstanding as of December 31, 2019, with a weighted-average exercise price of $             per share;

 

   

            shares of Series 1 common stock reserved for issuance under our 2020 Plan, which will become effective in connection with this offering, as well as shares of our Series 1 common stock that may be issued pursuant to provisions in our 2020 Plan that automatically increase the number of shares of Series 1 common stock reserved for issuance under our 2020 Plan; and

 

   

            shares of Series 1 common stock reserved for issuance under our 2020 ESPP, which will become effective in connection with this offering, as well as shares of our Series 1 common stock that may be issued pursuant to provisions in our 2020 ESPP that automatically increase the Series 1 common stock reserve under our 2020 ESPP.

To the extent any of the outstanding options or warrants are exercised or new options or other securities are issued under our equity incentive plans, you will experience further dilution as a new investor in this offering. In addition, we may choose to raise additional capital because of market conditions or strategic considerations, even if we believe we have sufficient funds for our current or future operating plans. If we raise additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities, the issuance of these securities could result in further dilution to our stockholders.

 

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Selected Consolidated Financial Data

The following tables present selected consolidated financial data for our business. The selected statement of operations data presented below for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2019 and the selected balance sheet data as of December 31, 2018 and 2019 have been derived from our audited consolidated financial statements appearing at the end of this prospectus. The following selected historical consolidated financial data is qualified in its entirety by reference to, and should be read in conjunction with, our audited consolidated financial statements and related notes, and the information under “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” and other financial information included in this prospectus. Historical results included below and elsewhere in this prospectus are not necessarily indicative of our future performance.

 

     Year Ended December 31,  
   2018             2019          
     (in thousands, except per share
amounts)
 

Consolidated Statement of Operations Data:

    

Revenue

   $ 91,867                                 

Cost of revenue(1)

     21,937    
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Gross profit

     69,930    

Operating expenses:

    

Sales and marketing(1)

     45,928    

Research and development(1)

     42,485    

General and administrative(1)

     19,497    
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total operating expenses

             107,910    
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Loss from operations

     (37,980  

Interest income

     653    

Interest expense

     (1,489)    

Other expense

     (52)    
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Loss before provision for income taxes

     (38,868)    

Provision for income taxes

     10    
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net loss

   $ (38,878)    
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Cumulative dividends and accretion of issuance costs on Series F preferred stock

     (4,712)    
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net loss attributable to common stockholders

   $ (43,590)    
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Basic and diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders(2)

   $ (0.86)    
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Weighted-average number of shares used to compute basic and diluted net loss per share(2)

     50,889    
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Basic and diluted pro forma net loss per share attributable to common stockholders(3)

    
    

 

 

 

Weighted-average number of shares used to compute pro forma net loss per share attributable to common stockholders, basic and diluted(3)

    
    

 

 

 

 

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(1)

Includes stock-based compensation expense as follows:

 

     Year Ended December, 31,  
               2018                         2019            
     (in thousands)  

Cost of revenue

   $ 82                           

Sales and marketing

     388    

Research and development

     432    

General and administrative

     1,169    
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total stock-based compensation expense

   $       2,071    
  

 

 

   

 

 

 
(2)

See Note 11 to our audited consolidated financial statements appearing at the end of this prospectus for an explanation of the calculations of basic and diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders.

(3)

See Note      to our audited consolidated financial statements appearing at the end of this prospectus for an explanation of the calculations of pro forma basic and diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders.

In addition to our consolidated statements of operations data as determined in accordance with GAAP, we believe the following non-GAAP measure is useful in evaluating our business performance.

 

     Year Ended December 31,  
               2018                         2019            
     (in thousands)  

Other Financial Data:

    

Adjusted EBITDA(1)

   $     (34,065)    

 

(1)

This financial measure is not calculated in accordance with GAAP. See “—Non-GAAP financial measures” for information regarding our use of this non-GAAP financial measure and a reconciliation of such measure to its nearest comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP.

 

     As of December 31,  
         2018              2019      
     (in thousands)  

Consolidated Balance Sheet Data:

     

Cash and cash equivalents

   $ 12,793                          

Working capital(1)

     25,483     

Total assets

     59,104     

Total liabilities

     54,134     

Convertible preferred stock

     216,446     

Total stockholders’ equity (deficit)

     (211,476   

 

(1)

We define working capital as current assets less current liabilities.

Non-GAAP financial measures

To supplement our financial statements presented in accordance with GAAP and to provide investors with additional information regarding our financial results, we have presented in this prospectus adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP financial measure. Adjusted EBITDA is not based on any standardized methodology prescribed by GAAP and is not necessarily comparable to similarly titled measures presented by other companies.

We define adjusted EBITDA as our net loss, excluding the impact of stock-based compensation expense, depreciation and amortization expense, interest income, interest expense, and our provision for income taxes. The most directly comparable GAAP measure is net loss. We monitor and have presented in this prospectus adjusted

 

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EBITDA because it is a key measure used by our management and board of directors to understand and evaluate our operating performance, to establish budgets, and to develop operational goals for managing our business. In particular, we believe excluding the impact of these expenses in calculating adjusted EBITDA can provide a useful measure for period-to-period comparisons of our core operating performance. We believe adjusted EBITDA helps identify underlying trends in our business that could otherwise be masked by the effect of the expenses that we include in net loss. Accordingly, we believe adjusted EBITDA provides useful information to investors, analysts, and others in understanding and evaluating our operating results, enhancing the overall understanding of our past performance and future prospects.

Adjusted EBITDA is not prepared in accordance with GAAP and should not be considered in isolation of, or as an alternative to, measures prepared in accordance with GAAP. There are a number of limitations related to the use of adjusted EBITDA rather than net loss, which is the most directly comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP. Some of these limitations are:

 

   

adjusted EBITDA excludes stock-based compensation expense as it has recently been, and will continue to be for the foreseeable future, a significant recurring non-cash expense for our business;

 

   

adjusted EBITDA excludes depreciation and amortization expense and, although this is a non-cash expense, the assets being depreciated and amortized may have to be replaced in the future;

 

   

adjusted EBITDA does not reflect the cash requirements necessary to service interest on our debt which affects the cash available to us;

 

   

adjusted EBITDA does not reflect the monies earned from our investments since it does not reflect our core operations;

 

   

adjusted EBITDA does not reflect income tax expense that affects cash available to us; and

 

   

the expenses and other items that we exclude in our calculations of adjusted EBITDA may differ from the expenses and other items, if any, that other companies may exclude from adjusted EBITDA when they report their operating results.

In addition, other companies may use other measures to evaluate their performance, all of which could reduce the usefulness of our non-GAAP financial measures as tools for comparison.

The following table reconciles adjusted EBITDA to net loss, the most directly comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP.

Reconciliation of net loss to adjusted EBITDA:

 

     Year Ended December 31,  
           2018                  2019        
     (in thousands)  

Net loss

   $ (38,878)                          

Stock-based compensation expense

     2,071     

Depreciation and amortization

     1,844     

Interest income

     (653)     

Interest expense

     1,489     

Provisions for income taxes

     10     
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Adjusted EBITDA

   $ (34,117)     
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

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Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus. In addition to historical consolidated financial information, the following discussion contains forward-looking statements that reflect our plans, estimates and beliefs. Our actual results could differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to these differences include those discussed below and elsewhere in this prospectus, particularly in “Risk Factors.” See “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.”

Overview

BigCommerce is leading a new era of ecommerce. Our SaaS platform simplifies the creation of beautiful, engaging online stores by delivering a unique combination of ease-of-use, enterprise functionality, and flexibility. We power both our customers’ branded ecommerce stores and their cross-channel connections to popular online marketplaces, social networks, and offline POS systems. As of December 31, 2019, we served approximately 60,000 online stores across industries in approximately 120 countries.

We provide a comprehensive platform for launching and scaling an ecommerce operation, including store design, catalog management, hosting, checkout, order management, reporting, and pre-integration into third-party services like payments, shipping, and accounting. All of our stores run on a single code base and share a global, multi-tenant architecture purpose built for security, high performance, and innovation. Our platform serves stores in a wide variety of sizes, product categories, and purchase types, including B2C and B2B. Our customers include Avery Dennison, Ben & Jerry’s, Burrow, SC Johnson, SkullCandy, Sony, and Woolrich.

We offer access to our platform on a subscription basis, which accounted for 77% and    % of our revenue for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2019, respectively. We serve customers with subscription plans tailored to their size and feature needs. For our larger customers, our Enterprise plan offers our full feature set at a monthly subscription price tailored to each business. For SMBs, BigCommerce Essentials offers three retail plans: Standard, Plus, and Pro, priced at $29.95, $79.95, and $299.95 per month, respectively.

Since our founding, we have achieved several key milestones and implemented important strategic initiatives that impact our business today.

 

   

2009: BigCommerce launches in Sydney, Australia, with a simple, low-cost, all-in-one ecommerce solution, delivered through the cloud, targeting the SMB segment.

 

   

2010: BigCommerce’s customer base reaches 10,000 online stores.

 

   

2011–2014: Headquarters relocate to Austin, Texas. We raise private capital in a series of investment rounds to fund growth from investors including General Catalyst, Revolution Growth, and Softbank.

 

   

2015: Brent Bellm joins as president and chief executive officer. New executive team expands focus to mid-market and large enterprise customer segments, investing significantly in research and development over the subsequent five-year period.

 

   

2016–2018: BigCommerce raises additional rounds of private capital from investors including GGV Capital and Goldman Sachs. Using an “open SaaS” strategy, we expand our ecosystem of technology and service partners that offer complementary capabilities such as payments, shipping, marketing, and accounting. ARR surpasses $100 million.

 

   

2019: BigCommerce expands go-to-market teams in Europe and Australia, launches a presence in Asia, and scales engineering capacity in Kyiv, Ukraine. We reach approximately 60,000 stores. Our

 

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“headless” commerce capabilities gain traction across a wide range of leading CMSs and progressive web application frameworks.

Our business has experienced strong growth. Our ARR reached $102.6 million as of December 31, 2018 and $             million as of December 31, 2019. Our ARR growth rate increased from 23% in 2018 to     % in 2019. Our revenue increased from $91.9 million in 2018 to $             million in 2019. Our revenue growth rate increased from 20% in 2018 to     % in 2019. Our gross margin was 76.1% in 2018 and     % in 2019. We had net losses of $38.9 million in 2018 and $            million in 2019.

Key factors affecting our performance

We believe our future performance will depend on many factors, including the following:

Continued growth of ecommerce domestically and globally

Ecommerce is rapidly transforming global B2C and B2B commerce. B2C ecommerce was nonexistent in the early-1990s and grew to approximately 10% of all global retail spending in 2017, according to eMarketer. eMarketer estimates that it will take just five years for this percentage to double to 20% of global retail spending in 2022. The rapid growth in ecommerce is prompting companies to adopt ecommerce platforms like BigCommerce to create compelling branded ecommerce stores and power cross-channel connections to online marketplaces, social networks, and offline POS systems.

We believe we have a substantial opportunity to serve a larger number of customers as ecommerce continues to grow around the world by extending into new and emerging segments within ecommerce. The following segments are significant areas of potential growth and strategic focus for us:

 

   

Headless commerce. This refers to businesses whose technology strategy is to decouple their front-end customer experience technology from their back-end commerce platform. In terms of online strategy, these companies are typically brand-, marketing-, or experience-led. We serve headless use cases better than most of our competitors due to years of investment in our platform APIs and integration capabilities. Pre-built integrations connect our platform with leading CMSs such as Acquia, Adobe, Bloomreach, Drupal, Sitecore, and WordPress.

 

   

B2B. As of December 31, 2019, approximately 10% of our customers use BigCommerce primarily for B2B sales. In many cases, these customers’ needs are met using our native functionality, including B2B features like customer groups and price lists. In other cases, these customers complement BigCommerce with purpose-built B2B extensions and applications in the BigCommerce Apps Marketplace. Over time, we intend to add more B2B functionality to both the BigCommerce Apps Marketplace and our native feature set.

 

   

Large enterprise. Increasingly, we are successfully competing for large enterprise sites selling more than $50 million annually online, with our Enterprise plan product feature set, along with our sales, marketing, solutioning, and service capabilities.

Efficient acquisition of new customers

The growth of our customer base is important to our continued revenue growth. We believe we are positioned to grow significantly through a combination of our own marketing and sales initiatives, customer referrals from our agency and technology partners, and word-of-mouth referrals from existing customers.

We measure the efficiency of new customer acquisition by comparing the lifetime value (“LTV”) of newly-acquired customers to the customer acquisition costs (“CAC”) of the associated time period to get an “LTV:CAC

 

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ratio.” We calculate LTV as gross profit from new sales during the four quarters of any given year divided by the estimated subscription churn rate. We calculate CAC as total sales and marketing expense incurred during the associated preceding four quarters. The LTV:CAC ratio for 2019 includes LTV for the year ended December 31, 2019 and CAC for the four quarters ended September 30, 2019. On this basis, we estimate that our LTV:CAC ratio for 2019 was 4:1. This calculation assumes that the actual subscription churn rate for the period will remain consistent in future years.

Retention and growth of our existing customers

We believe our long-term revenue growth is correlated with the growth of our existing customers’ ecommerce businesses. We strive to maintain industry-leading service levels and platform capabilities to maximize customer success and retention. Our revenue grows with that of our customers. As they generate more online sales, we generate more subscription revenue through automated sales-based upgrades on our Essentials plans and order adjustments on our Enterprise plans. Typical enterprise contracts have terms ranging from 12 to 36 months and do not include the ability to terminate for convenience. As our customers’ online sales increase, our partner and services revenue generated by revenue-sharing agreements with our strategic technology partners increases as well. Our ability to retain and grow our customers’ ecommerce businesses often depends on the continued expansion of our platform and the capabilities of our strategic technology partners to provide revenue generating services to our customers. We continually evaluate prospective and existing partners’ abilities to enhance the capabilities of our customers’ ecommerce businesses. We add new partners and expand existing partner relationships to enhance the utility of our platform, while creating new opportunities to expand our revenue share in partner and services revenue. As we continue to grow as a platform, we believe our ability to realize more favorable and expansive revenue share agreements will grow as well. We also grow by selling additional stores to existing customers. Our larger customers will often first use our platform to build a single online store that serves a single brand within their portfolio. These customers can then expand their usage of our platform by launching additional stores to serve additional brands, geographies, or use cases (e.g., B2B in addition to B2C).

Successful rollout of new geographies

We believe our platform can compete successfully around the world. We enhance self-serve usability in new geographies by translating our control panel into local languages and enabling the integration of local payment processors. We support the growth of mid-market and large enterprise customers around the world by expanding our regional sales and marketing capabilities. We opened our first European office in London, UK in 2018 and expanded it throughout 2019, resulting in a     % revenue growth rate in 2019 in EMEA. Similarly, we launched our first local sales presence in Singapore in early 2019 and expanded our existing sales and marketing team in Sydney, Australia, resulting in an     % revenue growth rate in 2019 in APAC. We plan to add local sales support in further select international markets over time. In addition, in select markets like China, we are developing relationships with strategic agency partners in lieu of having a direct local employee presence. As of January 3, 2020, 24% of our stores were located outside of the United States. We believe over time, the number of stores located outside of the United States will increase substantially.

Evolution of our technology partner ecosystem

A key part of our strategy is to build a thriving technology partner ecosystem. We focus on collaborating with, not competing against, partners in our ecosystems. This strategy contrasts with our largest competitors, who operate software stacks with multiple vertically integrated adjacent services that potentially compete with offerings from technology partners in their ecosystems. Our customers benefit from the expertise and best-of-breed offerings of our partners, the flexibility to choose without penalty the best offerings for their needs, and the tailored programs developed with our strategic partners. Through significant investment, we have developed a marketplace of integrated application and technology solutions that is one of the largest of any ecommerce platform. Our partners currently offer more than 600 pre-built applications and integrations spanning major categories relevant to ecommerce, including payments, shipping, tax, accounting and ERP, marketing,

 

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fulfillment, cross-channel commerce, and POS systems. We intend to grow partner-sourced revenue by expanding the value and scope of existing partnerships, selling and marketing partner solutions to our customer base, and acquiring and cultivating new, high-value relationships. Partner referrals of customers are increasingly becoming an efficient customer acquisition strategy for us as we expand our programs for cross-marketing and cross-selling with our partners.

Realizing operating leverage from our investments

We have made significant investments in our SaaS platform and our global infrastructure, which we believe will yield future operating leverage and profit margin expansion. Research and development has historically been one of our largest operating expense categories. By opening and expanding a lower-cost engineering center in Kyiv, Ukraine, we are increasing development capacity while also driving leverage in engineering cost as a percentage of total revenue. In addition, we believe we will achieve operating leverage in marketing by continuing to emphasize lower-cost inbound techniques and growth in customer referrals from our technology and agency partners. We believe we will be able to run our business more efficiently as we continue to grow our revenue and gain further operating scale.

Key business metrics

We review the following key business metrics to measure our performance, identify trends affecting our business, formulate business plans, and make strategic decisions. Increases or decreases in our key business metrics may not correspond with increases or decreases in our revenue.

Annual revenue run-rate

We calculate annual revenue run-rate (“ARR”) at the end of each month as the sum of: (1) the product of the current month’s monthly recurring revenue (“MRR”) multiplied by twelve (to prospectively annualize subscription revenue), and (2) the trailing twelve-month partner and services revenue, including non-recurring services revenue, such as one-time partner integration fees and store-launch services. MRR includes BigCommerce platform subscription fees and invoiced growth adjustments as customers’ businesses grow past contracted order thresholds after a threshold has been met. It also includes recurring professional services revenue, such as recurring technical account management services and product training services.

Accounts with greater than $2,000 ACV

We track the total number of accounts with annual contract value (“ACV”) greater than $2,000 (the “ACV threshold”) as of the end of a monthly billing period. To define this $2,000 ACV cohort, we include only subscription plan revenue and exclude partner and services revenue and recurring services revenue. We consider all stores added and subtracted as of the end of the monthly billing period. This metric includes accounts that may have either one single store above the ACV threshold or multiple stores that together exceed the ACV threshold. Accordingly, this cohort would include: (1) customers on Enterprise plans, (2) customers on Pro plans, and (3) customers with multiple plans that together exceed the ACV threshold. As of December 31, 2019, accounts above the ACV threshold represented     % of our ARR, up from 73% in 2018.

Average revenue per account

We calculate average revenue per account (“ARPA”) for accounts above the ACV threshold at the end of a period by including customer-billed revenue and an allocation of partner and services revenue. We bill customers for subscription solutions and professional services, and we include both in ARPA for the reported period. For example, ARPA as of March 31, 2019 includes all subscription solutions and professional services billed between January 1, 2019 and March 31, 2019. We allocate partner revenue primarily based on each customer’s share of GMV processed through that partner’s solution. For partner revenue that is not directly linked to

 

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customer usage of a partner’s solution, we allocate such revenue based on each customer’s share of total platform GMV. Each account’s partner revenue allocation is calculated by taking the account’s trailing twelve-month partner revenue, then dividing by twelve to create a monthly average to apply to the applicable period in order to normalize ARPA for seasonality. As of December 31, 2019, the ARPA for accounts above the ACV threshold was $            , up from $8,796 as of December 31, 2018.

Net revenue retention

We use net revenue retention (“NRR”) to evaluate our ability to maintain and expand our revenue with our account base of customers exceeding the ACV threshold over time. The total billings and allocated partner revenue for the measured period are divided by the total billings and allocated partner revenue for such accounts, corresponding period one year prior. An NRR greater than 100% implies positive net revenue retention. This methodology includes stores added to or subtracted from an account’s subscription during the previous twelve months. It also includes changes to subscription and partner and services revenue billings, and revenue reductions from stores or accounts that leave the platform during the previous one year period. Net new accounts added after the previous one year period are excluded in our NRR calculations. NRR for accounts with ACV greater than $2,000 was         % and         % for 2018 and 2019, respectively.

The chart below illustrates certain of our key business metrics as of or for the three months ended for each of the dates presented, as applicable.

 

    March 31,
2018
  June 30,
2018
  September 30,
2018
  December 31,
2018
  March 31,
2019
  June 30,
2019
  September 30,
2019
    December 31,
2019
 
ARR (in thousands)   $88,148   $92,767   $98,092   $102,611   $108,493   $115,094     $121,027    
Accounts with ACV greater than $2,000   8,269   8,237   8,347   8,546   8,708   8,902     9,094    
% of ARR attributable to accounts with ACV greater than $2,000   68%   70%   72%   73%   74%   75%     76%    
ARPA attributable to accounts with ACV greater than $2,000   $7,217   $7,842   $8,432   $8,796   $9,251   $9,712     $10,090    

Enterprise accounts

In addition to tracking our key business metrics identified above, we periodically measure ARR for accounts with at least one unique Enterprise plan subscription (“enterprise accounts”). These accounts may have more than one Enterprise plan or a combination of Enterprise plans and Essentials plans. Enterprise account ARR grew         % and         % in 2018 and 2019, respectively. Enterprise accounts represented         % and         % of ARR as of December 31, 2018 and 2019, respectively.

Components of results of operations

Revenue

We generate revenue from two sources: (1) subscription solutions revenue and (2) partner and services revenue.

 

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Subscription solutions revenue consists primarily of platform subscription fees from all plans. It also includes recurring professional services and sales of SSL certificates. Subscription solutions are charged monthly, quarterly, or annually for our customers to sell their products and process transactions on our platform. Subscription solutions are generally charged per online store and are based on the store’s subscription plan. Monthly subscription fees for Pro and Enterprise plans are adjusted if a customer’s GMV or orders processed are outside of specified plan thresholds on a trailing twelve-month basis.

Our Enterprise plan contracts are generally for a fixed term for one to three years and are non-cancelable. We generally recognize revenue for enterprise contracts ratably over the term of the contract. Our retail plans are month-to-month contracts, and we recognize subscription revenue ratably over time.

We generate partner revenue from our technology application ecosystem. Customers tailor their stores to meet their feature needs by integrating applications developed by our strategic technology partners. We enter into contracts with our strategic technology partners that are generally for one year or longer. We generate revenue from these contracts in three ways: (1) revenue-sharing arrangements, (2) technology integrations, and (3) partner marketing and promotion. We recognize revenue on a net basis from revenue-sharing arrangements when the underlying transaction occurs.

We also generate revenue from non-recurring professional services that we provide to complement the capabilities of our customers and their agency partners. Our services help improve customers’ time-to-market and the success of their businesses using BigCommerce. Our non-recurring services include education packages, launch services, solutions architecting, implementation consulting, and catalog transfer services.

Cost of revenue

Cost of revenue consists primarily of: (1) personnel-related costs (including stock-based compensation expense) for our customer success teams, (2) costs that are directly related to hosting and maintaining our platform, (3) fees for processing customer payments, and (4) the allocation of overhead costs. We expect that cost of revenue will increase in absolute dollars, but may fluctuate as a percentage of total revenue from period to period.

Sales and marketing

Sales and marketing expenses consist primarily of: (1) personnel-related expenses (including stock-based compensation expense), (2) sales commissions, (3) marketing programs, (4) travel-related expenses, and (5) allocated overhead costs. We focus our sales and marketing efforts on creating sales leads and establishing and promoting our brand. We plan to increase our investment in sales and marketing by hiring additional sales and marketing personnel, executing our go-to-market strategy globally, and building our brand awareness. Incremental sales commissions for new customer contracts are deferred and amortized ratably over the estimated period of our relationship with such customers. No incremental sales commissions are incurred on renewals of customer contracts. We expect our sales and marketing expenses will increase in absolute dollars, but will decrease as a percentage of total revenue over time.

Research and development

Research and development expenses consist primarily of personnel-related expenses (including stock-based compensation expense) incurred in maintaining and developing enhancements to our ecommerce platform and allocated overhead costs. To date, software development costs eligible for capitalization have not been significant.

We believe delivering new functionality is critical to attracting new customers and enhancing the success of existing customers. We expect to continue to make substantial investments in research and development. We expect our research and development expenses to increase in absolute dollars, but decrease as a percentage of total revenue over time, as we continue to leverage and expand our lower-cost engineering center in Kyiv, Ukraine. We expense research and development expenses as incurred.

 

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General and administrative

General and administrative expenses consist primarily of: (1) personnel-related expenses (including stock-based compensation expense) for finance, legal and compliance, human resources, and IT, (2) external professional services, and (3) allocated overhead costs. We expect to incur additional general and administrative expenses as a result of operating as a public company. We also expect to increase the size of our general and administrative functions to support the growth of our business. As a result, we expect that our general and administrative expenses will increase in absolute dollars but may fluctuate as a percentage of total revenue from period to period.

Other expenses, net

Other expenses, net consists primarily of interest expense on our bank borrowings partially offset by interest income on corporate funds invested in money market instruments and highly liquid short-term investments.

Provision for income taxes

Provision for income taxes consists primarily of income taxes related to certain foreign and state jurisdictions in which we conduct business. For U.S. federal income tax purposes and in certain foreign and state jurisdictions, we have NOL carryforwards. The foreign jurisdictions in which we operate have different statutory tax rates than those of the United States. Additionally, certain of our foreign earnings may also be currently taxable in the United States. Accordingly, our effective tax rate will vary depending on the relative proportion of foreign to domestic income, use of foreign tax credits, changes in the valuation of our deferred tax assets and liabilities, applicability of any valuation allowances, and changes in tax laws in jurisdictions in which we operate.

Results of operations

The following table summarizes our historical consolidated statement of operations data. The period-to-period comparison of operating results is not necessarily indicative of results for future periods.

 

     Year Ended December 31,  
             2018                      2019          
     (in thousands)  

Revenue

       $ 91,867                                  

Cost of revenue(1)

     21,937     
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Gross profit

     69,930     

Operating expenses:

     

Sales and marketing(1)

     45,928     

Research and development(1)

     42,485     

General and administrative(1)

     19,497     
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total operating expenses

     107,910     
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Loss from operations

     (37,980)     

Interest income

     653     

Interest expense

     (1,489)     

Other expense

     (52)     
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Loss before provision for income taxes

     (38,868)     

Provision for income taxes

     10     
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net loss

       $     (38,878)     
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

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(1)

Includes stock-based compensation expense as follows:

 

     Year Ended December 31,  
           2018                 2019        
     (in thousands)  

Cost of revenue

       $ 82                         

Sales and marketing

     388    

Research and development

     432    

General and administrative

     1,169    
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total stock-based compensation expense

       $     2,071    
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Revenue by geographic region

The composition of our revenue by geographic region during the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2019 were as follows:

 

     Year Ended December 31,     Change  
           2018                 2019            Amount          %      
     (dollars in thousands)  

Revenue

        

Americas – U.S.

     $     75,025        

Americas – other

     3,000        

EMEA

     6,123        

APAC

     7,719        
  

 

 

       

Total Revenue

     $     91,867        
  

 

 

       

Comparison of years ended December 31, 2018 and December 31, 2019

Revenue

The components of our revenue during the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2019 were as follows:

 

     Year Ended December 31,     Change  
             2018                 2019          Amount          %      
     (dollars in thousands)  

Revenue

        

Subscription solutions

   $         70,484            

Partner and services

     21,383            
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total revenue

   $ 91,867            
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Revenue increased $                 million, or    %, from $91.9 million in 2018 to $                 million in 2019, as a result of increases in both subscription solutions and partner and services revenue. Subscription solutions revenue increased $                 million, or    %, from $70.5 million in 2018 to $                 million in 2019, primarily due to the increase in mid-market and large enterprise customers and our international expansion efforts. Partner and services revenue increased $                 million, or    %, from $21.4 million in 2018 to $                 million in 2019, primarily as a result of increases in revenue-sharing activity with our technology partners.

 

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Cost of revenue, gross profit, and gross margin

Cost of revenue, gross profit, and gross margin during the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2019 are as follows:

 

     Year Ended December 31,     Change  
         2018             2019          Amount          %      
     (dollars in thousands)  

Cost of revenue

   $         21,937        

Gross profit

   $ 69,930        

Gross margin

     76.1%        

Cost of revenue increased $                million, or    %, from $21.9 million in 2018 to $                 million in 2019, primarily as a result of increases in personnel-related costs (including stock-based compensation expense), for personnel involved in providing customer support and professional services. Headcount for such personnel as of December 31, 2019 was 180 compared to 145 as of December 31, 2018. Gross margin              to     % during 2019 from 76.1% during 2018.

Operating expenses

Sales and marketing

Sales and marketing expenses during the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2019 were as follows:

 

     Year Ended December 31,      Change  
         2018              2019           Amount           %      
     (dollars in thousands)  

Sales and marketing

     $         45,928           

Percentage of revenue

     50.0%           

Sales and marketing expense increased $                 million, or    %, from $45.9 million in 2018 to $                 million in 2019, primarily due to an increase of $                 million in personnel-related costs (including stock-based compensation expense), for personnel engaged in acquiring new customers and marketing our products and services. Total sales and marketing headcount as of December 31, 2019 was 181 compared to 159 as of December 31, 2018. The increase was also attributed to a $             million increase in marketing program spend to continue the promotion of our products and services globally.

As a percentage of total revenue, sales and marketing expenses increased to    % during 2019 from 50.0% during 2018, primarily due to investments in sales and marketing teams in London, UK and Sydney, Australia.

Research and development

Research and development expenses during the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2019 were as follows:

 

     Year Ended December 31,      Change  
         2018              2019           Amount           %      
     (dollars in thousands)  

Research and development

     $         42,485           

Percentage of revenue

     46.2%           

Research and development expenses were relatively unchanged in absolute dollars from period to period but declined as a percentage of revenue. Research and development expenses declining as a percentage of revenue is

 

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reflective of our leveraging the previous enhancements to our platform capabilities and prior development of new product offerings. By opening and expanding an engineering center in Kyiv, Ukraine in 2019, we increased our lower-cost development capacity, further driving leverage in research and development spend as a percentage of revenue.

General and administrative

General and administrative expenses during the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2019 were as follows:

 

     Year Ended December 31,      Change  
         2018              2019           Amount           %      
     (dollars in thousands)  

General and administrative

   $         19,497           

Percentage of revenue

     21.2%           

General and administrative expenses increased $                million, or    %, from $19.5 million in 2018 to $                million in 2019. The increase was primarily due to an increase of $                million in personnel-related expense (including stock-based compensation expense), resulting from the hiring of additional general and administrative personnel. Total general and administrative headcount as of December 31, 2019 was 124 compared to 97 as of December 31, 2018. The increase was also due to a $                million increase in professional and consulting fees as we obtained additional external assistance in connection with the overall growth of our business and our preparation to operate as a public company.

Interest income

Interest income decreased $                million, or    %, from $0.7 million in 2018 to $                million in 2019, primarily as a result of lower balances in marketable securities.

Interest expense

Interest expense increased $                million, or    %, from $1.5 million in 2018 to $                million in 2019, primarily as a result of increased bank borrowings used to fund operations.

Other expense

Other expense was insignificant in the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2019.

Provision for income taxes

Our provision for income taxes was insignificant in the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2019.

 

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Quarterly results of operations

The following tables set forth our unaudited quarterly consolidated statement of operations data in dollars and as a percentage of our revenue for each of the last eight quarters of the period ended December 31, 2019. The unaudited quarterly consolidated statement of operations data below has been prepared on the same basis as the audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus and, in our opinion, reflect all necessary adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments, necessary for a fair statement of this information. The results of historical quarters are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations for a full year or any future period.

 

    Three Months Ended  
    March 31,
2018
    June 30,
2018
    September 30,
2018
    December 31,
2018
    March 31,
2019
    June 30,
2019
    September 30,
2019
    December 31,
2019
 
    (in thousands)  

Revenue

   $ 20,977      $ 22,250      $ 23,375      $ 25,265      $                    $                    $                    $                
Cost of revenue(1)     5,142       4,963       5,739       6,093          

Gross profit

    15,835       17,287       17,636       19,172          

Operating expenses:

               

Sales and marketing(1)

    9,904       11,209       12,258       12,557          

Research and development(1)

    9,160       10,657       11,450       11,218          

General and administrative(1)

    4,041       5,065       4,868       5,523          

Total operating expenses

    23,105       26,931       28,576       29,298          
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Loss from operations

    (7,270)       (9,644)       (10,940)       (10,126)          

Interest income

    -       179       144       330          

Interest expense

    (331)       (342)       (319)       (497)          

Other income (expense)

    7       17       (48)       (28)          
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Loss before provision for income taxes

 

 

(7,594)

 

 

 

(9,790)

 

 

 

(11,163)

 

 

 

(10,321)

 

       

Provision for income taxes

    2       2       3       3          
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net loss

   $ (7,596)      $ (9,792)      $ (11,166)      $ (10,324)      $        $        $        $    
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

  (1)

Includes stock-based compensation as follows:

 

    Three Months Ended  
    March 31,
2018
    June 30,
2018
    September 30,
2018
    December 31,
2018
    March 31,
2019
    June 30,
2019
    September 30,
2019
    December 31,
2019
 
    (in thousands)  

Cost of revenue

   $ 18      $ 19      $ 19      $ 26      $                    $                    $                    $                

Sales and marketing

    95       86       86       121          

Research and development

    97       84       97       154          

General and administrative

    298       294       287       290          
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total stock-based compensation expense

   $     508      $     483      $     489      $     591      $        $        $        $    
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

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The following table sets forth selected consolidated statements of operations data for each of the periods indicated as a percentage of total revenue:

 

    Three Months Ended  
    March 31,
2018
    June 30,
2018
    September 30,
2018
    December 31,
2018
    March 31,
2019
    June 30,
2019
    September 30,
2019
    December 31,
2019
 

Revenue:

    100.0%       100.0%       100.0%       100.0%                   %                   %                   %                   %  
Cost of revenue     24.5       22.3       24.6       24.1          

Gross margin

    75.5       77.7       75.4       75.9          

Operating expenses:

               

Sales and marketing

    47.2       50.4       52.4       49.7          

Research and development

    43.7       47.9       49.0       44.4          

General and administrative

    19.3       22.8       20.8       21.9          

Total operating expenses

    110.1       121.0       122.3       116.0          
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
Loss from operations     (34.7)       (43.3)       (46.8)       (40.1)          
Interest income     -       0.8       0.6       1.3          
Interest income (expense)     (1.6)       (1.5)       (1.4)       (2.0)          
Other expense     -       0.1       (0.2)       (0.1)          
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

         

Loss before provision for income taxes

    (36.2)       (44.0)       (47.8)       (40.9)          

Provision for income taxes

    -       -       -       -          
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net loss

    (36.2)%       (44.0)%       (47.8)%       (40.9)%       %       %       %       %  
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

The following table sets forth our adjusted EBITDA for each of the periods indicated:

 

    Three Months Ended  
    March 31,
2018
    June 30,
2018
    September 30,
2018
    December 31,
2018
    March 31,
2019
    June 30,
2019
    September 30,
2019
    December 31,
2019
 
    (in thousands)  

Adjusted EBITDA(1)

  $ (6,343)     $ (8,685)     $ (10,042)     $ (9,047)          

 

(1)

This financial measure is not calculated in accordance with GAAP. See “Selected Financial Data—Non-GAAP financial measures” for information regarding our use of this non-GAAP financial measure.

Reconciliation of net loss to adjusted EBITDA

 

    Three Months Ended  
    March 31,
2018
    June 30,
2018
    September 30,
2018
    December 31,
2018
    March 31,
2019
    June 30,
2019
    September 30,
2019
    December 31,
2019
 
                      (in thousands)                    

Net loss

  $
(7,596)
 
  $ (9,792)     $
(11,166)
 
  $ (10,324)                                                                              

Stock-based compensation expense

    508       483       489       591          

Depreciation and amortization

   
412
 
    459       457       516          

Interest income

    -       (179)       (144)       (330)          

Interest expense

   
331
 
   
342
 
    319       497          

Provision for income taxes

    2       2       3       3          
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Adjusted EBITDA

  $ (6,343)     $ (8,685)     $ (10,042)     $ (9,047)          
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Quarterly trends

Quarterly revenue and gross profit trends

Our quarterly revenue and gross profit increased sequentially for each period presented, primarily due to sales of new subscription solutions to our platform as well as the growth of partner and services revenue.

 

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Quarterly operating expense trends

Total operating expenses increased sequentially for all periods presented primarily due to increases in personnel in connection with the expansion of our business as well as additional sales and marketing initiatives to attract new customers.

Liquidity and capital resources

We have incurred losses since our inception. Our operations have been financed primarily through net proceeds from the sale of convertible preferred stock and borrowings under our debt instruments. As of December 31, 2019, we had an accumulated deficit of $                million, working capital of $                 million, $                 million in cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities, and availability of $                million under our Credit Facility.

Our short-term liquidity needs primarily include working capital for sales and marketing, research and development, and continued innovation. Our future capital requirements will depend on many factors, including our levels of revenue, the expansion of sales and marketing activities, market acceptance of our platform, the results of business initiatives, the timing of new product introductions, and overall economic conditions.

We believe the net proceeds received from this offering will be sufficient to meet our working capital and capital expenditure needs and debt service obligations for at least the next twelve months. In the future, we may attempt to raise additional capital through the sale of additional equity or debt financing. The sale of additional equity would be dilutive to our stockholders. Additional debt financing could result in increased debt service obligations and more restrictive financial and operational covenants.

Cash flows

The following table sets forth a summary of our cash flows for the periods indicated.

 

     Year Ended December 31,  
           2018                  2019        
     (in thousands)  

Net cash used in operating activities

   $     (30,591)     

Net cash used in investing activities

   $     (26,517)     

Net cash provided by financing activities

   $ 64,236     

As of December 31, 2019, we had $                million in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash, a                of $                 million compared to $13.9 million in 2018. Cash and cash equivalents consist of highly-liquid investments with original maturities of less than three months. Restricted cash consists of security deposits for future chargebacks and amounts on deposit with certain financial institutions. We maintain cash account balances in excess of FDIC-insured limits.

Net cash used in operating activities

Net cash used in operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2018 was $30.6 million. This consisted primarily of a net loss of $38.9 million and changes in other working capital of $2.6 million. This was partially offset by an increase in deferred revenue of $6.8 million, non-cash expenses that included $2.1 million in stock-based compensation and $1.8 million of depreciation and amortization. We expect that we will continue to use cash in operating activities in 2020 as we continue to invest in and grow our business.

Net cash used in investing activities

Net cash used in investing activities during the year ended December 31, 2018 was $26.5 million. It consisted primarily of purchases of marketable securities of $33.6 million and purchases of property and

 

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equipment of $3.3 million, partially offset by proceeds from the maturities and sale of marketable securities of $10.4 million.

Net cash provided by financing activities

Net cash provided by financing activities during the year ended December 31, 2018 was $64.2 million. It consisted primarily of net proceeds from issuance of convertible preferred stock of $63.6 million and the issuance of shares of Series 1 common stock pursuant to the exercise of stock options of $0.6 million.

Indebtedness

Credit facility

On June 4, 2019, we amended our Credit Facility with SVB. The Credit Facility provides a $25.0 million revolving line of credit with a maturity date of October 27, 2021 (the “Revolving Line”), a $5.0 million term loan with a maturity date of September 1, 2021 (the “2018 Term Loan”), and an undrawn $5.0 million term loan. Our obligations under the Credit Facility are secured by substantially all of our assets.

The Credit Facility contains various covenants, which include: (1) a minimum recurring revenue covenant, (2) a minimum liquidity covenant, (3) a covenant limiting our ability to incur additional indebtedness, and (4) a covenant limiting our ability to dispose of assets. The Credit Facility also contains other specifically-defined restrictions on our activities, including a restricted payments covenant that limits dividends, investments, and certain distributions. We were in compliance with all Credit Facility covenants as of December 31, 2018 and 2019.

Borrowings under the 2018 Term Loan bear interest at the prime rate plus 0.25%. Interest under the Credit Facility is calculated on a 360-day year basis and is payable monthly. The interest rate was 4.32% and     % for the Revolving Line during the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2019, respectively. The interest rate was 5.13% and     % for the 2018 Term Loan, during the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2019, respectively. The Credit Facility is subject to customary fees for loan facilities of this type, including ongoing commitment fees at a rate of 0.25% per annum on the daily undrawn balance of the Revolving Line. As of December 31, 2018 and 2019, we had $3.5 million and $             million outstanding under the Revolving Line, respectively, and $1.4 million and $             million outstanding under the 2018 Term Loan, respectively.

Convertible term loan

On October 27, 2017, we entered into a contingent convertible debt agreement (the “Convertible Term Loan”) with SVB providing for a term loan of $20.0 million. The Convertible Term Loan maturity date is October 27, 2022. Our obligations under the Convertible Term Loan are secured by substantially all of our assets.

The Convertible Term Loan provides the option to convert the outstanding principal, plus accrued and unpaid interest, into shares of our Series F preferred stock at a conversion price of $3.059 per share. The conversion is at the lenders’ option upon the closing of this offering or a liquidity event. The Convertible Term Loan also provides lenders the right to purchase Series F preferred stock at $3.059 per share in an aggregate amount of principal previously repaid (the “Purchase Right”).

The Convertible Term Loan contains restrictive covenants, including limits on additional indebtedness, liens, asset dispositions, dividends, investments, and distributions. We were in compliance with all covenants under the Convertible Term Loan as of December 31, 2018 and 2019.

The interest rate for the Convertible Term Loan is the prime rate then in effect plus a margin of: (a) 2.0% prior to January 1, 2021; (b) 4.0% from January 1, 2021 and prior to January 1, 2022; and (c) 6.0% from and after January 1, 2022. Interest is calculated on the outstanding principal on a 360-day year basis, payable

 

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monthly. The interest rate was 4.88% and     % for the Convertible Term Loan during the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2019, respectively. The Convertible Term Loan is subject to customary fees for loan facilities of this type. As of December 31, 2018 and 2019, we had $19.6 million and $             outstanding under the Convertible Term Loan, respectively.

Contractual obligations

Our principal commitments consist of (1) obligations under our Credit Facility and our Convertible Term Loan, (2) operating leases for office space, and (3) purchase obligations with certain technology providers used to host our platform. The following table summarizes our commitments to settle contractual obligations as of December 31, 2019.

 

       Payments Due by Period  
     Total      Less than
1 year
     1 – 3 Years      3 – 5 Years      More than 5
years
 
     (in thousands)  

Long term debt obligations

                                                                                                                       

Operating lease obligations

              

Purchase obligations

              
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total contractual obligations

              
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Off-balance sheet arrangements

We did not have any off-balance sheet arrangements as of December 31, 2018 and 2019.

Critical accounting policies and estimates

Our consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. We also make estimates and assumptions on the reported revenue generated and reported expenses incurred during the reporting periods. Our estimates are based on our historical experience and on various other factors that we believe are reasonable under the circumstances. The results of these estimates form the basis for making judgments about the carrying value of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

While our significant accounting policies are described in the notes to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus, we believe the following critical accounting policies are most important to understanding and evaluating our reported financial results.

Revenue recognition

We recognize revenue from two sources: (1) subscription solutions revenue and (2) partner and services revenue.

Subscription solutions revenue consists of: (1) platform subscription fees, (2) recurring professional services, and (3) sales of SSL certificates. We recognize platform subscription fees and recurring professional services revenue ratably over the term of the agreement, which ranges from monthly to multi-year. We begin revenue recognition on the date that our service is made available to our customers. We recognize SSL certificates revenue ratably over the term of the certificates.

Partner and services revenue is derived from: (1) revenue-sharing arrangements, (2) technology integrations, (3) partner marketing and promotion, and (4) non-recurring professional services. We recognize revenue on a net

 

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basis from revenue-sharing arrangements when the underlying transaction occurs. We recognize revenue from technology integration fees ratably over the contract term because technology integration and platform access are deemed to be a single performance obligation. Revenue from partner marketing and promotion and non-recurring professional services is recognized as the service is performed.

We adopted Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”), Accounting Standards Codification Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“Topic 606”), effective January 1, 2018, using the full retrospective method of adoption. As such, the consolidated financial statements present revenue in accordance with Topic 606 for the period presented. Topic 606 requires us to identify distinct performance obligations. A performance obligation is a promise in a contract to transfer a distinct good or service to the customer. When distinct performance obligations exist, we allocate the contract transaction price to each distinct performance obligation. The standalone selling price, or our best estimate of standalone selling price, is used to allocate the transaction price to the separate performance obligations. We recognize revenue when, or as, the performance obligation is satisfied.

Determining whether products and services are considered distinct performance obligations that should be accounted for separately versus together may require significant judgment. Also, significant judgment may be required to determine the allocation of transaction price to each distinct performance obligation.

Effective January 1, 2018, we recorded an increase to deferred commissions in the amount of $2.1 million, an increase to deferred revenue in the amount of $0.9 million, and an adjustment to opening accumulated deficit of $1.2 million due to the cumulative impact of adopting this new guidance.

Deferred costs

Deferred costs include deferred sales commissions that are incremental costs of obtaining customer contracts. Sales commissions are not paid on subscription renewal. We amortize deferred sales commissions ratably over the estimated period of our relationship with customers of approximately four years. Based on historical experience, we determine the average life of our customer relationship by taking into consideration our customer contracts and the estimated technological life of our platform and related significant features.

Equity-based compensation

We have granted stock options to certain employees, consultants, and members of our board of directors. Stock-based compensation is measured based on the fair value of the awards on the grant date. It is recognized in our consolidated statement of operations over the period the recipient is required to perform services in exchange for the award. This period is generally the vesting period.

We estimate the fair value of stock options granted using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. Our option-pricing model requires the input of highly subjective assumptions, including: (1) the fair value of the underlying shares, (2) the expected term of the awards, (3) the expected volatility of the price of our shares, (4) risk-free interest rates, and (5) the expected dividend yield of our shares. These estimates involve inherent uncertainties and the application of judgment.

The assumptions are based on the following:

 

   

Expected volatility. Since we have no significant trading history by which to determine the volatility of our stock price, we estimate volatility for option grants by evaluating the average historical volatility of peer group companies for the period immediately preceding the option grant.

 

   

Risk-free interest rate. The risk-free interest rate was based on the United States Treasury zero-coupon issues with remaining terms similar to the expected term of the options.

 

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Dividend yield. We used an expected dividend yield of zero. We have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our common stock and do not plan to pay cash dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future.

 

   

Average expected life. We elected to use the simplified method to compute the expected term. We have limited history of exercise activity and our stock options meet the criteria of “plain-vanilla” options as defined by the SEC. The simplified method calculates the expected term by taking the average of the vesting term and the original contractual term of the awards.

 

   

Fair value of common stock. Given the absence of an active market for our shares of common stock prior to our initial public offering, we estimated the fair value of our shares of common stock as discussed below.

 

   

Forfeiture. We estimate the expected forfeiture rate and only recognize expense for those shares of common stock expected to vest. We estimate the forfeiture rate based on historical experience. To the extent our actual forfeiture rate is different from our estimate, stock-based compensation expense is adjusted accordingly.

If any assumptions used in the Black-Scholes option-pricing model change significantly, stock option compensation expense for future awards may differ materially compared with the expense for awards granted previously.

Share valuations

Given the absence of an active market for our shares of common stock prior to our initial public offering, the fair value of the shares of common stock underlying our stock options was determined by our board of directors. Our board of directors intends all options to be exercisable at the fair value of our shares of common stock on the grant date. Such estimates will not be necessary once the underlying shares begin trading. Valuations of our shares of common stock were determined in accordance with the guidelines outlined in the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants Practice Aid, Valuation of Privately-Held-Company Equity Securities Issued as Compensation. The assumptions used in the valuation models were based on future expectations and management judgment, including input from management on the following factors:

 

   

contemporaneous valuations performed at periodic intervals by independent, third-party specialists;

 

   

our actual operating results and financial performance;

 

   

the prices, preferences, and privileges of shares of our convertible preferred stock relative to shares of our common stock;

 

   

current business conditions and projections;

 

   

stage of development;

 

   

likelihood of achieving a liquidity event, such as an initial public offering or a sale of our company, given prevailing market conditions and the nature and history of our business;

 

   

market multiples of comparable companies in our industry;

 

   

industry information such as market size and growth;

 

   

secondary sales of our shares in arm’s length transactions;

 

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adjustments, if any, necessary to recognize a lack of marketability for our shares; and

 

   

macroeconomic conditions.

Prior to December 31, 2018, the enterprise value of our business was determined using the income approach and the market comparable approach, which were weighted equally.

The income approach estimates value based on the expectation of future cash flows that a company will generate, such as cash earnings, cost savings, tax deductions, and the proceeds from disposition. These future cash flows are risk-adjusted and discounted to their present values using a discount rate derived from an analysis of the cost of capital of comparable publicly traded companies in our industry or similar lines of business.

The market-based approach considers multiples of financial metrics based on a selected peer group of publicly traded technology companies. The peer group of companies was selected based on their similarity to us relative to size, business model, industry, business description, and developmental stage.

Discounted cash flows and a revenue multiple were used to determine our enterprise value under the income approach and market-based approach. From the enterprise value, we add cash and subtract debt to determine our equity value. Once the equity value is determined, this value is allocated among the various classes of equity securities to arrive at the fair value of our shares of common stock.

We also discounted the value of our shares of common stock to recognize the lack of marketability and illiquidity of private company stock since the shares are privately owned and closely held. We considered additional factors when determining any changes in fair value between the most recent valuation report and the grant dates. When available, these factors included the prices paid in any recent transactions involving our equity securities, as well as our operating and financial performance, current industry conditions, and the market performance of comparable publicly traded companies.

Beginning on April 1, 2019, we applied the hybrid method, which combines the income approach, market-based approach, and the probability-weighted expected return method (“PWERM”) to determine the value of our shares of common stock. We made this change as greater clarity developed regarding a possible initial public offering or other liquidity event. Under the PWERM, the value of our shares of common stock is estimated based on the analysis of future values for the enterprise assuming various possible future events, such as an initial public offering. The future value was discounted to its present value using an appropriate risk-adjusted rate based on our stage of development. Additionally, we applied a discount for lack of marketability. The allocation to each share class is based upon the Black-Scholes options-pricing model as well as the current value method depending on the specific scenario. Under the hybrid method, the per share values calculated under each exit scenario are probability-weighted to determine the fair value of our shares of common stock.

Recent accounting pronouncements

A discussion of recent accounting pronouncements is included in Note 2 to our audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus.

Quantitative and qualitative disclosures on market risks

Interest rate risk

Our cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash, and marketable securities consist primarily of interest-bearing accounts. Such interest-earning instruments carry a degree of interest rate risk. To minimize interest rate risk in the future, we intend to maintain our portfolio of cash equivalents in a variety of investment-grade securities, which may include commercial paper, money market funds, and government and non-government debt

 

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securities. Because of the short-term maturities of our cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash, and marketable securities, we do not believe that an increase in market rates would have any significant negative impact on the realized value of our investments. As of December 31, 2019, we held no investments in marketable securities.

In June 2019, we entered into the Credit Facility. As of December 31, 2019, we had borrowings of $                million outstanding under the Revolving Line, and $                million outstanding under the 2018 Term Loan. Borrowings under the 2018 Term Loan bear interest at the prime rate then in effect, plus 0.25%. Based upon the balance outstanding as of December 31, 2019, for every 100 basis point increase in the applicable base rate, we would incur approximately $                and $                 of additional annual interest expense for the Revolving Line and the 2018 Term Loan, respectively. We currently do not hedge interest rate exposure.

In October 2017, we entered into the Convertible Term Loan. As of December 31, 2019, we had borrowings of $                million outstanding under the Convertible Term Loan. Borrowings under the Convertible Term Loan bear interest at the prime rate then in effect plus 2.0% prior to January 1, 2021, 4.0% from January 1, 2021 and prior to January 1, 2022, and 6.0% from and after January 1, 2022. Based upon the balance outstanding as of December 31, 2019, for every 100 basis point increase in the applicable base rate, we would incur approximately $                of additional annual interest expense for the Convertible Term Loan.

Foreign currency exchange risk

All of our revenue and a majority of our expense and capital purchasing activities for the year ended December 31, 2019 were transacted in U.S. dollars. As we expand our sales and operations internationally, we will be more exposed to changes in foreign exchange rates. Our international revenue is currently collected in U.S. dollars. In the future, as we expand into additional international jurisdictions, we expect that our international sales will be primarily denominated in U.S. dollars. If we decide in the future to denominate international sales in currencies other than the U.S. dollar, unfavorable movement in the exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and the currencies in which we conduct foreign sales could have an adverse impact on our revenue.

A portion of our operating expenses are incurred outside the United States and are denominated in foreign currencies, which are subject to fluctuations due to changes in foreign currency exchange rates. In particular, in our Australia and UK-based operations, we pay payroll and other expenses in Australian dollars and British pounds sterling, respectively. Our operating results and cash flows are, therefore, subject to fluctuations due to changes in foreign currency exchange rates. However, we believe that the exposure to foreign currency fluctuation from operating expenses is relatively small at this time as the related costs do not constitute a significant portion of our total expenses.

We currently do not hedge foreign currency exposure. We may in the future hedge our foreign currency exposure and may use currency forward contracts, currency options, and/or other common derivative financial instruments to reduce foreign currency risk. It is difficult to predict the effect future hedging activities would have on our operating results.

Credit risk

Financial instruments that potentially subject us to concentrations of credit risk consist of cash and cash equivalents, marketable securities, restricted cash, and accounts receivable. Our investment policy limits investments to high credit quality securities issued by the U.S. government, U.S. government-sponsored agencies, and highly rated corporate securities, subject to certain concentration limits and restrictions on maturities. Our cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash are held by financial institutions that management believes are of high credit quality. Amounts on deposit may at times exceed FDIC insured limits. We have not experienced any losses on our deposits of cash and cash equivalents, and accounts are monitored by management to mitigate risk. We are exposed to credit risk in the event of default by the financial institutions holding our cash and cash equivalents or an event of default by the issuers of the corporate debt securities we hold.

 

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Emerging growth company status

We are an emerging growth company, as defined in the JOBS Act. Under the JOBS Act, emerging growth companies can delay adopting new or revised accounting standards issued subsequent to the enactment of the JOBS Act, until those standards apply to private companies. We have not elected to use this extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards. We will remain an emerging growth company until the earliest of: (1) the end of the fiscal year in which the fifth anniversary of the closing of this offering occurs, (2) the first fiscal year after our annual gross revenue exceed $1.07 billion, (3) the date on which we have, during the immediately preceding three-year period, issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities, and (4) the end of any fiscal year in which the market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the end of the second quarter of that fiscal year.

 

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Our Business

Overview

BigCommerce is leading a new era of ecommerce. Our software-as-a-service (“SaaS”) platform simplifies the creation of beautiful, engaging online stores by delivering a unique combination of ease-of-use, enterprise functionality, and flexibility. We power both our customers’ branded ecommerce stores and their cross-channel connections to popular online marketplaces, social networks, and offline point-of-sale (“POS”) systems. As of December 31, 2019, we served approximately 60,000 online stores across industries in approximately 120 countries.

BigCommerce operates at the forefront of a world of commerce that is changing rapidly. The transition from physical to digital commerce constitutes one of history’s biggest changes in human behavior, and the pace of change is accelerating. According to eMarketer Inc. (“eMarketer”), retail ecommerce was nonexistent in the early-1990s and grew to approximately 10% of all global retail spending in 2017. They predict it will take just five years for this percentage to double to 20% in 2022, as shown in the chart below. The growth in ecommerce has no end in sight.

The adoption of retail ecommerce is accelerating

 

 

LOGO

As commerce moves online, businesses must not only anticipate changing customer expectations, but also deliver engaging and highly personalized experiences across channels, necessitating a continuous process of digital transformation. We are currently witnessing major shifts in device usage from desktop to mobile, in mobile technology from responsive websites to progressive web applications, and in shopping venues from in-store to branded ecommerce sites, marketplaces, and social networks. The entire shopping journey, from product discovery to engagement to purchase and delivery, matters. To best serve their customers in this dynamic digital era, businesses need a platform for cross-channel commerce that nimbly keeps them at the forefront of user experience and innovation.

BigCommerce empowers businesses to turn digital transformation into competitive advantage. We provide a comprehensive platform for launching and scaling an ecommerce operation, including store design, catalog management, hosting, checkout, order management, reporting, and pre-integration into third-party services like payments, shipping, and accounting. All of our stores run on a single code base and share a global, multi-tenant architecture purpose-built for security, high performance, and innovation. Our platform serves stores in a wide variety of sizes, product categories, and purchase types, including business-to-consumer (“B2C”) and business-to-business (“B2B”). Our customers include Avery Dennison, Ben & Jerry’s, Burrow, SC Johnson, SkullCandy, Sony, and Woolrich.

 

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When launched in 2009, BigCommerce initially targeted the small business (“SMB”) segment with a simple, low-cost, all-in-one solution delivered through the cloud. In 2015, company leadership transitioned from our original founders to our current chief executive officer and management team. We identified the market opportunity to become the first SaaS platform to combine enterprise-grade functionality, openness, and performance with SMB-friendly simplicity and ease-of-use. We consequently expanded our strategic focus to include the mid-market, which we define as sites with annual online sales between $1 million and $50 million, and large enterprise, which we define as sites with annual online sales from $50 million to billions of dollars. At the time, these segments primarily relied on “legacy software,” whether licensed, open source, or custom-developed. To build a better SaaS alternative, we began a multi-year investment in platform transformation. In the subsequent five years, in nearly every component of our platform, we added advanced functionality and openness using application programming interface (“API”) endpoints. This transformation – beginning with a simple product built for the low-end of the market, then adding advanced functionality and performance to compete in the mid-market and large enterprise segments – is classic disruptive innovation.

We strive to provide the world’s best SaaS ecommerce platform for all stages of customer growth. As of January 7, 2020, BuiltWith.com (“BuiltWith”) ranked us the world’s second most-used SaaS ecommerce platform among the top one million sites globally by traffic, which we believe consists primarily of established SMBs. We were ranked the second most-used SaaS ecommerce platform among the top 100,000 sites globally by traffic, which we believe consists primarily of mid-market and large enterprise businesses. For the mid-market and large enterprise segments, we believe we are differentiated because our platform combines three elements not typically offered together:

 

   

Multi-tenant SaaS. The speed, ease-of-use, high-performance, and continuously-updated benefits associated with multi-tenant SaaS.

 

   

Enterprise functionality. Enterprise-grade functionality capable of supporting sophisticated use cases and significant sales volumes.

 

   

Open SaaS. Platform-wide APIs that enable businesses to customize their sites and integrate with external applications and services.

We believe this powerful combination makes ecommerce success at scale more economically and operationally achievable than ever before.

We have become a leader in both branded-site and cross-channel commerce. Cross-channel commerce involves the integration of a customer’s commerce capabilities with other sites—online and offline—where consumers and businesses make their purchases. We offer free, direct integrations with leading social networks such as Facebook and Instagram, search engines such as Google, online marketplaces such as Amazon and eBay, and POS platforms such as Square, Clover (a Fiserv company), and Vend. A dynamic and growing cross-channel category is “headless commerce,” which refers to the integration of a back-end commerce platform like ours with a front-end user experience separately created in a content management system (“CMS”) or design framework. The most dynamic and interactive online user experiences are often created using these tools. We integrate seamlessly with the leading CMSs, digital experience platforms, design frameworks, and custom front ends.

Partners are essential to our open strategy. We believe we possess one of the deepest and broadest ecosystems of integrated technology solutions in the ecommerce industry. We strategically partner with, rather than compete against, the leading providers in adjacent categories, including payments, shipping, POS, CMS, customer relationship management (“CRM”), and enterprise resource planning (“ERP”). Our partner-centric strategy stands in contrast to our largest competitors, which operate complex software stacks that compete across categories. We focus our research and development investments in our core product to create a best-of-breed ecommerce platform. We believe this strategy has four advantages:

 

   

Core product focus. We can create the industry’s best ecommerce platform and innovate faster than our competition by focusing development on a single core product.

 

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Best-of-breed choice. We offer our customers the choice of best-of-breed, tightly integrated solutions across verticals.

 

   

Cooperative marketing and sales. We co-market and co-sell with our strategic technology partners in each category.

 

   

High gross margins. We earn high-margin revenue share from a subset of our strategic technology partners, and this complements the high gross margin of our core ecommerce platform.

Our business has experienced strong growth. Our annual run-rate (“ARR”) reached $102.6 million as of December 31, 2018 and $             million as of December 31, 2019. Our ARR growth rate increased from 23% in 2018 to     % in 2019. Our revenue increased from $91.9 million in 2018 to $             million in 2019. Our revenue growth rate increased from 20% in 2018 to     % in 2019. Our gross margin was 76.1% in 2018 and     % in 2019. We had net losses of $38.9 million in 2018 and $            million in 2019.

Industry trends

Online shopping behaviors are evolving as ecommerce adoption is accelerating around the world. This puts tremendous pressure on businesses to pursue digital transformation with technology that innovates as fast as the market.

Accelerating growth of ecommerce as a share of total retail spend

More than half of the world’s population is now online, according to eMarketer, with four billion global internet users spending an average of seven hours online per day across ecommerce, content, social networks, and applications on desktop and mobile platforms. Global retail ecommerce will reach $3.5 trillion, representing 14% of total retail spending in 2019, according to eMarketer. They forecast that retail ecommerce will reach $6.5 trillion by 2023, representing 22% of retail spending. Digital influence extends to purchases made in the physical world as well. Forrester Research, Inc. (“Forrester”) estimates that digital touchpoints impacted 51% of total U.S. retail sales in 2018.

Consumers rapidly changing how they shop across online and offline channels

The internet has empowered consumers with a breadth of information, social interactions, and shopping alternatives far exceeding anything previously available. No longer can brands rely on a single channel — historically, the store shelves of the closest physical retailer, or more recently, a single branded website — to reach their target audience. Instead, businesses must address the breadth of touch points influencing what and where shoppers buy. These include content sites (information and influencers), social networks, search engines, marketplaces, and of course, their own branded sites. According to Internet Retailer’s Online Marketplaces Database report in 2019, 57% of global ecommerce occurs on marketplaces such as Amazon and eBay, so brands and retailers must consider those as potential sales channels. For sales that are transacted on our customers’ own ecommerce sites, roughly half of those originate from buyer journeys that began online somewhere else, such as a search engine, social network, or linked site. To maximize sales potential, businesses must embrace true omni-channel selling and ensure seamless, delightful experiences throughout each buyer’s journey.

Growth of direct-to-consumer, digitally native brands

Whereas consumer brands historically relied on retail distribution for their products, ecommerce enables a new model of direct-to-consumer, vertically-integrated digitally native brands (“DNBs”). DNBs sell products directly to consumers online as their primary distribution channel, frequently bypassing third-party retailers or the need for their own capital-intensive brick-and-mortar stores. In 2019, DNBs comprised 31 of the Internet Retailer Top 500 stores and grew sales at a much faster rate (29.5%) than non-DNBs (17.6%). The growth in DNBs has corresponded with demand for turnkey ecommerce platforms that support both rapid product launch and scaling to mid-market size and beyond.

 

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B2B buying and selling also transitioning to the digital world

Historically B2B ecommerce adoption has lagged that of B2C, but that is now changing. B2B sellers are embracing digital transformation in pursuit of both efficiency and sales effectiveness, in response to business buyers whose user experience expectations have been reshaped by B2C shopping. According to Forrester, B2B ecommerce now exceeds $1 trillion in the United States. According to a Digital Commerce 360 survey of more than 200 B2B companies, more than 50% had yet to launch a transactional ecommerce site, but of those without an ecommerce site, 75% stated plans to have one within two years, signaling further growth ahead. Digital commerce can help B2B companies address complexities throughout their supply chains, thereby benefitting manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, and even raw materials suppliers.

Digital transformation is becoming the #1 priority in global IT spending

Digital transformation will soon outrank all other business information technology (“IT”) priorities combined. International Data Corporation (“IDC”) predicts that by 2023, digital transformation and innovation will account for more than 50% of all IT spending, as compared to 36% of IT spending in 2018. Traditionally, business IT priorities have been determined by IT departments. Increasingly, however, business line owners control the purchase decision for digital transformation spending. Business line owners are ultimately seeking to invest in initiatives that drive revenue growth, operational efficiency, and competitive advantage.

Market size and opportunity

Large, rapidly growing global market for ecommerce platform

IDC estimates that the global market for digital commerce applications, which we refer to as “ecommerce platforms,” was $4.7 billion in 2019 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (“CAGR”) of 12% to reach $7.5 billion in 2023. This global market includes legacy ecommerce platforms as well as SaaS ecommerce platforms. We believe our total addressable market is materially larger than ecommerce platform spend due to the additional revenue share that we earn from our technology partner ecosystem.

Both B2B and B2C investing in digital transformation

According to IDC, in 2018 B2C sites accounted for 69% of total global spend on ecommerce platforms, while B2B sites accounted for the remaining 31%. B2C and B2B businesses are spending today to enable the online sales of tomorrow. Forrester predicts that in 2023, 17% of all U.S. B2B sales will occur online. For that same year, eMarketer predicts that 16% of all U.S. B2C spending will occur online.

Global opportunity

According to BuiltWith, 42% of all ecommerce websites are based in the United States, and 58% are outside of the United States. IDC estimates that the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (“EMEA”), and the Asia Pacific region (“APAC”) represented 63%, 26%, and 11% of total global spend on ecommerce platform technology in 2018, respectively, with EMEA and APAC growing at CAGRs of 8% and 17% through 2023, respectively.

Legacy software challenges

Legacy approach to ecommerce involves software ownership and management

Historically most businesses have licensed, owned, and/or managed the technology behind their ecommerce sites. Legacy approaches—led by custom-developed and licensed open source software—are still prevalent for the largest retail businesses. We believe the most commonly used ecommerce platforms for established SMBs are open source and on-premise software. According to BuiltWith, among the one million most trafficked websites

 

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globally, open source software holds three of the top four ecommerce platform spots, as of January 7, 2020. Although SaaS platforms have existed since the late 1990s, only within the last five years have multiple SaaS options begun to challenge legacy software leaders in the small, mid-market, and large enterprise segments.

Creating, managing, and modernizing online stores with legacy software is difficult

For businesses using legacy software, ecommerce can be enormously challenging, requiring significant headcount and a wide range of capabilities that may not be their core strengths. These capabilities include:

 

   

Site design and user experience. Legacy site design tools can quickly become outdated in functionality and user interface, making it difficult for businesses to keep pace with changing user experience expectations across device types.

 

   

Multi-channel management. Connecting and maintaining multi-channel sales capabilities across POS, desktop and mobile websites, mobile applications, online marketplaces, and social networks is difficult, time consuming, and expensive.

 

   

Application and systems integration. Ecommerce requires a wide range of integrated third-party applications for even the simplest of sites, including payments, shipping, tax, and accounting. More sophisticated businesses will often incorporate dozens of integrated third-party applications.

 

   

Security. The brand and financial consequences of a security breach can be severe. Businesses must ensure security across the breadth and depth of their platform; third-party managed hosting of legacy software does not absolve companies of responsibility for their software.

 

   

Order processing and operations. Operating costs and complexities increase rapidly if software does not make the steps simple for fulfilling orders, serving shoppers, and managing financials.

 

   

Platform feature and performance upgrades. Static software becomes outdated and poorer-performing over time. Businesses of all sizes often lack the resources required to upgrade, patch, and modernize their legacy software in line with consumer and technology trends.

Legacy software does not meet the needs of most businesses

Due to the challenges mentioned above, legacy ecommerce software imposes an immense burden on companies that implement or maintain it themselves. Most businesses pursuing ecommerce are built and staffed to make or sell products; for these businesses, managing and maintaining software and technology infrastructure can be an operational distraction and financial burden. Three factors prompt many businesses to consider a SaaS alternative to legacy software for their ecommerce solutions:

 

   

Time, complexity, and skill sets required to implement and operate software;

 

   

Financial cost of software licensing, engineering, hosting, and management; and

 

   

Burden of staying current and meeting high, ever-changing consumer expectations and demands.

Our solution

BigCommerce is a leading open SaaS platform for cross-channel commerce. We offer a complete, cloud-based ecommerce solution that scales with business growth. After years of significant investment in our product and technology, we believe we offer industry-leading capabilities, flexibility, scalability, and ease-of-use for a

 

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SaaS platform. All of our customers, regardless of size, operate on a single, global, multi-tenant architecture that offers a compelling solution for successful online selling.

 

   

Open. Platform APIs make our platform accessible to customization, modification, and integration.

 

   

Comprehensive. We provide complete functionality for setup, store design, store hosting, checkout, order processing, and order management.

 

   

Cloud. Our multi-tenant SaaS model includes both the hosting of our customers’ stores and cloud-based delivery of store management functionality.

 

   

Secure and compliant. We offer native security protection related to payments (PCI-DSS), information (ISO 27001), applications, and external threats. We comply with relevant regulations such as the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”).

 

   

Performant. All stores have built-in enterprise-grade security, speed, uptime, and hosting via the Google Cloud Platform.

 

   

B2C and B2B. We are both a full-featured B2C platform and supportive of a wide variety of B2B use cases either natively or in conjunction with third-party B2B extensions.

 

   

Cross-channel. We support cross-channel selling via native and third-party integrations with leading marketplaces, social networks, CMSs, and POS platforms.

 

   

Application ecosystem. Our application ecosystem is one of the largest among ecommerce platforms including more than 600 pre-built applications and integrations promoted through our BigCommerce Apps Marketplace.

 

   

Ease-of-use. Approximately 70% of implementations are completed within two months. Small businesses can create their stores in as little as a few hours.

 

   

Delightful. Our beautiful store design themes and editing tools enable businesses to create unique, branded user experiences that delight their shoppers.

 

   

Affordable. Our monthly subscription fees start at $29.95 per month and increase with business size and functionality requirements.

 

   

Scalable. Higher-tiered plans offer more sophisticated functionality required by large enterprises, including advanced promotions, faceted search, and price lists.

 

   

Global. Our platform can be used by shoppers around the world, with front-end support for a shopper’s preferred language, as well as back-end control panel language options including English, Chinese, French, and Ukrainian, with more languages planned.

Our competitive advantages

As a SaaS ecommerce market leader with a singular focus on our core platform, we strive to deliver the world’s best combination of advanced functionality, flexibility, scalability, and ease-of-use to fast-track the ecommerce success of businesses of all sizes.

Built to support growth from SMB to large enterprise

Originally designed for the needs of SMBs, BigCommerce now powers some of the largest brands in the world. Starting with a comprehensive but easy-to-use platform, businesses can grow to hundreds of millions in

 

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sales without encountering functionality, flexibility, or scalability limitations. We offer advanced SaaS-based capabilities for interactive visual merchandising, complex and large catalog management, faceted search, advanced promotions, customer groups, and complex price lists.

Open SaaS

Because every business is unique, and most large businesses have specific requirements not easily met “out of the box,” our product strategy emphasizes what we call “open SaaS.” Open SaaS refers to the exposure of SaaS platform functionality via APIs and software development kits (“SDKs”). APIs enable our customers to access a wide variety of third-party applications, integrate with legacy systems, and customize when required. Open SaaS, as a strategy, thereby competes with the flexibility of legacy open source software. We believe our platform openness is industry-leading for SaaS, spanning areas such as checkout, cart, tax, pricing, promotions, and the storefront. Our open technology scales to meet high volumes of more than 400 API calls per second per customer.

With respect to both product functionality and platform openness, we deliver new features and API enhancements on a regular basis, without customer service disruption or the need for software upgrades. This constitutes a primary advantage of our multi-tenant SaaS platform relative to legacy software. With legacy software, businesses often need to manage and deploy enhancements and upgrades themselves, at significant operational and financial cost. In contrast, our customers benefit from a platform that seamlessly progresses its capabilities and performance on a regular basis, thereby staying ahead of industry trends, consumer expectations and demands, and competition. The power of our platform to support high growth better than legacy software is evidenced by the large and growing number of category leaders and Global 2000 businesses that select us as their ecommerce platform of choice.

Cross-channel commerce

We provide free connections to the two leading U.S. marketplaces, Amazon and eBay, and our technology partners enable integration to dozens of other leading marketplaces around the world. We are one of just two platforms that natively enables social selling on Facebook and Instagram Checkout. We have integrations and business partnerships with a wide range of leading POS software vendors, including Square, Clover (a Fiserv company), and Vend.

For our customers’ branded sites, our Stencil design framework offers more than 100 beautiful, pre-built, responsive theme variations along with the ability to custom design within a local development environment. Our visual design editor, currently in beta, enables drag-and-drop management of widgets and content blocks on pages that can contain anything from simple image rotations to powerful merchandising functionality.

We also support the option of fully headless commerce. We and our technology partners have developed integrations and support for leading commercial CMSs, including Acquia, Adobe Experience Manager, Bloomreach, Drupal, Sitecore, and WordPress. We are further utilized in conjunction with the leading progressive web application frameworks including Deity, Gatsby, and Vue Storefront. Many businesses simultaneously utilize our native storefront capabilities along with headless commerce on blogs and other content sites.

Lower total cost of ownership

We believe the total cost of ownership of our platform is substantially less than that of legacy software. The total cost of legacy software, including expenses related to software licensing, software engineering, hosting, technical operations, security management, and agency and systems integration support, can be substantial. Our customers can also benefit from pre-negotiated rates from our strategic payments partners, whose published rates are below those of our largest SaaS competitor for most plan types.

 

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Performance and security

We have designed our platform to maximize uptime, minimize response time, and ensure a secure environment. Across all sites, our stores achieved 99.98% average uptime in 2019. For the cyber five peak holiday shopping days, we have reported zero site downtime every year since 2014.

As measured by Google PageSpeed Insights, our platform benchmarks faster than leading ecommerce sites. Faster response and page load times benefit customers by improving shopper experience and organic search engine page rankings. Unlike with managed software, security is built into the BigCommerce platform and service. We offer native payments security at PCI-DSS Level 1, and our security protocols have achieved ISO 27001 certification, the “gold standard” in security assessment.

Growth strategy

We serve a range of business sizes, geographies, and categories. Our organization structure aligns with target market segments based on business size and geography. As a “customer first” company, we believe customer success is a fundamental prerequisite of all components of our growth strategy, and we therefore rank it first among our growth priorities.

Retain and grow with existing customers through product and service leadership

We believe our long-term revenue growth is highly correlated with the success of our existing customers. We internally measure customer success in a variety of ways including our customers’ sales growth, retention, and net promoter score. Externally, we pay close attention to third-party customer review sites and recognition. For example, we were a Gartner Peer Insights Customers’ Choice for Digital Commerce software in April 2019. We enable customer success through product excellence and service quality. We have extensive internal processes for aligning our product roadmap with the features and enhancements that drive customer growth. We also have mature internal processes for measuring service levels and satisfaction, along with closed-loop resolution of issues and feature requests. We strive for industry-leading customer retention rates, net promoter scores, service levels, and same-store sales growth. We were named a TrustRadius 2019 Top Rated ecommerce platform. We were named a Leader in the G2 Grid® Report for E-Commerce Platforms (Winter 2020). We experience revenue growth from our existing customers over time in a variety of ways. As our customers’ ecommerce sales grow, so do our subscription revenues. We also generate revenue when our customers purchase and deploy additional stores to customers that serve their other brands, geographies, and/or use cases (e.g., B2B in addition to B2C).

Acquire new mid-market and large enterprise customers

Our flagship plan is BigCommerce Enterprise, which is tailored for mid-market and large enterprise businesses selling more than $1 million online per site. Enterprise is the default plan featured on our homepage, which highlights the benefits, differentiators, and success stories of BigCommerce for larger businesses. Our sales, marketing, agency partnership, and professional services teams all have organization structures dedicated to serving the needs of mid-market and large enterprise businesses. As of December 31, 2019, customers on our Enterprise plan generate approximately half of our ARR. These customers typically exhibit low churn and net revenue retention greater than 100%. Internet Retailer states that SaaS has now become the top choice of the largest U.S. retail ecommerce sites planning to re-platform, and we are aggressively positioning ourselves as the best SaaS solution for this segment.

Acquire new SMB customers

We target both established small businesses and start-ups committed to “make it big” on a platform that they will not outgrow. They exhibit lower churn and higher growth rates than do businesses that dabble in ecommerce. Established and complex businesses also place greater emphasis on the functionality, openness, and performance

 

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strengths of our platform. We have dedicated sales, marketing, and support organizations to serve the needs of SMBs. More than 70% of our SMB customers use a self-serve model and become customers without sales assistance.

Expand into new and emerging segments

Businesses engaged in ecommerce come in a wide variety of product and service categories, selling types (B2C vs. B2B vs. hybrid), and technology approaches. We seek to extend into new and emerging segments within ecommerce, including the following segments that are significant areas of potential growth and strategic focus for us:

 

   

Headless commerce. This refers to businesses whose technology strategy is to decouple their front-end customer experience technology from their back-end commerce platform. In terms of online strategy, these companies are typically brand-, marketing-, or experience-led. We serve headless use cases better than most of our competitors due to years of investment in our platform APIs and integration capabilities. Pre-built integrations connect our platform with leading CMSs such as Acquia, Adobe, Bloomreach, Drupal, Sitecore, and WordPress.

 

   

B2B. As of December 31, 2019, approximately 10% of our customers use BigCommerce primarily for B2B sales. In many cases, these customers’ needs are met using our native functionality, including B2B features like customer groups and price lists. In other cases, these customers complement BigCommerce with purpose-built B2B extensions and applications in the BigCommerce Apps Marketplace. Over time, we intend to add more B2B functionality to both the BigCommerce Apps Marketplace and our native feature set.

 

   

Large enterprise. Increasingly, we are successfully competing for large enterprise sites selling more than $50 million annually online, with our Enterprise plan product feature set, along with our sales, marketing, solutioning, and service capabilities.

Expand internationally

We originally launched in Sydney, Australia, and possessed an international mindset from the outset. Our headquarters moved to the United States in 2011. Up until mid-2018, 100% of company employees were still located in just Australia and the United States. In July 2018, we launched our first dedicated European business team based in London, and in January 2019, we launched our Asian presence in Singapore. In February 2019, we opened a major new product and engineering center in Kyiv, Ukraine. The expansion in our regional business teams helped contribute to accelerating revenue growth in 2019 of     % in EMEA and     % in APAC. As of January 3, 2020, 24% of our stores were located outside of the United States. We believe over time, this percentage can increase substantially. In addition to expanding our sales and marketing capabilities internationally, we are also enhancing our product and APIs to serve customers around the world. As of December 31, 2019, our shopper-facing administrative control panel has been translated into three languages (Chinese, French, and Ukrainian), with more languages planned in 2020. Our payments APIs and SDK, currently in beta, will open our payment processing capabilities to new global providers who don’t have to rely on integrations performed by us. Our shipping, tax, and other APIs further enable global businesses and strategic agency partners to access locally-relevant providers.

Earn revenue share and customer referrals from our extensive partner ecosystem

Our marketplace of integrated application and technology solutions is one of the largest of any ecommerce platform. Partner solutions span every major category of relevance to ecommerce, including payments, shipping, tax, accounting and ERP, marketing, fulfillment, and cross-channel commerce. Our strategy is to partner — not compete — with our ecosystem. Many of our strategic technology partners pay us a revenue share on their gross

 

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sales to our joint customers and/or collaborate to co-sell and co-market BigCommerce to new customers and our respective installed bases. Our customers benefit from the best-of-breed offerings of our partners, the flexibility to choose without penalty the best offer for their needs, and the tailored programs developed with our strategic technology partners. We intend to grow partner-sourced revenue by expanding the value and scope of existing partnerships, selling and marketing partner solutions to our customer base, and acquiring and cultivating new, high-value relationships.

Our platform

Our open SaaS ecommerce platform allows businesses to create compelling online shopping experiences and sell across multiple sales channels including online storefronts, marketplaces, POS systems, and social networks. It serves a wide variety of business types including, B2C, B2B, and DNB; product and service categories; and business sizes. Our platform encompasses both the creation and hosting of front-end, shopper-facing store experiences as well as back-end, business-facing store management functionality. It further offers a comprehensive set of APIs and SDKs that allow developers to customize, integrate, and extend the platform based on individual customer requirements. We have a wide range of more than 600 pre-built applications and integrations promoted through our BigCommerce Apps Marketplace.

 

 

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Shopping experiences

Our customers and their agency partners use our native, open source design framework and web-based design tools to build unique and compelling storefronts. Alternatively, customers can use our platform in a headless fashion by creating their storefront experience using a custom or commercial digital experience platform.

 

   

Native storefronts. We offer a wide range of over 100 free and paid theme templates and variations that assist in the design of storefronts. All templates are responsively optimized for multiple device types including desktop, tablet, and mobile. The Stencil theming framework can be used to customize templates or create entirely custom storefronts. Our open source Stencil developer tools assist advanced

 

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customizations using a local development environment that makes it easy to build and test sites using common code languages and libraries. Our browser-based store design tool enables less technical business users to easily customize and preview storefronts without the need to edit the underlying HTML code.

 

   

Headless storefronts. Headless commerce decouples the front-end customer facing presentation layer from the back-end ecommerce platform used to manage business logic, commerce transactions, and operations. Headless commerce approaches are most commonly utilized by businesses with innovative, complex, and personalized user experience strategies and by businesses whose sites prioritize marketing and content ahead of commerce. Using our headless APIs and pre-existing integrations, customers can develop storefronts using leading CMSs such as Acquia, Adobe Experience Manager, Bloomreach, Drupal, Sitecore, and WordPress. Customers can also design cutting-edge progressive web application experiences using frameworks like Deity, Gatsby, and Vue Storefront.

 

   

Checkout. Our PCI-compliant checkout experience is designed for conversion across multiple device types including desktop, tablet, and mobile. Customers can further customize the experience through our APIs and developer tools or embed our checkout experience within third-party headless storefronts.

 

   

Search. To help shoppers quickly search for products, our platform offers powerful faceted search capabilities in addition to standard keyword search. With faceted search, customers define filters such as color, size, and price, and then in the storefront, shoppers, whether B2B or B2C, can quickly narrow search results based on any of those filters.

 

   

Abandoned cart saver. The platform can automatically help our customers recover abandoned carts by emailing shoppers and, optionally, adding discount incentives to complete purchases.

Selling across multiple channels

In addition to selling on branded online storefronts, customers can list their products and sell across multiple sales channels such as marketplaces, offline stores, and social networks.

 

 

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Marketplaces. We offer free integrations to Amazon and eBay that synchronize products, inventory and orders. Additional integrations, including for Amazon and eBay in regions outside the United States, are available in the BigCommerce Apps Marketplace.

 

   

Offline stores. We offer a wide range of direct integrations with leading POS software platforms, including Square, Clover (a Fiserv company), and Vend. These integrations enable our customers to synchronize products, inventory, and orders.

 

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Social networks. We have been a partner of Facebook and Instagram since the launch of ecommerce on those platforms. We enable full-featured selling and advertising on both platforms.

 

   

Other channels. In the BigCommerce Apps Marketplace, customers can easily find and install integrations with other sales channels, including geography-specific channels. Other possible channel application categories include marketing, merchandising and personalization, and B2B and wholesale. Customers can also utilize our APIs to integrate with new channels relevant to them.

Store management

Customers manage their stores through an intuitive and easy-to-use browser-based interface called the control panel. From the control panel, customers can manage the various parts of their business including:

 

   

Analytics and insights. Real-time dashboards, reports and actionable insights help customers understand the performance of their stores and make informed marketing and operating decisions. Examples include reports highlighting where shoppers get stuck, over and underperforming products, and the impact of promotions and sales.

 

   

Catalog. Customers can create and manage their product catalog within our platform, including product descriptions, images, videos, weight, and dimensions. They can also manage the products listed for sale on connected sales channels.

 

   

Pricing and currencies. In addition to basic item pricing capabilities, we offer advanced price list functionality that modifies pricing for specific customer groups or currencies.

 

   

Inventory. Customers can track product stock levels and synchronize them with sales channels such as POS platforms and marketplaces.

 

   

Order management and fulfillment. Customers can centrally manage orders from both their branded stores and third-party sales channels. They can fulfill orders by creating shipments and printing shipping labels using native or third-party functionality, as well as process refunds and returns, including at a line item level of detail.

 

   

Promotions. We offer both simple and advanced promotions capabilities. Advanced capabilities include complex discount and coupon rules, scheduling, and targeting of specific customer segments.

 

   

Shopper management. Our customers can centrally view and manage their shoppers from both their branded stores and third-party sales channels. Shopper segmentation can be combined with targeted pricing and promotions.

 

   

Payments. We offer native integrations with over 45 global payment solutions. Payment options include:

 

   

Credit cards by gateways and processors including Adyen, Authorize.Net, Braintree, Chase Merchant Services, CyberSource, Elavon, Stripe, and Worldpay (an FIS company)

 

   

Wallets and alternative payment methods including Amazon Pay, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and PayPal

 

   

“Buy now, pay later” solutions such as, Affirm, Afterpay, Klarna, PayPal Credit, and Zip

 

   

Shipping. We enable customers to ship via their preferred carriers, including FedEx, UPS, DHL, and USPS. In addition, we support a range of native and integrated third-party shipping solutions. The most

 

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popular third-party solutions include ShipperHQ, which provides advanced capabilities for rate quoting within the shopping cart, and ShipStation, which is a leading label printing solution owned by Stamps.com.

 

   

Tax. Our customers can manage sales tax automation for state and local tax jurisdictions through a variety of integrated partners, including Avalara, TaxJar, and Vertex. These offerings support tax calculations, access to product taxability codes, and tax compliance and audit reports.

Platform openness

Our platform is highly extensible and customizable due to our open APIs and SDKs. Customers, agency partners, and technology partners use our APIs and SDKs to add, customize, and/or integrate systems, functionality, and shopper experiences. To meet the demanding requirements of large, high volume customers, our API scales to more than 400 calls per second per customer.

In the BigCommerce Apps Marketplace, customers can easily find and install hundreds of third-party applications and extensions. Sample application categories include marketing automation, B2B, POS, marketplace integrations, shipping, tax, orders, wish lists, and fraud management. Developers can also use the API to build bespoke applications and integrations. For example, for a custom headless implementation that does not use a pre-existing CMS integration, a customer would use the cart, checkout, and payment APIs.

Packaging and pricing

We offer a range of subscription plans to meet the needs of different customers. Plans differ based on price, functionality, service levels, and size limits. Enterprise is our flagship plan designed for mid-market and large enterprise sites. Three retail plans — Standard, Plus, and Pro — are designed for SMBs under our BigCommerce Essentials offering.

Mid-market and large enterprise customers

 

   

BigCommerce Enterprise Plan: For customers with yearly online sales above $1 million, our entire suite of B2B and B2C features for catalog, sales, merchandising, and customer management. Pricing for BigCommerce Enterprise is quoted based on each business’s unique profile.

SMB customers

 

   

BigCommerce Standard Plan: Entry level pricing suitable for small ecommerce sites with yearly online sales under $50,000 ($29.95 per month).

 

   

BigCommerce Plus Plan: All the features of the Standard plan with additional tools for customer segmentation and winning back abandoned carts. Suitable for online commerce sites up to $150,000 in yearly sales ($79.95 per month).

 

   

BigCommerce Pro Plan: Comprehensive commerce tools and features to build and scale an online business (starting at $299.95 per month).

Customer support

We provide 24/7/365 in-house phone, email, and chat support. We offer three types of support plans: (1) standard support is included on all subscriptions; (2) express routing provides phone queue prioritization for mid-tiered Enterprise plans; and (3) priority support includes queue prioritization and routing for the highest-tiered Enterprise plans to our most senior and experienced support personnel. Our support team achieved a strong average customer satisfaction score of 92% across all contact channels in 2019.

 

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We also offer three types of technical support: (1) Tier 1 for basic problem solving and solutioning involving platform functionality; (2) Tier 2 for advanced solutioning involving platform functionality, third-party applications or API integrations; and (3) product support engineering for complex API or third-party integrations, developer inquiries, and bug identification and triage.

In addition to our traditional customer support, we provide a comprehensive self-help and community resources knowledge base designed to quickly find information about our platform and ecosystem. The self-help center provides access to online resources, articles, and videos that guide customers and agency partners to use product features, set up stores, and troubleshoot issues.

Services

BigCommerce offers paid professional services that complement the capabilities of our customers and their agency partners. Our services help speed customers’ time-to-market and improve the success and growth of their businesses. Optional services include education packages, launch services, solutions architecting, implementation consulting, and catalog transfer services. Education packages range from on-demand, virtual tutorials to full-day, on-site training sessions. Launch services assist SMBs through store setup and application selection tasks. Solutions architecting works with our larger customers’ in-house developers and agency partners to design integrations and experiences leveraging our open platform APIs. Implementation consulting helps customers and their agency partners outline and execute project plans, on time and within budget. Catalog transfer services perform data migrations from the most common ecommerce platforms into our platform.

In addition, post-launch, customers on Enterprise plans above specific thresholds receive named enterprise account managers. These account managers provide dedicated assistance and ongoing advice on product enhancements, partner solutions, and operational best practices. Optionally, customers can also pay for increments of dedicated technical account management that assist in technical decision making and change management.

Technology, infrastructure and operations

We have designed our platform with enterprise-grade security, reliability, and scalability as top priorities. Core contributors to our strengths in these areas include the below.

 

   

Application architecture. Our platform is built using best-of-breed open source technologies. Services and applications are connected via an underlying set of common technologies to facilitate high performance.

 

   

Infrastructure. Our platform is deployed to geographically-distributed data centers, primarily on Google Cloud Platform. This allows us to leverage Google’s global network to enhance performance and reliability. We scale our platform on demand to ensure ample capacity is available for our customers.

 

   

Security. We are a PCI-DSS Level 1 certified service provider, adhering to a rigorous set of standards to secure customer data. We are also ISO 27001 certified, ensuring our controls and information security management system meet international published standards. Both certifications are internally and externally audited regularly.

 

   

Automation. Testing and monitoring are highly automated, providing our global team the ability to prevent or mitigate problems quickly. This competency enables us to develop and deploy new features in an accelerated fashion while ensuring proper functionality and platform operation.

 

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Site Speed. Our server response time and page-load speeds are faster than other leading ecommerce platforms.

 

   

Uptime. Across all sites, our stores achieved 99.98% average uptime in 2019.

Our customers

We serve a range of customer sizes, geographies, and customer segments including B2C, B2B, and DNBs. We distinguish market segments based on annual gross merchandise volume (“GMV”) per site, specifically: SMB ($0 to $1 million), mid-market ($1 million to $50 million), and large enterprise (greater than $50 million). BigCommerce was recognized in April 2019 as a Gartner Peer Insights Customers’ Choice for Digital Commerce, in the large enterprise segment.

 

 

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Customer case studies

Burrow

Situation:

Burrow helped change the direct-to-consumer furniture landscape and evolved from a single-product, single-channel, single-vendor business to a multi-product, multi-channel, multi-vendor business. Its previous ecommerce platform was not capable of handling these demands. Burrow needed a solution that could support multiple fulfillments and shipments, associate those back to orders, and communicate shipping terms accurately to customers. Because its previous ecommerce servers were located in Europe, transaction latency was high, and Burrow did not have the flexibility it needed with its ecommerce experience.

Solution:

Burrow chose BigCommerce because our platform allowed Burrow to create customized templates while handling its modular catalog on the backend. Burrow’s site is integrated with AfterShip, which allows Burrow to send real-time shipment information to its customers. With headless on BigCommerce, Burrow found the agility it needed to create and maintain a unique ecommerce experience – simplifying furniture shopping for its customers.

 

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Outcome:

After choosing our platform, Burrow reported the following outcomes:

 

   

50% increase in speed and performance, as measured by Google Lighthouse as of December 2019, since BigCommerce migration

 

   

30% increase in ecommerce conversion rate in the eight weeks after the migration, compared to the eight weeks prior to the migration to our platform

Natori

Situation:

The Natori Company is a high-end women’s fashion brand. Natori has been selling to wholesalers for over 40 years, has been selling direct-to-consumer for more than 12 years, and recently increased its commitment to and investment in its direct-to-consumer business. Managing a large product catalog containing beautiful apparel and accessories was challenging given all of the creative assets, photography, and content required to tell a compelling brand story—especially with Natori’s small in-house team. Additionally, Natori previously had difficulty managing its photos and swatch functionality and controlling the sort order of products on all product listing pages. Natori also faced limitations on promo codes and was unable to display ratings and reviews effectively.

Solution:

Natori re-platformed to BigCommerce and redesigned its website to be more innovative and strategic. With BigCommerce, Natori is now able to upload all images per product and easily control the order in which they are seen, connecting the images to swatches for a more compelling user experience. Natori is quickly and easily able to adjust its product layout without the need for tedious input of a sort order number for each product. Using BigCommerce, Natori now has multiple options for executing promo codes and cart level discounts and can showcase ratings and reviews to enhance the customer shopping experience.

Outcome:

After re-platforming to our open SaaS solution, Natori reported the following outcomes:

 

   

Conversion rate up 109.9% in 2019 compared to 2018

 

   

Total orders up 41.7% in 2019 compared to 2018

 

   

Units sold up 45.4% in 2019 compared to 2018

 

   

Revenue up 23.3% in 2019 compared to 2018

Berlin Packaging

Situation

Berlin Packaging evolved from a small North American packaging business into a $2.8 billion global packaging provider serving B2B customers across almost all industries that need containers. With this business shift came the need to find the right ecommerce platform for its B2B sales. Berlin Packaging spent years of research and hours evaluating a wide variety of different platforms before selecting BigCommerce.

 

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Solution:

BigCommerce met Berlin Packaging’s B2B requirements and Berlin Packaging selected our platform based on pricing, configuration, and functionality. Berlin Packaging integrated BigCommerce into its complex operations and improved service delivery thanks to BigCommerce data and ERP integration. Finally, Berlin Packaging created on-premise-like customizations using BigCommerce APIs, saving money and time.

Outcome:

After selecting our platform, Berlin Packaging reported the following outcomes:

 

   

Revenue up 54% in 2019 compared to 2018

 

   

Sessions up 44% in 2019 compared to 2018

 

   

Conversion rate up 87% in 2019 compared to 2018

 

   

New visitors up 41% in 2019 compared to 2018

Zwift

Situation:

For Zwift, the popular app that turns indoor cycling and running into a game, expansion into ecommerce proved complex. Prior to adopting our platform, Zwift piloted a custom platform built by its developers. The pilot demonstrated demand among Zwift’s passionate customer base for products relevant to indoor training. To progress from pilot to full-scale launch, Zwift sought an ecommerce platform with powerful APIs, customizability, and the ability to handle its many specific requirements.

Solution:

Zwift used BigCommerce to incorporate sales of physical goods into its branded website and seamlessly integrate with numerous third-party applications. BigCommerce supported Zwift’s single-sign-on provider, integrated in a headless fashion with Zwift’s CMS, powered its progressive web app programmed in React, and connected purchase history with Zwift profiles and support technology. This technical stack allows Zwift to introduce additional systems and applications without having to reprogram its commerce engine.

Outcome:

After adopting our platform, Zwift reported that revenue doubled in 2019 compared to 2018.

Skullcandy

Situation:

Skullcandy, a unique audio lifestyle brand, was looking for an ecommerce platform that was innovative, affordable, and easy to manage. Their prior ecommerce platform lacked agility, saddling Skullcandy with extensive and expensive custom development. They sought an ecommerce platform that could match their fast-paced and rich-content marketing and product campaigns and accelerate global ecommerce growth and expansion.

 

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Solution:

When deciding on a platform, Skullcandy prioritized advanced functionality that would grow with time, nimbleness, resource efficiency, and versatility. BigCommerce uniquely met these criteria. With BigCommerce, Skullcandy felt that they had entered a mutually beneficial partnership. Skullcandy migrated all nine of its international sites within six months and reduced its overall operational cost. Additionally, Skullcandy reduced its time to make merchandising and user experience changes by two thirds.

Outcome:

After deciding to migrate to our platform, Skullcandy reported the following outcomes:

 

   

162% increase in revenue in 2019 compared to 2018

 

   

103% increase in order volume in 2019 compared to 2018

 

   

62% increase in conversion rate in 2019 compared to 2018

Technology partner and application ecosystem

We have built and maintain one of the largest and highest-quality technology partner and application ecosystems in the industry. Spanning 15 primary categories and more than 600 independent partners, this ecosystem provides wide-ranging functionality that complements the native product strengths of BigCommerce. Key ecosystem categories include the following:

 

   

Payments and security

 

   

Accounting, tax, and ERP

 

   

Analytics and reporting

 

   

CRM and customer service

 

   

Shipping and fulfillment

 

   

B2B and wholesale

 

   

Marketing, merchandising, and personalization

 

   

Channel selling: marketplaces, social networks, POS, and advertising

Whereas our largest competitors have chosen to compete across a range of ecosystem categories, we put our partners first by focusing our investment on our core platform and the integration frameworks that enable partner success with us. We believe our mid-market and large enterprise customers prefer best-of-breed solutions in each category, rather than a proprietary software stack. This strategy aligns our interests with our technology partners and has materially increased their demonstrated investment in creating tightly integrated solutions for our shared customers. Many of our strategic technology partners pay us high-margin revenue share and/or actively cross-sell our platform to their existing customer bases.

Our partners’ technology solutions are introduced and promoted to customers and prospects at multiple stages of their interaction with our platform, including the following:

 

   

In the sales process, as our sales team frames the right architecture of solutions for their unique needs

 

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In the onboarding process, as newly signed Enterprise customers are presented with partner technologies in a consultative discussion focused on their business needs

 

   

During the trial phase, in which customers are presented with partner technologies in their control panel and in email marketing

 

   

Through support and account management, as existing customers are presented with relevant partner technologies that can help their businesses grow

 

   

Through integrated campaigns, designed to stimulate interest in learning more about how partner solutions can enhance our customers’ businesses

 

   

Through the BigCommerce Apps Marketplace, where technology partners are listed and highlighted in one of three tiers based on differentiated levels of strategic collaboration

Sales and marketing

Mid-market and large enterprise

The largest lead source of new mid-market and large enterprise sales is organic, inbound interest. Referrals, reputation, and promotion from our existing customers play primary roles in generating inbound interest. We believe excellence in product marketing, content marketing, and thought leadership also heavily influence customer discovery and research. We view inbound discovery and conversion as the foundation for success in our enterprise marketing. Agency partners are our second largest source of new mid-market and large enterprise business. Technology partners are also increasingly becoming a meaningful source of new sales opportunities. We employ a range of paid enterprise marketing techniques including search engine marketing, campaigns, webinars, and events. To maximize return on investment, we continuously measure and optimize spend, and we focus on conversion rates throughout the acquisition funnel. All of our new mid-market and large enterprise customers work with our sales team to negotiate contracts specific to their size and profile of business.

Small business

Most of our new SMB customers originate as self-serve trials. Positive reputation, word-of-mouth, and customer promotion all contribute to organic customer acquisition. For this reason, the success of existing customers is one of our top priorities. Our marketing focuses on effective product and content marketing that highlights the advantages of our solution, its applicability to various use cases, and customer success stories. We use search engine optimization techniques to ensure widespread discoverability. Our top two paid marketing categories are search engine marketing and affiliates, each of which are managed with a focus on optimizing return on investment. We also invest in display and social marketing, generally as complements to other acquisition strategies. More than 70% of our new SMB customers self-serve directly on our website, without the need for, or cost of, sales assistance. Our sales team and strategic agency and technology partners source the remainder of our new SMB clients.

International presence

We serve customers in approximately 120 countries. Our platform enables businesses to create stores in the consumer-facing language and currency of their choice. For the administrative control panel used by our customers to create and manage their stores, we currently allow our customers to select among a range of languages, including English, Chinese, French, and Ukrainian. We plan to add additional languages in 2020.

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Sydney sales and marketing team, established our first presence in Asia, and hired our first regional vice president and general manager of APAC, resulting in     % APAC revenue growth in 2019. Before opening our first European office in London in July 2018, we had already acquired several thousand customers in Europe. The London office, along with the cost-effective scaling of our product and engineering talent in Kyiv, Ukraine, resulted in accelerating EMEA revenue growth of     % in 2019. Our platform continues to enable customers to self-serve globally, including in regions in which we lack a local business presence, such as Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East.

Culture and values

Our culture is built on our corporate values: Customers First, Team on a Mission, Think Big, Act with Integrity, and Make a Difference Every Day. Together our values and caring culture create an atmosphere that enables us to successfully recruit and retain talented and passionate team members. Our team members are our “secret sauce.” Their dedication, talent, and spirit create a virtuous cycle of service, product excellence, and customer satisfaction.

We frequently win “best places to work” public recognition across our largest work centers of Austin, Texas; San Francisco, California; and Sydney, Australia. We are also a mission-driven company. Our mission is to power global ecommerce success by delivering the industry’s best and most versatile multi-tenant SaaS platform. This mission inspires our employees, who join BigCommerce to accomplish great things for our customers, partners and company. We, in turn, commit to helping our employees thrive in an environment that is fun, fast-paced, and challenging.

Competition

In the mid-market and large enterprise segments, our primary competitors are Magento (an Adobe company), Salesforce Commerce Cloud (f/k/a Demandware), and Shopify Plus. In the SMB segment, our primary competitors are Shopify and WooCommerce. BuiltWith.com has identified more than 500 platforms of various sizes around the world. Our industry is highly competitive. We believe we can compete on the principal competitive factors in our market, as listed below:

 

   

Ecommerce vision and product strategy

 

   

Integrated, all-in-one capabilities

 

   

Features and functionality

 

   

Cross-channel commerce capabilities

 

   

Ease and speed of implementation

 

   

Ease-of-use and -operation

 

   

Platform openness, flexibility, and extensibility

 

   

Hosting infrastructure, reliability, architecture, and speed

 

   

Breadth, depth, and quality of application and technology ecosystem

 

   

Breadth, depth, and quality of developer and agency partner ecosystem

 

   

Direct platform costs

 

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Total cost of ownership, including all software, hardware, engineering, agency, and other costs

 

   

Uptime and reliability

 

   

Site speed and response time

 

   

Security

 

   

Scalability

 

   

Pace of product innovation

 

   

Name recognition and brand reputation

 

   

Product fit in markets across the geographies in which we provide our offerings

Several of our competitors are large, well-known public companies with greater financial, technical, and sales and marketing resources. Most of these public competitors sell a range of software and services, which allows them to cross-sell and competitively price across product lines. Because of their size and long history, our largest competitors possess considerably more customer awareness than we do. Many ecommerce platforms were in existence years before we launched in 2009. We expect competition to increase in the future.

Despite the competitive intensity, we believe we can compete successfully on the basis of the factors listed above. Our SaaS model and disruptive strategy allows us to serve a wide range of the global market with a solution that is easier to implement and manage, less expensive, more feature rich, and more open than most of our competitors’ offerings.

Intellectual property

We rely on a combination of trade secret, trademark, copyright, patent, and other intellectual property laws to protect our intellectual property. We also rely on contractual arrangements, such as license, assignment, and confidentiality agreements, and technical measures.

We have one issued patent in the United States, which expires March 20, 2036, and one pending patent application. We have been issued federal registrations for trademarks, including “BigCommerce,” related stylized marks, and “Make It Big,” and have multiple pending trademark applications. We hold domestic and international domain names that include “BigCommerce” and similar variations.

We control access to our intellectual property and confidential information through internal and external controls. We require our employees and independent contractors to enter agreements assigning to us any inventions, trade secrets, works of authorship, and other technology and intellectual property created for us and protecting our confidential information. We generally enter into confidentiality agreements with our vendors and customers.

Employees

As of December 31, 2019, we had 690 full-time employees, including 190 in research and development, 181 in sales and marketing, and 319 in professional services and customer support. Of these employees, 592 are in the United States and 98 are in our international locations. We consider our culture and employees to be vital to our success. None of our employees are represented by a labor union or covered by collective bargaining agreements, and we have not experienced any work stoppages.

 

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A portion of our services are provided using Ukrainian IT specialists. These Ukrainian IT specialists, who provide services on our behalf, are registered as “private entrepreneurs” with the tax authorities of Ukraine and operate as independent contractors.

Facilities

Our worldwide corporate headquarters is located in Austin, Texas. It covers 70,682 square feet pursuant to an operating lease that expires in 2028. We also have office locations in London, San Francisco, and Sydney, Australia. We believe our current facilities are suitable and adequate to meet our current needs. We intend to add new facilities or expand existing facilities as we add employees, and we believe suitable additional or substitute space will be available as needed to accommodate any such expansion of our operations.

Regulatory considerations

The legal environment of internet-based businesses, both in the United States and internationally, is evolving rapidly and is often unclear. For example, we occasionally cannot be certain which laws will be deemed applicable to us given the global nature of our business. This ambiguity includes topics such as data privacy and security, pricing, advertising, taxation, content regulation, and intellectual property ownership and infringement. See the section titled “Risk Factors—Risks related to our business and industry—Evolving global internet laws, regulations and standards, privacy regulations, cross-border data transfer restrictions, and data localization requirements, may limit the use and adoption of our services, expose us to liability, or otherwise adversely affect our business.”

Data protection and privacy

Our platform and the customer data it uses, collects, and processes to run our business are an integral part of our business model. As a result, our compliance with laws dealing with the use, collection, and processing of personal data is core to our strategy. Regulators around the world have adopted or proposed requirements regarding the collection, use, transfer, security, storage, destruction, and other processing of personal data. These laws are increasing in number, enforcement, and fines and other penalties. All states have adopted laws requiring notice to consumers of a security breach involving their personal information. In the event of a security breach, these laws may subject us to incident response, notice and remediation costs. Failure to safeguard data adequately or to destroy data securely could subject us to regulatory investigations or enforcement actions under federal or state data security, unfair practices, or consumer protection laws. The scope and interpretation of these laws could change, and the associated burdens and compliance costs could increase in the future. Two such governmental regulations that have significant implications for our platform are the GDPR and the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”).

The GDPR became effective in May 2018, implementing more stringent requirements in relation to the use of personal data relating to European Union individuals. Personal data includes any type of information that can identify a living individual, including name, identification number, email address, location, internet protocol addresses, and cookie identifiers. Among other requirements, the GDPR mandates notice of and a lawful basis for data processing activities, data protection impact assessments, a right to “erasure” of personal data, and data breach reporting.

In the United States, California adopted the CCPA, which became effective in January 2020. The CCPA establishes a privacy framework for covered businesses, including an expansive definition of personal information and data privacy rights for California residents. Among other requirements, the CCPA mandates new disclosure to consumers and allows consumers to opt out of sales of personal information. The CCPA includes a framework with potentially severe statutory damages and private rights of action.

 

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Anti-corruption and sanctions

We are subject to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended (“FCPA”). The FCPA prohibits corporations and individuals from engaging in improper activities to obtain or retain business or to influence a person working in an official capacity. It prohibits, among other things, providing, directly or indirectly, anything of value to any foreign government official, or any political party or official thereof, or candidate for political influence to improperly influence such person. Similar laws exist in other countries, such as the UK, that restrict improper payments to persons in the public or private sector. Many countries have laws prohibiting these types of payments within the respective country. Historically, technology companies have been the target of FCPA and other anti-corruption investigations and penalties.

In addition, we are subject to U.S. and foreign laws and regulations that restrict our activities in certain countries and with certain persons. These include the economic sanctions regulations administered by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control and the export control laws administered by the U.S. Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry.

Legal proceedings

From time to time, we may be subject to legal proceedings and claims in the ordinary course of business. We are not presently a party to any legal proceedings that, if determined adversely to us, would individually or taken together have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition or cash flows. We have received, and may in the future continue to receive, claims from third parties asserting, among other things, infringement of their intellectual property rights. Future litigation may be necessary to defend ourselves, our partners and our customers by determining the scope, enforceability and validity of third-party proprietary rights, or to establish our proprietary rights. The results of any current or future litigation cannot be predicted with certainty, and regardless of the outcome, litigation can have an adverse impact on us because of defense and settlement costs, diversion of management resources, and other factors.

 

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Management

Directors and executive officers

The following table sets forth the names, ages and positions of our directors and executive officers as of January 1, 2020.

 

 Name

 

 Age 

  

 Position

 Brent Bellm

  48   

 President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman

 Robert Alvarez

  46   

 Chief Financial Officer

 Lisa Pearson

  51   

 Chief Marketing Officer

 Jimmy Duvall

  47   

 Chief Product Officer

 Brian Dhatt

  43   

 Chief Technology Officer

 Russell Klein

  50   

 Chief Development Officer

 Jeff Mengoli

  49   

 General Counsel and Secretary

 Marc Ostryniec

  43   

 Senior Vice President, Sales

 Paul Vaillancourt

  63   

 Senior Vice President, Client Success and Operational Excellence

 Lawrence Bohn

 

68

  

 Director

 Donald E. Clarke

  60   

 Director

 John T. McDonald

  56   

 Director

 Steven Murray

  51   

 Director

 Jeff Richards

  48   

 Director

Brent Bellm has served as our president, chief executive officer, and the chairman of our board of directors since June 2015. Prior to joining our company as our chief executive officer, Mr. Bellm was the president and chief operating officer of HomeAway Inc., a vacation rental online marketplace, from July 2010 to June 2015. Previously, Mr. Bellm served in various capacities at PayPal Holdings, Inc. from December 2002 to July 2010, most recently as vice president of global product, and at eBay, Inc. as director of corporate strategy from April 2001 to December 2002. Mr. Bellm worked with McKinsey & Company from September 1993 to January 2000. Mr. Bellm holds a B.A. in International Relations and Economics from Stanford University and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. We believe Mr. Bellm is qualified to serve as a member of our board of directors due to his perspective as our president and chief executive officer.

Robert Alvarez has served as our chief financial officer since October 2011. Prior to serving in this capacity, Mr. Alvarez served as the chief financial officer of LibreDigital, Inc. from June 2009 to September 2011. Previously, he served as the chief financial officer of Augmentix Corporation from February 2006 to March 2009. He serves as a member of the board of directors of the Austin Technology Counsel. Mr. Alvarez holds a B.B.A. in Accounting from the University of Texas at Austin.

Lisa Pearson has served as our chief marketing officer since July 2018. Prior to serving as our chief marketing officer, Ms. Pearson worked in various capacities at Umbel Corp., a digital marketplace, from August 2015 to February 2018, where she most recently served as chief executive officer, and at Bazaarvoice, Inc. from December 2010 to February 2015, where she most recently served as chief marketing officer. Ms. Pearson served as a member of the board of directors of Alert Logic from 2014 to 2016. Ms. Pearson holds a B.A. in Literature from Tulane University.

Jimmy Duvall has served as our chief product officer since July 2016. Prior to serving as our chief product officer, Mr. Duvall was vice president of product at Hootsuite Media Inc., a social media management platform, from December 2014 to July 2016. Previously Mr. Duvall was head of product, Magento at eBay Inc. from June 2012 to April 2014. Mr. Duvall holds a B.S. in Computer Information Systems from DeVry University.

 

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Brian Dhatt has served as our chief technology officer since October 2016. Prior to serving as our chief technology officer, Mr. Dhatt served as chief technology officer for Borderfree, Inc. from March 2013 to January 2016. Mr. Dhatt also worked in various capacities at the Gilt Groupe from May 2012 to January 2016, most recently as a vice president of engineering and product. Mr. Dhatt holds a B.S. in Computer Science from Duke University.

Russell Klein has served as our chief development officer since January 2018. Prior to serving as our chief development officer, Mr. Klein served as our senior vice president of corporate development from October 2015 to January 2018. Previously he was the co-founder and chairman of the board of directors of Librify Inc. from 2013 to 2015, and the co-founder and chief executive officer of Sendme, Inc. from May 2006 to December 2014. Mr. Klein holds a B.A. in Economics and East Asian Studies from the University of Pennsylvania and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.

Jeff Mengoli has served as our general counsel and secretary since May 2016. Prior to serving as our general counsel, Mr. Mengoli worked with the Alibaba Group in various capacities from 2000 to 2016, including as general counsel for its United States subsidiaries. Mr. Mengoli was an associate at Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati LLP from 1997 to 1999 and an associate at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP from 1995 to 1997. Mr. Mengoli holds an A.B. in Economics from Harvard University and a J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley.

Marc Ostryniec has served as our senior vice president of sales since January 2019. Prior to serving as our senior vice president, Mr. Ostryniec worked for Experian plc, serving as the head of partner solutions sales from August 2016 to December 2018 and as the head of sales of CSIdentity from September 2011 to August 2016. Mr. Ostryniec holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

Paul Vaillancourt has served as our senior vice president of client success and operational excellence since May 2013. Prior to serving as our senior vice president, Mr. Vaillancourt served as senior vice president of contact center operations for Support.com, Inc. from January 2008 to May 2013 and vice president of customer support for Activant Solutions Inc. from March 2005 to January 2008.

Lawrence Bohn has been a member of our board of directors since July 2011. Mr. Bohn has served as a managing director of General Catalyst Partners, a venture capital firm, since April 2003. Prior to joining General Catalyst, Mr. Bohn served as the president, chief executive officer and chairman of the board of directors of NetGenesis Corp. and president of PC Docs, Inc. Mr. Bohn served on the boards of directors of HubSpot, Inc. and Demandware, Inc. from 2007 until October 2017 and 2004 until January 2016, respectively. He also currently serves on the board of directors of several privately-held companies. Mr. Bohn holds a B.A. in English from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and an M.A. in Linguistics from Clark University. We believe Mr. Bohn is qualified to serve as a member of our board of directors because of his executive leadership experience and extensive experience in the fields of cloud computing and SaaS.

Donald E. Clarke has been a member of our board of directors since December 2016. Since January 2014, Mr. Clarke has served as the chief financial officer for Plex Systems, Inc., a cloud-based enterprise resource planning company. Previously, he served as the chief financial officer for Eloqua, Inc. from March 2008 to March 2013. Prior to working at Eloqua, Mr. Clarke served as chief financial officer for Cloakware, Inc. from August 2006 to February 2008 and for Visual Networks, Inc. from July 2004 to March 2006. Mr. Clarke has served as a member of the board of directors of Alarm.com Holdings, Inc. since May 2014. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and holds a B.S. in Accounting from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. We believe Mr. Clarke is qualified to serve as a member of our board of directors because of his experience in operations, strategy, accounting, and financial management at both publicly and privately held companies qualifies him to serve on our board of directors.

John T. McDonald has been a member of our board of directors since August 2019. Since July 2010, Mr. McDonald has served as the chief executive officer and chairman of the board of directors of Upland

 

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Software Inc., a cloud-based software developer. Prior to founding Upland in 2010, Mr. McDonald was chief executive officer of Perficient, Inc. from 1999 to 2009, and chairman from 2001 to 2010. Mr. McDonald was an associate with Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP in New York from 1987 to 1993. Mr. McDonald served as chairman of the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce and as a member of the board of directors of several private companies and nonprofit organizations. Mr. McDonald holds a B.A. in Economics from Fordham University and a J.D. from Fordham Law School. We believe Mr. McDonald is qualified to serve as a member of our board of directors because of his experience and his background in the technology industry, including serving as chairman and chief executive officer of two publicly traded technology companies.

Steven Murray has been a member of our board of directors since June 2018. Since January 2016, Mr. Murray has served as a partner at Revolution Growth, a venture capital firm. From April 1996 to January 2016, Mr. Murray worked at SoftBank Capital in various capacities, most recently as a partner. Previously, Mr. Murray worked for Deloitte & Touche LLP, from 1989 to 1996. Mr. Murray serves on the boards of directors for a number of public and private companies, including Fitbit, Inc. since June 2013, DraftKings, Inc. since August 2016, and Interactions Corporation since June 2013. Mr. Murray holds a B.S. in Accounting from Boston College. We believe Mr. Murray is qualified to serve as a member of our board of directors due to his extensive experience with technology companies including his experience as a member of public company boards of directors.

Jeff Richards has been a member of our board of directors since May 2016. He has served as a managing partner at GGV Capital, a California-based venture capital firm, since 2010, after joining the firm in 2008. Prior to joining GGV Capital, Mr. Richards founded two technology companies: R4 Global Solutions, Inc., which was acquired by Verisign, Inc. in 2005, and QuantumShift Communications, Inc. Mr. Richards served as vice president of digital content services at Verisign, Inc. from May 2005 to May 2008. Previously, Mr. Richards was a management consultant with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP from April 1995 to October 1997. He currently sits on the boards of directors of multiple private software and technology companies. Mr. Richards holds a B.A. in Government from Dartmouth College. We believe Mr. Richards is qualified to serve as a member of our board of directors due to his extensive experience with global technology companies.

Composition of the board of directors

Our business and affairs are managed under the direction of our board of directors. Following the closing of this offering, we expect our board of directors to initially consist of six directors. The current members of the board of directors were elected pursuant to a voting agreement among certain of our preferred and common stockholders, which entitles certain holders to elect directors. Upon the closing of this offering, such voting agreement will terminate and there will be no further obligation to which we are a party regarding the election of our directors. Following this offering, no stockholder will have any special rights regarding the election or designation of members of our board of directors. Each of our current directors will continue to serve as a director until the election and qualification of his or her successor or until his or her earlier death, resignation, or removal. There are no family relationships among any of our directors or executive officers.

Classified board of directors

In accordance with our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws that will become effective upon the closing of this offering, our board of directors will be divided into three staggered classes of directors. At each annual meeting of the stockholders, a class of directors will be elected for a three-year term to succeed the directors of the same class whose terms are then expiring. Our directors will be divided among the three classes as follows:

 

   

our Class I directors will be                and                , and their terms will expire at the first annual meeting of stockholders following the date of this prospectus;

 

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our Class II directors will be                and                , and their terms will expire at the second annual meeting of stockholders following the date of this prospectus; and

 

   

our Class III directors will be                and                , and their terms will expire at the third annual meeting of stockholders following the date of this prospectus.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws provide that the number of our directors shall be fixed from time to time by a resolution of a majority of our board of directors. Any additional directorships resulting from an increase in the number of directors will be distributed among the three classes so that, as nearly as possible, each class shall consist of one third of our board of directors. Vacancies on our board of directors can be filled by resolution of our board of directors.

The division of our board of directors into three classes with staggered three-year terms may delay or prevent stockholder efforts to effect a change of our management or a change in control.

Director independence

Under the rules of the                , independent directors must comprise a majority of a listed company’s board of directors within a specified period of the completion of this offering. In addition, the rules of the                require that, subject to specified exceptions, each member of a listed company’s audit, compensation, and nominating and corporate governance committee be independent. Audit committee members must also satisfy the independence criteria set forth in Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act. Under the rules of the                , a director will only qualify as an “independent director” if, in the opinion of that company’s board of directors, that person does not have a relationship that would interfere with the exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director.

In connection with this offering, our board of directors undertook a review of its composition, the composition of its committees, and the independence of our directors, and considered whether any director has a material relationship with us that could compromise his or her ability to exercise independent judgment in carrying out his or her responsibilities. Based upon information requested from and provided by each director concerning his or her background, employment, and affiliations, including family relationships, our board of directors has determined each of our directors except                , representing                of our six directors that will be seated upon the closing of this offering, has a relationship that would interfere with the exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director and that each of these directors is “independent” as that term is defined under the rules of the                . In making this determination, our board of directors considered the relationships that each non-employee director has with us and all other facts and circumstances our board of directors deemed relevant in determining independence, including the beneficial ownership of our common stock by each non-employee director and the relationship of certain non-employee directors with certain of our significant stockholders.

Background and experience of directors

Upon the completion of this offering, our nominating and corporate governance committee will be responsible for reviewing with our board of directors, on an annual basis, the appropriate characteristics, skills and experience required for the board of directors as a whole and its individual members. In evaluating the suitability of individual candidates (both new candidates and current members), the nominating and corporate governance committee, in recommending candidates for election, and the board of directors, in approving (and, in the case of vacancies, appointing) such candidates, will take into account many factors, including the following:

 

   

personal and professional integrity;

 

   

ethics and values;

 

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experience in corporate management, such as serving as an officer or former officer of a publicly held company;

 

   

experience in the industries in which we compete;

 

   

experience as a board member or executive officer of another publicly held company;

 

   

diversity of background and expertise and experience in substantive matters pertaining to our business relative to other board members;

 

   

conflicts of interest; and

 

   

practical and mature business judgment.

Board committees

Our board of directors has established an audit committee and a compensation committee and will establish a nominating and corporate governance committee prior to the closing of this offering. The composition and responsibilities of each committee are described below. Our board of directors may also establish from time to time any other committees that it deems necessary or desirable. Members serve on these committees until their resignation or until otherwise determined by our board of directors.

Audit committee

Upon the completion of this offering, we expect our audit committee will consist of                , and                , each of whom our board of directors has determined satisfies the independence requirements for audit committee members under the listing standards of the                 and Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act. Each member of our audit committee meets the financial literacy requirements under the rules and regulations of                                         and the SEC. The chair of our audit committee will be                , who our board of directors has determined is an “audit committee financial expert” as defined by Item 407(d) of Regulation S-K.

Our audit committee is responsible for, among other things:

 

   

selecting and hiring our independent auditors, and approving the audit and non-audit services to be performed by our independent auditors;

 

   

assisting the board of directors in evaluating the qualifications, performance, and independence of our independent auditors;

 

   

assisting the board of directors in monitoring the quality and integrity of our financial statements and our accounting and financial reporting;

 

   

assisting the board of directors in monitoring our compliance with legal and regulatory requirements;

 

   

reviewing the adequacy and effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting processes;

 

   

assisting the board of directors in monitoring the performance of our internal audit function;

 

   

monitoring the performance of our internal audit function;

 

   

reviewing with management and our independent auditors our annual and quarterly financial statements;

 

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establishing procedures for the receipt, retention, and treatment of complaints received by us regarding accounting, internal accounting controls, or auditing matters and the confidential, anonymous submission by our employees of concerns regarding questionable accounting or auditing matters; and

 

   

preparing the audit committee report that the rules and regulations of the SEC require to be included in our annual proxy statement.

Our audit committee will operate under a written charter, to be effective prior to the closing of this offering, that satisfies the applicable listing standards of     .

Compensation committee

Upon the completion of this offering, we expect our compensation committee will consist of                ,                 , and                 , with                serving as chair. Our board of directors has determined that each of the compensation committee members is a non-employee member of our board of directors as defined in Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act and an outside director as that term is defined in Section 162(m) of the Code. The composition of our compensation committee meets the requirements for independence under the current listing standards of the             and current SEC rules and regulations. Decisions regarding the compensation of our executive officers have historically been made by the compensation committee.

The compensation committee will be responsible for, among other things:

 

   

reviewing and approving corporate goals and objectives relevant to the compensation of our chief executive officer, evaluating our chief executive officer’s performance in light of those goals and objectives, and, either as a committee or together with the other independent directors (as directed by the board of directors), determining and approving our chief executive officer’s compensation level based on such evaluation;

 

   

reviewing and approving, or making recommendations to the board of directors with respect to, the compensation of our other executive officers, including annual base salary, bonus and equity-based incentives, and other benefits;

 

   

reviewing and recommending the compensation of our directors;

 

   

reviewing and discussing annually with management our “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” disclosure when required by SEC rules;

 

   

preparing the compensation committee report required by the SEC to be included in our annual proxy statement; and

 

   

reviewing and making recommendations with respect to our equity compensation plans.

Our compensation committee will operate under a written charter, to be effective prior to the closing of this offering, that satisfies the applicable listing standards of             .

Nominating and corporate governance committee

Upon the completion of this offering, we expect our nominating and corporate governance committee will consist of                 ,                , and                , with                serving as chair. The composition of our nominating and governance committee meets the requirements for independence under the current listing

 

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standards of         current SEC rules and regulations. The nominating and corporate governance committee is responsible for, among other things:

 

   

assisting our board of directors in identifying prospective director nominees and recommending nominees to the board of directors;

 

   

overseeing the evaluation of the board of directors and management;

 

   

reviewing developments in corporate governance practices and developing and recommending a set of corporate governance guidelines; and

 

   

recommending members for each committee of our board of directors.

Our nominating and corporate governance committee will operate under a written charter, to be effective prior to the closing of this offering, that satisfies the applicable listing standards of             .

Compensation committee interlocks and insider participation

None of our executive officers currently serves, or has served during the last completed fiscal year, as a member of the board of directors or compensation committee (or other committee performing equivalent functions) of any entity that has one or more executive officers serving on our board of directors or compensation committee.

Role of the board in risk oversight

Our board of directors has an active role, as a whole and also at the committee level, in overseeing the management of our risks. Our board of directors is responsible for general oversight of risks and regular review of information regarding our risks, including credit risks, liquidity risks, and operational risks. The compensation committee is responsible for overseeing the management of risks relating to our executive compensation plans and arrangements. The audit committee is responsible for overseeing the management of risks relating to accounting matters and financial reporting. The nominating and corporate governance committee is responsible for overseeing the management of risks associated with the independence of our board of directors and potential conflicts of interest. Although each committee is responsible for evaluating certain risks and overseeing the management of such risks, the entire board of directors is regularly informed through discussions from committee members about such risks. Our board of directors believes its administration of its risk oversight function has not negatively affected our board of directors’ leadership structure.

Code of business conduct and ethics

We will adopt a new Code of Business Conduct and Ethics that applies to all of our officers, directors and employees, including our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer and controller, or persons performing similar functions, which will be posted on our website. Our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics is a “code of ethics” as defined in Item 406(b) of Regulation S-K. We will make any legally required disclosures regarding amendments to, or waivers of, provisions of our code of ethics on our website. The information contained on, or accessible from, our website is not part of this prospectus by reference or otherwise.

 

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Executive and Director Compensation

Summary compensation table

The following table sets forth the total compensation paid to our chief executive officer and each of our two other most highly compensated executive officers for the year ended December 31, 2019. We refer to these individuals as our “named executive officers.”

 

Name and principal position

     Salary
($)
       Option
awards
($)(1)
       Nonequity
incentive plan
compensation
($)
       Total
($)
 

Brent Bellm

       350,000          -            

President and Chief Executive Officer

                   

Brian Dhatt

       325,000          129,185            

Chief Technology Officer

                   

Lisa Pearson

       325,000          77,511            

Chief Marketing Officer

                   

 

(1)

The amounts reported represent the aggregate grant-date fair value of the stock and option grants awarded to the named executive officer in the periods presented, calculated in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718. Such grant-date fair values do not take into account any estimated forfeitures related to service-vesting conditions. The assumptions used in calculating the grant-date fair value of the equity awards reported in this column are set forth in Note     of our audited consolidated financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2018 and December 31, 2019 appearing at the end of this prospectus. The amounts reported in this column reflect the accounting cost for these equity awards and do not correspond to the actual economic value that may be received by the named executive officers in connection therewith.

Narrative disclosure to summary compensation table

Base salary

The initial annual base salary for Mr. Bellm was originally set forth in his employment offer letter (as described below) and, for 2019, remained at $350,000. The base salaries for each of Mr. Dhatt and Ms. Pearson for 2019 was $325,000 as originally set forth in their respective employment offer letters.

Annual bonus

With respect to 2019, each of Messrs. Bellm and Dhatt and Ms. Pearson was eligible to receive an annual bonus, with the target amount of such bonus for each set forth in their respective employment offer letters. For 2019, the target bonus amounts, expressed as an annualized amount in dollars: Mr. Bellm, $150,000; Mr. Dhatt, $97,500; and Ms. Pearson, $97,500. The amount of the bonus that was earnable in 2019 by each of Messrs. Bellm and Dhatt and Ms. Pearson was based on the attainment of corporate performance goals as recommended by our compensation committee and determined by our board of directors. The corporate performance goals for 2019 relate to our annual recurring revenue, our monthly average net new revenue, and our adjusted EBITDA.

Equity compensation

Mr. Dhatt and Ms. Pearson each received grants of stock options under our 2013 Stock Option Plan (the “2013 Plan”) in 2019. On February 27, 2019, Mr. Dhatt was granted an option to purchase 250,000 shares of our common stock and Ms. Pearson was granted an option to purchase 150,000 shares of our common stock, each with an exercise price of $1.06 per share.

 

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The stock option awards granted to Mr. Dhatt and Ms. Pearson are subject to time-based vesting, with 25% of the option shares eligible to vest on the one-year anniversary following the date of grant stated on each option and the remainder eligible to vest monthly thereafter over the next three years. In order to be able to vest in the award, the named executive officer must remain continuously employed, although the named executive officers’ vesting may accelerate if they incur a qualifying termination of employment.

Employment offer letters and agreements

Brent Bellm

On May 29, 2015, we entered into an employment offer letter with Brent Bellm, who currently serves as our president and chief executive officer. Mr. Bellm’s employment offer letter provides for at-will employment and sets forth his initial annual base salary, target bonus and initial stock option grants, as well as his eligibility to participate in our benefit plans generally. Mr. Bellm’s current annual base salary is $350,000. Mr. Bellm also is subject to our standard Proprietary Information and Inventions Agreement regarding ownership of intellectual property.

Under Mr. Bellm’s employment offer letter, as amended February 12, 2019, in the event that Mr. Bellm’s employment with us is terminated at any time without cause, then, subject to and contingent upon Mr. Bellm’s execution, delivery, and non-revocation of a general release and waiver in a form satisfactory to us within 60 days after the termination date, Mr. Bellm will be entitled to receive payments equal to six months of his base salary, payable in accordance with our normal payroll practices, over the three months following his termination date, and acceleration of unvested equity pursuant to the terms of Mr. Bellm’s stock option agreements or other equity award agreements to the amount that would become vested during the six-month period after the date of termination or resignation.

In addition to the foregoing, in the event that Mr. Bellm’s employment with us is terminated within three months prior to or eighteen months following a change in control without cause or because he resigns for good reason, then Mr. Bellm will be entitled to receive full acceleration of his unvested stock options and other equity awards.

Brian Dhatt

On September 9, 2016, we entered into an employment offer letter with Brian Dhatt, who currently serves as our chief technology officer. Mr. Dhatt’s employment offer letter provides for at-will employment, subject to a 90-day notice period prior to any termination of employment, and set forth his initial annual base salary, target bonus and initial stock option grants, as well as his eligibility to participate in our benefit plans generally. Mr. Dhatt’s current annual base salary is $325,000. Mr. Dhatt also is subject to our standard Proprietary Information and Inventions Agreement regarding ownership of our intellectual property.

Under Mr. Dhatt’s employment offer letter, as amended February 2, 2017, in the event that Mr. Dhatt’s employment with us is terminated due to job elimination or by us without cause or Mr. Dhatt resigns for good reason, then, subject to and contingent upon Mr. Dhatt’s execution, delivery, and non-revocation (if applicable) of a general release and waiver in a form satisfactory to us within 60 days after the termination date, Mr. Dhatt will be entitled to receive a lump sum payment equal to six months of his base salary on the first payroll period following the date the waiver and release becomes effective.

In addition, in the event that Mr. Dhatt’s employment with us is terminated by us without cause or upon Mr. Dhatt’s resignation for good reason, in either case, within three months prior to and twelve months following a change of control, then the unvested shares subject to Mr. Dhatt’s stock options will be accelerated and immediately become vested, released from our repurchase right and exercisable.

 

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Lisa Pearson

On May 10, 2018, we entered into an employment offer letter with Lisa Pearson, who currently serves as our chief marketing officer. The employment offer letter provides for Ms. Pearson’s at-will employment, beginning July 9, 2018, and sets forth her initial annual base salary, target bonus and initial stock option grants, as well as her eligibility to participate in our benefit plans generally. Ms. Pearson’s current annual base salary is $325,000. Ms. Pearson is subject to our standard Proprietary Information and Inventions Agreement regarding ownership of intellectual property.

In the event that Ms. Pearson’s employment by us without cause or Ms. Pearson resigns for good reason, then, subject to and contingent upon Ms. Pearson’s execution, delivery, and non-revocation (if applicable) of a general release and waiver in a form satisfactory to us within 60 days after the termination date, Ms. Pearson will be entitled to receive a lump sum payment equal to six months of her base salary on the first payroll period following the date the waiver and release becomes effective.

In addition, in the event that Ms. Pearson’s employment with us is terminated by us without cause or upon Ms. Pearson’s resignation for good reason, in either case, within three months prior to and twelve months following a change of control, then the unvested shares subject to Ms. Pearson’s stock options will be accelerated and immediately become vested, released from our repurchase right and exercisable.

Retirement benefits

Through Insperity, our professional employer organization, we participate in a retirement savings plan for the benefit of our employees, including our named executive officers. The plan is intended to qualify as a tax-qualified 401(k) plan so that contributions to the 401(k) plan, and income earned on such contributions, are not taxable to participants until withdrawn or distributed from the 401(k) plan (except in the case of contributions under the 401(k) plan designated as Roth contributions). The 401(k) plan provides that each participant may contribute up to an annual statutory limit. Participants who are at least 50 years old can also contribute additional amounts based on statutory limits for “catch-up” contributions. Under the 401(k) plan, each employee is fully vested in his or her deferred salary contributions. Employee contributions are held and invested by the plan’s trustee as directed by participants.

Employee benefits and perquisites

Our named executive officers are eligible to participate in our health and welfare plans to the same extent as all full-time employees.

 

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Outstanding equity awards at 2019 fiscal year-end

The following table sets forth information regarding outstanding stock awards held as of December 31, 2019 by our named executive officers.

 

     Option awards  

 Name

   Number of
securities
underlying
unexercised
options
exercisable(1)
     Number of
securities
underlying
unexercised
options
unexercisable
     Equity
incentive
plan awards:
Number of
securities
underlying
unexercised
unearned
options 
     Option
exercise
price ($)
     Option
expiration
date
 

 Brent Bellm

     2,700,000        -        1,968,750        1.01        11/30/2028  

 Brian Dhatt

     1,018,600        -        212,208        0.13        11/7/2026  
     145,514        -        57,599        0.62        2/27/2028  
     110,000        -        80,208        1.01        11/30/2028  
     250,000        -        250,000        1.06        2/27/2029  

 Lisa Pearson

     111,111        -        71,759        0.90        9/20/2028  
     761,975        -        492,109        0.90        9/20/2028  
     150,000        -        150,000        1.06        2/27/2029  

 

(1)

Each option held by the named executive officers is exercisable immediately following grant, also known as “early exercisable,” and unvested shares purchased upon an early exercise are subject to a repurchase right in our favor on termination of employment that lapses along the same vesting schedule as contained in the option grant.

Director compensation

We did not pay cash or any other compensation to any of our non-employee directors during the year ended December 31, 2019, other than as described below. We do reimburse our directors for reasonable travel expenses incurred in connection with service on our board of directors. Compensation paid or accrued for services rendered to us by Mr. Bellm in his role as president and chief executive officer is included in our disclosure related to executive compensation in this section of this prospectus. Mr. Bellm does not receive additional compensation for his service on our board of directors. The compensation that Messrs. Bohn, Clarke, McDonald, Murray, and Richards received for the year ended December 31, 2019 is reported in the table below.

 

Name

   Option
awards
($)(1)(2)
     Total
($)
 

Lawrence Bohn

     -        -  

Donald E. Clarke

     -        -  

John T. McDonald

     106,315        106,315  

Steven J. Murray

     -        -  

Jeff Richards

     -        -  

 

(1)

The amounts reported represent the aggregate grant date fair value of stock options awarded to the directors in 2019, calculated in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718, disregarding the effect of estimated forfeitures. The assumptions used in calculating the grant date fair value of the stock options reported in this column are set forth in Note 9 to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus. The amounts reported in this column reflect the accounting costs for the stock options and do not reflect the actual economic value that may be received by the directors upon the exercise of the stock options or any sale of the underlying shares of common stock.

 

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(2)

The table below shows the aggregate number of option awards outstanding as of December 31, 2019 by each director who was serving as of December 31, 2019.

 

                

Name

           Option awards          
 

Lawrence Bohn

     -  
 

Donald E. Clarke

     440,000  
 

John T. McDonald

     220,000  
 

Steven J. Murray

     -  
 

Jeff Richards

     -  

Stock option and other compensation plans

Prior to this offering, we granted awards under our 2013 Plan. Following the completion of this offering, we expect to grant stock and stock-based awards under our 2020 Plan and our 2020 ESPP. The following summaries describe the 2013 Plan and what we anticipate to be the material terms of our 2020 Plan and our 2020 ESPP. These summaries are not complete descriptions of all of the terms and are qualified in their entirety by reference to our 2013 Plan, 2020 Plan, and 2020 ESPP, each of which will be filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. Following its adoption by our board of directors, our 2020 Plan is the only plan under which we may grant stock and stock-based awards.

2013 Plan

Our 2013 Plan, as amended, was adopted by our board of directors and approved by our stockholders on February 28, 2013. The maximum aggregate number of shares of common stock that may be issued under our 2013 Plan is 55,919,269. Our 2013 Plan provides for the grant of incentive stock options, nonstatutory stock options, restricted stock purchase rights, restricted stock bonuses, and restricted stock units (collectively, “awards”) to our employees, directors, and consultants who provide services to us. As of             , 2020, options to purchase              shares of Series 1 common stock were outstanding and no shares of common stock were reserved for future grant under this plan. No awards have been granted under the 2013 Plan other than incentive stock options, nonstatutory stock options, restricted stock, and restricted stock units.

Subsequent to our initial public offering, we will not grant any additional awards under our 2013 Plan. Instead, we will grant equity awards under our 2020 Plan. Our 2013 Plan, however, will continue to govern the terms and conditions of all outstanding equity awards granted under the 2013 Plan.

Our standard form of award agreement under the 2013 Plan provides that options will vest 25% on the first anniversary of the vesting commencement date with the remainder vesting ratably over the next 36 months, subject to continued service through each applicable date. Under our 2013 Plan, our board of directors, or its designated committee, has the authority to grant awards with early exercise rights and to provide for accelerated vesting.

In its discretion, our board of directors, or its designated committee, may provide for acceleration of the exercisability, vesting or settlement of awards in connection with a “change in control,” as defined under our 2013 Plan, of each or any outstanding award or portion thereof and common stock acquired pursuant thereto upon such conditions, including termination of the plan participant’s service prior to, upon or following such change in control, and to such extent as our board of directors, or its designated committee, determines. In the event of a change in control, the surviving, continuing, successor or purchasing corporation or other business entity or parent thereof, as the case may be, may, without the consent of any plan participant, either assume or continue the rights and obligations under each or any award or portion thereof outstanding immediately prior to the change in control or substitute for each or any such outstanding award or portion thereof a substantially equivalent award with respect to its own stock, as applicable. Any award or portion thereof which is neither assumed nor continued by the surviving, continuing, successor, or purchasing corporation or other business entity

 

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or parent thereof in connection with the change in control nor exercised or settled as of the time of consummation of the change in control will terminate and cease to be outstanding effective as of the time of consummation of the change in control. Our board of directors, or its designated committee, however, will have the discretion, without the consent of any participant under the 2013 Plan, to terminate an award in exchange for cash, stock or other property.

Our 2013 Plan also provides that our board of directors, or its designated committee, may make appropriate and proportionate adjustments to the number of shares subject to outstanding awards to prevent dilution or enlargement of participants’ rights in the event of changes in our capitalization through merger, consolidation, reorganization, reincorporation, recapitalization, reclassification, stock dividend, stock split, reverse stock split, split-up, split-off, spin-off, combination of shares, exchange of shares, or similar change in the capital structure, or in the event of payment of a dividend or distribution to the stockholders in a form other than stock (excepting regular, periodic cash dividends).

2020 Plan

Before the closing of this offering, our board of directors will adopt, and we expect our stockholders will approve, our 2020 Plan. The 2020 Plan will be effective upon its approval by our stockholders. It is intended to make available incentives that will assist us to attract, retain and motivate employees, including officers, consultants and directors. We may provide these incentives through the grant of stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, restricted stock units, performance shares and units and other cash-based or stock-based awards.

A total of                shares of our Series 1 common stock will be initially authorized and reserved for issuance under the 2020 Plan. This reserve will automatically increase on January 1, 2021, and each subsequent anniversary through and including January 1, 2030, by an amount equal to the smaller of (a)    % of the number of shares of Series 1 and Series 2 common stock issued and outstanding on the immediately preceding December 31 and (b) an amount determined by our board of directors. In addition, this reserve will be increased to include up to                shares that remained available for grant under our 2013 Plan upon its termination or that are subject to options granted under our 2013 Plan that expire or terminate without having been exercised in full.

Appropriate adjustments will be made in the number of authorized shares and other numerical limits in the 2020 Plan and in outstanding awards to prevent dilution or enlargement of participants’ rights in the event of a stock split or other change in our capital structure. Shares subject to awards that expire or are canceled or forfeited will again become available for issuance under the 2020 Plan. The shares available will not be reduced by awards settled in cash or by shares withheld to satisfy tax withholding obligations in connection with restricted stock unit or other full value awards. Upon payment in shares pursuant to the exercise of a stock appreciation right, the number of shares available for issuance under the 2020 Plan will be reduced by the gross number of shares for which the stock appreciation right is exercised. If the exercise price of an option is paid by tender of previously owned shares or by means of a net exercise, the number of shares available for issuance under the 2020 Plan will be reduced by the gross number of shares for which the option is exercised. Shares purchased in the open market with option exercise proceeds or shares withheld to satisfy tax obligations upon the exercise of options will not add to the number of shares available under the 2020 Plan.

The 2020 Plan will be administered by the compensation committee of our board of directors. Subject to the provisions of the 2020 Plan, the compensation committee will determine in its discretion the persons to whom and the times at which awards are granted, the sizes of such awards and all of their terms and conditions. However, the compensation committee may delegate to one or more of our officers the authority to grant awards to persons who are not officers or directors, subject to certain limitations contained in the 2020 Plan and award guidelines established by the compensation committee. The compensation committee will have the authority to construe and interpret the terms of the 2020 Plan and awards granted under it. The 2020 Plan provides, subject to

 

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certain limitations, for indemnification by us of any director, officer or employee against all reasonable expenses, including attorneys’ fees, incurred in connection with any legal action arising from such person’s action or failure to act in administering the 2020 Plan.

The 2020 Plan authorizes the compensation committee, without further stockholder approval, to provide for the cancellation of stock options or stock appreciation rights with exercise prices in excess of the fair market value of the underlying shares of common stock in exchange for new options or other equity awards with exercise prices equal to the fair market value of the underlying common stock or a cash payment or to amend such awards to reduce the exercise price thereof to the fair market value of the common stock on the date of amendment.

Our 2020 Plan limits the grant date fair market value of all equity awards and the amount of cash compensation that may be provided to a non-employee director in any fiscal year to an aggregate of $                for the first year of service and $                for each year of service thereafter.

Awards may be granted under the 2020 Plan to our employees, including officers, directors, or consultants or those of any present or future parent or subsidiary corporation or other affiliated entity. All awards will be evidenced by a written agreement between us and the holder of the award and may include any of the following:

 

   

Stock options. We may grant nonstatutory stock options or incentive stock options (as described in Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code (the “Code”)), each of which gives its holder the right, during a specified term (not exceeding ten years) and subject to any specified vesting or other conditions, to purchase a number of shares of our Series 1 common stock at an exercise price per share determined by the administrator, which may not be less than the fair market value of a share of our common stock on the date of grant.

 

   

Stock appreciation rights. A stock appreciation right gives its holder the right, during a specified term (not exceeding 10 years) and subject to any specified vesting or other conditions, to receive the appreciation in the fair market value of our Series 1 common stock between the date of grant of the award and the date of its exercise. We may pay the appreciation in shares of our Series 1 common stock or in cash, except that a stock appreciation right granted in tandem with a related option is payable only in stock.

 

   

Restricted stock. The administrator may grant restricted stock awards either as a bonus or as a purchase right at such price as the administrator determines. Shares of restricted stock remain subject to forfeiture until vested, based on such terms and conditions as the administrator specifies. Holders of restricted stock will have the right to vote the shares and to receive any dividends paid, except that the dividends will be subject to the same vesting conditions as the related shares.

 

   

Restricted stock units. Restricted stock units represent rights to receive shares of our Series 1 common stock (or their value in cash) at a future date without payment of a purchase price (unless required under applicable state corporate laws), subject to vesting or other conditions specified by the administrator. Holders of restricted stock units have no voting rights or rights to receive cash dividends unless and until shares of common stock are issued in settlement of such awards. However, the administrator may grant restricted stock units that entitle their holders to dividend equivalent rights.

 

   

Performance shares and performance units. Performance shares and performance units are awards that will result in a payment to their holder only if specified performance goals are achieved during a specified performance period. Performance share awards are rights denominated in shares of our Series 1 common stock, while performance unit awards are rights denominated in dollars. The administrator establishes the applicable performance goals based on one or more measures of business or personal performance enumerated in the 2020 Plan, such as revenue, gross margin, net income, or total

 

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stockholder return or as otherwise determined by the administrator. To the extent earned, performance share and unit awards may be settled in cash or in shares of our Series 1 common stock. Holders of performance shares or performance units have no voting rights or rights to receive cash dividends unless and until shares of Series 1 common stock are issued in settlement of such awards. However, the administrator may grant performance shares that entitle their holders to dividend equivalent rights.

 

   

Cash-based awards and other stock-based awards. The administrator may grant cash-based awards that specify a monetary payment or range of payments or other stock-based awards that specify a number or range of shares or units that, in either case, are subject to vesting or other conditions specified by the administrator. Settlement of these awards may be in cash or shares of our Series 1 common stock, as determined by the administrator. Their holder will have no voting rights or right to receive cash dividends unless and until shares of our Series 1 common stock are issued pursuant to the award. The administrator may grant dividend equivalent rights with respect to other stock-based awards.

In the event of a change in control as described in the 2020 Plan, the acquiring or successor entity may assume or continue all or any awards outstanding under the 2020 Plan or substitute substantially equivalent awards. Any awards that are not assumed or continued in connection with a change in control or are not exercised or settled prior to the change in control will terminate effective as of the time of the change in control. Our compensation committee may provide for the acceleration of vesting of any or all outstanding awards upon such terms and to such extent as it determines. The 2020 Plan will also authorize our compensation committee, in its discretion and without the consent of any participant, to cancel each or any outstanding award denominated in shares upon a change in control in exchange for a payment to the participant with respect to each share subject to the canceled award of an amount equal to the excess of the consideration to be paid per share of common stock in the change in control transaction over the exercise price per share, if any, under the award.

The 2020 Plan will continue in effect until it is terminated by the administrator; provided, however, that all awards will be granted, if at all, within 10 years of its effective date. The administrator may amend, suspend, or terminate the 2020 Plan at any time; provided that without stockholder approval, the plan cannot be amended to increase the number of shares authorized, change the class of persons eligible to receive incentive stock options, or effect any other change that would require stockholder approval under any applicable law or listing rule.

2020 ESPP

Before the completion of this offering, our board of directors will adopt, and we expect our stockholders will approve, our 2020 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, or the 2020 ESPP. We expect that our 2020 ESPP will be effective on the business day immediately prior to the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.

A total of             shares of our Series 1 common stock are available for sale under our 2020 ESPP. In addition, our 2020 ESPP provides for annual increases in the number of shares of Series 1 common stock available for issuance under the 2020 ESPP on January 1 of each year through and including January 1, 2030, equal to the smallest of:

 

   

            shares;

 

   

            % of the outstanding shares of our Series 1 and Series 2 common stock on the immediately preceding December 31; and

 

   

such other amount as may be determined by our compensation committee.

Appropriate adjustments will be made in the number of authorized shares and in outstanding purchase rights to prevent dilution or enlargement of participants’ rights in the event of a stock split or other change in our capital structure. Shares subject to purchase rights that expire or are canceled will again become available for issuance under the 2020 ESPP.

 

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The compensation committee of our board of directors will administer the 2020 ESPP and have full authority to interpret the terms of the 2020 ESPP. The 2020 ESPP provides, subject to certain limitations, for indemnification by us of any director, officer, or employee against all reasonable expenses, including attorneys’ fees, incurred in connection with any legal action arising from such person’s action or failure to act in administering the 2020 ESPP.

All of our employees, including our named executive officers, and employees of any of our subsidiaries designated by the compensation committee are eligible to participate if they are customarily employed by us or any participating subsidiary for at least 20 hours per week and more than five months in any calendar year, subject to any local law requirements applicable to participants in jurisdictions outside the United States. However, an employee may not be granted rights to purchase stock under our 2020 ESPP if such employee:

 

   

immediately after the grant would own stock or options to purchase stock possessing 5.0% or more of the total combined voting power or value of all classes of our capital stock; or

 

   

holds rights to purchase stock under all of our employee stock purchase plans that would accrue at a rate that exceeds $25,000 worth of our stock for each calendar year in which the right to be granted would be outstanding at any time.

Our 2020 ESPP permits participants to purchase common stock through payroll deductions of up to 15% of their eligible compensation, which includes a participant’s regular and recurring straight time gross earnings and payments for overtime and shift premiums but excludes payments for incentive compensation, bonuses and other similar compensation.

Amounts deducted and accumulated from participant compensation, or otherwise funded in any participating non-U.S. jurisdiction in which payroll deductions are not permitted, are used to purchase shares of our common stock at the end of each offering period. The purchase price of the shares of Series 1 Common Stock will be 85.0% of the purchase date closing market price of our common stock. Participants may end their participation at any time during an offering period and will be paid their accrued payroll deductions that have not yet been used to purchase shares of Series 1 common stock. Participation ends automatically upon termination of employment with us.

Each participant in any offering will have an option to purchase for each full month contained in the offering period a number of shares determined by dividing $2,083.33 by the fair market value of a share of our Series 1 common stock on the first day of the offering period, except as limited in order to comply with Section 423 of the Code. Prior to the beginning of any offering period, the administrator may alter the maximum number of shares that may be purchased by any participant during the offering period or specify a maximum aggregate number of shares that may be purchased by all participants in the offering period. If insufficient shares remain available under the plan to permit all participants to purchase the number of shares to which they would otherwise be entitled, the administrator will make a pro rata allocation of the available shares. Any amounts withheld from participants’ compensation in excess of the amounts used to purchase shares will be refunded, without interest.

A participant may not transfer rights granted under the ESPP other than by will, the laws of descent and distribution, or as otherwise provided under the ESPP.

In the event of a change in control, an acquiring or successor corporation may assume our rights and obligations under outstanding purchase rights or substitute substantially equivalent purchase rights. If the acquiring or successor corporation does not assume or substitute for outstanding purchase rights, then the purchase date of the offering periods then in progress will be accelerated to a date prior to the change in control.

Our 2020 ESPP will continue in effect until terminated by the administrator. The compensation committee has the authority to amend, suspend, or terminate our 2020 ESPP at any time.

 

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Limitation of liability and indemnification

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, which will become effective immediately prior to the closing of this offering, limits the personal liability of directors for breach of fiduciary duty to the maximum extent permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law (“DGCL”) and provides that no director will have personal liability to us or to our stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty or other duty as a director. However, these provisions do not eliminate or limit the liability of any of our directors:

 

   

for any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to us or our stockholders;

 

   

for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law;

 

   

for voting or assenting to unlawful payments of dividends, stock repurchases or other distributions; or

 

   

for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit.

Any amendment to, or repeal of, these provisions will not eliminate or reduce the effect of these provisions in respect of any act, omission or claim that occurred or arose prior to such amendment or repeal. If the DGCL is amended to provide for further limitations on the personal liability of directors of corporations, then the personal liability of our directors will be further limited to the greatest extent permitted by the DGCL.

In addition, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, which will become effective immediately prior to the closing of this offering, provides that we must indemnify our directors and officers and we must advance expenses, including attorneys’ fees, to our directors and officers in connection with legal proceedings, subject to very limited exceptions.

We maintain a general liability insurance policy that covers certain liabilities of our directors and officers arising out of claims based on acts or omissions in their capacities as directors or officers. In addition, we have entered into indemnification agreements with each of our directors and executive officers. These indemnification agreements may require us, among other things, to indemnify each such director or executive officer for some expenses, including attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines, and settlement amounts incurred by him in any action or proceeding arising out of his service as one of our directors or executive officers.

Certain of our non-employee directors may, through their relationships with their employers, be insured and/ or indemnified against certain liabilities incurred in their capacity as members of our board of directors. We have agreed that we will be the indemnitor of “first resort,” however, with respect to any claims against these directors for indemnification claims that are indemnifiable by both us and their employers. Accordingly, to the extent that indemnification is permissible under applicable law, we will have full liability for such claims (including for the advancement of any expenses) and we have waived all related rights of contribution, subrogation, or other recovery that we might otherwise have against these directors’ employers.

Rule 10b5-1 sales plans

Our directors and executive officers may adopt written plans, known as Rule 10b5-1 plans, in which they will contract with a broker to buy or sell shares of our capital stock on a periodic basis. Under a Rule 10b5-1 plan, a broker executes trades pursuant to parameters established by the director or officer when entering into the plan, without further direction from them. The director or officer may amend or terminate the plan in some circumstances. Our directors and executive officers may also buy or sell additional shares outside of a Rule 10b5-1 plan when they are not in possession of material, nonpublic information.

 

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Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions

Below we describe transactions since January 1, 2017 to which we were or will be a participant and in which (i) the amounts involved exceeded or will exceed $120,000 and (ii) any of our directors, executive officers or holders of more than 5% of our voting securities, or any member of the immediate family of, or person sharing the household with, the foregoing persons, had or will have a direct or indirect material interest, other than compensation arrangements which are described under “Executive and Director Compensation.”

Series F preferred stock financings

On April 19, 2018, we completed the sale of an aggregate of 23,628,441 shares of our Series F preferred stock at a purchase price of $2.7086 per share for an aggregate purchase price of $63,999,995.29. Each share of our Series F preferred stock will convert into shares of our Series 1 common stock or Series 2 common stock (in the case of holders subject to certain requirements under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended) immediately prior to the closing of this offering, including adjustments in connection with the 1-for-    reverse stock split of our common stock effected on                , 2020. Upon conversion, holders of the Series F preferred stock will be entitled to the Series F Dividend, paid in either cash or shares of Series 2 common stock, which we intend to pay in cash. As a result of the anticipated payment of the Series F Dividend, holders of our Series F preferred stock will receive approximately $             million of the net proceeds of this offering, including entities affiliated with General Catalyst Group and Lawrence Bohn, a member of our board of directors, and entities affiliated with GGV Capital and Jeff Richards, a member of our board of directors, which will receive approximately $             million and $             million, respectively. The following table summarizes the purchase of shares of our Series F preferred stock by holders of more than 5% of our voting stock and entities affiliated with a member of the board of directors.

 

Name of Stockholder(1)

   Shares of Series F
Preferred

Stock
     Purchase Price  

Entities affiliated with General Catalyst Group(2)

   184,597    $499,999.44

Entities affiliated with GGV Capital(3)

   369,193    $999,996.16

 

(1)

Additional details regarding these stockholders and their equity holdings are provided in this prospectus under “Principal Stockholders.”

(2)

Lawrence Bohn, a member of our board of directors, is affiliated with General Catalyst GP IV, L.P. and General Catalyst GP V, L.P (collectively with their affiliates, “General Catalyst Group”).

(3)

Jeff Richards, a member of our board of directors, is affiliated with GGV Capital V L.P. (“GGV Capital”).

Investor Rights Agreement

We have entered into a fourth amended and restated investor rights agreement (the “Investor Rights Agreement”) with certain of our stockholders, including individuals and entities affiliated with Revolution Growth II, LP (“Revolution Growth”), General Catalyst Group, Softbank Princeville Investments, L.P. (“Softbank”), and GGV Capital. The Investor Rights Agreement, among other things, grants stockholders (i) certain registration rights with respect to shares of our common stock, including shares of common stock issuable upon the conversion of our preferred stock, (ii) board observer rights to certain investors upon certain ownership thresholds, and (iii) a right of first offer with respect to sales of our equity securities by us, subject to specified exceptions.

For more information regarding the registration rights provided by the Investor Rights Agreement, please refer to “Shares Eligible for Future Sale—Registration rights.” The provisions of this agreement will terminate upon the closing of this offering except with respect to the registration rights. This is not a complete summary of the Investor Rights Agreement. This summary is qualified by the full text of the Investor Rights Agreement, filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.

 

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Voting Agreement

We have entered into a fourth amended and restated voting agreement (the “Voting Agreement”) with certain of our stockholders, including individuals and entities affiliated with Revolution Growth, General Catalyst Group, Softbank, and GGV Capital. The Voting Agreement, among other things, provides for (i) the voting of shares with respect to the constituency of the board of directors and (ii) the voting of shares with respect to certain transactions approved by a majority of the holders of outstanding preferred stock.

This agreement will terminate upon the closing of this offering. This summary is qualified by the full text of the Voting Agreement, filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.

Right of First Refusal and Co-Sale Agreement

We have entered into a fourth amended and restated right of first refusal and co-sale agreement (the “ROFR Agreement”) with certain of our stockholders, including individuals and entities affiliated with Revolution Growth, General Catalyst Group, Softbank, and GGV Capital. The ROFR Agreement, among other things, grants (i) certain investors rights of first refusal and co-sale with respect to proposed transfers of our securities by certain stockholders, and (ii) certain rights of first refusal with respect to proposed transfers of our securities by certain stockholders.

This agreement will terminate upon the closing of this offering. This summary is qualified by the full text of the ROFR Agreement, filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.

Indemnification agreements

We intend to enter into indemnification agreements with each of our directors and executive officers in connection with this offering. These agreements will require us to indemnify these individuals to the fullest extent permitted under Delaware law against liabilities that may arise by reason of their service to us, and to advance expenses incurred as a result of any proceeding against them as to which they could be indemnified. We also intend to enter into indemnification agreements with our future directors and executive officers.

There is no pending litigation or proceeding naming any of our directors or officers to which indemnification is being sought, and we are not aware of any pending or threatened litigation that may result in claims for indemnification by any director or officer.

Policies and procedures for related party transactions

Our board of directors has approved a related-party transaction policy, effective upon the closing of this offering, setting forth the policies and procedures for the review and approval or ratification of transactions involving us and “related persons.” For the purposes of this policy, “related persons” will include our executive officers, directors and director nominees or their immediate family members, or stockholders owning five percent or more of our outstanding common stock and their immediate family members.

The policy will cover, with certain exceptions set forth in Item 404 of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act, any transaction, arrangement or relationship, or any series of similar transactions, arrangements or relationships in which we were or are to be a participant, where the amount involved exceeds $120,000 and a related person had or will have a direct or indirect material interest, including, without limitation, purchases of goods or services by or from the related person or entities in which the related person has a material interest, indebtedness, guarantees of indebtedness and employment by us of a related person. In reviewing and approving any such transactions, our audit committee is tasked to consider all relevant facts and circumstances, including, but not limited to, whether the transaction is on terms comparable to those that could be obtained in an arm’s length transaction with an unrelated party and the extent of the related person’s interest in the transaction. All related-party transactions may only be consummated if our audit committee has approved or ratified such transaction in accordance with the guidelines set forth in the policy. Any member of the audit committee who is a related person with respect to a transaction under review will not be permitted to participate in the deliberations or vote respecting approval or ratification of the transaction. However, such director may be counted in determining the presence of a quorum at a meeting of the audit committee that considers the transaction. All of the transactions described in this section occurred prior to the adoption of this policy.

 

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Principal Stockholders

The following table and footnotes below sets forth information regarding the beneficial ownership of shares of our common stock as of March 31, 2020 for:

 

   

each person known by us to beneficially own more than 5% of our Series 1 common stock;

 

   

each of the directors and named executive officers individually; and

 

   

all of our directors and executive officers as a group.

The number of shares beneficially owned by each stockholder is determined under rules of the SEC and includes voting or investment power with respect to securities. Under these rules, beneficial ownership includes any shares as to which the individual or entity has sole or shared voting power or investment power. In computing the number of shares beneficially owned by an individual or entity and the percentage ownership of that person, shares of Series 1 common stock subject to options, warrants or other rights held by such person that are currently exercisable or will become exercisable within 60 days after March 31, 2020 are considered outstanding, although these shares are not considered outstanding for purposes of computing the percentage ownership of any other person.

We have based our calculation of the percentage of beneficial ownership prior to this offering on                shares of Series 1 common stock outstanding as of March 31, 2020. We have based our calculation of the percentage of beneficial ownership after this offering on the sale of                shares of Series 1 common stock in this offering, assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares and excluding any potential purchases in this offering by the persons and entities named in the table below.

Except as otherwise indicated in the footnotes below, the address of each beneficial owner is c/o BigCommerce Holdings, Inc., 11305 Four Points Drive, Building II, Third Floor, Austin, Texas 78726.

 

                  Percentage of Shares Beneficially Owned  
Name of beneficial owner                                      

 

Number of shares
beneficially
owned

      

 

Before

offering

      

 

After

offering

 

5% Stockholders

              

Wadih Machaalani

              

Mitchell Harper

              

Revolution Growth(1)

              

General Catalyst Group(2)

              

GGV Capital(3)

              

Softbank(4)

              
Named Executive Officers and Directors               

Brent Bellm(5)

              

Lisa Pearson(6)

              

Brian Dhatt(7)

              

Lawrence Bohn(8)

              

Donald E. Clarke(9)

              

John T. McDonald(10)

              

Steven Murray(11)

              

Jeff Richards(12)

              
All executive officers and directors together as a group (     persons)               

 

*

Represents beneficial ownership of less than 1%.

(1)

Steven J. Murray is the operating manager of Revolution Growth UGP II, LLC, the general partner of Revolution Growth GP II, LP, which is the general partner of Revolution Growth II, LP (“Revolution Growth”). Revolution Growth UGP II, LLC, Revolution Growth GP II, LP and Mr. Murray may be deemed to have voting and dispositive power with respect to these shares. The business address of these accounts is 1717 Rhode Island Avenue, NW, 10th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20036.

 

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(2)

Represents                 shares of Series 1 common stock owned by General Catalyst Group IV, L.P. (“GCG IV”),                 shares of Series 1 common stock owned by GC Entrepreneurs Fund IV, L.P. (“GCE IV”),                 shares of Series 1 common stock owned by General Catalyst Group V, L.P. (“GCG V”),                 shares of Series 1 common stock owned by GC Entrepreneurs Fund V, L.P. (“GCE V”), and                 shares of Series 1 common stock owned by General Catalyst Group V Supplemental, L.P. (“GCG V S”). General Catalyst GP IV, LLC (“GCGP IV”) is the general partner of GCG IV and GCE IV, and General Catalyst GP V, LLC (“GCGP V”) is the general partner of GCG V, GCE V and GCG V S. Lawrence Bohn, a member of our board of directors, is a manager of General Catalyst Group, and, as a result, may be deemed to have voting and dispositive power over the shares held by GCG IV, GCE IV, GCG V, GCE V, and GCG V S. The address for General Catalyst is 20 University Road, Suite 450, Cambridge, MA 02138.

(3)

GGV Capital V L.L.C. is the general partner of GGV Capital. Jeff Richards, a member of our board of directors, is the managing director of GGV Capital V L.L.C., and, as a result, may be deemed to have voting and dispositive power over the shares held by each of GGV Capital. The address for GGV Capital is 3000 Sand Hill Road, Building 4, Suite 230, Menlo Park, CA 94025.

(4)

Softbank Princeville Investments, L.P. SB PV GP LP and SB PV GP LLC are the general partners of Softbank. Steven Murray, a member of our board of directors, is the managing member of SB PV GP LP and SB PV GP LLC, and, as a result, may be deemed to have voting and dispositive power over the shares held by Softbank. The address for Softbank is 38 Glen Avenue, Newton, MA 02459.

(5)

Includes                 shares of Series 1 common stock issuable upon the exercise of options exercisable within 60 days of March 31, 2020 and                 shares of unvested restricted stock as of March 31, 2020 that Mr. Bellm has the ability to vote.

(6)

Includes                 shares of Series 1 common stock issuable upon the exercise of options exercisable within 60 days of March 31, 2020 and                 shares of unvested restricted stock as of March 31, 2020 that Ms. Pearson has the ability to vote.

(7)

Includes                 shares of Series 1 common stock issuable upon the exercise of options exercisable within 60 days of March 31, 2020 and                 shares of unvested restricted stock as of March 31, 2020 that Mr. Dhatt has the ability to vote.

(8)

Consists of the shares described in footnote (2) above. Mr. Bohn may be deemed to share beneficial ownership of the shares held by General Catalyst. The address for Mr. Bohn is 20 University Road, Suite 450, Cambridge, MA 02138.

(9)

Includes                 shares of Series 1 common stock issuable upon the exercise of options exercisable within 60 days of March 31, 2020 and                 shares of unvested restricted stock as of March 31, 2020 that Mr. Clarke has the ability to vote.

(10)

Includes                 shares of Series 1 common stock issuable upon the exercise of options exercisable within 60 days of March 31, 2020 and shares of unvested restricted stock as of March 31, 2020 that Mr. McDonald has the ability to vote.

(11)

Consists of the shares described in footnotes (1) and (4) above. Mr. Murray may be deemed to share beneficial ownership of the shares held by Revolution Growth and Softbank. The address for Mr. Murray is 1717 Rhode Island Avenue, NW, 10th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20036.

(12)

Consists of the shares described in footnote (3) above. Mr. Richards may be deemed to share beneficial ownership of the shares held by GGV Capital. The address for Mr. Richards is 3000 Sand Hill Road, Building 4, Suite 230, Menlo Park, CA 94025.

 

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Description of Capital Stock

In connection with this offering, we will amend and restate our certificate of incorporation and our bylaws. The following is a description of the material terms of, and is qualified in its entirety by, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws, each of which will be in effect immediately prior to the closing of this offering, the forms of which will be filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Because this is only a summary, it may not contain all the information that is important to you.

General

Immediately prior to the closing of this offering, our authorized capital stock will consist of            shares of Series 1 common stock, par value $0.0001 per share,             shares of Series 2 common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, and            shares of preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share. Unless our board of directors determines otherwise, we will issue all shares of our capital stock in uncertificated form.

Common stock

As of December 31, 2019, there were             shares of our voting common stock (“Series 1 common stock”) and             shares of our non-voting common stock (“Series 2 common stock”) outstanding that were held of record by approximately            stockholders, assuming the conversion of our preferred stock into shares of common stock. There will be            shares of Series 1 common stock outstanding after giving effect to the sale of shares of Series 1 common stock offered by this prospectus.

Holders of shares of our Series 1 common stock are entitled to one vote for each share held of record on all matters on which stockholders are entitled to vote generally, including the election or removal of directors elected by our stockholders generally. The holders of our Series 1 common stock do not have cumulative voting rights in the election of directors. Holders of shares of our Series 2 common stock are not entitled to vote on any matters on which stockholders are entitled to vote generally, including the election or removal of directors elected by our stockholders. Accordingly, holders of a majority of our Series 1 common stock entitled to vote at an election of directors may elect all of the directors standing for election.

Subject to preferences that may be applicable to any preferred stock outstanding at the time, holders of shares of our Series 1 common stock and Series 2 common stock are entitled to receive dividends ratably when, as and if declared by our board of directors out of funds legally available therefor, subject to any statutory or contractual restrictions on the payment of dividends. See “Dividend Policy.”

Upon our liquidation, dissolution, or winding up and after payment in full of all amounts required to be paid to creditors and to the holders of preferred stock having liquidation preferences, if any, the holders of shares of our Series 1 common stock and Series 2 common stock will be entitled to receive pro rata our remaining assets available for distribution.

All shares of our Series 1 common stock and Series 2 common stock that will be outstanding at the time of the consummation of the offering will be fully paid and non-assessable. The Series 1 common stock and Series 2 common stock will not be subject to further calls or assessments by us. Holders of shares of our Series 1 common stock do not have preemptive, subscription, redemption, or conversion rights. Holders of shares of our Series 2 common stock do not have preemptive, subscription, or redemption rights. Shares of Series 2 common stock may be converted into an equal number of shares of Series 1 common stock at any time at the election of the holder thereof and mandatorily upon certain transfers. There will be no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to the Series 1 common stock or Series 2 common stock. The rights powers, preferences, and privileges of our Series 1 common stock and Series 2 common stock will be subject to those of the holders of any shares of our preferred stock or any other series or class of stock we may authorize and issue in the future.

 

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Preferred stock

No shares of preferred stock will be issued or outstanding immediately after the offering contemplated by this prospectus. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation authorizes our board of directors to establish one or more series of preferred stock (including convertible preferred stock). Unless required by law or any stock exchange, the authorized shares of preferred stock will be available for issuance without further action by the holders of our common stock. Our board of directors is able to determine, with respect to any series of preferred stock, the powers (including voting powers), preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights, and the qualifications, limitations, or restrictions thereof, including:

 

   

the designation of the series;

 

   

the number of shares of the series, which our board of directors may, except where otherwise provided in the preferred stock designation, increase (but not above the total number of authorized shares of the class) or decrease (but not below the number of shares then outstanding);

 

   

whether dividends, if any, will be cumulative or non-cumulative and the dividend rate of the series;

 

   

the dates at which dividends, if any, will be payable;

 

   

the redemption or repurchase rights and price or prices, if any, for shares of the series;

 

   

the terms and amounts of any sinking fund provided for the purchase or redemption of shares of the series;

 

   

the amounts payable on shares of the series in the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of our affairs;

 

   

whether the shares of the series will be convertible into shares of any other class or series, or any other security, of us or any other entity, and, if so, the specification of the other class or series or other security, the conversion price or prices or rate or rates, any rate adjustments, the date or dates as of which the shares will be convertible and all other terms and conditions upon which the conversion may be made;

 

   

restrictions on the issuance of shares of the same series or of any other class or series; and

 

   

the voting rights, if any, of the holders of the series.

We could issue a series of preferred stock that could, depending on the terms of the series, impede or discourage an acquisition attempt or other transaction that some, or a majority, of the holders of our common stock might believe to be in their best interests or in which the holders of our common stock might receive a premium over the market price of the shares of our common stock. Additionally, the issuance of preferred stock may adversely affect the rights of holders of our common stock by restricting dividends on the common stock, diluting the voting power of the common stock, or subordinating the liquidation rights of the common stock. As a result of these or other factors, the issuance of preferred stock could have an adverse impact on the market price of our common stock.

Registration rights

Our Investor Rights Agreement provides certain holders the right, beginning 180 days following the date of this prospectus, to demand that we file a registration statement or request that their shares be included in a registration statement that we are otherwise filing. See “Shares Eligible for Future Sale—Registration rights” for

 

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additional information regarding these registration rights. Pursuant to the Investor Rights Agreement, we are required to pay all registration expenses and indemnify these holders with respect to each registration of registrable shares that is effected.

Annual stockholder meetings

Our amended and restated bylaws provide that annual stockholder meetings will be held at a date, time and place, if any, as exclusively selected by our board of directors. To the extent permitted under applicable law, we may conduct meetings by remote communications, including by webcast.

Anti-takeover effects of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws and certain provisions of Delaware law

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws will contain, and the DGCL contains, provisions that are intended to enhance the likelihood of continuity and stability in the composition of our board of directors. These provisions are intended to avoid costly takeover battles, reduce our vulnerability to a hostile or abusive change of control, and enhance the ability of our board of directors to maximize stockholder value in connection with any unsolicited offer to acquire us. However, these provisions may have an antitakeover effect and may delay, deter, or prevent a merger or acquisition by means of a tender offer, a proxy contest, or other takeover attempt that a stockholder might consider in its best interest, including those attempts that might result in a premium over the prevailing market price for the shares of common stock held by stockholders.

Authorized but unissued capital stock

The authorized but unissued shares of common stock and preferred stock are available for future issuance without stockholder approval, subject to any limitations imposed by the listing standards of the                . These additional shares may be used for a variety of corporate finance transactions, acquisitions and employee benefit plans. The existence of authorized but unissued and unreserved common stock and preferred stock could make more difficult or discourage an attempt to obtain control of us by means of a proxy contest, tender offer, merger, or otherwise.

Classified board of directors

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that our board of directors will be divided into three classes, with the classes as nearly equal in number as possible and each class serving three-year staggered terms. Directors may only be removed from our board of directors for cause by the affirmative vote of at least a majority of the confirmed voting power of our Series 1 common stock. In addition, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will also provide that, subject to the rights granted to one or more series of preferred stock then outstanding, any newly created directorship on the board of directors that results from an increase in the number of directors and any vacancies on our board of directors will be filled only by the affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining directors, even if less than a quorum, by a sole remaining director. See “Management—Composition of the board of directors.” These provisions may have the effect of deferring, delaying, or discouraging hostile takeovers, or changes in control of us or our management.

Business combinations

We intend to opt out of Section 203 of the DGCL, which prohibits a Delaware corporation from engaging in any “business combination” with any “interested stockholder” for a period of three years after the date that such stockholder became an interested stockholder, subject to certain exceptions; however, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation contains similar provisions providing that we may not engage in certain business

 

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combinations with any interested stockholder for a three-year period following the time that the stockholder became an interested stockholder, unless:

 

   

prior to such time, our board of directors approved either the business combination or the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder;

 

   

upon consummation of the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, the interested stockholder owned at least 85% of our voting stock outstanding at the time the transaction commenced, excluding certain shares; or

 

   

at or subsequent to that time, the business combination is approved by our board of directors and by the affirmative vote of holders of at least 6623% of our outstanding voting stock that is not owned by the interested stockholder.

Generally, a “business combination” includes a merger, asset or stock sale, or other transaction resulting in a financial benefit to the interested stockholder. Subject to certain exceptions, an “interested stockholder” is a person who, together with that person’s affiliates and associates, owns, or within the previous three years owned, 15% or more of our outstanding voting stock. For purposes of this section only, “voting stock” has the meaning given to it in Section 203 of the DGCL.

Under certain circumstances, this provision will make it more difficult for a person who would be an “interested stockholder” to effect various business combinations with us for a three-year period. This provision may encourage companies interested in acquiring us to negotiate in advance with our board of directors because the stockholder approval requirement would be avoided if our board of directors approves either the business combination or the transaction that results in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder. These provisions also may have the effect of preventing changes in our board of directors and may make it more difficult to accomplish transactions that stockholders may otherwise deem to be in their best interests.

No cumulative voting

Under Delaware law, the right to vote cumulatively does not exist unless the certificate of incorporation specifically authorizes cumulative voting. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation does not authorize cumulative voting. Therefore, stockholders holding a majority of the shares of our stock entitled to vote generally in the election of directors will be able to elect all of our directors.

Special stockholder meetings

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that special meetings of our stockholders may be called at any time only by or at the direction of the board of directors or the chairman of the board of directors. Our amended and restated bylaws prohibit the conduct of any business at a special meeting other than as specified in the notice for such meeting. These provisions may have the effect of deferring, delaying, or discouraging hostile takeovers or changes in control or management.

Director nominations and stockholder proposals

Our amended and restated bylaws establish advance notice procedures with respect to stockholder proposals and the nomination of candidates for election as directors, other than nominations made by or at the direction of the board of directors or a committee of the board of directors. In order for any matter to be “properly brought” before a meeting, a stockholder will have to comply with advance notice requirements and provide us with certain information. Generally, to be timely, a stockholder’s notice must be received at our principal executive offices not less than 90 days nor more than 120 days prior to the first anniversary date of the immediately preceding annual meeting of stockholders. Our amended and restated bylaws also specify requirements as to the

 

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form and content of a stockholder’s notice. Our amended and restated bylaws allow the chairman of the meeting at a meeting of the stockholders to adopt rules and regulations for the conduct of meetings that may have the effect of precluding the conduct of certain business at a meeting if the rules and regulations are not followed. These provisions may also defer, delay, or discourage a potential acquirer from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect the acquirer’s own slate of directors or otherwise attempting to influence or obtain control.

Stockholder action by written consent

Pursuant to Section 228 of the DGCL, any action required to be taken at any annual or special meeting of the stockholders may be taken without a meeting, without prior notice, and without a vote if a consent or consents in writing, setting forth the action so taken, is or are signed by the holders of outstanding stock having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting at which all shares of our stock entitled to vote thereon were present and voted, unless our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide otherwise. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will preclude stockholder action by written consent, unless such action is recommended by all directors then in office.

Amendment of amended and restated certificate of incorporation or bylaws

The DGCL provides generally that the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares entitled to vote on any matter is required to amend a corporation’s certificate of incorporation or bylaws, unless a corporation’s certificate of incorporation or bylaws, as the case may be, requires a greater percentage. Upon the closing of this offering, our bylaws may be amended or repealed by a majority vote of our board of directors or by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 6623% of the votes which all our stockholders would be entitled to cast in any annual election of directors. In addition, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 6623% of the votes which all our stockholders would be entitled to cast in any election of directors will be required to amend or repeal or to adopt any provisions inconsistent with any of the provisions of our certificate of incorporation described above.

The foregoing provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and bylaws could discourage potential acquisition proposals and could delay or prevent a change in control. These provisions are intended to enhance the likelihood of continuity and stability in the composition of our board of directors and in the policies formulated by our board of directors and to discourage certain types of transactions that may involve an actual or threatened change of control. These provisions are designed to reduce our vulnerability to an unsolicited acquisition proposal. The provisions also are intended to discourage certain tactics that may be used in proxy fights. However, such provisions could have the effect of discouraging others from making tender offers for our shares and, as a consequence, they also may inhibit fluctuations in the market price of our shares of common stock that could result from actual or rumored takeover attempts. Such provisions also may have the effect of preventing changes in our management or delaying or preventing a transaction that might benefit you or other minority stockholders.

Exclusive forum

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware be the sole and exclusive forum for: (1) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of our company, (2) any action asserting a claim of breach of fiduciary duty owed by any director (including any director serving as a member of the Executive Committee), officer, agent, or other employee or stockholder of our company to us or our stockholders, (3) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the Delaware General Corporation Law (“DGCL”), the amended and restated certificate of incorporation or our bylaws or as to which the DGCL confers jurisdiction on the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, or (4) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine, in each case subject to such Court of Chancery having personal jurisdiction over the indispensable parties named as defendants therein. However, the exclusive forum clauses described above shall

 

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not apply to suits brought to enforce a duty or liability created by the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction. Although we believe this provision benefits us by providing increased consistency in the application of Delaware law in the types of lawsuits to which it applies, the provision may have the effect of discouraging lawsuits against our directors and officers. The enforceability of similar choice of forum provisions in other companies’ certificates of incorporation has been challenged in legal proceedings. It is possible that, in connection with any applicable action brought against us, a court could find the choice of forum provisions contained in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to be inapplicable or unenforceable in such action. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of our capital stock shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to the forum provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation.

Limitations of liability and indemnification

The DGCL authorizes corporations to limit or eliminate the personal liability of directors to corporations and their stockholders for monetary damages for breaches of directors’ fiduciary duties, subject to certain exceptions. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation includes a provision that eliminates the personal liability of directors for monetary damages to the corporation or its stockholders for any breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except to the extent such exemption from liability or limitation thereof is not permitted under the DGCL. The effect of these provisions is to eliminate the rights of us and our stockholders, through stockholders’ derivative suits on our behalf, to recover monetary damages from a director for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, including breaches resulting from grossly negligent behavior. However, exculpation does not apply to any breaches of the director’s duty of loyalty, any acts or omissions not in good faith or that involve intentional misconduct or knowing violation of law, any authorization of dividends or stock redemptions or repurchases paid or made in violation of the DGCL, or for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit.

Our amended and restated bylaws generally provide that we must indemnify and advance expenses to our directors and officers to the fullest extent authorized by the DGCL. We also are expressly authorized to carry directors’ and officers’ liability insurance providing indemnification for our directors, officers and certain employees for some liabilities. We believe these indemnification and advancement provisions and insurance are useful to attract and retain qualified directors and executive officers.

The limitation of liability, indemnification and advancement provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws may discourage stockholders from bringing a lawsuit against directors for breach of their fiduciary duty. These provisions also may have the effect of reducing the likelihood of derivative litigation against directors and officers, even though such an action, if successful, might otherwise benefit us and our stockholders. In addition, your investment may be adversely affected to the extent we pay the costs of settlement and damage awards against directors and officers pursuant to these indemnification provisions.

There is currently no pending material litigation or proceeding involving any of our directors, officers or employees for which indemnification is sought.

We intend to enter into an indemnification agreement with each of our directors and executive officers as described in “Certain Relationships and Related Person Transactions—Indemnification agreements.” Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors or executive officers, we have been informed that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy and is therefore unenforceable.

Transfer agent and registrar

The transfer agent and registrar for shares of our common stock will be            .

Listing

We intend to apply to list our common stock on the            under the symbol “BIGC.”

 

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U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations for Non-U.S. Holders

The following discussion is a summary of U.S. federal income tax considerations generally applicable to the ownership and disposition of our Series 1 common stock by a Non-U.S. Holder (as defined below) that holds our Series 1 common stock as a capital asset (generally, property held for investment). This discussion is based on the Code, Treasury Department regulations promulgated thereunder (“Regulations”), judicial decisions, administrative pronouncements and other relevant applicable authorities, all as currently in effect as of the date hereof and all of which are subject to change or differing interpretations (possibly with retroactive effect). No ruling has been or will be sought from the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”), with respect to the matters discussed below, and there can be no assurance the IRS will not take a contrary position regarding the tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership or disposition of our Series 1 common stock. In either case, the tax considerations of owning or disposing of our Series 1 common stock could differ from those described below.

This discussion does not address all U.S. federal income tax considerations that may be applicable to Non-U.S. Holders in light of their particular circumstances or Non-U.S. Holders subject to special treatment under U.S. federal income tax law, such as:

 

   

banks, insurance companies, and other financial institutions;

 

   

brokers, dealers, or traders in securities, commodities, or currencies;

 

   

certain former citizens or residents of the United States;

 

   

persons that elect to mark their securities to market;

 

   

persons holding our Series 1 common stock as part of a straddle, hedge, conversion, or other integrated transaction;

 

   

persons who acquired shares of our Series 1 common stock as compensation or otherwise in connection with the performance of services;

 

   

controlled foreign corporations;

 

   

passive foreign investment companies;

 

   

corporations that accumulate earnings to avoid U.S. federal income tax;

 

   

tax-qualified retirement plans; and

 

   

tax-exempt organizations and governmental organizations.

In addition, this discussion does not address any U.S. state or local or non-U.S. tax considerations or any U.S. federal estate, gift, alternative minimum tax, or Medicare contribution tax considerations. Non-U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the particular tax considerations to them of owning and disposing of our Series 1 common stock.

For purposes of this discussion, a “Non-U.S. Holder” is a beneficial owner of our Series 1 common stock that is not for U.S. federal income tax purposes:

 

   

an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States;

 

   

a corporation (or other entity treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes) created or organized in or under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia;

 

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an estate, the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source; or

 

   

a trust (i) the administration of which is subject to the primary supervision of a court within the United States and for which one or more U.S. persons have the authority to control all substantial decisions, or (ii) that has otherwise validly elected to be treated as a U.S. person under the applicable Regulations.

If a partnership (or other entity treated as a partnership or other pass-through entity for U.S. federal income tax purposes) holds our Series 1 common stock, the tax treatment of a partner or beneficial owner of the entity will generally depend on the status of the owner and the activities of the entity. Partners in a partnership (or beneficial owners of another entity treated as a partnership or other pass-through entity for U.S. federal income tax purposes) should consult their tax advisors regarding the tax considerations of an investment in our Series 1 common stock.

INVESTORS CONSIDERING THE PURCHASE OF SERIES 1 COMMON STOCK SHOULD CONSULT THEIR OWN TAX ADVISORS REGARDING THE APPLICATION OF THE U.S. FEDERAL INCOME AND ESTATE TAX LAWS TO THEIR PARTICULAR SITUATIONS AND THE CONSEQUENCES OF OTHER U.S. FEDERAL, FOREIGN, STATE OR LOCAL LAWS AND ANY APPLICABLE TAX TREATIES.

Distributions on our Series 1 common stock

As discussed under “Dividend Policy” above, we do not currently anticipate paying cash dividends to our Series 1 common stockholders. In the event that we do make distributions of cash or property (other than certain stock distributions) with respect to our Series 1 common stock (or that we engage in certain redemptions that are treated as distributions with respect to Series 1 common stock), any such distributions generally will be treated as dividends to the extent paid from our current or accumulated earnings and profits (as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles). If a distribution exceeds our current and accumulated earnings and profits (as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles), the excess will be treated first as a tax-free return of capital to the extent of a Non-U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in our Series 1 common stock and thereafter as capital gain from the deemed sale, exchange or other taxable disposition of our Series 1 common stock, with the tax treatment described below in “Sale, exchange or other disposition of our Series 1 common stock.”

Subject to the discussions below regarding effectively connected income and under “Foreign account tax compliance act withholding taxes,” distributions treated as dividends paid on our Series 1 common stock to a Non-U.S. Holder will generally be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax at a 30% rate, unless the Non-U.S. Holder is entitled to a reduced rate under an applicable income tax treaty. To obtain a reduced rate of withholding under an applicable income tax treaty, a Non-U.S. Holder will generally be required to (1) provide a properly executed IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E (or any applicable successor or replacement forms), as applicable, certifying that it is not a U.S. person as defined under the Code and that it is entitled to benefits under the treaty or (2) if such Non-U.S. Holder’s Series 1 common stock is held through certain foreign intermediaries or foreign partnerships, satisfy the relevant certification requirements of applicable Regulations. A Non-U.S. Holder eligible for a reduced rate of U.S. federal withholding tax pursuant to an income tax treaty may obtain a refund of any excess amounts withheld by timely filing an appropriate claim for refund with the IRS.

Subject to the discussion below under “Foreign account tax compliance act withholding taxes,” no amounts in respect of U.S. federal withholding tax will be withheld from dividends paid to a Non-U.S. Holder if the dividends are effectively connected with such Non-U.S. Holder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, are attributable to a permanent establishment maintained by such Non-U.S. Holder in the United States) and the Non-U.S. Holder provides a properly executed IRS Form W-8ECI, or other applicable successor or replacement form before payment of any distributions. Instead, the effectively connected dividends will generally be subject to regular U.S. income tax on a net income basis as if the Non-U.S. Holder were a U.S. person as defined under the Code. A Non-U.S. Holder that is treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes receiving effectively connected dividends may also be

 

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subject to an additional “branch profits tax” imposed at a rate of 30% (or a lower treaty rate) on its effectively connected earnings and profits (subject to certain adjustments).

A Non-U.S. Holder who provides us with an IRS Form W-8BEN, IRS Form W-8BEN-E, IRS Form W-8ECI or other applicable successor form will be required to periodically update such form.

Sale, exchange, or other disposition of our Series 1 common stock

Subject to the discussion below under “Information reporting and backup withholding,” a Non-U.S. Holder will generally not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on gain realized on a sale, exchange or other disposition of our Series 1 common stock unless:

 

   

such gain is effectively connected with a trade or business conducted by such Non-U.S. Holder in the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, is attributable to a permanent establishment maintained by such Non-U.S. Holder in the United States), in which case such gain will generally be subject to U.S. federal income tax in the same manner as effectively connected dividend income as described above;

 

   

such Non-U.S. Holder is an individual present in the United States for 183 days or more in the taxable year of disposition and certain other conditions are met, in which case such gain will generally be subject to U.S. federal income tax at a rate of 30% (or a lower treaty rate), which gain may be offset by certain U.S.-source capital losses even though the individual is not considered a resident of the United States; or

 

   

we are or become a United States real property holding corporation (as defined in section 897(c) of the Code, a “USRPHC”), at any time within the shorter of the five-year period preceding the disposition or the Non-U.S. Holder’s holding period.

Determining whether we are a USRPHC depends on the fair market value of our U.S. real property interests relative to the fair market value of our other trade or business assets and our foreign real property interests. Although there can be no assurances in this regard, we believe we are not a USRPHC and we do not anticipate becoming a USRPHC for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If we become a USRPHC after this offering, so long as our Series 1 common stock is regularly traded on an established securities market and continues to be so traded, a Non-U.S. Holder will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on gain recognized from the sale, exchange or other disposition of shares of our Series 1 common stock as a result of such status unless (1) such holder actually or constructively owned more than 5% of our Series 1 common stock at any time during the shorter of (A) the five-year period preceding the disposition, or (B) the holder’s holding period for our Series 1 common stock, and (2) we were a USRPHC at any time during such period when the more than 5% ownership test was met. If any gain on your disposition is taxable because we are a USRPHC and your ownership of our Series 1 common stock exceeds 5%, you will be taxed on such disposition generally in the manner applicable to U.S. persons. Any such Non-U.S. Holder that owns or has owned, actually or constructively, more than 5% of our Series 1 common stock is urged to consult that holder’s own tax advisor with respect to the particular tax consequences to such holder for the gain from the sale, exchange, or other disposition of shares of our Series 1 common stock if we were to be or to become a USRPHC.

Information reporting and backup withholding

Generally, we must report annually to the IRS the amount of dividends paid, the name and address of the recipient, and the amount, if any, of tax withheld. A similar report is sent to the holder. Under tax treaties or other agreements, the IRS may make its reports available to tax authorities in the Non-U.S. Holder’s country of residence.

Information reporting and, in certain circumstances, backup withholding will apply to the payment of dividends and proceeds of a sale or other disposition of our Series 1 common stock made within the United States

 

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or conducted through certain United States-related financial intermediaries, unless the beneficial owner certifies under penalty of perjury that it is a Non-U.S. Holder (and the payor does not have actual knowledge or reason to know that the beneficial owner is a United States person as defined under the Code), or such owner otherwise establishes an exemption by properly certifying its Non-U.S. Holder status on an IRS Form W-8BEN, W-8BEN-E, or other applicable or successor form.

Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Rather, the U.S. income tax liability (if any) of persons subject to backup withholding will be reduced by the amount of tax withheld. If backup withholding results in an overpayment of taxes, a refund may be obtained, provided that the required information is timely furnished to the IRS.

Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act withholding taxes

Withholding taxes may be imposed under Sections 1471 to 1474 of the Code (such sections commonly referred to as the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act or “FATCA”) on certain types of payments made to non-U.S. financial institutions and certain other non-U.S. entities. FATCA may require withholding at a rate of 30% on dividends in respect of our Series 1 common stock held by or through certain “foreign financial institutions” or a “non-financial foreign entity” (each as defined in the Code), unless such institution (i) enters into, and complies with, an agreement with the Treasury Department to report, on an annual basis, information with respect to interests in, and accounts maintained by, the institution to the extent such interests or accounts are held by certain U.S. persons and by certain non-U.S. entities that are wholly or partially owned by U.S. persons and to withhold on certain payments or (ii) complies with an intergovernmental agreement between the United States and an applicable foreign country to report such information to its local tax authority, which will exchange such information with the U.S. authorities. Accordingly, the entity through which our Series 1 common stock is held will affect the determination of whether such withholding is required. Similarly, dividends in respect of our Series 1 common stock held by an investor that is a non-financial non-U.S. entity that does not qualify under certain exemptions will be subject to withholding at a rate of 30%, unless such entity either (i) certifies that such entity does not have any “substantial United States owners” or (ii) provides certain information regarding the entity’s “substantial United States owners,” which we or the applicable withholding agent will in turn provide to the Treasury Department. We will not pay any amounts to holders in respect of any amounts withheld. Under existing Regulations, FATCA withholding on gross proceeds from the sale or other disposition of our Series 1 common stock was to take effect on January 1, 2019; however, recently proposed Regulations, which may currently be relied upon, would eliminate FATCA withholding on such types of payments. Non-U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the possible implications of this withholding tax on their investment in our Series 1 common stock.

U.S. federal estate tax

The estates of nonresident alien individuals are generally subject to U.S. federal estate tax on property with a U.S. situs. Because we are a U.S. corporation, our Series 1 common stock will be U.S. situs property and therefore will be included in the taxable estate of a nonresident alien decedent. The U.S. federal estate tax liability of the estate of a nonresident alien may be affected by a tax treaty between the United States and the decedent’s country of residence.

THE PRECEDING DISCUSSION OF U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS IS FOR GENERAL INFORMATION ONLY. IT IS NOT TAX ADVICE. EACH PROSPECTIVE INVESTOR SHOULD CONSULT ITS OWN TAX ADVISOR REGARDING THE PARTICULAR U.S. FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL, AND FOREIGN TAX CONSEQUENCES OF PURCHASING, HOLDING, AND DISPOSING OF OUR SERIES 1 COMMON STOCK, INCLUDING THE CONSEQUENCES OF ANY PROPOSED CHANGE IN APPLICABLE LAWS.

 

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Shares Eligible for Future Sale

Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our Series 1 common stock. No prediction is made as to the effect, if any, future sales of shares, or the availability for future sales of shares, will have on the market price of our Series 1 common stock prevailing from time to time. The sale of substantial amounts of our Series 1 common stock in the public market, or the perception that such sales could occur, could harm the prevailing market price of our Series 1 common stock.

Upon the closing of this offering, we will have outstanding            shares of Series 1 common stock (or            shares of Series 1 common stock if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares of Series 1 common stock is exercised in full) and            shares of Series 2 common stock. The shares of Series 1 common stock sold in this offering will be freely tradable without restriction or further registration under the Securities Act, except for any Series 1 common stock held by our “affiliates,” as defined in Rule 144, which would be subject to the limitations and restrictions described below. The remaining outstanding shares of our Series 1 common stock and Series 2 common stock will be deemed “restricted securities” as defined in Rule 144 under the Securities Act. Restricted securities may be sold in the public market only if they are registered under the Securities Act or if they qualify for an exemption from registration under Rule 144 or Rule 701 promulgated pursuant to the Securities Act, which are summarized below.

As a result of lock-up agreements and market standoff provisions described below and the provisions of Rules 144 and 701, shares of our common stock will be available for sale in the public market as follows:

 

   

                shares of our common stock will be eligible for immediate sale upon the closing of this offering; and

 

   

                shares of our common stock will be eligible for sale upon expiration of lock-up agreements and market standoff provisions described below, beginning 181 days after the date of this prospectus, subject in certain circumstances to the volume, manner of sale, and other limitations under Rule 144 and Rule 701.

We may issue shares of our capital stock from time to time for a variety of corporate purposes, including in capital-raising activities through future public offerings or private placements, in connection with the exercise of stock options and warrants, vesting of restricted stock units and other issuances relating to our employee benefit plans and as consideration for future acquisitions, investments, or other purposes. The number of shares of our capital stock that we may issue may be significant, depending on the events surrounding such issuances. In some cases, the shares we issue may be freely tradable without restriction or further registration under the Securities Act; in other cases, we may grant registration rights covering the shares issued in connection with these issuances, in which case the holders of the shares will have the right, under certain circumstances, to cause us to register any resale of such shares to the public.

Registration statements on Form S-8

As of December 31, 2019, options to purchase an aggregate of            shares of our Series 1 common stock were outstanding. In addition, following the completion of this offering,             shares of our Series 1 common stock may be granted under our 2020 Plan and              shares of our Series 1 common stock may be granted under our 2020 ESPP, which amounts may be subject to annual adjustment. See “Executive and Director Compensation—Stock option and other compensation plans.” We intend to file one or more registration statements on Form S-8 under the Securities Act to register Series 1 common stock issued or reserved for issuance under our 2013 Plan, our 2020 Plan, and our 2020 ESPP. Any such registration statement on Form S-8 will automatically become effective upon filing. Accordingly, shares of Series 1 common stock registered under such registration statement will be available for sale in the open market, subject to any vesting restrictions or the lock-up restrictions and Rule 144 limitations applicable to affiliates described below.

 

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Lock-up agreements and market stand-off provisions

We, all of our directors and officers, and the holders of substantially all of our equity securities outstanding immediately prior to this offering have agreed with the underwriters, subject to certain exceptions, not to: (1) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of common stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of common stock, (2) file any registration statement with the SEC relating to the offering of any shares of common stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for common stock, or (3) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the common stock, whether owned directly by such member (including holding as a custodian) or with respect to which such member has beneficial ownership within the rules and regulations of the SEC, during the period from the date of this prospectus continuing through the date 180 days after the date of this prospectus, except with the prior written consent of Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and Barclays Capital Inc. Our lock-up agreement will provide for certain exceptions. See “Underwriting.”

In addition to the restrictions contained in the lock-up agreements described above, we have entered into agreements with certain of our security holders, including our Investor Rights Agreement and agreements governing our equity awards, that contain market stand-off provisions imposing restrictions on the ability of such security holders to offer, sell or transfer our equity securities for a period of 180 days following the date of this prospectus.

Rule 144

The shares of common stock to be issued upon conversion of our outstanding preferred stock and the outstanding shares of common stock held by our existing stockholders are “restricted” securities under Rule 144, and may not be sold in the absence of registration under the Securities Act unless an exemption from registration is available, including the exemption provided by Rule 144.

In general, under Rule 144, a person (or persons whose shares are aggregated) who is not deemed to have been an “affiliate” of ours at any time during the three months preceding a sale, and who has held restricted securities (within the meaning of Rule 144) for at least six months (including any period of consecutive ownership of preceding non-affiliated holders) would be entitled to sell those securities, subject only to the availability of current public information about us. As defined in Rule 144, an “affiliate” of an issuer is a person that directly, or indirectly, through one or more intermediaries, controls, or is under common control with the issuer. A non-affiliated person who has held restricted securities within the meaning of Rule 144 for at least one year would be entitled to sell those securities without regard to the provisions of Rule 144.

A person (or persons whose securities are aggregated) who is deemed to be an affiliate of ours and who has held restricted securities (within the meaning of Rule 144) for at least six months would be entitled to sell within any three-month period a number of securities that does not exceed the greater of one percent of the then outstanding shares of securities of such class or the average weekly trading volume of securities of such class during the four calendar weeks preceding such sale. Such sales are also subject to certain manner of sale provisions, notice requirements and the availability of current public information about us (which requires that we are current in our periodic reports under the Exchange Act).

Rule 701

Rule 701 generally allows a stockholder who purchased shares of our capital stock pursuant to a written compensatory plan or contract and who is not deemed to have been an affiliate of our company during the immediately preceding 90 days to sell these shares in reliance upon Rule 144, but without being required to comply with the public information, holding period, volume limitation, or notice provisions of Rule 144.

 

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Rule 701 also permits our affiliates to sell their Rule 701 shares under Rule 144 without complying with the holding period requirements of Rule 144. All holders of Rule 701 shares, however, are required by that rule to wait until 90 days after the date of this prospectus before selling those shares pursuant to Rule 701. Moreover, all Rule 701 shares are subject to lock-up agreements or market stand-off provisions as described above and under “Underwriting” and will not become eligible for sale until the expiration of those agreements.

Registration rights

Pursuant to our Investor Rights Agreement, certain stockholders have the right, following the closing of this offering, to demand that we file a registration statement or request that their shares be included in a registration statement that we are otherwise filing. We refer to the shares held by holders having rights under this agreement as registrable securities. As of December 31, 2019, the holders of          registrable securities, including shares issuable upon the conversion of all outstanding preferred stock, have rights under this agreement.

Demand registration rights

Pursuant to our Investor Rights Agreement, beginning 180 days after the effective date of the registration statement for this offering and until the earlier of (1) the date four years following the completion of this offering and (2) the closing of a deemed liquidation event, the holders of at least a majority of the registrable securities with demand registration rights can demand that we file up to two registration statements on Form S-1. Additionally, beginning 180 days after the effective date of the registration statement for this offering and until the earlier of (1) the date four years following the completion of this offering and (2) the closing of a deemed liquidation event, Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC can demand that we file one registration statement on Form S-1. Under specified circumstances, we also have the right to defer filing of a requested registration statement for a period of not more than 30 days, which right may not be exercised more than once during any 12-month period. These registration rights are subject to additional conditions and limitations, including the right of the underwriters to limit the number of shares included in any such registration under certain circumstances.

Form S-3 registration rights

Pursuant to our Investor Rights Agreement, if we are eligible to file a registration statement on Form S-3, the holders of registrable securities have the right to demand that we file additional registration statements, including a shelf registration statement, for such holders on Form S-3, if the aggregate anticipated offering price is at least $1.5 million.

Piggyback registration rights

Pursuant to our Investor Rights Agreement, if we propose to file a registration statement under the Securities Act, other than with respect to a registration related to employee benefit plans, a registration related to the issuance or resale of any securities issued in a corporate reorganization or transaction under Rule 145 of the Securities Act, or a registration in which the only common stock being registered is common stock issuable upon conversion of debt securities, the holders of all registrable securities are entitled to receive notice of the registration and to include their registrable securities in such registration. Holders of registrable securities will be entitled to notice of this registration and will be entitled to include their registrable securities in the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, subject to customary exclusions and limitations.

Expenses of registration

We are required to pay all expenses in connection with the registration, qualification, or compliance of sales relating to any demand, Form S-3, or piggyback registration. All selling expenses incurred will be borne by holders pro rata on the basis of the number of shares registered. We will not pay for any expenses of any demand registration if the request is subsequently withdrawn by the holders of a majority of the shares requested to be included in such a registration statement, subject to limited exceptions.

 

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Underwriting

Under the terms and subject to the conditions in an underwriting agreement dated the date of this prospectus, the underwriters named below, for whom Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and Barclays Capital Inc. are acting as representatives, have severally agreed to purchase, and we have agreed to sell to them, severally, the number of shares indicated below:

 

Name

   Number of Shares  

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC

                   

Barclays Capital Inc.

  

Jefferies LLC

  

KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc.

  
  

 

 

 

Total:

  
  

 

 

 

The underwriters and the representatives are collectively referred to as the “underwriters” and the “representatives,” respectively. The underwriters are offering the shares of Series 1 common stock subject to their acceptance of the shares from us and subject to prior sale. The underwriting agreement provides that the obligations of the several underwriters to pay for and accept delivery of the shares of Series 1 common stock offered by this prospectus are subject to the approval of certain legal matters by their counsel and to certain other conditions. The underwriters are obligated to take and pay for all of the shares of Series 1 common stock offered by this prospectus if any such shares are taken. However, the underwriters are not required to take or pay for the shares covered by the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares described below.

The underwriters initially propose to offer part of the shares of Series 1 common stock directly to the public at the offering price set forth on the cover page of this prospectus and part to certain dealers. After the initial offering of the shares of Series 1 common stock, the offering price and other selling terms may from time to time be varied by the representatives.

We have granted to the underwriters an option, exercisable for 30 days from the date of this prospectus, to purchase up to                additional shares of Series 1 common stock at the public offering price set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, less underwriting discounts and commissions. The underwriters may exercise this option solely for the purpose of covering over-allotments, if any, made in connection with the offering of the shares of Series 1 common stock offered by this prospectus. To the extent the option is exercised, each underwriter will become obligated, subject to certain conditions, to purchase about the same percentage of the additional shares of Series 1 common stock as the number listed next to the underwriter’s name in the preceding table bears to the total number of shares of Series 1 common stock listed next to the names of all underwriters in the preceding table.

The following table shows the per share and total public offering price, underwriting discounts and commissions, and proceeds before expenses to us. These amounts are shown assuming both no exercise and full exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase up to an additional                 shares of Series 1 common stock.

 

            Total  
     Per
      Share      
     No Exercise      Full
    Exercise    
 

Public offering price

   $                    $                    $                    

Underwriting discounts and commissions to be paid by us

   $        $        $    

Proceeds, before expenses, to us

   $        $        $    

 

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The estimated offering expenses payable by us, exclusive of the underwriting discounts and commissions, are approximately $                . We have agreed to reimburse the underwriters for expenses relating to clearance of this offering with Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. up to $                .

The underwriters have informed us that they do not intend sales to discretionary accounts to exceed 5% of the total number of shares of Series 1 common stock offered by them.

We intend to apply to list our Series 1 common stock on the      under the trading symbol “BIGC.”

We and all directors and officers and the holders of all of our outstanding stock and stock options have agreed that, subject to certain exceptions, without the prior written consent of the representatives on behalf of the underwriters, we and they will not during the period ending 180 days after the date of this prospectus (the “restricted period”):

 

   

offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of common stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of common stock;

 

   

file any registration statement with the SEC relating to the offering of any shares of common stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for common stock; or

 

   

enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the common stock,

whether any such transaction described above is to be settled by delivery of Series 1 common stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise. In addition, we and each such person agree that, without the prior written consent of the representatives on behalf of the underwriters, we or such other person will not, during the restricted period, make any demand for, or exercise any right with respect to, the registration of any shares of Series 1 common stock or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Series 1 common stock.

Subject to compliance with the notification and public announcement requirements related to the lock-up agreements with directors and officers under FINRA Rule 5131(d)(2), the representatives, in their sole discretion, may release the Series 1 common stock and other securities subject to the lock-up agreements described above in whole or in part at any time.

In order to facilitate the offering of the Series 1 common stock, the underwriters may engage in transactions that stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the price of the Series 1 common stock. Specifically, the underwriters may sell more shares than they are obligated to purchase under the underwriting agreement, creating a short position. A short sale is covered if the short position is no greater than the number of shares available for purchase by the underwriters under their option to purchase additional shares. The underwriters can close out a covered short sale by exercising the option to purchase additional shares or purchasing shares in the open market. In determining the source of shares to close out a covered short sale, the underwriters will consider, among other things, the open market price of shares compared to the price available under the over-allotment option. The underwriters may also sell shares in excess of the option to purchase additional shares, creating a naked short position. The underwriters must close out any naked short position by purchasing shares in the open market. A naked short position is more likely to be created if the underwriters are concerned that there may be downward pressure on the price of the Series 1 common stock in the open market after pricing that could adversely affect investors who purchase in this offering. As an additional means of facilitating this offering, the underwriters may bid for, and purchase, shares of Series 1 common stock in the open market to stabilize the price of the Series 1

 

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common stock. These activities may raise or maintain the market price of the Series 1 common stock above independent market levels or prevent or retard a decline in the market price of the Series 1 common stock. The underwriters are not required to engage in these activities and may end any of these activities at any time.

We and the underwriters have agreed to indemnify each other against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act.

A prospectus in electronic format may be made available on websites maintained by one or more underwriters, or selling group members, if any, participating in this offering. The representatives may agree to allocate a number of shares of Series 1 common stock to underwriters for sale to their online brokerage account holders. Internet distributions will be allocated by the representatives to underwriters that may make internet distributions on the same basis as other allocations.

The underwriters and their respective affiliates are full service financial institutions engaged in various activities, which may include securities trading, commercial and investment banking, financial advisory, investment management, investment research, principal investment, hedging, financing, and brokerage activities. Certain of the underwriters and their respective affiliates have, from time to time, performed, and may in the future perform, various financial advisory and investment banking services for us, for which they received or will receive customary fees and expenses.

In addition, in the ordinary course of their various business activities, the underwriters and their respective affiliates may make or hold a broad array of investments and actively trade debt and equity securities (or related derivative securities) and financial instruments (including bank loans) for their own account and for the accounts of their customers and may at any time hold long and short positions in such securities and instruments. Such investment and securities activities may involve our securities and instruments. The underwriters and their respective affiliates may also make investment recommendations or publish or express independent research views in respect of such securities or instruments and may at any time hold, or recommend to clients that they acquire, long or short positions in such securities and instruments.

Pricing of the offering

Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our Series 1 common stock. The initial public offering price will be determined by negotiations among us and the representatives. Among the factors considered in determining the initial public offering price will be our future prospects and those of our industry in general, our sales, earnings and certain other financial and operating information in recent periods, and the price-earnings ratios, price-sales ratios, market prices of securities, and certain financial and operating information of companies engaged in activities similar to ours.

Selling restrictions

Australia

This prospectus:

 

   

does not constitute a disclosure document or a prospectus under Chapter 6D.2 of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) (the “Corporations Act”);

 

   

has not been, and will not be, lodged with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (“ASIC”), as a disclosure document for the purposes of the Corporations Act and does not purport to include the information required of a disclosure document for the purposes of the Corporations Act; and

 

   

may only be provided in Australia to select investors who are able to demonstrate that they fall within one or more of the categories of investors, available under section 708 of the Corporations Act (“Exempt Investors”).

 

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The securities may not be directly or indirectly offered for subscription or purchased or sold, and no invitations to subscribe for or buy the securities may be issued, and no draft or definitive offering memorandum, advertisement or other offering material relating to any securities may be distributed in Australia, except where disclosure to investors is not required under Chapter 6D of the Corporations Act or is otherwise in compliance with all applicable Australian laws and regulations. By submitting an application for the securities, you represent and warrant to us that you are an Exempt Investor.

As any offer of securities under this document will be made without disclosure in Australia under Chapter 6D.2 of the Corporations Act, the offer of those securities for resale in Australia within 12 months may, under section 707 of the Corporations Act, require disclosure to investors under Chapter 6D.2 if none of the exemptions in section 708 applies to that resale. By applying for the securities you undertake to us that you will not, for a period of 12 months from the date of sale of the securities, offer, transfer, assign or otherwise alienate those securities to investors in Australia except in circumstances where disclosure to investors is not required under Chapter 6D.2 of the Corporations Act or where a compliant disclosure document is prepared and lodged with ASIC.

Canada

The securities may be sold only to purchasers purchasing, or deemed to be purchasing, as principal that are accredited investors, as defined in National Instrument 45-106 Prospectus Exemptions or subsection 73.3(1) of the Securities Act (Ontario), and are permitted clients, as defined in National Instrument 31-103 Registration Requirements, Exemptions and Ongoing Registrant Obligations. Any resale of the securities must be made in accordance with an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the prospectus requirements of applicable securities laws.

Securities legislation in certain provinces or territories of Canada may provide a purchaser with remedies for rescission or damages if this prospectus (including any amendment thereto) contains a misrepresentation, provided that the remedies for rescission or damages are exercised by the purchaser within the time limit prescribed by the securities legislation of the purchaser’s province or territory. The purchaser should refer to any applicable provisions of the securities legislation of the purchaser’s province or territory for particulars of these rights or consult with a legal advisor.

Pursuant to section 3A.3 of National Instrument 33-105 Underwriting Conflicts (NI 33-105), the underwriters are not required to comply with the disclosure requirements of NI 33-105 regarding underwriter conflicts of interest in connection with this offering.

Dubai International Finance Centre

This prospectus relates to an Exempt Offer in accordance with the Offered Securities Rules of the Dubai Financial Services Authority (the “DFSA.”) This prospectus is intended for distribution only to persons of a type specified in the Offered Securities Rules of the DFSA. It must not be delivered to, or relied on by, any other person. The DFSA has no responsibility for reviewing or verifying any documents in connection with Exempt Offers. The DFSA has not approved this prospectus nor taken steps to verify the information set forth herein and has no responsibility for the prospectus. The shares to which this prospectus relates may be illiquid and/or subject to restrictions on their resale. Prospective purchasers of the shares offered should conduct their own due diligence on the shares. If you do not understand the contents of this prospectus you should consult an authorized financial advisor.

European Economic Area

In relation to each Member State of the European Economic Area (each, a “Member State”), no offer of shares may be made to the public in that Member State other than:

 

  (a)

to any legal entity which is a qualified investor as defined in the Prospectus Regulation;

 

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  (b)

to fewer than 150 natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined in the Prospectus Regulation), subject to obtaining the prior consent of the representatives; or

 

  (c)

in any other circumstances falling within Article 1(4) of the Prospectus Regulation, provided that no such offer of shares shall require us or any of our representatives to publish a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Regulation or supplement a prospectus pursuant to Article 23 of the Prospectus Regulation and each person who initially acquires any shares or to whom any offer is made will be deemed to have represented, acknowledged and agreed to and with each of the representatives and us that it is a “qualified investor” as defined in the Prospectus Regulation.

In the case of any shares being offered to a financial intermediary as that term is used in Article 5 of the Prospectus Regulation, each such financial intermediary will be deemed to have represented, acknowledged and agreed that the shares acquired by it in the offer have not been acquired on a nondiscretionary basis on behalf of, nor have they been acquired with a view to their offer or resale to, persons in circumstances which may give rise to an offer of any shares to the public other than their offer or resale in a Member State to qualified investors as so defined or in circumstances in which the prior consent of the representatives has been obtained to each such proposed offer or resale.

For the purposes of this provision, the expression an “offer of shares to the public” in relation to any shares in any Member State means the communication in any form and by means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and the shares to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase shares, the expression “Prospectus Regulation” means Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (as amended).

Hong Kong

The securities have not been offered or sold and will not be offered or sold in Hong Kong, by means of any document, other than (a) to “professional investors” as defined in the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571 of the Laws of Hong Kong) (the “SFO”) of Hong Kong and any rules made thereunder; or (b) in other circumstances which do not result in the document being a “prospectus” as defined in the Companies (Winding Up and Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance (Cap. 32) of Hong Kong) (the “CO”) or which do not constitute an offer to the public within the meaning of the CO. No advertisement, invitation or document relating to the securities has been or may be issued or has been or may be in the possession of any person for the purposes of issue, whether in Hong Kong or elsewhere, which is directed at, or the contents of which are likely to be accessed or read by, the public of Hong Kong (except if permitted to do so under the securities laws of Hong Kong) other than with respect to securities which are or are intended to be disposed of only to persons outside Hong Kong or only to “professional investors” as defined in the SFO and any rules made thereunder.

Japan

The securities have not been and will not be registered pursuant to Article 4, Paragraph 1 of the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act. Accordingly, none of the securities nor any interest therein may be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to, or for the benefit of, any “resident” of Japan (which term as used herein means any person resident in Japan, including any corporation or other entity organized under the laws of Japan), or to others for re-offering or resale, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to or for the benefit of a resident of Japan, except pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of, and otherwise in compliance with, the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act and any other applicable laws, regulations and ministerial guidelines of Japan in effect at the relevant time.

People’s Republic of China

This prospectus will not be circulated or distributed in the People’s Republic of China (the “PRC”), and the securities will not be offered or sold, and will not be offered or sold to any person for re-offering or resale

 

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directly or indirectly to any residents of the PRC except pursuant to any applicable laws and regulations of the PRC. Neither this prospectus nor any advertisement or other offering material may be distributed or published in the PRC, except under circumstances that will result in compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

Singapore

Each underwriter has acknowledged that this prospectus has not been registered as a prospectus with the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Accordingly, each underwriter has represented and agreed that it has not offered or sold any securities or caused the securities to be made the subject of an invitation for subscription or purchase and will not offer or sell any securities or cause the securities to be made the subject of an invitation for subscription or purchase, and has not circulated or distributed, nor will it circulate or distribute, this prospectus or any other document or material in connection with the offer or sale, or invitation for subscription or purchase, of the securities, whether directly or indirectly, to any person in Singapore other than:

 

  (a)

to an institutional investor (as defined in Section 4A of the Securities and Futures Act (Chapter 289) of Singapore, as modified or amended from time to time (the “SFA”)) pursuant to Section 274 of the SFA;

  (b)

to a relevant person (as defined in Section 275(2) of the SFA) pursuant to Section 275(1) of the SFA and in accordance with the conditions specified in Section 275 of the SFA; or

  (c)

otherwise pursuant to, and in accordance with the conditions of, any other applicable provision of the SFA.

Where the securities are subscribed or purchased under Section 275 of the SFA by a relevant person which is:

 

  (a)

a corporation (which is not an accredited investor (as defined in Section 4A of the SFA)) the sole business of which is to hold investments and the entire share capital of which is owned by one or more individuals, each of whom is an accredited investor; or

  (b)

a trust (where the trustee is not an accredited investor) whose sole purpose is to hold investments and each beneficiary of the trust is an individual who is an accredited investor, securities or securities-based derivatives contracts (each term as defined in Section 2(1) of the SFA) of that corporation or the beneficiaries’ rights and interest (howsoever described) in that trust shall not be transferred within six months after that corporation or that trust has acquired the securities pursuant to an offer made under Section 275 of the SFA except:

 

  (i)

to an institutional investor or to a relevant person, or to any person arising from an offer referred to in Section 276(4)(i)(B) of the SFA;

  (ii)

where no consideration is or will be given for the transfer;

  (iii)

where the transfer is by operation of law;

  (iv)

as specified in Section 276(7) of the SFA; or

  (v)

as specified in Regulation 37A of the Securities and Futures (Offers of Investments) (Securities and Securities-based Derivatives Contracts) Regulations 2018.

Singapore SFA Product Classification — In connection with Section 309B of the SFA and the CMP Regulations 2018, unless otherwise specified before an offer of shares of common stock, the Issuer has determined, and hereby notifies all relevant persons (as defined in Section 309A(1) of the SFA), that the shares are “prescribed capital markets products” (as defined in the CMP Regulations 2018) and Excluded Investment Products (as defined in MAS Notice SFA 04-N12: Notice on the Sale of Investment Products and MAS Notice FAA-N16: Notice on Recommendations on Investment Products).

Switzerland

The securities may not be publicly offered in Switzerland and will not be listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (“SIX”) or on any other stock exchange or regulated trading facility in Switzerland. This document does not

 

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constitute a prospectus within the meaning of, and has been prepared without regard to the disclosure standards for issuance prospectuses under art. 652a or art. 1156 of the Swiss Code of Obligations or the disclosure standards for listing prospectuses under art. 27 ff. of the SIX Listing Rules or the listing rules of any other stock exchange or regulated trading facility in Switzerland. Neither this document nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the securities or the offering may be publicly distributed or otherwise made publicly available in Switzerland.

Neither this document nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the offering, the Company, the securities have been or will be filed with or approved by any Swiss regulatory authority. In particular, this document will not be filed with, and the offer of securities will not be supervised by, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA (FINMA), and the offer of securities has not been and will not be authorized under the Swiss Federal Act on Collective Investment Schemes (“CISA”). The investor protection afforded to acquirers of interests in collective investment schemes under the CISA does not extend to acquirers of securities.

United Arab Emirates

The securities have not been, and are not being, publicly offered, sold, promoted or advertised in the United Arab Emirates (including the Dubai International Financial Centre) other than in compliance with the laws of the United Arab Emirates (and the Dubai International Financial Centre) governing the issue, offering and sale of securities. Further, this prospectus does not constitute a public offer of securities in the United Arab Emirates (including the Dubai International Financial Centre) and is not intended to be a public offer. This prospectus has not been approved by or filed with the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates, the Securities and Commodities Authority or the Dubai Financial Services Authority.

United Kingdom

Each underwriter has represented and agreed that:

 

  (a)

it has only communicated or caused to be communicated and will only communicate or cause to be communicated an invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity (within the meaning of Section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (“FSMA”) received by it in connection with the issue or sale of the shares of our Series 1 common stock in circumstances in which Section 21(1) of the FSMA does not apply to us; and

 

  (b)

it has complied and will comply with all applicable provisions of the FSMA with respect to anything done by it in relation to the shares of our Series 1 common stock in, from or otherwise involving the UK.

 

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Legal Matters

The validity of the issuance of the shares of Series 1 common stock offered hereby will be passed upon for BigCommerce Holdings, Inc. by DLA Piper LLP (US), Austin, Texas. Certain legal matters in connection with this offering will be passed upon for the underwriters by Cooley LLP, New York, New York.

Experts

The consolidated financial statements of BigCommerce Holdings, Inc. at December 31, 2018, and for the year ended December 31, 2018, appearing in this Prospectus and Registration Statement have been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their report thereon appearing elsewhere herein, and are included in reliance upon such report given on the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.

 

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Where You Can Find More Information

We have filed with the SEC, a registration statement on Form S-1 under the Securities Act with respect to the shares of Series 1 common stock offered by this prospectus. This prospectus, filed as part of the registration statement, does not contain all of the information set forth in the registration statement and its exhibits and schedules. You can find further information about us in the registration statement and its exhibits and schedules. Statements in this prospectus about the contents of any contract, agreement, or other document are not necessarily complete and, in each instance, we refer you to the copy of such contract, agreement, or document filed as an exhibit to the registration statement, with each such statement being qualified in all respects by reference to the document to which it refers.

Our SEC filings, including the registration statement, also are available to you on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. This site contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC. The information on that website is not part of this prospectus.

Upon the completion of this offering, we will become subject to the informational requirements of the Exchange Act and will be required to file periodic current reports, proxy statements, and other information with the SEC. You will be able to inspect this material without charge at the SEC’s website.

In addition, following the completion of this offering, we will make the information filed with or furnished to the SEC available free of charge through our website (www.BigCommerce.com) as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the SEC. The information contained in, or that can be accessed through, our website is not incorporated by reference in and is not part of this prospectus. Investors should not rely on any such information in deciding whether to purchase our Series 1 common stock.

 

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Index to Financial Statements

BigCommerce Holdings, Inc.

 

Audited Consolidated Financial Statements as of and for the Year Ended December 31, 2018

  

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

     F-2  

Consolidated Balance Sheet

     F-3  

Consolidated Statement of Operations

     F-4  

Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Loss

     F-5  

Consolidated Statement of Convertible Preferred Stock and Stockholders’ Equity (Deficit)

     F-6  

Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows

     F-7  

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

     F-8  

 

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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

The Board of Directors and Stockholders of BigCommerce Holdings, Inc.

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheet of BigCommerce Holdings, Inc. as of December 31, 2018, the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive loss, convertible preferred stock and stockholders’ equity (deficit), and cash flows for the year then ended, and the related notes. In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company at December 31, 2018, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the year then ended in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

The Company’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern

The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern. As discussed in Note 1 to the financial statements, the Company has suffered recurring operating losses, and has stated that substantial doubt exists about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. Management’s evaluation of the events and conditions and management’s plans regarding these matters also are described in Note 1. The 2018 consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments to reflect the possible future effects on the recoverability and classification of assets or the amounts and classification of liabilities that may result from the outcome of this uncertainty.

Basis for Opinion

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audit. We are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the relevant ethical requirements relating to our audit.

We conducted our audit in accordance with the auditing standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) and in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audit included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audit also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP

We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2012.

Austin, Texas

January 9, 2020

 

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BigCommerce Holdings, Inc.

Consolidated Balance Sheet

(in thousands, except per share amounts)

 

     As of
December 31,
        2018        
 

Assets

  

Current assets

  

Cash and cash equivalents

   $ 12,793  

Restricted cash

     1,104  

Marketable securities

     23,367  

Accounts receivable, net

     10,238  

Prepaid expenses

     3,512  

Deferred commissions

     2,106  
  

 

 

 

Total current assets

     53,120  

Property and equipment, net

     5,231  

Deferred commissions, net of current portion

     753  
  

 

 

 

Total assets

   $ 59,104  
  

 

 

 

Liabilities, convertible preferred stock, and stockholders’ equity (deficit)

  

Current liabilities

  

Accounts payable

   $ 5,463  

Accrued liabilities

     2,618  

Deferred revenue

     10,429  

Deferred rent and leasehold incentive obligations

     247  

Current portion of long-term debt

     946  

Other current liabilities

     7,934  
  

 

 

 

Total current liabilities

     27,637  

Deferred revenue, net of current portion

     2,136  

Long-term debt, net of current portion

     23,415  

Deferred rent and leasehold incentive obligations, net of current portion

     946  
  

 

 

 

Total liabilities

     54,134  

Commitments and contingencies (Note 6)

  

Convertible preferred stock

  

Convertible preferred stock, $0.0001 par value; 102,030 shares authorized, and 102,030 shares issued and outstanding

             216,446  

Stockholders’ equity (deficit)

  

Common stock, $0.0001 par value; 200,000 shares voting and 30,000 shares non-voting authorized, and 52,804 shares voting and no shares non-voting issued and outstanding

     5  

Additional paid-in capital

     13,258  

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

     (14

Accumulated deficit

     (224,725
  

 

 

 

Total stockholders’ equity (deficit)

     (211,476
  

 

 

 

Total liabilities, convertible preferred stock, and stockholders’ equity (deficit)

   $ 59,104  
  

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

 

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BigCommerce Holdings, Inc.

Consolidated Statement of Operations

(in thousands, except per share amounts)

 

     Year ended
  December 31,
2018  
 

Revenue

   $ 91,867  

Cost of revenue

     21,937  
  

 

 

 

Gross profit

     69,930  
  

 

 

 

Operating expenses:

  

Sales and marketing

     45,928  

Research and development

     42,485  

General and administrative

     19,497  
  

 

 

 

Total operating expenses

             107,910  
  

 

 

 

Loss from operations

     (37,980

Interest income

     653  

Interest expense

     (1,489

Other expense

     (52
  

 

 

 

Loss before provision for income taxes

     (38,868

Provision for income taxes

     10  
  

 

 

 

Net loss

   $ (38,878
  

 

 

 

Cumulative dividends and accretion of issuance costs on Series F preferred stock

     (4,712
  

 

 

 

Net loss attributable to common stockholders

   $ (43,590
  

 

 

 

Basic and diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders

   $ (0.86
  

 

 

 

Weighted-average shares used to compute basic and diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders

     50,889  
  

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

 

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BigCommerce Holdings, Inc.

Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Loss

(in thousands)

 

     Year ended
December 31,

2018
 

Net loss

   $             (38,878

Other comprehensive income (loss):

  

Net unrealized loss on marketable debt securities, net of tax

     (14
  

 

 

 

Total comprehensive loss

   $ (38,892
  

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

 

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BigCommerce Holdings, Inc.

Consolidated Statement of Convertible Preferred Stock and Stockholders’ Equity (Deficit)

(in thousands)

 

    Convertible preferred stock     Common stock     Additional
paid-in
capital
    Accumulated
deficit
    Accumulated other
comprehensive
loss
    Stockholders’
equity (deficit)
 
      Shares         Amount         Shares         Amount    
                                                 

Balance at December 31, 2017

    78,402     $ 148,105       48,646     $ 5     $ 10,630     $ (182,349   $                 -     $ (171,714

Adoption of new accounting standard (Note 2)

    -       -       -       -       -               1,164       -       1,164  

Issuance of Series F preferred stock, net of issuance costs

    23,628       63,629       -       -       -       -       -       -  

Exercise of stock options

    -       -       4,158       -       607       -       -       607  

Stock-based compensation

    -       -       -       -       2,071       -       -       2,071  

Accumulated dividend – Series F

    -       4,662       -       -       -       (4,662     -       (4,662

Accretion of Series F issuance costs

    -       50       -       -       (50     -       -       (50

Unrealized loss on investments

    -       -       -       -       -       -       (14     (14

Net loss

    -       -       -       -       -       (38,878     -       (38,878
 

 

 

 

Balance at December 31, 2018

    102,030     $     216,446       52,804     $         5     $     13,258       $(224,725   $ (14   $ (211,476
 

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.    

 

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BigCommerce Holdings, Inc.

Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows

(in thousands)

 

     Year ended
December 31,

2018
 

Operating activities

  

Net loss

   $ (38,878

Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:

  

Depreciation and amortization

     1,844  

Amortization of discount on debt

     49  

Stock-based compensation

                         2,071  

Bad debt expense

     341  

Accretion on discount to marketable securities

     (190

Changes in operating assets and liabilities:

  

Accounts receivable

     (4,627

Prepaid expenses

     (294

Deferred commissions

     (804

Accounts payable

     291  

Accrued and other current liabilities

     2,351  

Deferred revenue

     6,908  

Deferred rent and leasehold incentive obligations

     347  
  

 

 

 

Net cash used in operating activities

     (30,591
  

 

 

 

Investing activities

  

Purchase of marketable securities

     (33,566

Purchase of property and equipment

     (3,326

Maturity of marketable securities

     10,375  
  

 

 

 

Net cash used in investing activities

     (26,517
  

 

 

 

Financing activities

         

Proceeds from issuance of convertible preferred stock, net of issuance costs

     63,629  

Proceeds from issuance of common stock

     607  

Proceeds from debt

     4,500  

Repayment of debt

     (4,500
  

 

 

 

Net cash provided by financing activities

     64,236  
  

 

 

 

Net change in cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash

     7,128  

Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of year

     6,769  
  

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of year

   $ 13,897  
  

 

 

 

Supplemental information

  

Cash paid for taxes, net of refunds

   $ -  
  

 

 

 

Cash paid for interest

   $ 1,250  
  

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

 

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BigCommerce Holdings, Inc.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

1. Overview

BigCommerce is leading a new era of ecommerce. Our software-as-a-service (“SaaS”) platform simplifies the creation of beautiful, engaging online stores by delivering a unique combination of ease-of-use, enterprise functionality, and flexibility. We power both our customers’ branded ecommerce stores and their cross-channel connections to popular online marketplaces, social networks, and offline point-of-sale systems.

We provide a comprehensive platform for launching and scaling an ecommerce operation, including store design, catalog management, hosting, checkout, order management, reporting, and pre-integration into third-party services like payments, shipping, and accounting. All of our stores run on a single code base and share a global, multi-tenant architecture purpose built for security, high performance, and innovation. Our platform serves stores in a wide variety of sizes, product categories, and purchase types, including business-to-consumer and business-to-business.

Our headquarters and principal place of business are in Austin, Texas.

We were formed in Australia in December 2003 under the name Interspire Pty Ltd and reorganized into a

corporation in Delaware under the name BigCommerce Holdings, Inc. in February 2013.

References in these consolidated financial statements to “we,” “us,” “our,” the “Company,” or “BigCommerce” refer to BigCommerce Holdings, Inc. and its subsidiaries, unless otherwise stated.

Going concern

As of December 31, 2018, we had working capital of $25.5 million, an accumulated deficit of $224.7 million and cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities of $36.2 million. We have not generated sufficient cash flows to cover our operations or achieved profitability. Based upon our current operating plans, we believe we have resources to fund operations through the second quarter of 2020 with our existing cash and cash equivalents and credit facilities, which raises substantial doubt as to our ability to continue as a going concern. We are seeking additional financing through the sale of capital stock and debt financing. If we are unable to obtain additional financing or generate sufficient revenue and profit, the lack of liquidity could have a material adverse effect on our future prospects.

2. Summary of significant accounting policies

Basis of presentation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”).

Basis of consolidation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements include our accounts and the accounts of our wholly-owned subsidiaries. All material intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Our fiscal year ends on December 31.

 

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Table of Contents

2. Summary of significant accounting policies (continued)

 

Use of estimates

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires our management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting periods. Significant estimates, judgments, and assumptions in these consolidated financial statements include: allocating variable consideration for revenue recognition; the amortization period for deferred commissions; the allowance for doubtful accounts; a determination of the deferred tax asset valuation allowance and the valuation of our common stock used to determine stock-based compensation expense. Actual results could differ from those estimates, and such differences could be material to our consolidated financial statements.

Segment and geographic information

Our chief operating decision maker is our chief executive officer. Our chief executive officer reviews the financial information presented on a consolidated basis for purposes of making operating decisions, allocating resources, and evaluating financial performance. Accordingly, we have determined that we operate as a single operating and reportable segment. Revenue for the year ended December 31, 2018 by geographic region was as follows (in thousands):

 

Revenue:

  

Americas – U.S.

   $ 75,025  

Americas – other

     3,000  

EMEA

     6,123  

APAC

     7,719  
  

 

 

 

Total revenue

   $         91,867  
  

 

 

 

Long-lived assets as of December 31, 2018 by geographic region was as follows (in thousands):

 

Long-lived assets:

  

Americas – U.S.

   $ 4,864  

Americas – other

     -  

EMEA

     -  

APAC

     367  
  

 

 

 

Total long-lived assets

   $             5,231  
  

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents

We consider all highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less from the date of purchase to be cash equivalents. Cash equivalents consist of money market funds and investment securities and are stated at fair value.

Restricted cash

We maintain a portion of amounts collected through our online payment processor with the online payment processor as a security deposit for future chargebacks. Additionally, we have amounts on deposit with certain financial institutions that serve as collateral for letters of credit and lease deposits.

Marketable securities

All marketable securities have been classified as available-for-sale and are carried at estimated fair value. We determine the appropriate classification of our investments in debt securities at the time of purchase. Securities

 

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Table of Contents

2. Summary of significant accounting policies (continued)

 

may have stated maturities greater than one year. All marketable securities are considered available to support current operations and are classified as current assets. Unrealized gains and losses are excluded from earnings and are reported as a component of accumulated other comprehensive loss. Realized gains and losses, and declines in fair value judged to be other than temporary, are included in other expense. The cost of securities sold is based on the specific-identification method. Interest on marketable securities is included in interest income.

Accounts receivable

Accounts receivable are stated at net realizable value and include unbilled receivables. Unbilled receivables arise primarily when we provide subscriptions services in advance of billing. Accounts receivable are net of an allowance for doubtful accounts, are not collateralized, and do not bear interest. Payment terms range from due immediately to due within 60 days. The accounts receivable balance at December 31, 2018 included unbilled receivables of $2.6 million.

The allowance for doubtful accounts is our best estimate of the amount of probable credit losses. We determine the allowance for doubtful accounts based on our analysis of historical bad debts, customer concentrations, credit history, and general economic trends. Account balances are written off against the allowance after all means of collection have been exhausted and the potential for recovery is considered remote. Significant judgments and estimates are made and used in connection with establishing allowances for doubtful accounts in any accounting period. The allowance for doubtful accounts consisted of the following (in thousands):

 

     Amount  

Balance at December 31, 2017

   $ 376  

Bad-debt expense

     341  

Accounts written off

     (120
  

 

 

 

Balance at December 31, 2018

   $             597  
  

 

 

 

Property and equipment

Property and equipment are stated at cost, net of accumulated depreciation and amortization. Depreciation and amortization is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives or the related lease terms (if shorter).

The estimated useful lives of property and equipment are as follows:

 

     Estimated
useful life
  

 

Computer software

   3 years

Computer equipment

   3 years

Furniture and fixtures

   5 years

Leasehold improvements

     1-10 years  

Maintenance and repairs that do not enhance or extend the asset’s useful life are charged to operating expenses as incurred.

The carrying values of property and equipment are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that their net book value may not be recoverable. When such factors and circumstances

 

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2. Summary of significant accounting policies (continued)

 

exist, we compare the projected undiscounted future cash flows associated with groups of assets used in combination over their estimated useful lives against their respective carrying amounts. If projected undiscounted future cash flows are less than the carrying value of the asset group, impairment is recorded for any excess of the carrying amount over the fair value of those assets in the period in which the determination is made.

Research and development and internal use software

Research and development expenses consist primarily of personnel and related expenses for our research and development staff, which include: salaries, benefits, bonuses, and stock-based compensation; the cost of certain third-party contractors; and allocated overhead. Expenditures for research and development, other than internal use software costs, are expensed as incurred.

Software development costs associated with internal use software, which are incurred during the application development phase and met other requirements under the guidance are capitalized. To date, software costs eligible for capitalization have not been significant.

Concentration of credit risks, significant clients, and suppliers

Financial instruments that potentially subject us to concentrations of credit risk consist of cash and cash equivalents, marketable securities, restricted cash, and accounts receivable. Our investment policy limits investments to high credit quality securities issued by the U.S. government, U.S. government-sponsored agencies and highly rated corporate securities, subject to certain concentration limits and restrictions on maturities. Our cash and cash equivalents, and restricted cash are held by financial institutions that management believes are of high credit quality. Amounts on deposit may at times exceed federally insured limits. We have not experienced any losses on our deposits of cash and cash equivalents. We are exposed to credit risk in the event of default by the financial institutions holding our cash and cash equivalents and bond issuers.

Accounts receivable are derived from sales to our customers and our strategic technology partners who operate in a variety of sectors. We do not require collateral. Estimated credit losses are provided for in the consolidated financial statements and historically have been within management’s expectations.

One strategic technology partner accounted for 12% of our revenue for the year ended December 31, 2018 and 22% of our accounts receivable balance at December 31, 2018.

Foreign currency

Our functional and reporting currency and the functional and reporting currency of our subsidiaries is the U.S. dollar. Monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are re-measured to U.S. dollars using the exchange rates at the balance sheet dates. Non-monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are measured in U.S. dollars using historical exchange rates. Revenue and expenses are measured using the actual exchange rates prevailing on the dates of the transactions. Gains and losses resulting from re-measurement are recorded within other expenses in our consolidated statements of operations.

Revenue recognition

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) updated the accounting guidance related to revenue recognition, which is also referred to herein as “the new revenue standard” to clarify the

 

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2. Summary of significant accounting policies (continued)

 

principles for recognizing revenue and replaced all existing revenue recognition guidance in GAAP with one accounting model. The core principle of the guidance is that an entity should recognize revenue when the promised goods or services are transferred to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration that is expected to be received for those goods or services. The updated guidance also requires additional qualitative and quantitative disclosure relating to the nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers largely on a disaggregated basis. In addition, the new revenue standard modified the guidance for other assets and deferred costs related to obtaining new contracts with customers. These costs were historically expensed as incurred. We adopted the new revenue standard as of January 1, 2018, using the full retrospective method. The adoption has primarily impacted the timing of revenue recognition associated with technology integration fees for certain merchant solutions contracts and the capitalization of sales commissions deemed to be incremental costs of obtaining a contract.

We utilized the practical expedients of applying the revenue model to a portfolio of contracts (or performance obligations) with similar characteristics and the right to invoice practical expedient for certain contracts which did not have a significant effect on the consolidated financial statements.

As of January 1, 2018, we recorded an increase to deferred commissions in the amount of $2.1 million, an increase to deferred revenue in the amount of $0.9 million and an adjustment to opening accumulated deficit of $1.2 million due to the cumulative impact of adopting this new guidance.

Our sources of revenue consist of subscription solutions fees and partner and services fees. These services allow customers to access our hosted software over the contract period. The customer is not allowed to take possession of the software or transfer the software. Our revenue arrangements do not contain general rights of refund in the event of cancellations.

The following table disaggregates our revenue by major source (in thousands):

 

     Year ended
December 31,
2018
 

Subscription solutions

   $             70,484  

Partner and services

     21,383  
  

 

 

 

Total revenue

   $ 91,867  
  

 

 

 

Subscription solutions

Subscription solutions revenue consists primarily of platform subscription fees from all plans. It also includes recurring professional services and sales of SSL certificates. Subscription solutions are charged monthly, quarterly, or annually for our customers to sell their products and process transactions on our platform. Subscription solutions are generally charged per online store and are based on the store’s subscription plan. Monthly subscription fees for Pro and Enterprise plans are adjusted if a customer’s gross merchandise volume or orders processed are above specified plan thresholds on a trailing twelve-month basis. We have determined we meet the variable consideration allocation exception and therefore recognize fixed monthly fees and any overages as revenue in the month they are earned.

Professional services, which primarily consist of education packages, launch services, solutions architecting, implementation consulting, and catalog transfer services, are generally billed and recognized as revenue when delivered.

 

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2. Summary of significant accounting policies (continued)

 

Contracts with our retail customers are generally month-to-month, while contracts with our enterprise customers generally range from one to three years. Contracts are typically non-cancellable and do not contain refund-type provisions. Revenue is presented net of sales tax and other taxes we collect on behalf of governmental authorities.

Partner and services

Our partner and services revenue consists of revenue share, partner technology integrations, and marketing services provided to partners. Revenue share relates to fees earned by our partners from customers using our platform, where we have an arrangement with such partner to share such fees as they occur. Revenue share is recognized at the time the earning activity is complete, which is generally monthly. Revenue for partner technology integrations is recorded on a straight-line basis over the life of the contract commencing when the integration has been completed. Fees for marketing services are recognized either at the time the earning activity is complete, or ratably over the length of the contract, depending on the nature of the obligations in the contract. Payments received in advance of services being rendered are recorded as deferred revenue and recognized when the obligation is completed.

We also derive revenue from the sales of website themes and applications upon delivery.

We recognize revenue share, and revenue from the sales of third-party applications, on a net basis as we have determined that we are the agent in our arrangements with third-party application providers. All other revenue is recognized on a gross basis, as we have determined we are the principal in these arrangements.

Contracts with multiple performance obligations

A performance obligation is a promise in a contract to transfer a distinct good or service to the customer. Determining whether products and services are considered distinct performance obligations that should be accounted for separately versus together may require significant judgment.

Our subscription contracts are generally comprised of a single performance obligation to provide access to our platform, but can include additional performance obligations. For contracts with multiple performance obligations where the contracted price differs from the standalone selling price (“SSP”) for any distinct good or service, we may be required to allocate the contract’s transaction price to each performance obligation using our best estimate of SSP.

Contracts with our technology solution partners often include multiple performance obligations. In determining whether integration services are distinct from hosting services we consider various factors. These considerations included the level of integration, interdependency, and interrelation between the implementation and hosting service, as well as any promises in the contract. We have concluded that the integration services included in contracts with hosting obligations are not distinct. As a result, we defer any arrangement fees for integration services and recognize such amounts over the life of the hosting obligation. Additional consideration for some partner contracts varies based on the level of customer activity on the platform. We have determined we meet the variable consideration allocation exception and therefore recognize these variable fees in the period they are earned.

Judgment is required to determine the SSP for each distinct performance obligation. A contract’s transaction price is allocated to each distinct performance obligation and recognized as revenue when, or as, the performance obligation is satisfied. The primary method used to estimate SSP is the expected cost-plus margin approach, which considers margins achieved on standalone sale of similar products, market data related to historical margins within an industry, industry sales price averages, market conditions, and profit objectives.

 

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2. Summary of significant accounting policies (continued)

 

Cost of revenue

Cost of revenue consists primarily of personnel-related costs, including: stock-based compensation expenses for customer support and professional services personnel; costs of maintaining and securing our infrastructure and platform; amortization expense associated with capitalized internal-use software; and allocation of overhead costs.

Deferred revenue

Deferred revenue primarily consists of amounts that have been billed to or received from customers in advance of performing the associated services. We recognize deferred revenue as revenue when the services are performed, and the corresponding revenue recognition criteria are met.

The net increase in the deferred revenue balance for the year ended December 31, 2018 was primarily driven by cash payments received or due in advance of satisfying our performance obligations of $12.5 million offset by the recognition of $5.7 million of revenue that was included in the deferred revenue balance at January 1, 2018. Amounts recognized from deferred revenue represent primarily revenue from the sale of subscription solutions, integration, and marketing services.

On December 31, 2018, we had $33.2 million of remaining performance obligations, which represents contracted revenue minimums that have not yet been recognized, including amounts that will be invoiced and recognized as revenue in future periods. We expect to recognize approximately 55% of the remaining performance obligations as revenue in the next 12 months, and the remaining balance in the periods thereafter.

Deferred commissions

Certain sales commissions earned by our sales force are considered incremental and recoverable costs of obtaining a contract with a customer. Sales commissions are not paid on subscription renewals. We amortize deferred sales commissions ratably over the estimated period of our relationship with customers of approximately four years. Based on historical experience, we determine the average life of our customer relationship by taking into consideration our customer contracts and the estimated technological life of our platform and related significant features. We include amortization of deferred commissions in sales and marketing expense in the consolidated statement of operations. We periodically review the carrying amount of deferred commissions to determine whether events or changes in circumstances have occurred that could impact the period of benefit of these deferred costs. We did not recognize an impairment of deferred commissions during the year ended December 31, 2018.

Sales commissions of $2.0 million were deferred for the year ended December 31, 2018, and deferred commissions amortization expense was $1.2 million for the same period.

Advertising costs

We expense advertising costs as incurred. Advertising expenses were approximately $8.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2018.

Income taxes

We use the liability method of accounting for income taxes whereby deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on temporary differences between the financial reporting bases and the tax bases of assets and liabilities. Deferred tax assets are also recognized for tax net operating loss (“NOL”) carryforwards and other tax

 

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2. Summary of significant accounting policies (continued)

 

attributes. These deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using the enacted tax rates and laws that will be in effect when such amounts are expected to reverse or be utilized. The realization of total deferred tax assets is contingent upon the generation of future taxable income. Valuation allowances are provided to reduce such deferred tax assets to amounts more likely than not to be ultimately realized.

The income tax provision includes U.S. federal, state and local income taxes, as well as foreign income taxes, and is based on pretax income or loss. When applicable, we recognize interest accrued and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as a component of income tax expense.

Measurement and recognition of benefits for uncertain tax positions require evaluation and judgment from management. Factors included in our evaluation of uncertain tax positions are changes in facts or circumstances, changes in tax law, and audit results and correspondence. Tax positions that do not meet the more-likely-than-not criteria require us to record liabilities for amounts that may not be sustained upon examination. We have not identified any uncertain tax positions that do not meet the more-likely-than-not criteria. Future changes in the recognition or measurement of uncertain tax positions could result in material changes to our income tax expense in the period in which the change is made.

Comprehensive loss

Comprehensive loss includes net loss, as well as other changes in stockholders’ equity that result from transactions and economic events other than those with stockholders.

Stock-based compensation

Stock-based compensation is measured at the date of grant and is recognized on a straight-line basis over the service period. We use the Black-Scholes option-pricing model to estimate the fair value of stock options awarded at the date of grant.

Accounting pronouncements

In February 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), to increase transparency and comparability among organizations by recognizing lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet and disclosing key information about leasing arrangements. In July 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-10, Codification Improvements to Topic 842 (Leases), which provides narrow amendments to clarify how to apply certain aspects of the new lease standard. In July 2018, the FASB also issued ASU 2018-11, Targeted Improvements, which provides the option to adopt ASU No. 2016-02 retrospectively for each prior period presented or as of the adoption date with a cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings in the period of adoption. These standards are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, and early application is permitted. We anticipate that the adoption of Topic 842 will impact our consolidated balance sheet as most of our operating lease commitments will be subject to the new standard and recognized as right-of-use assets and corresponding operating lease liabilities upon the adoption of Topic 842, which will increase the total assets and total liabilities that we report relative to such amounts prior to adoption. We are still evaluating the impact the adoption of this ASU will have on our consolidated statement of operations.

In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-18, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Restricted Cash, which provides guidance on the classification of restricted cash in the consolidated statement of cash flows and requires entities to show the total change between cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash in the

 

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2. Summary of significant accounting policies (continued)

 

consolidated statement of cash flows instead of presenting transfers between cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash separately. The standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, and interim periods within those fiscal years and early adoption is permitted. We adopted this standard in 2017 and updated our consolidated financial statements accordingly.

In May 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-09, Compensation – Stock Compensation (Topic 718), to provide clarity and reduce both diversity in practice and cost and complexity when applying the guidance in Topic 718, Compensation-Stock Compensation, to a change to the terms or conditions of a share-based payment award. We adopted this standard effective January 1, 2018, and there was no significant impact on our consolidated financial statements as a result of the adoption.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-15, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other-Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40), which aligns the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract with the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred to develop or obtain internal-use software (and hosting arrangements that include an internal-use software license). ASU 2018-15 will be effective beginning in our first quarter of 2020, with early adoption permitted. The ASU may be applied retrospectively or prospectively to all implementation costs incurred after the date of adoption. We are currently evaluating the consolidated financial statement impact on the consolidated financial statements upon adoption.

3. Cash equivalents and marketable securities

The following table summarizes the estimated fair value of our cash equivalents and marketable securities and the gross unrealized gains and losses (in thousands):    

 

     As of December 31, 2018  
     Amortized
cost
     Gross
unrealized
gains
     Gross
unrealized
losses
    Estimated
fair value
 

Cash equivalents:

          

Money market funds

   $ 3,755      $               -      $           -     $ 3,755  

Reverse repurchase agreements

     3,000        -        -       3,000  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total cash equivalents

   $ 6,755      $ -      $ -     $ 6,755  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Marketable securities:

          

Commercial paper

   $ 8,961      $ -      $ -     $ 8,961  

Debt securities

     14,420        -        (14     14,406  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total marketable securities

   $ 23,381      $ -      $ (14   $ 23,367  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

As of December 31, 2018, all debt securities with an unrealized loss position have been in a loss position for less than one year. The aggregate fair value of debt securities in an unrealized loss position as of December 31, 2018, was $14.4 million, with no individual securities in a significant unrealized loss position. We evaluate these securities for other-than-temporary impairment and considered the decline in market value to be primarily attributable to current economic and market conditions. We would not be required to sell the securities before recovery of the full cost basis. Based on this analysis, we did not consider these marketable securities to be other-than-temporarily impaired as of December 31, 2018.

 

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4. Fair value measurements

Financial instruments carried at fair value include cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, and marketable securities. The carrying amount of accounts receivable, accounts payable, and accrued liabilities approximate fair value due to their relatively short maturities.

For assets and liabilities measured at fair value, fair value is the price to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants as of the measurement date. When determining fair value, we consider the principal or most advantageous market in which it would transact, and assumptions that market participants would use when pricing asset or liabilities.

The accounting standard for fair value establishes a fair value hierarchy based on three levels of inputs, the first two of which are considered observable and the last unobservable. The standard requires an entity to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value. A financial instrument’s categorization within the fair value hierarchy is based upon the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement.

The three levels of inputs that may be used to measure fair value are as follows:

 

   

Level 1 – Inputs are unadjusted, quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities at the measurement date.

 

   

Level 2 – Inputs are other than quoted prices included within Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly.

 

   

Level 3 – Inputs are unobservable that are significant to the fair value of the asset or liability and are developed based on the best information available in the circumstances, which might include our data.

The following table summarizes the estimated fair value of our cash equivalents, marketable securities and debt (in thousands):

 

     As of December 31, 2018  
     Level 1      Level 2      Level 3      Total  

Financial assets:

           

Money market funds

   $         3,755      $ -      $ -      $ 3,755  

Reverse repurchase agreements

     -        3,000        -        3,000  

Commercial paper

     -        8,961        -        8,961  

Debt securities

     -        14,406        -        14,406  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total financial assets

   $ 3,755      $ 26,367      $              -      $ 30,122  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Financial liabilities:

           

Debt

   $ -      $       24,500      $ -      $       24,500  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

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5. Property and equipment

Property and equipment, which includes software purchased or developed for internal use, is composed of the following (in thousands):

 

     December 31,
2018
 

Computer software

   $ 1,193  

Computer equipment

     5,309  

Furniture and fixtures

     1,549  

Leasehold improvements

     5,235  
  

 

 

 
           13,286  

Less: accumulated depreciation and amortization

     (8,055
  

 

 

 

Total property and equipment

   $ 5,231  
  

 

 

 

6. Commitments and contingencies

Total rental expense was $2.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2018. Rental expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the life of the leases.

We leased office space and had future minimum payments as of December 31, 2018 under operating lease obligations, as follows (in thousands):

 

        

2019

   $ 3,265  

2020

     2,933  

2021

     3,088  

2022

     2,203  

2023

     1,895  

Thereafter

     8,886  
  

 

 

 

Total

   $         22,270  
  

 

 

 

We had unconditional purchase obligations as of December 31, 2018, as follows (in thousands):

 

2019

  $ 3,908  

2020

    4,375  

2021

    4,500  

2022

    1,500  

2023

    -  

Thereafter

    -  
 

 

 

 

Total

  $       14,283  
 

 

 

 

Liabilities for loss contingencies arising from claims, assessments, litigation, fines, penalties, and other sources are recorded when it is probable that a liability has been incurred and that the amount can be reasonably estimated. Legal costs incurred in connection with loss contingencies are expensed as incurred. From time to time, we are subject to various claims that arise in the normal course of business. In the opinion of management, we are unaware of any pending or unasserted claims that would have a material adverse effect on our financial position, liquidity, or results.

 

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6. Commitments and contingencies (continued)

 

Certain executive officers are entitled to payments in the event of termination of employment in connection with a certain change in control.

Our certificate of incorporation and certain contractual arrangements provide for indemnification of our officers and directors for certain events or occurrences. We maintain a directors and officers insurance policy to provide coverage in the event of a claim against an officer of director. Historically, we have not been obligated to make any payments for indemnification obligations, and no liabilities have been recorded for these obligations on the consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2018.

7. Other liabilities

The following table summarizes the components of other current liabilities (in thousands):

 

     December 31,
2018
 

Sales tax payable

   $             1,195  

Payroll and payroll related expenses

     4,831  

Other

     1,908  
  

 

 

 

Other current liabilities

   $ 7,934  
  

 

 

 

8. Debt

Convertible Term Loan

On October 27, 2017, we entered into a contingent convertible debt agreement (the “Convertible Term Loan”) with Silicon Valley Bank (“SVB”) providing for a term loan of $20.0 million. The Convertible Term Loan maturity date is October 27, 2022. Interest is calculated on the outstanding principal, with interest payable monthly. The Convertible Term Loan bears interest at a rate equal to the prime rate and was 4.88% during the year ended December 31, 2018. The interest rate will change to a rate of prime plus 2.0% on and after January 1, 2020, a rate of prime plus 4.0% on and after January 1, 2021, and a rate of prime plus 6.0% on and after January 1, 2022. Quarterly principal payments of $125 thousand are due and payable commencing on June 1, 2018, and continue until maturity. As of December 31, 2018, we had $19.6 million outstanding under the Convertible Term Loan.

The conversion feature grants the bank rights to convert part or all of the outstanding principal, plus accrued and unpaid interest into shares of Series F preferred stock at a conversion price of $3.059 per share. The conversion rights may be exercised at the lenders’ option in the event of a change of control, initial public offering, or when the note matures. The conversion rights expire after the Convertible Term Loan’s maturity date. The Convertible Term Loan also provides lenders the right to purchase Series F preferred stock at $3.059 per share in an aggregate amount of principal previously repaid.

Credit Facility

On October 27, 2017, we entered into a second amended and restated loan and security agreement (as amended, the “Credit Facility”) with SVB. As of December 31, 2018, the Credit Facility provided a $20.0 million revolving line of credit (the “Revolving Line”) and a $5.0 million term loan (the “2018 Term Loan”).

 

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8. Debt (continued)

 

Revolving Line

The Revolving Line has a maturity date of October 27, 2021. The Revolving Line bore interest at a rate equal to the prime rate and was approximately 4.88% during the year ended December 31, 2018, and interest was calculated on the outstanding principal, payable monthly. As of December 31, 2018, we had $3.5 million outstanding under the Revolving Line.

2018 Term Loan

The 2018 Term Loan has a maturity date of September 1, 2021. The 2018 Term Loan bore interest at a rate equal to the prime rate plus 0.25% and was approximately 5.13% during the year ended December 31, 2018, and interest was calculated on the outstanding principal, payable monthly. Monthly principal payments commenced on October 1, 2018. The principal amortizes equally over 36 months. As of December 31, 2018, we had $1.4 million outstanding under the 2018 Term Loan.

Debt fees

Lender fees that were paid upfront to the lenders and debt issuance fees paid to third parties are recorded as a discount from the carrying amount of our debt. Net unamortized fees amounted to $0.1 million as of December 31, 2018. The discount related to lender fees and debt issuance fees paid to third parties is being amortized to noncash interest expense over the life of our debt and amounted to $0.1 million during 2018.

In connection with debt acquired prior to 2017, we issued warrants to purchase 764 thousand shares of common stock with a weighted-average exercise price of $1.40 per share. The exercise prices of the warrants range from $0.55 to $1.85 per share. Warrants to purchase 52 thousand shares of common stock expire on July 12, 2023, with the remainder expiring on September 30, 2024. The warrant holder may, at any time, exercise the warrants, in whole or in part, by delivering to us the original warrant, together with a duly executed notice of exercise and the exercise price.

Upon issuance of the warrants, we recorded the fair value of the warrants at $0.5 million. The value of the warrants issued was recorded as a discount on the carrying value of the debt instruments, which is being amortized to interest expense over the life of the debt instruments as an adjustment to (increase in) the effective interest rate. Amortization of $0.1 million was recorded during 2018.

Advances under the Credit Facility are collateralized by all of our assets.

The maturities of debt as of December 31, 2018, are as follows (in thousands):

 

2019

   $ 1,000  

2020

     1,000  

2021

     4,375  

2022

     18,125  

2023 and thereafter

     -  
  

 

 

 

Total debt

   $         24,500  
  

 

 

 

 

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9. Stockholders’ equity (deficit)

2013 Stock Plan

In February 2013, we established the 2013 Stock Option Plan (the “2013 Plan”). Pursuant to the 2013 Plan, the exercise price for incentive stock options is at least 100% of the fair market value on the date of grant, or for employees owning in excess of 10% of the voting power of all classes of stock, 110% of the fair market value on the date of grant.

Options expire ten years from the date of grant, or for employees owning in excess of 10% of the voting power of all classes of stock, five years for incentive stock options. The term of each option shall not be more than ten years from the date of grant thereof, except the term of each Incentive Stock Option shall not be more than five years from the date of grant thereof in the case of any participant who owns directly, or by attribution shares possessing, more than 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of our shares or shares of any parent or subsidiary corporations. Vesting periods are determined by the board of directors; however, options generally vest 25% one year after the date of grant, with the remaining balance vesting on a pro rata basis monthly for 36 months.

Stock options

We use the Black-Scholes option-pricing model to estimate the fair value of our share-based payment awards. The Black-Scholes option-pricing model requires estimates regarding the risk-free rate of return, dividend yields, expected life of the award, and estimated forfeitures of awards during the service period. The calculation of expected volatility is based on historical volatility for comparable industry peer groups over periods of time equivalent to the expected life of each stock option grant. As we are not publicly traded, we believe comparable industry peer groups provide a reasonable measurement of volatility in order to calculate a reasonable estimate of fair value of each stock award. The expected term is calculated based on the weighted average of the remaining vesting term and the remaining contractual life of each award. We based the estimate of risk-free rate on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of grant or modification. We have never paid cash dividends and do not currently intend to pay cash dividends, and thus have assumed a dividend yield of zero.

We estimate the fair value of common stock at the time of grant of the option by considering a number of objective and subjective factors, including independent third-party valuations of our common stock, operating and financial performance, the lack of liquidity of capital stock, and general and industry-specific economic outlook, among other factors.

We estimate potential forfeitures of stock grants and adjust compensation cost recorded accordingly. The estimate of forfeitures will be adjusted over the requisite service period to the extent that actual forfeitures differ, or are expected to differ, from such estimates. Changes in estimated forfeitures will be recognized through a cumulative catch-up adjustment in the period of change and will also impact the amount of stock compensation expense to be recognized in future periods.

The following table summarizes the weighted-average grant date value of options and the assumptions used to develop their fair value.

 

     Year ended
December 31,
2018
 

Weighted-average grant date fair value of options

     $0.42  

Risk-free interest rate

       2.43% - 3.09%  

Expected volatility

     47.22% - 49.13%  

Expected life in years

       5.00 - 6.08 years  

Dividend yield

     -  

 

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9. Stockholders’ equity (deficit) (continued)

 

A summary of the changes in common stock options issued under all of the existing stock option plans is as follows (in thousands, except per share amounts):

 

     Shares    

Range of exercise

 

prices

    

Weighted-

 

average

 

exercise price

    

Aggregate

 

intrinsic value

 

Options outstanding at December 31, 2017

     19,332     $     0.13-1.21      $ 0.22      $ 8,019  

Granted

     7,313     $     0.62-1.01      $                 0.84     

Exercised

     (4,158   $         0.13-0.90      $ 0.15     

Forfeited

     (2,122   $     0.13-1.21      $ 0.43     
  

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Options outstanding at December 31, 2018

     20,365     $     0.13-1.21      $ 0.42      $             13,433  
  

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Vested and expected to vest at December 31, 2018(1)

     14,458        $ 0.42      $ 9,536  
  

 

 

      

 

 

    

 

 

 

Vested at December 31, 2018

     7,298        $ 0.19      $ 6,352  
  

 

 

      

 

 

    

 

 

 

(1) The expected-to-vest options are the result of applying the pre-vesting forfeiture rate to outstanding options.

The total intrinsic value of options exercised during the year ended December 31, 2018 was $2.6 million. The intrinsic value was calculated as the difference between the estimated fair value of our common stock at exercise, as determined by the board of directors, and the exercise price of the in-the-money options. The weighted-average grant date fair value of options granted during the year ended December 31, 2018 was $3.0 million.

At December 31, 2018, there was an estimated $3.0 million of total unrecognized compensation costs related to stock-based compensation arrangements. These costs will be recognized over a weighted-average period of three years.

Total stock-based compensation expense recognized was as follows (in thousands):

 

     Year ended
December 31,
2018
 

Cost of revenue

   $ 82  

Research and development

     388  

Sales and marketing

     432  

General and administrative

     1,169  
  

 

 

 

Total stock-based compensation expense

   $ 2,071  
  

 

 

 

 

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9. Stockholders’ equity (deficit) (continued)

 

Preferred stock

As of December 31, 2018, the holders of preferred stock (“Series A Stock,” “Series B Stock,” “Series C Stock,” “Series D Stock,” “Series D-1 Stock,” “Series E Stock,” “Series E-1 Stock,” and “Series F Stock”) have various rights and preferences as follows (in thousands):

 

     Shares authorized      Shares
outstanding
     Shares
outstanding
as converted to
common stock
     Liquidation
amounts
 

Series A Stock

     15,000        15,000        15,000      $ 15,000  

Series B Stock

     10,611        10,611        10,611        20,116  

Series C Stock

     16,393        16,393        16,811        40,000  

Series D Stock

     14,451        14,451        15,246        50,000  

Series D-1 Stock

     1,445        1,445        1,524        5,000  

Series E Stock

     20,307        20,307        20,307        39,000  

Series E-1 Stock

     195        195        195        400  

Series F Stock

     23,628        23,628        23,628        68,662  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total preferred stock

                 102,030                    102,030                    103,323      $             238,178  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Dividends

Holders of Series F Stock are entitled to receive cumulative dividends. Dividends on shares of Series F Stock (the “Series F Dividend”) accrue on a daily basis and compound quarterly at a per annum rate of 10% of the Series F Stock original issue price of $2.7086 per share (the “Series F Original Issue Price”). Except for the limited instances identified in our currently effective amended and restated certificate of incorporation with respect to the Series F Stock, we have no obligation to pay any dividends, except when, as and if declared by the board of directors. No dividends on any share of other series of preferred stock or common stock can be paid until the full Series F Dividend then accrued has been paid in full. In the event that the holders of Series F Stock receive proceeds per share of Series F Stock as a result of any deemed liquidation event or any conversion to common stock at the option of the holder or a mandatory conversion event of at least: (a) $6.7715 per share of Series F Stock, then the Series F Dividend shall be reduced from 10% to 9% per annum effective as of the date of issuance, or (b) $8.1258, then the Series F Dividend shall be reduced from 10% to 8% per annum effective as of the date of issuance.

Holders of all other series of preferred stock are entitled to participate in dividends on common stock when, as and if declared by the board of directors, based on the number of shares of common stock held on an as-converted basis. From our inception through December 31, 2018, our board of directors had not declared any dividends.

Liquidation

In the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution, winding up or deemed liquidation event, the holders of each series of preferred stock are entitled to be paid out of our assets available for distribution to our stockholders before any payment shall be made to the holders of our common stock in the following order: (i) first, the holders of shares of Series F Stock, an amount equal to the Series F Original Issue Price, plus any dividends (other than the Series F Dividend) declared but unpaid, (ii) second, to the holders of Series E Stock and Series E-1 Stock, an amount equal to the Series E Stock original issue price of $1.9242 per share, plus any dividends declared but unpaid thereon, (iii) third, to the holders of Series D Stock and Series D-1 Stock, an amount equal to the Series D Stock original issue price of $3.46 per share, plus any dividends declared but

 

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9. Stockholders’ equity (deficit) (continued)

 

unpaid thereon, (iv) fourth, to the holders of Series A Stock, Series B Stock and Series C Stock, pari passu amongst one another, an amount equal to the Series A Stock original issue price of $1.00 per share, Series B Stock original issue price of $1.8896 per share, and Series C Stock original issue price of $2.44 per share, respectively, in each case, plus any dividends declared but unpaid thereon, (v) fifth, any accrued but unpaid dividends on the Series F Stock, and (vi) to the holders of all other series of our preferred stock, pari passu among one another, in an amount equal to (A) the original issue price for such series of preferred stock times (B) 50%. Other than in connection with a deemed liquidation event, the preferred stock is not redeemable by us without the consent of the stockholders.

Conversion

Each share of preferred stock (other than the Series D-1 Stock and Series E-1 Stock, which are subject to restrictions regarding conversion) shall be convertible, at the option of the holder thereof, at any time, and without the payment of additional consideration by the holder thereof, into such number of fully paid shares of common stock as is determined by dividing the original issue price for such series of preferred stock by the applicable conversion price for such series of preferred stock in effect at the time of conversion. The Series A and Series B are mandatorily convertible upon the election of the holders of a majority of such shares voting together on an as converted to common stock basis. The Series C is mandatorily convertible upon the election of the holders of a majority of such shares. The Series D is mandatorily convertible upon the election of the holders of a majority of such shares. The Series E is mandatorily convertible upon the election of the holders of at least 60% of such shares. The Series F is mandatorily convertible upon the election of the holders of a majority of such shares. In addition, all shares of preferred stock (other than the Series D-1 Stock and Series E-1 Stock) are mandatorily convertible upon the sale of shares of common stock to the public in a firm commitment underwritten public offering of our common stock resulting in (x) at least $50 million in net proceeds (after the underwriting discount and commissions) to us and (y) a price per share that yields (including the payment of the Series F Dividend) an implied value per share of Series F Preferred Stock issued on the original issue date of the Series F of at least $4.0629 (such offering, a “Qualified IPO”). The conversion price per share applicable to: (i) the Series A Stock shall initially be equal to $1.00, (ii) the Series B Stock shall initially be equal to $1.8896, (iii) the Series C Stock shall initially be equal to $2.3793, (iv) the Series D Stock and Series D-1 Stock shall initially be equal to $3.2794, (v) the Series E Stock and Series E-1 Stock shall initially be equal to $1.9242, and (vi) the Series F Stock shall initially be equal to $2.7086. Additionally, upon a mandatory conversion, we shall pay to the holders of Series F Stock, an amount per share of Series F Stock equal to the Series F Dividend or a number of additional shares of non-voting common stock per share of Series F Stock equal to the Series F Dividend based on the price of the common stock in the Qualified IPO. No fractional common stock shall be issued upon conversion of Preferred Stock. The Series C Stock, Series D Stock, and Series D-1 Stock is currently convertible into common stock on a greater than one-to-one basis.

Voting

Holders of preferred stock are entitled to voting rights equal to holders of common stock, except for holders of Series D-1 Stock, Series E-1 Stock, and Series F Stock held by certain non-voting holders and except as otherwise provided in the amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our voting agreement with certain of our stockholders. The Series F Stock held by Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC will convert to voting shares upon sale or transfer to a third party. A majority of the outstanding shares of preferred stock is necessary for approving certain protective provisions in the amended and restated certificate of incorporation. In addition, the holders of each series of preferred stock have protective provisions which require approval from a majority of the outstanding shares of such series.

 

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9. Stockholders’ equity (deficit) (continued)

 

Redemption

Series F Stock holders are allowed to request redemption of their shares on the earlier of: (i) the five year anniversary of the original issue date of the Series F Stock or (ii) the consummation of an initial public offering of our capital stock that is not a Qualified IPO.

Our merger or consolidation into another entity in which our stockholders own less than 50% of the voting stock of the surviving company or the sale, transfer or lease of substantially all of our assets shall be deemed a liquidation, dissolution or winding up, and, as a result, a redemption event. As the redemption event is outside of our control, all shares of preferred stock have been presented outside of permanent equity. We have also concluded that since the shares of preferred stock are not mandatorily redeemable, but rather are only contingently redeemable, and given that the redemption event is not certain to occur, the shares have not been accounted for as a liability in any of the periods presented.

10. Income taxes

Pretax earnings from continuing operations consist of the following (in thousands):

 

     For the year ended
December 31, 2018
 

United States

   $ (38,471

Non-U.S.

     (397
  

 

 

 

Total Pre-tax Earnings

   $ (38,868
  

 

 

 

The components of the provision for income taxes are as follows (in thousands):

 

     Year ended
December 31,
2018
 

Income tax provision (benefit)

  

Current:

  

Federal

   $ -  

State

     10  

Foreign

     -  
  

 

 

 

Total current

   $ 10  
  

 

 

 

Deferred:

  

Federal

     -  

State

     -  

Foreign

     -  

Total deferred

     -  
  

 

 

 

Total provision (benefit)

   $             10  
  

 

 

 

Our provision for income taxes attributable to continuing operations differs from the expected tax expense (benefit) amount computed by applying the U.S. statutory federal income tax rate of 21% to income from continuing operations before income taxes. The variance is a result of the application of a valuation allowance for net deferred assets, including NOL carryforwards and credits generated in Australia, the UK, and the United States.

 

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10. Income taxes (continued)

 

     Year ended
December 31,
2018
 

U.S. federal taxes at statutory rate

     21.00

State taxes, net of federal benefit

     3.45  

Foreign tax rate differentials

     (0.15

Research and development credit

     (0.46

Stock-based compensation

     (0.83

Permanent differences, other

     (1.83

Change in valuation allowance

     (22.30

Other

     1.09  
  

 

 

 

Effective tax rate

               (0.03 )% 
  

 

 

 

On December 22, 2017, the U.S. government enacted tax reform, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“Tax Act”). The Tax Act reduced the U.S. federal corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%. The Tax Act required companies to pay a one-time transition tax on earnings of certain foreign subsidiaries that were not previously taxed in the U.S. In addition, the Tax Act created a new category of taxation on certain foreign sourced earnings. We recognized the effect of the tax law changes in the period of enactment, or the annual period ended December 31, 2017, that included recognition of the applicable transition tax and the re-measurement of our U.S. deferred tax assets and liabilities. Further, we assessed the net realizability of our deferred tax assets and liabilities. In December 2017, the SEC staff issued Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118, Income Tax Accounting Implications of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (SAB 118), which allowed us to record provisional amounts during a measurement period not to extend beyond one year of the enactment date. Due to the timing of the enactment and the complexity involved in applying the provisions of the Tax Act, we made reasonable estimates of the effects and recorded provisional amounts in our consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2017.

As a result of cumulative losses with respect to our foreign subsidiaries through December 31, 2017, there was no inclusion or transition tax liability due to the Tax Act. The Tax Act also subjects a U.S. shareholder to current tax on certain earnings of foreign subsidiaries under a provision commonly known as GILTI (global intangible low-taxed income). Under GAAP, an accounting policy election can be made to either recognize deferred taxes for temporary basis differences expected to reverse as GILTI in future years, or to provide for the tax expense related to GILTI in the year the tax is incurred as a period expense only. We have elected to account for GILTI in the year the tax is incurred.

Deferred income taxes reflect the net tax effects of temporary differences between the carrying amount of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for income tax purposes.

 

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10. Income taxes (continued)

 

Significant components of deferred taxes are as follows (in thousands):

 

     As of
December 31,
2018
 

Deferred tax assets:

  

Net operating loss and credit carryforwards

   $ 37,274  

Deferred rent and leasehold incentive obligations

     45  

Deferred revenue

     632  

Depreciation and amortization

     9,820  

Other

     1,505  
  

 

 

 

Gross deferred tax assets

           49,276  
  

 

 

 

Valuation allowance

     (47,835

Deferred tax liabilities:

  

Capitalized software costs

     (351

Deferred commission

     (645

Prepaid expenses and other

     (445
  

 

 

 

Net deferred tax assets

   $ -  
  

 

 

 

At December 31, 2018, we had NOL carryforwards for U.S. federal income tax purposes of approximately $82.9 million. Of this total, $34.5 million is related to tax year 2018 that do not have an expiration, as a result of the Tax Act. The remaining $48.4 million of U.S. federal NOL carryforwards are available to offset future U.S. federal taxable income and begin to expire at various dates from 2036 through 2037.

At December 31, 2018, we had NOL carryforwards for certain state income tax purposes of approximately $24.9 million. These state NOL carryforwards are available to offset future state taxable income and begin to expire in 2036.

At December 31, 2018, we had foreign NOL carryforwards of approximately $26.1 million, which are available to offset future foreign taxable income and that do not have an expiration.

At December 31, 2018, we had research and experimentation tax credit carryforwards of approximately $2.1 million, which are available to offset future U.S. federal income tax. These U.S. federal tax credits begin to expire in 2034.

As of December 31, 2018, we did not believe it is more likely than not that our net deferred tax assets will be realized. Therefore, we recorded a full valuation allowance with respect to all net deferred tax assets. During 2018, the valuation allowance was increased by approximately $11.3 million due to change in NOL carryforwards. The impact will likely be subject to ongoing technical guidance and accounting interpretation, that we will continue to monitor and assess.

We file separate income tax returns for Australia, the UK, U.S. federal and states where required with varying statutes of limitations. The 2016 through 2018 tax years generally remain open and subject to examination by U.S. federal tax authorities. The 2016 through 2018 tax years generally remain open and subject to examination by the state tax authorities and foreign tax authorities. In the foreign jurisdictions we file, we are currently open and subject to examination from 2015 through 2018. However, taxing authorities may audit any prior year since inception when auditing a year in which our NOLs are being utilized. We are not currently under audit in any taxing jurisdictions.

 

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10. Income taxes (continued)

 

As of December 31, 2018, we had no recorded unrecognized tax benefits that would impact our effective tax rate.

Our practice is to recognize interest and/or penalties related to income tax matters in income tax expense. During 2018 we did not recognize any material interest or penalties.

11. Net loss per share

Basic and diluted net loss per common share is presented in conformity with the two-class method required for participating securities. Holders of Series F preferred stock are entitled to receive cumulative dividends at the annual rate of 10% compounded quarterly payable prior and in preference to any dividends on any shares of our common stock. In the event a dividend is paid on common stock, the holders of preferred stock are entitled to a proportionate share of any such dividend as if they were holders of common stock (on an as-if converted basis). Accordingly, all of our outstanding series of preferred stock are considered to be participating securities. The holders of our preferred stock do not have a contractual obligation to share in our losses; therefore, no amount of total undistributed loss is allocated to preferred stock. Net loss attributable to common stockholders is calculated as net loss less current period preferred stock dividends.

Basic net loss per share attributable to common stockholders is computed by dividing net loss attributable to common stockholders by the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding for the period. Because we have reported a net loss for 2018, the number of shares used to calculate diluted net loss per share of common stock attributable to common stockholders is the same as the number of shares used to calculate basic net loss per share of common stock attributable to common stockholders for the period presented because the potentially dilutive shares would have been antidilutive if included in the calculation.

The following potentially dilutive securities outstanding have been excluded from the computation of diluted weighted-average shares outstanding because such securities have an antidilutive impact due to losses reported (in thousands):

 

     As of
December 31,
2018
 

Preferred stock

     102,030  

Stock options outstanding

     20,365  

Warrants to purchase common stock

     1,055  

Convertible debt

     6,538  
  

 

 

 

Total potentially dilutive securities

                 129,988  
  

 

 

 

12. Subsequent events

In 2019, we entered into a second amendment to the Credit Facility that provides for a new term loan of $5 million. Under terms of this amendment, the new term loan bears interest at a rate equal to the prime rate plus 0.5%. Principal payments commence nine months after the draw date and are due in 36 equal monthly installments. In addition to the term loan, this amendment also increases the credit available under the Revolving Line to $25 million from $20 million, and extends the maturity date of the Revolving Line to October 27, 2021.

 

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                Shares

 

 

LOGO

Common Stock

PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS

 

Morgan Stanley   Barclays                   Jefferies   KeyBanc Capital Markets

                    , 2020

 


Table of Contents

PART II - INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

Item 13. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution

The following table sets forth the estimated costs and expenses, other than the underwriting discount, payable by us in connection with the sale of the securities being registered hereby. All amounts shown are estimates except the SEC registration fee, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) filing fee and the listing fee.

 

Expenses of issuance and distribution (in thousands)

   $ Amount to be
paid

SEC registration fee

       $                            

FINRA filing fee

           

listing fee

       (a)    

Transfer agent and registrar’s fees

       (a)    

Printing and engraving expenses

       (a)    

Legal fees and expenses

       (a)    

Accounting fees and expenses

       (a)    

Blue Sky fees and expenses

       (a)    

Miscellaneous fees and expenses

       (a)    
    

 

 

 

Total

       $                    (a)    
    

 

 

 

 

(a)

To be completed by amendment.

Item 14. Indemnification of Directors and Officers

Section 102(b)(7) of the Delaware General Corporation Law permits a corporation to provide in its certificate of incorporation that a director of the corporation shall not be personally liable to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except for liability (i) for any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders, (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (iii) for unlawful payment of dividends or unlawful stock purchases or redemptions, or (iv) for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will contain such a provision.

Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law provides that a corporation may indemnify directors and officers as well as other employees and individuals against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement in connection with specified actions, suits or proceedings, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the corporation —a “derivative action”), if they acted in good faith and in a manner they reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe their conduct was unlawful. A similar standard is applicable in the case of derivative actions, except that indemnification only extends to expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred in connection with defense or settlement of such action, and the statute requires court approval before there can be any indemnification where the person seeking indemnification has been found liable to the corporation. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will contain such a provision.

We maintain a directors’ and officers’ liability insurance policy indemnifying our directors and officers for certain liabilities incurred by them, including liabilities under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act. We pay the entire premium of this policy.

We intend to enter into indemnification agreements with each of our directors and officers in connection with this offering that provide the maximum indemnity allowed to directors and officers by Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law and which allow for certain additional procedural protections.

 

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These indemnification provisions and the indemnification agreements may be sufficiently broad to permit indemnification of our officers and directors for liabilities (including reimbursement of expenses incurred) arising under the Securities Act.

In addition, the underwriting agreement filed as Exhibit 1.1 to this registration statement provides for indemnification by the underwriters of us and our officers and directors for certain liabilities arising under the Securities Act. Our Investor Rights Agreement with certain stockholders filed as Exhibit 10.1 to this registration statement also provides for cross-indemnification in connection with the registration of our common stock on behalf of such investors.

Item 15. Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities

Since three years before the date of the initial filing of this registration statement, the registrant has sold the following securities without registration under the Securities Act:

 

  1.

On April 19, 2018, we completed the sale of an aggregate of 23,628,441 shares of our Series F preferred stock at a purchase price of $2.7086 per share for an aggregate purchase price of $63,999,995.29.

 

  2.

We have granted stock options to purchase an aggregate of 72,488,862 shares of our Series 1 common stock, with exercise prices ranging from $0.13 to $1.29 per share, to employees, directors and consultants pursuant to the 2013 Plan. Since January 1, 2017, 11,484,719 shares of our Series 1 common stock have been issued upon the exercise of stock options pursuant to the 2013 Plan.

 

  3.

We have issued warrants to purchase 1,126,591 shares of our Series 1 common stock to certain consultants, Silicon Valley Bank, and as consideration to the stockholders of a private company we acquired in 2015. Since January 1, 2017, four of the warrants have been exercised for an aggregate of 19,383 shares of our Series 1 common stock.

The issuances of the securities described above were deemed to be exempt from registration pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act or Rule 701 promulgated under the Securities Act as transactions pursuant to compensatory benefit plans. The shares of common stock issued upon the exercise of options or warrants are deemed to be restricted securities for purposes of the Securities Act. No underwriters were involved in any of the sales.

Item 16. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules

 

  (a)

Exhibits. See the Exhibit Index immediately preceding the signature pages hereto, which is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.

 

  (b)

Financial Statement Schedules

None.

Item 17. Undertakings

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to provide to the underwriter at the closing specified in the underwriting agreement certificates in such denominations and registered in such names as required by the underwriter to permit prompt delivery to each purchaser.

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the provisions referenced in Item 14 of this registration statement, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer, or controlling person of the registrant in the

 

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successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered hereunder, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question of whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that:

 

  (1)

for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective.

 

  (2)

for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

 

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EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit
Number

  

Description

1.1    Form of Underwriting Agreement(a)
3.1    Fifth Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant, as currently in effect()
3.2    Form of Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant, to be in effect as of the closing of the offering(a)
3.3    Bylaws of the Registrant, as currently in effect()
3.4    Form of Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Registrant, to be in effect as of the closing of the offering(a)
4.1    Form of Specimen common stock certificate(a)
5.1    Form of Opinion of DLA Piper LLP (US)(a)
10.1    Fourth Amended and Restated Investor Rights Agreement, dated as of April 19, 2018(a)
10.2    Fourth Amended and Restated Voting Agreement, dated as of April 19, 2018(a)
10.3    Fourth Amended and Restated Right of First Refusal and Co-Sale Agreement, dated as of April 19, 2018(a)
10.4    Form of Indemnification Agreement for Officers and Directors(a)(b)
10.5    BigCommerce Holdings, Inc. Amended and Restated 2013 Stock Option Plan(a)(b)
10.6    BigCommerce Holdings, Inc. 2020 Stock Option Plan(a)(b)
10.7    BigCommerce Holdings, Inc. 2020 Employee Stock Purchase Plan(a)(b)
10.8    Second Amended and Restated Loan and Security Agreement, dated October 27, 2017, by and between Silicon Valley Bank, the Registrant, BigCommerce, Inc., and BigCommerce PTY LTD CAN 107 422 631(a)
10.9    First Amendment to the Second Amended and Restated Loan and Security Agreement, dated August 20, 2018, by and between Silicon Valley Bank, the Registrant, BigCommerce, Inc., and BigCommerce PTY LTD CAN 107 422 631(a)
10.10    Second Amendment to the Second Amended and Restated Loan and Security Agreement, dated June 4, 2019, by and between Silicon Valley Bank, the Registrant, BigCommerce, Inc., and BigCommerce PTY LTD CAN 107 422 631(a)
10.11    Contingent Convertible Debt Agreement, dated as of October 27, 2017, by and between Silicon Valley Bank, the Registrant, BigCommerce, Inc., and BigCommerce PTY LTD (a)
10.12    Offer Letter dated May 29, 2015, by and between the Registrant and Brent Bellm(a)(b)
10.13    Amendment to Offer Letter dated February 12, 2019, by and between the Registrant and Brent Bellm(a)(b)
10.14    Offer Letter dated May 10, 2018, by and between the Registrant and Lisa Pearson(a)(b)
10.15    Offer Letter dated September 21, 2016, by and between the Registrant and Brian Dhatt(a)(b)
10.16    Amendment to Offer Letter dated February 1, 2017, by and between the Registrant and Brian Dhatt(a)(b)
10.17    Office Lease, dated November 20, 2012, by and between New TPG-Four Points, L.P. and BigCommerce, Inc.(*)
10.18    First Amendment to Lease, dated February 5, 2018, by and between G&I VII Four Points LP and BigCommerce, Inc.(*)
10.19    Second Amendment to Lease, dated October 4, 2018, by and between G&I VII Four Points LP and BigCommerce, Inc.(*)
21.1    List of Subsidiaries of the Registrant()
23.1    Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (a)
23.2    Consent of DLA Piper LLP (US) (included in Exhibit 5.1)(a)
24.1    Power of Attorney (included in signature page)

 

(†)

Included with prior confidential submission.

(*)

Pursuant to Item 601(a)(5) of Regulation S-K promulgated by the SEC, certain exhibits and schedules to this agreement have been omitted. The Company hereby agrees to furnish supplementally to the SEC, upon its request, any or all of such omitted exhibits or schedules.

(a)

To be filed by amendment.

(b)

Management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement.

 

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Austin, State of Texas, on the    day of                , 2020.

 

BIGCOMMERCE HOLDINGS, INC.

By:

 

 

 

Name: Brent Bellm

 

Title: President and Chief Executive Officer

POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENT, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints                and                , and each of them, as his true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution for him in any and all capacities, to sign (i) any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this registration statement and (ii) any registration statement or post-effective amendment thereto to be filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in connection therewith, as fully to all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or any of them, or their or his substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

Signature

 

Title

     

Date

 

 

President, Chief Executive Officer, and Director

(Principal Executive Officer)

 

 

                      , 2020
Brent Bellm

 

 

Chief Financial Officer

(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)

                        , 2020
Robert Alvarez

 

  Director                         , 2020
Lawrence Bohn

 

  Director                         , 2020
Donald E. Clarke

 

  Director                         , 2020
John T. McDonald

 

  Director                         , 2020
Steven J. Murray

 

  Director                         , 2020
Jeff Richards
EX-10.17

Exhibit 10.17

FOUR POINTS CENTRE

BUILDING II

OFFICE LEASE

by and between

NEW TPG-FOUR POINTS, L.P.

and

BIGCOMMERCE, INC.

Dated: November 20, 2012


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

               Page  
I.    Definitions      1  
2.    Lease of Premises      1  
3.    Use of Premises      1  
4.    Term      1  
5.    Rent      2  
   5.1    Items Comprising Rent      2  
   5.2    Time for Payment      3  
   5.3    Estimates and Annual Reconciliation of Operating Expenses      3  
   5.4    Audit Rights      4  
6.    Intentionally Deleted      4  
7.    Failure of Building Systems      4  
8.    Initial Tenant Improvements; Allowance; AS-IS      6  
   8.1    Initial Tenant Improvements      6  
   8.2    Allowance      6  
   8.3    Building Shell Condition      6  
   8.4    AS-IS      6  
9.    Utilities and Services      7  
   9.1    Landlord Obligations      7  
   9.2    Extraordinary Services      10  
   9.3    Telephone      10  
   9.4    Governmental Interruption in Utility Services      11  
10.    Alterations      11  
   10.1    Restriction on Alterations      11  
   10.2    Removal and Surrender of Fixtures and Alterations      12  
   10.3    Tenant’s Fixtures      13  
11.    Maintenance and Repairs      13  
   11.1    Tenant’s Obligations      13  
   11.2    Landlord’s Obligations      13  
   11.3    Waiver of Liability      14  
12.    Insurance; Waiver of Subrogation      14  

 

- i -


TABLE OF CONTENTS

(continued)

 

                 Page  
     12.1      Liability Insurance      14  
     12.2      Property Insurance      14  
     12.3      Business Interruption Insurance      15  
     12.4      Policy Requirements      15  
     12.5      Landlord’s Insurance      16  
     12.6      Waiver of Subrogation      16  
13.      Damage or Destruction      17  
     13.1      Damage and Restoration      17  
     13.2      Termination      18  
14.      Eminent Domain      19  
     14.1      Taking      19  
15.      Assignment and Subletting      19  
     15.1      Limitation      19  
     15.2      Notice of Intent to Assign or Sublet      21  
     15.3      Right of Recapture; Landlord’s Consent      21  
     15.4      Costs      24  
16.      Landlord’s Reserved Rights      24  
     16.1      Right of Entry      24  
     16.2      Building and Common Areas      24  
     16.3      Name      25  
     16.4      Sale of Building in Property      25  
17.      Indemnification and Waiver      25  
     17.1      Indemnity by Tenant      25  
     17.2      Waiver      26  
18.      Definition of Landlord      26  
19.      Subordination      26  
     19.1      Subordination      26  
     19.2      Attornment      27  
     19.3      Notice to Landlord’s Mortgagee      27  
     19.4      Landlord’s Mortgagee’s Protection Provisions      28  

 

- ii -


TABLE OF CONTENTS

(continued)

 

               Page  
20.    Substitution of Premises      28  
21.    Surrender of Premises and Removal of Property      29  
   21.1    No Merger      29  
   21.2    Surrender of Premises      29  
   21.3    Disposal of Property      29  
22.    Holding Over      29  
23.    Defaults and Remedies      30  
   23.1    Defaults by Tenant      30  
   23.2    Landlord’s Remedies      31  
   23.3    Waivers by Tenant      33  
   23.4    Repossession      33  
   23.5    Methodology of Calculating Charges      34  
   23.6    Right of Landlord to Injunction; Remedies Cumulative      34  
   23.7    Lien      34  
   23.8    Waiver of Jury Trial      35  
   23.9    Definition of Tenant      35  
   23.10    Tenant’s Obligation Not Dependent      35  
   23.11    Defaults by Landlord      35  
24.    Covenant Against Liens      36  
25.    Interest on Tenant’s Obligations; Late Charges      36  
   25.1    Interest      36  
   25.2    Late Charge      36  
26.    Quiet Enjoyment      37  
27.    Parking Facilities      37  
28.    Brokers      37  
29.    Rules and Regulations      38  
30.    Signage      38  
   30.1    Directory      38  
   30.2    Signs      38  
   30.3    Monument Sign      38  

 

- iii -


TABLE OF CONTENTS

(continued)

 

               Page  
31.    Personal Property Taxes      39  
32.    General Provisions      40  
   32.1    No Waiver      40  
   32.2    Terms; Headings      40  
   32.3    Entire Agreement      40  
   32.4    Successors and Assigns      40  
   32.5    Notices      40  
   32.6    Severability      41  
   32.7    Time of Essence      41  
   32.8    Governing Law      41  
   32.9    Attorneys’ Fees      41  
   32.10    Light and Air      41  
   32.11    Bankruptcy Prior to Commencement      41  
   32.12    Force Majeure      41  
   32.13    Applicable Laws      41  
   32.14    Estoppel Certificates      42  
   32.15    Examination of Lease      42  
   32.16    Landlord Liability      42  
   32.17    Representations by Tenant      42  
   32.18    Memorandum of Lease      43  
   32.19    Landlord’s Fees      43  
   32.20    Representations of Landlord      44  
   32.21    Intentionally Deleted      44  
33.    DTPA WAIVER      44  
34.    Hazardous Materials      45  
35.    Security      46  
   35.1    Letter of Credit      46  
   35.2    Failure to Reissue, Renew or Replace      47  
   35.3    Application of LC and LC Account      47  
   35.4    Entire Agreement      48  

 

- iv -


TABLE OF CONTENTS

(continued)

 

                 Page  
     35.5      Expiration of LC      48  
     35.6      Landlord’s Transfer      48  
     35.7      Bank Obligation      49  
36.      Counterparts      49  
37.      Relation of Parties      49  
38.      Joint and Several Liability      49  
39.      Appraisal of the Property      49  
40.      Usury           49  

 

EXHIBIT A    FLOOR PLAN    A-1
EXHIBIT B    GLOSSARY OF DEFINED TERMS    B-1
EXHIBIT C    MEMORANDUM OF LEASE COMMENCEMENT    C-1
EXHIBIT D    TENANT IMPROVEMENT LETTER    D-1
EXHIBIT E    RULES AND REGULATIONS    E-1
EXHIBIT F    JANITORIAL SPECIFICATIONS    F-1
EXHIBIT G    ADDENDUM    G-1
EXHIBIT H    BUILDING SHELL CONDITION    H-1
EXHIBIT I    FORM OF SNDA    I-1
EXHIBIT J    FORM OF LC    J-1
EXHIBIT K    LOCATION OF MONUMENT SIGN    K-1

 

- v -


LEASE SUMMARY

This lease summary is made a part of the Lease and it shall be incorporated into the provisions thereof; provided, however, that to the extent that there exists a conflict between this lease summary and the Lease, the Lease shall govern.

 

Effective Date:    Nov. 20, 2012 (which will be defined as the date that Landlord fully executes and delivers this Lease to Tenant)
Landlord:    NEW TPG-FOUR POINTS, L.P., a Texas limited partnership
Tenant:    BIGCOMMERCE, INC., a Texas corporation
Premises:    32,957 rentable square feet located on the third (3rd) floor (being Suite 300) of the building known as Four Points Centre, Building II located at 11305 Four Points Drive Austin, Texas 78726 and as more particularly described in Section 2 below.
Term:    Five (5) years, commencing on the date that is 150 days following the Effective Date, and ending on the last day of the sixtieth (60th) full calendar month after such date (see Section 4, page 1)
Base Rent:   

 

Months

   Annual Base Rent/RSF      Monthly Base Rent  

1-12

   $ 15.75      $ 43,256.06  

13-24

   $ 16.25      $ 44,629.27  

25-36

   $ 16.75      $ 46,002.48  

37-48

   $ 17.25      $ 47,375.69  

49-60

   $ 17.75      $ 48,748.90  

(see Section 5 for further provisions)

 

  

 

Permitted Use:    See Section 3
Options/Rights:    Renewal Option; Right of First Refusal
Addresses for Notice:    To Landlord:
  

New TPG-Four Points, L.P.

c/o Thomas Properties Group, LP

2005 Market Street, Suite 3200

Philadelphia, PA 19103,

Attn:


  

with a copy to:

 

TPG-FP Services, LP

401 Congress Avenue, Suite 1850

Austin, TX 78701

Attention:

 

and with a copy to:

 

Bracewell & Giuliani LLP

111 Congress Avenue, Suite 2300

Austin, TX 78701-4061

Telephone:

Telecopy:

 

To Tenant (prior to the Commencement Date):

 

BigCommerce, Inc.

2711 West Anderson Lane, #200

Austin, Texas 78757

Attention: Chief Financial Officer

 

After the Commencement Date:

 

Tenant at the Premises

 

- 2 -


FOUR POINTS CENTRE OFFICE LEASE

THIS OFFICE LEASE (this “Lease”) is made and entered into as of the 20th day of November, 2012 (the “Effective Date”) by and between NEW TPG-FOUR POINTS, L.P., a Texas limited partnership (“Landlord”), and BIGCOMMERCE, INC., a Texas corporation (“Tenant”).

 

1.

Definitions.

All capitalized terms used in this Lease and not specifically defined in the text shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the glossary attached hereto as Exhibit B and hereby made a part hereof.

 

2.

Lease of Premises.

Subject to the covenants, terms, provisions and conditions of this Lease, Landlord hereby leases to Tenant, and Tenant hereby leases from Landlord, those certain premises (the “Premises”) shown on the drawings attached hereto as Exhibit A, located on the third (3rd) floor (being Suite 300) of the Building. The Premises contain approximately 32,957 Rentable Square Feet. Landlord also hereby grants to Tenant a non-exclusive license to use the Common Area within the Property subject to the covenants, terms, provisions and conditions of this Lease.

 

3.

Use of Premises.

The Premises shall be used solely for general office purposes consistent with Class A Buildings and Tenant shall not use, or permit others to use, any portion of the Premises or Tenant’s rights in the Property for the Prohibited Uses. The Parking Facility shall be used solely to provide parking for all modes of vehicular transportation.

 

4.

Term.

The term of this Lease (the “Term”) shall be five (5) years, commencing on the date that is 150 days following the Effective Date (as that date may be extended as a result of Force Majeure, that date is herein referred to as the “Commencement Date”), and ending, without the necessity of any notice from either party, on the last day of the sixtieth (60th) full calendar month thereafter. Landlord shall deliver possession of the Premises broom clean, free of other tenancies and free of any debris or materials, for the construction of the Tenant Improvements therein, in accordance with the Tenant Improvement Letter attached hereto as Exhibit D within 3 days after the Effective Date. Landlord shall not be liable for a failure to deliver possession of the Premises or any other space when such failure is directly due to Force Majeure Events, but the Commencement Date shall be extended by one day for each day of delay by Landlord, beyond 3 days after the Effective Date, in providing possession of the Premises to Tenant as required by the prior sentence. Tenant may take possession of the Premises fifteen (15) days prior to the Commencement Date (the “Pre-Commencement Period”) for the sole purpose of installing furniture, fixtures and equipment or other personal property within the Premises. During the Pre-Commencement Period, Tenant shall be bound by all obligations of this Lease, except that Tenant shall not be obligated to pay Base Rent or its Pro Rata Share of Operating Expenses, but shall be required to pay for extraordinary HV AC services pursuant to Section 9.2 requested by Tenant as a result of such early possession. Within fifteen (15) days of the receipt of a written request of either party, Landlord and Tenant will execute a memorandum in the form of Exhibit C attached hereto, setting forth the dates on which the Term begins and ends.


5.

Rent.

5.1 Items Comprising Rent. In consideration for this Lease, effective as of the Commencement Date, Tenant agrees to pay Landlord the following (hereinafter collectively referred to as “Rent”):

(a) Monthly base rent (Base Rent) in accordance with the following table:

 

Months

   Annual Base Rent/RSF      Monthly Base Rent  

1-12

   $ 15.75      $ 43,256.06  

13-24

   $ 16.25      $ 44,629.27  

25-36

   $ 16.75      $ 46,002.48  

37-48

   $ 17.25      $ 47,375.69  

49-60

   $ 17.75      $ 48,748.90  

(b) Tenant’s Pro Rata Share of Operating Expenses for the applicable calendar year, as estimated and reconciled by Landlord in accordance with Section 5.3 below; Landlord’s current estimate for Operating Expenses for the current year (i.e., 2012) is $9.72 per square foot of Rentable Area.

(c) Intentionally deleted.

(d) Following the Commencement Date, any actual costs or expenses for goods, services or utilities which are (i) directly attributable to Tenant’s use or occupancy of the Premises and are of the type described in Section 9.2 hereof, and (ii) not otherwise included in Operating Expenses or completely reimbursed to Landlord by any other source or entity.

(e) Those charges which Landlord imposes on Tenant for services pursuant to Section 9.2 of this Lease.

(f) Any sums which Tenant becomes obligated to pay as a result of Tenant’s failure to comply with any of the terms and provisions of this Lease.

(g) Any other amounts due under this Lease.

(h) Notwithstanding anything in the above Section 5.1 (a) to the contrary, applicable monthly Base Rent for all of the Premises shall be abated for the first (1st), thirteenth (13th ) and twenty-fifth (25th) months, respectively, of the Term (each of said months being a “Rent Abatement Period”); provided, however, all other payments required to be paid by Tenant to Landlord pursuant to the Lease shall remain due and payable during any Rent Abatement Period. If at any time during the initial Term Landlord terminates this Lease as a result of an Event of Default of a monetary nature hereunder, the abatement of Base Rent for the Premises provided for herein shall immediately become void, and Tenant shall promptly pay to Landlord, in

 

- 2 -


addition to all other amounts due to Landlord under the Lease, the full amount of all Base Rent for the Premises herein that is actually abated during any Rent Abatement Periods, multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of full calendar months remaining in the Term as of the date Landlord terminates this Lease as a result of an Event of Default of a monetary nature and the denominator of which is 60.

5.2 Time for Payment. Rent due under subparagraphs (a) and (b) above shall be payable in advance on the first (1st) day of each calendar month without prior notice or demand. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Tenant shall submit the sum of $69,951.23 on the execution of this Lease as the Rent payment for the second (2nd) month of the Term. Landlord shall not be obligated to invoice Tenant monthly for Rent due under subparagraphs (a) or (b). All other sums due from Tenant shall be due and payable within thirty (30) days following presentation by Landlord of a written invoice therefor, unless this Lease specifically provides otherwise. All Rent shall be payable in United States dollars and sent to Landlord as follows: (1) if by check, payable to the order of New TPG-Four Points, L.P., c/o Thomas Properties Group, Attn: Rent Receivable, 2005 Market Street, Suite 3200 Philadelphia, PA 19103, or (2) if by wire, using the instructions set forth below:

 

Bank Name:    Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania
   2001 Market Street
   Philadelphia, PA 19103
Routing No.:   
Account No.:   
For Credit To:    New TPG—Four Points, L.P.

Rent for any partial calendar month during the Term shall be prorated on a per diem basis based on a three hundred sixty (360) day year.

5.3 Estimates and Annual Reconciliation of Operating Expenses. Prior to the commencement of each calendar year, or as soon thereafter as possible, Landlord shall furnish to Tenant a statement containing Landlord’s reasonable estimate of Operating Expenses (such statement amount shall be based on a budget prepared by Landlord in accordance with standard industry and accounting practices) for such year and a calculation of Tenant’s Pro Rata Share, which Landlord may re-estimate at any time. Thereafter, Tenant shall pay to Landlord one-twelfth of the amount of its Pro Rata Share on each monthly Rent payment date until further adjustment pursuant to this paragraph. If Landlord’s statement is furnished after the start of the year, then Tenant shall continue to pay the monthly amount of its Pro Rata Share of such expenses due for the prior year and on the next monthly Rent payment date after Tenant receives Landlord’s statement, Tenant shall also pay any excess amounts allocable to the prior months in that year. No later than one hundred eighty (180) days following the end of each calendar year during the Term, Landlord shall furnish to Tenant a statement showing the actual Operating Expenses during said calendar year (“Annual Operating Expenses Statement”). If the Annual Operating Expenses Statement reveals an underpayment, Tenant shall pay such underpayment to Landlord within thirty (30) days (whether or not this Lease has expired or been terminated) after Landlord delivers the Annual Operating Expenses Statement to Tenant, and if the Annual Operating Expenses Statement shows an overpayment, Landlord shall credit the next monthly rental payment(s) of Tenant with an amount equal to such overpayment, or, if the Term has

 

- 3 -


expired, refund the overpayment to Tenant. The obligations set forth in this Section 5.3 shall survive the expiration or earlier termination of the Term. Notwithstanding the foregoing, future increases in Operating Expenses above the actual amounts for the prior calendar year beginning with those expenses for 2012, excluding Real Property Taxes, assessments, insurance, utilities, maintenance expenses and janitorial expenses shall be limited to the lesser of (i) the actual increase or (ii) five percent (5%) (the “Cap”) per year on a cumulative basis.

5.4 Audit Rights. Tenant shall have the right to audit Landlord’s Annual Operating Expenses Statement as set forth in this Section 5.4. In order to exercise Tenant’s right to review the Annual Operating Expenses Statement, Tenant must provide written notice to Landlord of Tenant’s intention to conduct such audit within ninety (90) days after Landlord delivers the Annual Operating Expenses Statement for the applicable calendar year to Tenant and the review will cover only the most recently expired calendar year, and Landlord will not be obligated to provide information with respect to previous calendar years. If Tenant delivers to Landlord a notice pursuant to the preceding sentence, then upon five (5) days prior written notice and during normal business hours at Landlord’s office or such other place as Landlord shall reasonably designate, Tenant shall be entitled to inspect and examine those books and records of Landlord relating to the determination of any item of Operating Expenses paid in the subject calendar year. If, after inspection and examination of such books and records, Tenant disputes the amounts of Operating Expenses charged by Landlord, Tenant, by written notice to Landlord, may request an independent audit of such books and records. The independent audit of the books and records shall be conducted by a certified public accountant designated by Tenant and reasonably acceptable to Landlord (such accountant may not be compensated on a contingency fee or similar basis relating to the results of such audit). If, within ten (10) days after Landlord’s receipt of Tenant’s notice requesting an audit, Landlord and Tenant are unable to agree upon a certified public accountant to conduct such audit, then Tenant may designate a national or regional firm of certified public accountants not then employed by Landlord or Tenant to conduct such audit. Tenant acknowledges and agrees that any records of Landlord reviewed under this Section 5.4 (and the information contained therein) constitute confidential information of Landlord, which Tenant shall not disclose, nor permit to be disclosed by Tenant or it’s accountant, to anyone other than the Tenant’s accountants performing the review and the principals, employees and representatives of Tenant who receive the results of the review. Any accounting firm engaged to perform such an audit will be required to sign a nondisclosure agreement reasonably acceptable to Landlord. If the audit discloses that any item of Operating Expenses billed to Tenant was incorrect, the appropriate party shall pay the other party the deficiency or overpayment, as applicable. All costs and expenses of the audit shall be paid by the Tenant unless the audit shows that Landlord overstated Operating Expenses by more than three percent (3%) for the applicable calendar year, in which case Landlord shall pay all costs and expenses of the audit.

 

6.

Intentionally Deleted.

 

7.

Failure of Building Systems.

(a) To the extent any of the services described in Section 9 require electricity, gas, water or other services supplied by public or private utility providers, Landlord’s covenants hereunder shall impose on Landlord only the obligation to use commercially reasonable efforts to cause the applicable utility providers to furnish the same. Any failure or defect in the services

 

- 4 -


shall not be construed as an eviction of Tenant, entitle Tenant to any damages from Landlord, or, except as expressly provided herein, entitle Tenant to any reduction, abatement, offset, or refund of Rent. Landlord shall not be in breach or default under this Lease, provided Landlord uses commercially reasonable diligence during normal business hours to restore any such failure after Landlord receives written notice thereof.

(b) If the Premises or any portion thereof are rendered Untenantable and are not used by Tenant for a period of five (5) consecutive business days following Landlord’s receipt from Tenant of a written notice regarding such matters (the “Eligibility Period”) as a result of failure in the water, sewage, air conditioning, heating, ventilating, life safety systems, electrical systems of the Building or access to the Building, Tenant’s Base Rent and Tenant’s Pro Rata Share of Operating Expenses shall be reduced and abated after the expiration of the Eligibility Period for such time as the Premises (or portion thereof, as the case may be) remain Untenantable, in the same proportion as the Rentable Area rendered Untenantable bears to the total Rentable Area of the Premises; provided, however, there shall be no abatement of Rent: (i) if Landlord provides to Tenant other space in the Buildings which is reasonably suited for the temporary operation of Tenant’s business and pays all costs associated with moving the furniture, fixtures and equipment (and otherwise building out the space) Tenant requires in such space (provided further, however, that Tenant shall still be entitled to an abatement for the period of time between the Eligibility Period and the date that Landlord makes such other space available to Tenant in a built out condition that is reasonably satisfactory to Tenant and otherwise ready for the operation of Tenant’s business); (ii) if the failure is caused in whole or in part by a governmental directive, failure of a utility provider to provide service to the Premises or by the negligent or willful acts or omissions of any Tenant Parties; (iii) to the extent such failure is caused by a fire or other casualty; or (iv) for any situation described by Section 9.4. As used herein, “Untenantable” means the Premises is in a condition not reasonably usable or accessible by Tenant or its employees for the conduct of its business, and, as a result of such condition, Tenant does not use the Premises in a manner substantially consistent with its ordinary conduct of business therefrom. Notwithstanding the foregoing, during any abatement of Rent period under this Lease, Tenant shall pay Landlord as Rent (other than Operating Expenses) Landlord’s normal and actual charges for all services and utilities provided to and used by Tenant during the period of the abatement of Rent.

(c) Subject to the provisions of Section 7(a) above, Landlord shall not otherwise be liable to Tenant for any such failure, stoppage or interruption of any services or utilities or unavailability of access to the Property and such shall not be construed as an eviction of Tenant nor shall such entitle Tenant to any reduction, abatement, offset, or refund of Rent or to any damages from Landlord except as provided for herein, nor shall Landlord be in breach or default under this Lease. Landlord agrees to use reasonable diligence to restore any such failure, stoppage or interruption of services or utilities or unavailability of access to the Property after Landlord receives notice thereof from Tenant. Subject to the provisions of Sections 7(a) and 7(b), above, Tenant hereby waives and disclaims, and agrees not to claim or assert, all present and future rights to assert that any such obligation of Landlord entitles Tenant to any counterclaim or any reduction, abatement, offset, or refund of Rent.

 

- 5 -


8.

Initial Tenant Improvements; Allowance; AS-IS.

8.1 Initial Tenant Improvements. Tenant shall construct the Tenant Improvements to the Premises in accordance with, and subject to, the terms and conditions of the Tenant Improvement Letter attached hereto as Exhibit D.

8.2 Allowance. Subject to Exhibit D and provided no Event of Default exists and is continuing without having been remedied (it being agreed that if such Event of Default shall be cured by Tenant prior to Landlord’s exercise of the Landlord’s remedies specified in Section 23.2, (a), and/or (b) of this Lease, then Tenant shall be entitled to the Tenant Improvement Allowance), Landlord shall make available to Tenant up to $1,318,280.00 (the “Tenant Improvement Allowance”) (calculated as $40.00 for each of 32,957 Rentable Square Feet) to be used for and in connection with (i) the purchase, installation and construction of the Tenant Improvements, (ii) space planning, architectural and engineering expenses related to the Tenant Improvements, (iii) plan review, permits, inspections and other governmental requirements and approvals relating to the Tenant Improvements, (iv) construction management services relating to the Tenant Improvements, and (v) any and all costs, expenses, fees and charges incurred in connection with the Tenant Improvements and/or the items described in (i) through (iv) above. Notwithstanding the foregoing specified uses for the Tenant Improvement Allowance, Tenant may use up to $2.00 per Rentable Square Foot of the Tenant Improvement Allowance as reimbursement for actual moving expenses and data and cabling expenses upon the presentation of an invoice of such costs to Landlord. If the Tenant Improvement Allowance is insufficient to defray the entire cost of the Tenant Improvements, the balance shall be paid entirely by Tenant pursuant to the terms and conditions specified in Exhibit D. Landlord has no obligation to advance more than the Tenant Improvement Allowance for any items under any circumstances.

8.3 Building Shell Condition. Landlord or its general contractor, at Landlord’s sole cost and expense, shall complete on or before the Effective Date all improvements to the Building and Property necessary to satisfy the shell condition described upon Exhibit H attached hereto.

8.4 AS-IS. TENANT AGREES THAT IT IS NOT RELYING ON ANY WARRANTY OR REPRESENTATION MADE BY LANDLORD, LANDLORD’S AGENTS, OR ANY BROKER CONCERNING THE USE OR CONDITION OF THE PREMISES, COMMON AREAS OR THE PROPERTY. TENANT ACKNOWLEDGES AND AGREES THAT IT HAS INSPECTED THE PREMISES AND THAT IT ACCEPTS THE PREMISES IN THEIR PRESENT “AS-IS, WHERE IS” PHYSICAL CONDITION, WITHOUT ANY OBLIGATION BY LANDLORD TO PAINT, REDECORATE, OR PERFORM ANY OTHER WORK IN, ON OR ABOUT THE PREMISES AT ANY TIME, EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE SPECIFICALLY SET FORTH IN THIS LEASE. LANDLORD, ANY AGENT OF LANDLORD AND ANY BROKER HAVE NOT MADE, AND WILL NOT MAKE, ANY WARRANTY OR REPRESENTATION OF ANY KIND, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, WITH RESPECT TO THE PREMISES, THE BUILDING, COMMON AREAS OR ANY OTHER PORTION OF THE PROPERTY. LANDLORD EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF SUITABILITY, HABITABILITY OR MERCHANTABILITY; IT BEING UNDERSTOOD THAT THE FOREGOING SHALL NOT BE CONSTRUED TO DIMINISH THE OBLIGATIONS OF LANDLORD THAT ARE EXPRESSLY SET FORTH IN THIS LEASE.

 

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9.

Utilities and Services.

9.1 Landlord Obligations. Landlord shall furnish the following services and utilities to the Premises, the cost of which shall be included in Operating Expenses except as specifically provided otherwise herein, during Normal Working Hours except as provided for herein, subject to Landlord’s reasonable rules and regulations from time to time, provided such rules and regulations shall be applied uniformly to Tenant and all other tenants in the Buildings.

(a) HVAC. Landlord shall furnish heating, ventilation and air conditioning (“HVAC”) during Normal Working Hours in the Premises, common area hallways, lobbies and bathrooms as necessary in Landlord’s reasonable judgment for the comfortable use and occupancy of these areas as maintained in comparable buildings not owned or controlled by Landlord or an affiliate in close proximity to the Building (with good faith efforts to try and maintain temperatures between 72 and 76 degrees Fahrenheit), subject to compliance with all applicable mandatory governmental regulations and laws. Tenant shall not, without Landlord’s prior written consent, use any equipment or lighting not typically found in other tenant spaces in the Building which generate excessive heat and thereby affects the ambient temperature otherwise maintained in the Premises by the HVAC system under normal operation. In the event such equipment or lighting affects the ambient temperature, as reasonably and objectively determined by Landlord, and Tenant does not discontinue using such item(s) within five (5) business days following Tenant’s receipt of Landlord’s written notice specifying the non-typical equipment or lighting, Landlord shall have the right to install any machinery or equipment which Landlord reasonably determines necessary to restore temperature balance, including, without limitation, modifications to the standard air conditioning equipment, and the actual, reasonable out-of-pocket cost thereof, including the cost of installation and any additional cost of operation and maintenance incurred thereby, shall be paid by Tenant to Landlord within fifteen (15) business days following Tenant’s receipt of Landlord’s written invoice with reasonable substantiation for all amounts. Landlord makes no representation with respect to the adequacy or fitness of the HV AC equipment in the Building to maintain temperatures which may be required for, or because of, any equipment of Tenant, and Landlord shall have no liability for loss or damage in connection therewith.

(b) Electricity. Landlord agrees to make available electrical services twenty-four (24) hours per day, 365 days per year in the amount necessary to service (i) all electrical devices and equipment in the Premises (not to exceed seven (7) watts per Rentable Square Foot in the Premises as specified below excluding equipment, if any, for which Tenant is already paying additional rent (e.g., a separate, non-base Building HVAC system), and (ii) common area restrooms, common areas and parking facilities for the Building at no additional cost to Tenant in excess of Tenant’s Pro Rata Share of Operating Expenses. Landlord shall furnish to the Premises electric current sufficient for HVAC (excluding any supplemental HVAC that is installed by Tenant or Landlord with respect to Tenant’s use or occupancy of the Premises) and, in addition to the electric current provided for said HV AC, electric current in accordance with the following specifications: (i) 2 watts per Rentable Square Foot of high voltage (480/277 volt) connected load for lighting facilities and other high voltage uses and (ii) 5 watts per Rentable Square Foot

 

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for low voltage (120/280 volt) connected load for outlets and other low voltage usage. Any costs to modify the existing electrical facilities that serve the Premises (including risers, transformers, and panel boxes) to provide such electrical capacity shall be borne by Tenant. Without the prior written consent of Landlord, which consent shall not be unreasonably conditioned, withheld or delayed, Tenant shall not install or operate any machinery, appliances or equipment in the Premises which (a) uses electrical current exceeding thirty (30) amperes at 110 volts on a single circuit, or (b) in any way increases the amount of electricity consumed in the Premises above the seven (7) watts per square foot amount stated above, and shall pay periodically as additional rent the additional expense incurred by the Landlord as a result thereof if Landlord (i) documents such excess usage, (ii) provides Tenant written notice of its findings, and (iii) Tenant does not reduce its consumption within thirty (30) days of its receipt of Landlord’s written notice. Landlord shall have the right from time to time to measure, using established commercially reasonable and objective calculation methods or one or more temporary or permanent submeters or other devices, the consumption of electricity by the Premises. The cost of such measuring shall be borne by Landlord unless such measuring indicates that the electricity being consumed upon the Premises exceeds seven (7) watts per square foot of rentable area in the Premises for lighting and Tenant’s equipment excluding any equipment for which Tenant is already paying additional rent (e.g., a separate, non-base Building HV AC system) for electric consumption, in which event Tenant shall reimburse Landlord for the actual out-of-pocket cost of such measuring (which cost shall not exceed the cost Landlord charges therefor to other tenants in the Building), and shall in addition pay to Landlord monthly, as additional rent, the cost incurred by Landlord thereafter in furnishing such additional electricity to the Premises, which cost shall be calculated based on the actual cost of electrical service charged by the service provider and estimated by Landlord using its reasonable discretion. In the event Tenant’s electrical usage exceeds the seven (7) watts amount stated above and is documented as provided for herein, Landlord shall have the right to separately meter (and separately charge Tenant for the cost of installing a meter(s) (the “Submeter”) and for electrical usage metered thereby). In the event a Submeter is installed, Landlord shall on a monthly basis (and no more than once per month), during the Term and any extension(s) thereof, read the Submeter to determine the amount of the electricity consumed in the Premises since the last reading of the Submeter and then compute the cost of the electricity consumed by multiplying the cost per kilowatt hour charged by the electric utility provider to Landlord for that period by the amount of the kilowatt hours consumed. Promptly after such reading but no more than once per month, the Landlord shall invoice the Tenant for (i) the cost of the electric consumption in the Premises, and such amount shall be due and payable within thirty (30) days of Tenant’s receipt of the invoice (it being understood that such payments are not due at the same time as other payments of Rent hereunder). Tenant shall also have the right (at its sole cost and expense, and subject to Landlord’s approval regarding the design, installation and location thereot) to elect to have Submeters on the Premises, and once those Submeters are installed, then Tenant shall be charged directly for the electricity consumed within the Premises and Tenant shall no longer be responsible for the component of Operating Expenses for electricity consumed within the Premises.

(c) Elevators. Landlord shall furnish passenger elevator service to the Premises at all times.

 

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(d) Water. Landlord shall make available water for normal lavatory and drinking purposes to be drawn from the public lavatory in the core of the floor on which the Premises are located. Subject to Landlord’s approval of Tenant’s Plans (as set forth in the attached Exhibit D), Tenant (at Tenant’s sole cost and expense, but which may be made from the Tenant Improvement Allowance) may tap into the Building’s infrastructure to supply water to the Premises for kitchen and other related purposes.

(e) Janitorial. Landlord shall provide janitorial service in accordance with the specifications attached hereto as Exhibit F and made a part hereof. Landlord shall not be required to provide more than Building standard janitorial services for portions of the Premises used for storage, mailroom, kitchen or other ancillary purposes, nor shall Landlord be required to provide janitorial services to areas obstructed or locked by Tenant (unless such locked office is on a master key allowing access to janitorial staff), or used as a lavatory, other than the lavatory rooms shown on the floor plan of the Premises attached hereto as Exhibit A.

(f) Access. Landlord shall furnish Tenant’s employees access to the Building, Premises and the Parking Facility on a seven (7) day per week, twenty four (24) hours per day, 365 days per year basis, subject to compliance with such reasonable security measures and reasonable rules and regulations as shall from time-to-time be in effect for the Buildings and/or the Property, and Landlord’s maintenance activities. If devices are required to access the Parking Facility or the Building, then Landlord shall provide those items to Tenant and Tenant’s employees, contractors and others designated by Tenant initially free of charge at a rate of four devices per 1,000 RSF of the Premises (as of the date of this Lease); and if, as and when Tenant increases the square footage of the Premises, Tenant shall maintain parking in at least the same ratio. In the event Tenant loses any of such items, any replacements thereof shall be subject to the Building standard charge. Landlord agrees to provide advance notice to Tenant of all rules and regulations applicable to the Parking Facility.

(g) Common Areas. Landlord shall maintain the Parking Facility, common area lighting, landscaping and driveways on the Property and the common areas of the Buildings, including, without limitation, the restrooms, elevators and hallways, and the rooms and/or other areas utilized to provide services- e.g. electrical, mechanical, elevator- to all the occupants of the Building (collectively the “Common Area”), in good order and repair and in a clean condition.

(h) ADA. Landlord shall use commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Buildings (other than the Premises, which shall be the responsibility of Tenant) to meet the requirements imposed by the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) and Texas Accessibility Standards (“TAS”). Should the Buildings not be in compliance with ADA or TAS, Landlord shall make any changes or alterations required to so comply, it being further agreed that all expenses of such compliance shall be included as Operating Expenses. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Landlord shall have the right to contest any alleged violation in good faith, including, without limitation, the right to apply for and obtain a waiver or deferment of compliance, the right to assert any and all defenses allowed by Applicable Laws and the right to appeal any decisions, judgments or rulings to the fullest extent permitted by Applicable Laws. Landlord, after the exhaustion of any and all rights to appeal or contest, will make all repairs, additions, alterations or improvements necessary to comply with the terms of any final order or judgment as provided in this Section 9.1(h). Any improvements needed to comply with the ADA or the TAS now or in the future in the Premises shall be performed by Tenant, at the sole cost and expense of Tenant.

 

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(i) Other Services. Landlord shall provide the following additional services and/or equipment:

(1) washing of the outside windows in the Premises no less than one (I) time per calendar year;

(2) pest control for the Premises and Building;

(3) sprinkler and fire alarm systems as required by governmental authorities for the Premises and Building;

(4) interior plant maintenance in the common areas of the Building;

(5) landscaping services; and

(6) security services for the Building. Notwithstanding the provision of such security services, LANDLORD SHALL HAVE NO RESPONSIBILITY TO PREVENT, AND SHALL NOT IN ANY WAY BE LIABLE TO TENANT FOR LIABILITY OR LOSS TO TENANT, ITS EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, CONTRACTORS AND THEIR RESPECTIVE EMPLOYEES, TENANT’S CUSTOMERS, INVITEES, LICENSEES, SERVANTS AND VISITORS ARISING OUT OF LOSSES DUE TO THEFT, BURGLARY OR DAMAGE OR INJURY TO PERSONS OR PROPERTY, EXCEPT TO THE EXTENT THE LOSS WAS CAUSED BY THE NEGLIGENCE, RECKLESSNESS, OR WILLFUL MISCONDUCT OF LANDLORD OR ITS EMPLOYEES.

Unless specified to the contrary in this Lease, all of the services stated herein shall be provided at a level which is equal to that found in comparable, multi-tenant Class A office buildings in Austin, Texas.

9.2 Extraordinary Services. Landlord may impose a charge and establish rules and regulations for any of the following: (a) the use of any HV AC by Tenant outside of Normal Working Hours, the charge for which is currently $50.00 per floor per hour; (b) additional or unusual janitorial services requested by Tenant in excess of the services specified in Exhibit F caused by the carelessness of Tenant or due to non-Building standard improvements in the Premises requiring non-standard janitorial services (i.e., private restrooms), or, if provided outside of the janitorial schedule agreed upon between Landlord and Tenant, due to the operation of Tenant’s business outside of Normal Working Hours that leads to Landlord not being able to provide janitorial services in accordance with such agreed upon schedule; (c) the removal of any refuse and rubbish from the Premises except for discarded material placed in wastepaper baskets and left for emptying as an incident to Landlord’s normal cleaning of the Premises; and (d) any other services not otherwise included in Operating Expenses provided pursuant to a written request by Tenant or otherwise agreed upon in writing between landlord and Tenant.

9.3 Telephone. Tenant shall make its own arrangements for telephone and other communication services, and Landlord shall have no liability or obligation in connection therewith other than to provide reasonable access to the Building telephone closets.

 

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9.4 Governmental Interruption in Utility Services. Landlord shall not be liable for damages or otherwise for failure, stoppage or interruption of any services or utilities or unavailability of access to the Property, nor shall the same be construed either as an eviction of Tenant, or result in an abatement of Rent (except as provided in Section 7), when such failure is caused by Force Majeure Events. If any governmental entity imposes mandatory controls or guidelines on Landlord or the Property or any part thereof, relating to the services provided by Landlord, or the reduction of emissions, Landlord may make such alterations to the Buildings or any other part of the Property related thereto and take such other steps as are necessary to comply with such controls and guidelines, the cost of such compliance and alterations shall be included in Operating Expenses, and Landlord shall not be liable therefor, for damages or otherwise, nor shall the same be construed either as an eviction of Tenant, or result in an abatement of Rent.

 

10.

Alterations.

10.1 Restriction on Alterations. Except for the Tenant Improvements specified in Exhibit 0 of this Lease, Tenant shall make no alteration, repair, addition or improvement in, to or about the Premises (collectively, “Alterations”), including, without limitation, the installation of any data or telecommunications cable, without the prior written consent of Landlord, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed, and it shall be reasonable for Landlord to require, among other things, some or all of the following: (a) the right to reasonably approve the plans and specifications for any work; (b) the right to reasonably require supplemental insurance satisfactory to Landlord and naming each of Landlord and Manager as an additional insured; (c) the right to require reasonable forms of waivers of liens (using statutory forms where applicable) prior to commencement of work and/or unconditional lien releases for work completed; (d) reasonable requirements as to the manner in which or the time or times at which work may be performed; and (e) the right to reasonably approve the contractor or contractors to perform Alterations, which approval shall not be unreasonably conditioned, withheld or delayed. In addition, all Alterations that involve the installation of data or communications cable shall be subject to the terms and conditions of the voice and data cabling specifications adopted by Landlord from time to time and delivered to Tenant upon Tenant’s request for the same. Any modifications to any Alterations or Tenant Improvements will require the consent of Landlord in accordance with this Section 10.1.

All Alterations shall be compatible with a first class office building complex and completed in accordance with Landlord’s requirements and all applicable rules, regulations and requirements of governmental authorities and insurance carriers. The outside appearance, character or use of the Building shall not be affected by any Alteration, and no Alteration shall weaken or impair the structure of the Building or create the potential for unusual expenses to be incurred upon the removal of the Alterations and the restoration of the Premises upon the termination of this Lease. No part of the Building outside of the Premises shall be affected by any Alteration. The proper functioning of the Building Systems and Service Facilities shall not be affected by any Alteration and there shall be no Alteration which interferes with Landlord’s access to the Building Systems or interferes with the moving of Landlord’s equipment to or from the enclosures containing the Building Systems. Tenant shall not be permitted to install and make part of the Premises any materials, fixtures or articles which are subject to liens, conditional sales contracts or chattel mortgages other than trade fixtures, furniture and

 

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equipment. Tenant shall reimburse Landlord for its actual, reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in reviewing plans and inspecting all Alterations (other than the Tenant Improvements) to assure compliance with Landlord’s requirements, including any out-of-pocket costs for engineering review. Landlord’s review of any such plans or specifications or Alterations shall not constitute an express or implicit covenant or warranty that any such plans or specifications submitted by Tenant or Alterations to be constructed or as constructed by Tenant are safe or that the same comply with Applicable Laws. Further, Tenant shall indemnify, protect, defend and hold Landlord harmless from any loss, cost or expense, including reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs, incurred by Landlord as a result of any defects in design, materials or workmanship resulting from Alterations. If requested by Landlord, Tenant shall provide Landlord with copies of all contracts, receipts, paid vouchers, and any other documentation (including, without limitation, “as-built” drawings, air/water, balancing reports, permits and inspection certificates) in connection with the construction of such Alterations. Tenant shall promptly pay all costs incurred in connection with all Alterations. Any increase in any tax, assessment or charge levied or assessed as a result of any Alterations shall be payable by Tenant.

Notwithstanding anything in this Section 10.1 to the contrary, Tenant shall have the right to make cosmetic improvements to the interior of the Premises (such as painting, carpeting and wallpapering) without Landlord’s prior consent, provided that: (i) the cosmetic improvements do not impair the structural integrity, operation or value of the Building; (ii) such improvements do not cost in excess of $25,000 per project; and (iii) Tenant shall, prior to the commencement of the work, deliver to Landlord waivers of liens and proofs of contractor insurance, in form reasonably acceptable to Landlord, from all contractors performing such work and plans indicating the nature of the proposed improvements

10.2 Removal and Surrender of Fixtures and Alterations. Any Alterations and the Tenant Improvements installed in the Premises pursuant to Exhibit D, and/or tenant improvements which are made to any additional space leased by Tenant in excess of the Rentable Area of the Premises (“Future Tenant Improvements”), which are attached to, or built into, the Premises, shall at the end of the Term become the property of Landlord and shall be surrendered with the Premises, unless Landlord notifies Tenant at the time it approves the Alterations, Tenant Improvements or Future Tenant Improvements that Landlord will require Tenant to remove such Alterations, Tenant Improvements or Future Tenant Improvements at the end of the Term. Tenant shall repair any damage to the Premises, the Building and any other part of the Property caused by the removal of any such Tenant Improvements, Alterations or Future Tenant Improvements all at Tenant’s sole expense to the reasonable satisfaction of Landlord. With respect to Tenant Improvements installed in the Premises pursuant to Exhibit D, Landlord shall own such Tenant Improvements and such Tenant Improvements shall become part of the Premises leased to Tenant hereunder. Landlord may, in its sole discretion, require Tenant to remove any data or telecommunications cable at the end of the Term, provided that Landlord shall provide written notice requesting the removal of such cable no less than sixty (60) days before the end of the Term. If Landlord does not provide such written request, Tenant shall have no obligation to remove any cable. The obligations of Tenant under this Section 10.2 shall survive the expiration or earlier termination of the Term.

 

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10.3 Tenant’s Fixtures. Tenant shall have the right to install moveable, unattached trade fixtures, machinery and equipment (excluding Alterations, which are governed by Sections 10.1 and 10.2 hereof) required by Tenant or used by it in its business (collectively, “Tenant’s Property”), provided that same do not exceed applicable safe floor loads or otherwise impair the structure or Building Systems of the Building and further provided that Tenant’s Property shall be limited to items normally used for the permitted usage of the Premises. Except to the extent (if any) paid for by Landlord, in cash or by way of any credit or allowance provided hereunder, Tenant’s Property shall be and remain Tenant’s personal property and shall be removed by Tenant prior to the end of the Term. Tenant shall repair and restore any damage to the Premises and Building caused by such installation or removal.

 

11.

Maintenance and Repairs.

11.1 Tenant’s Obligations. Tenant shall maintain the Premises in a clean, safe, and good condition wear and tear, and damage by casualty or condemnation covered by Sections 13 and 14 of this Lease excepted, and shall not permit or allow to remain any waste or damage to any portion of the Premises. Except as otherwise covered by Landlord’s insurance, Tenant shall repair or replace, subject to Landlord’s direction and supervision, any damage to the Property caused by any negligence or willful misconduct of Tenant or any other Tenant Parties. Tenant shall perform all maintenance, repairs or replacements in a good, workmanlike and lien-free manner, consistent with the quality of labor and materials used in the Building and in accordance with all Applicable Laws. If Tenant fails to make such repairs or replacements within 15 days after Landlord’s written request to make such repair or replacement, then Landlord may make the same at Tenant’s cost. If any such damage occurs outside of the Premises or affects the structure or exterior of the Buildings or affects the Building Systems, then Landlord may elect to repair such damage at Tenant’s expense (unless said repair is otherwise covered by Landlord’s insurance or would have been covered by Landlord’s insurance had Landlord obtained the insurance required in Section 12.5), rather than having Tenant repair such damage. The cost of all maintenance, repair or replacement work performed by Landlord under this Section 11.1 shall be paid by Tenant to Landlord within 30 days after Landlord has invoiced Tenant therefor.

11.2 Landlord’s Obligations. Subject to Section 13 of this Lease, Landlord shall repair and maintain consistent with the quality of labor and materials used in the Building, defects in, and damage to, the Building Systems serving or located on the Premises, and other portions of the Common Area or Property not leased to Tenant or other tenants, including, but not limited to, the exterior walls, windows, roof, foundation, Common Areas, structural portions and the mechanical, electrical, plumbing and HV AC systems serving the Premises, Buildings and Property, as well as the Parking Facility and driveways serving the Buildings and Property. If such maintenance and repair is required by the act, neglect, misuse, fault or omission of any of the Tenant Parties, then Tenant shall pay the cost of such maintenance and repairs (unless such maintenance and repair is otherwise covered by Landlord’s insurance or would have been covered by Landlord’s insurance had Landlord obtained the insurance required in Section 12.5) within thirty (30) days after Landlord has invoiced Tenant therefor, but only to the extent that the cost of any such maintenance and repairs are directly caused by and attributable to Tenant or the Tenant Parties. If any repairs are required or elected to be made by Landlord, Tenant shall permit Landlord to remove Tenant’s fixtures, inventory, equipment and other property to the extent required to enable Landlord to make such repairs.

 

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11.3 Waiver of Liability. Landlord shall not be liable for any injury to persons or property arising from any repairs, maintenance, alteration or improvement in or to any portion of the Property or the Building, including the Premises, or any personal property located therein, including, without limitation, Tenant’s Property, UNLESS LANDLORD OR ITS EMPLOYEES OR AGENTS ARE NEGLIGENT OR RECKLESS IN PERFORMING SUCH REPAIRS, MAINTENANCE, ALTERATIONS OR IMPROVEMENTS, AND SUCH NEGLIGENCE OR RECKLESSNESS IS A CONTRIBUTING OR PROXIMATE CAUSE OF THE LOSS OR DAMAGE, OR ANY INJURY OR LOSS RESULTING FROM LANDLORD’S BREACH OF THIS LEASE. FURTHER, NO INDEMNIFIED PARTIES SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGE TO PERSONS OR PROPERTY CAUSED BY OTHER TENANTS OR OTHER PERSONS IN OR ABOUT THE PROPERTY OR FOR ANY CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY LOSS OF USE OF THE PREMISES OR ANY EQUIPMENT OR FACILITIES THEREIN BY TENANT OR ANY PERSON CLAIMING THROUGH OR UNDER TENANT. Tenant waives and releases its right (if any) to make repairs at Landlord’s expense under Applicable Law.

 

12.

Insurance; Waiver of Subrogation.

Tenant shall at all times during the Term (and prior to the Term with respect to any activity of Tenant at the Property) and at its own cost and expense procure and continue in force insurance as follows:

12.1 Liability Insurance. Workers’ compensation insurance, employer’s liability insurance, automobile liability, commercial general liability insurance and commercial umbrella or excess liability insurance adequate to protect Tenant and Landlord against liability for injury to or death of any person or damage to property in connection with the use, operation or condition of the Premises. The limits of liability under the workers’ compensation policy shall be at least equal to the greater of the statutory requirements therefor or $1,000,000 per bodily injury, each accident; bodily injury, by disease, each person; and bodily injury, by disease, policy limit. The limits of liability under the employer’s liability policy shall be at least $1,000,000.00 per bodily injury, each accident; bodily injury, by disease, each person; and bodily injury, by disease, policy limit. The commercial general liability policy shall be in an amount of not less than $2,000,000.00 per occurrence and in the aggregate. The automobile liability policy shall be in an amount of not less than $1,000,000.00 per occurrence. The umbrella/excess policy shall be in an amount of not less than $4,000,000.00. Not more frequently than once each two (2) years, if, in the reasonable and documented opinion of Landlord or Landlord’s mortgagee or of the independent insurance broker retained by Landlord, the amount of Tenant’s commercial general liability coverage at that time is not adequate, Tenant shall increase such liability insurance coverages as reasonably required by Landlord; provided, however, such increases shall not exceed commercially reasonable insurance coverages required to be carried by tenants leasing comparable office space in Class A Buildings.

12.2 Property Insurance. Insurance covering all Tenant Improvements and Alterations, trade fixtures, merchandise and other personal property from time to time in, on or upon the Premises, including, Tenant’s Property, from time to time during the Term, providing protection against any peril included within the classification “Causes of Loss – Special Form”

 

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(formerly known as “All Risk Coverage”), together with insurance against sprinkler water damage, vandalism and malicious mischief. The proceeds of such insurance shall be used for the repair or replacement of the property so insured. Upon termination of this Lease due to any casualty, the proceeds of such insurance shall be paid to Landlord and Tenant, as their interests appear in the insured property. The full replacement value of the items to be insured under this paragraph shall be determined by Tenant and acknowledged by the company issuing the insurance policy by the issuance of an agreed amount endorsement at the time the policy is initially obtained, and shall be increased from time to time if and to the extent necessary to maintain full replacement value coverage.

12.3 Business Interruption Insurance. Loss of income or business interruption insurance in the amount of $250,000.00 to reimburse Tenant for direct and indirect loss of earnings, if any, and extra expenses associated with the displacement of Tenant’s business in the event of the damage of or destruction of the Premises by a fire or other casualty.

12.4 Policy Requirements.

(a) All insurance required to be carried by Tenant hereunder shall be issued by responsible insurance companies, licensed to do business in the State of Texas and reasonably acceptable to Landlord. Insurance companies rated A:IX or better by Best’s Insurance Reports shall be deemed acceptable.

(b) Each policy shall be written on an “occurrence” basis and shall have a deductible or deductibles, if any, which do not exceed the deductible amount(s) generally maintained by similarly situated tenants in Class A Buildings, as determined by Landlord. Each policy (except the workers’ compensation, employer’s liability, and business interruption policy) shall name Landlord and Landlord’s lender and their respective members, managers, partners, officers, directors, agents and employees as additional insureds, as their interests may appear and the commercial general liability policy shall also name Manager as an additional insured. Certificates evidencing the existence and amounts of such insurance shall be delivered to Landlord by Tenant at least thirty (30) days prior to Tenant’s occupancy of any portion of the Premises, and in any event, prior to any activity of Tenant at the Property. No such policy shall be cancelable except after thirty (30) days’ prior written notice to Landlord from the carrier of any such policy. Tenant shall provide Landlord with originals of the endorsement(s) to Tenant’s commercial general liability insurance policy and all risks property insurance policies which include the following exact wording:

It is agreed that New TPG-Four Points, L.P. and Thomas Properties Group, LP, and their respective members, managers, partners, officers, directors, affiliates, agents and employees are additional insureds. The coverage under this policy is primary insurance with respect to liability arising out of the ownership, maintenance or use of the premises leased to BigCommerce, Inc.

Tenant shall, at least thirty (30) days prior to the expiration of any such policy, furnish Landlord with renewals or “binders” thereof. Should Tenant at any time neglect or refuse to provide the insurance required by this Lease, or should such insurance be canceled, Landlord shall have the right, but not the duty, in addition to all other rights and remedies provided herein, to procure the same and Tenant shall pay the cost thereof as Rent promptly upon Landlord’s demand. Tenant will deliver copies of its policies and endorsements to Landlord within twenty (20) days after Landlord’s written request therefor.

 

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(c) The policies of insurance required to be carried by Tenant shall be primary and non-contributing with, and not in excess of any other insurance available to Landlord. The cost of defending any claims made against any of the policies required to be carried by Tenant shall not be included in any of the limits of liability for such policies. Tenant shall immediately report to Landlord, and promptly thereafter confirm in writing, the occurrence of any injury, loss or damage incurred by Tenant, or Tenant’s receipt of notice or knowledge of any claim by a third party or any other occurrence, that might give rise to such claims. It shall be the responsibility of Tenant not to violate nor knowingly permit to be violated any condition of the policies required by this Lease.

(d) If any of the liability insurance policies required to be maintained by Tenant pursuant to this Section contains aggregate limits which apply to operations of Tenant other than those operations which are the subject of this Lease, and such limits are diminished by more than $200,000.00 after anyone or more incidents, occurrences, claims, settlements, or judgments against such insurance, Tenant shall take immediate steps to restore aggregate limits or shall maintain other insurance protection for such aggregate limits. Any policy of property insurance required hereunder may be in “blanket coverage” form, provided any such “blanket coverage” policy (i) specifically provides that the amount of insurance coverage required hereunder shall in no way be prejudiced by other losses covered by the policy or (ii) is in an amount not less than the sum of one hundred percent (100%) of the actual replacement costs of all of the properties covered under such “blanket coverage” insurance policy. Neither the issuance of any such property insurance policy nor the minimum limits specified in this Section shall be deemed to limit or restrict in any way Tenant’s liability arising under or out of this Lease.

12.5 Landlord’s Insurance. Landlord shall, at all times during the Term hereof, maintain in force insurance of the type commonly referred to as an “all risk of physical loss” policy in an amount equal to the full replacement cost of the Building, the Parking Facility, improvements to the Common Areas, including rental loss insurance in an amount equal to not less than twelve (12) months’ Rent for the Building. Landlord shall also maintain in force at all times during the Term hereof commercial general liability insurance in an amount not less than $2,000,000.00 insuring the Building and the Property against all risks and hazards as are customarily insured against, in Landlord’s reasonable judgment, by others similarly situated and operating like properties. Without limitation of the foregoing, Landlord shall maintain in force such additional or alternative insurance as may be required by the holder of the Mortgage or as Landlord may reasonably determine is appropriate and consistent with other owners of Class A Buildings. The premiums and deductible amounts on the insurance policies referred to in this paragraph will be part of Operating Expenses.

12.6 Waiver of Subrogation. Landlord and Tenant each hereby releases the other, and waives its right of recovery against the other, for any direct or consequential loss or damage arising out of or incident to the perils covered by the property insurance policy or any other policies carried by the waiving party to the extent such losses or damages are actually covered by such insurance policies, WHETHER OR NOT SUCH DAMAGE OR LOSS MAY BE

 

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ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE NEGLIGENCE OF EITHER PARTY OR THEIR AGENTS, INVITEES, CONTRACTORS, OR EMPLOYEES. Each property insurance policy carried by either Landlord or Tenant in accordance with this Lease shall include a waiver of the insurer’s rights of subrogation to the extent necessary to effect the foregoing. Such waiver shall not limit any indemnity or other waiver made under this Lease. Landlord and Tenant each also hereby releases the other, and waives its right of recovery against the other, for any direct or consequential loss or damage arising out of or incident to the perils that would be covered by the property insurance policy or policies required to be carried by the waiving party even if not actually carried, WHETHER OR NOT SUCH DAMAGE OR LOSS MA Y BE ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE NEGLIGENCE OF EITHER PARTY OR THEIR AGENTS, INVITEES, CONTRACTORS, OR EMPLOYEES. THE PARTIES HEREBY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS WAIVER OF SUBROGATION PROVISION APPLIES EVEN IF THE RELEASED PARTY IS NEGLIGENT.

 

13.

Damage or Destruction.

13.1 Damage and Restoration. If all or any portion of the Premises, Building or any Building Systems or Common Areas of the Building serving or providing access to the Premises and/or the Parking Facility shall be damaged by fire, storm or other casualty, Landlord shall, except as otherwise provided herein, repair, rebuild and restore the Property, Premises, Building and such Building Systems, Common Area(s) and/or Parking Facility as promptly as practical under the circumstances at the expense of the Landlord. Such restoration shall be to substantially the same condition that existed prior to the casualty, except for modifications, if any, required by zoning and building codes and other Applicable Laws then in effect and applicable to such restoration or by the holder of a Mortgage on the Building and any other modifications to the Common Areas deemed desirable by Landlord (provided (i) access to the Premises and any common restrooms serving the Premises is not materially impaired, and (ii) the quality and character of such modifications are no less than the condition that existed prior to the casualty). Upon any damage to the Premises, Tenant shall assign to Landlord or its designee all insurance proceeds payable to Tenant for Tenant Improvements and Alterations under the insurance required to be maintained by Tenant under Section 12.2, and Landlord shall repair, rebuild and restore the Tenant Improvements and Alterations installed in the Premises to the condition stated above; provided that if the cost of such repair (the “Repair Cost”) by Landlord exceeds the insurance proceeds received by Landlord from Tenant’s insurance carrier, such shortfall shall be paid by Tenant to Landlord prior to Landlord’s repair of the damage to the Premises (or, alternatively, in Tenant’s discretion, Tenant may adjust the plans for any such repairs to fit within the funds provided as a result of such casualty). Landlord and Tenant agree that the Repair Cost shall be determined by competitively bidding the required repairs with three (3) general contractors from Landlord’s pre-approved list of contractors for the Building, and Landlord shall select the general contractor from such three in its reasonable discretion. Once Landlord has selected the general contractor to make the repairs (the “Selected Repair Contractor”), Landlord shall promptly enter into a contract with the Selected Repair Contractor to provide the materials and perform the work to complete the repairs. Landlord shall not be liable for any inconvenience or annoyance to Tenant or its visitors, or injury to Tenant’s business resulting in any way from such damage or the repair thereof, except as provided for in the following sentence. Unless Landlord or Tenant elects to terminate this Lease as provided in this Section 13, this Lease will remain in full force and effect and Landlord shall repair such damage

 

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to the extent required in this Section as expeditiously as possible under the circumstances and, during the period required for restoration, a just and proportionate part of Rent shall be abated during the time and to the extent the Premises, or portion thereof, are Untenantable (as defined in Section 7(b) of this Lease) as of the date of the casualty and such abatement shall continue until the Premises, or portion thereof, Building or any Building Systems or Common Areas of the Building serving or providing access to the Premises and/or the Parking Facility are repaired or rebuilt and made tenantable; provided however, if the damage to the Building or any Building Systems or Common Area of the Building serving or providing access to the Premises and/or the Parking Facility has not been repaired and the Premises made ready for occupancy within seven (7) months after the date or the damage or destruction, then Tenant shall have the right and option to terminate this Lease by giving written notice to Landlord within fifteen (15) days after the end of such seven (7) month period; provided, however, there shall be no abatement of Rent if Landlord provides to Tenant other space in the Building which is in a built out condition that is reasonably satisfactory to Tenant and otherwise reasonably suited for the temporary operation of Tenant’s business and Landlord pays all costs associated with moving the furniture, fixtures, equipment and telecommunication services (and otherwise building out the space) Tenant requires in such space (provided further, however, that Tenant shall still be entitled to an abatement for the period of time between the date of the casualty and the date that Landlord makes such other space available to Tenant and ready for the operation of Tenant’s business). The amount of any such abatement shall be proportionate to the portion of the Premises that Tenant actually uses. Notwithstanding the foregoing, during any Rent abatement period under this Lease, Tenant shall pay Landlord as Rent Landlord’s normal charges for all services and utilities provided to and used by Tenant, if any, during the period of the Rent abatement. If Landlord should elect or be obligated pursuant to this Lease to repair or rebuild because of any damage or destruction, Landlord’s obligation to repair or restore the Premises, Building or any portion thereof shall be limited to the level of restoration stated above for the Building and the Tenant Improvements in the Premises and shall not extend to any furniture, equipment, supplies or other personal property owned or leased by Tenant, its employees, contractors, invitees or licensees.

13.2 Termination. If the Property, Premises, Building or any Building Systems or Common Area of the Building serving or providing access to the Premises and/or the Parking Facility is damaged by fire or other casualty (whether or not the Premises are affected) (a) and in Landlord’s reasonable estimation, restoration thereof cannot reasonably be completed within two hundred ten (210) days after the date of the casualty; or (b) Landlord’s Mortgagee shall require that insurance proceeds, or any portion thereof, from Landlord’s insurance be used to retire the Mortgage debt in whole or in part such that the cost of performing the required repair and restoration exceeds the insurance proceeds available to Landlord; or (c) the damage results from a risk which is not fully insured under the insurance policies required by the Lease (except for any deductible amount of such loss under the policy maintained by Landlord); or (d) and there is substantial damage which occurs during the last eighteen (18) months of the Term, then in any such event Landlord shall give Tenant a written notice (the “Damage Notice”) no later than forty-five (45) days following the date of such damage including a good faith estimate of the date on which the repair of the damage will be substantially complete and whether the loss is covered by Landlord’s insurance coverage. Either Landlord or Tenant may elect to terminate this Lease by notice in writing to the other party within thirty (30) days after the date of Tenant’s receipt of the Damage Notice; provided, however, if the Damage Notice specifies that the

 

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insurance proceeds are insufficient to cover the cost of the repairs, Tenant may, in its sole discretion, elect to pay Landlord the excess of the cost of such repairs over the amount of available insurance proceeds, by giving Landlord notice thereof within 10 days after receipt of the Damage Notice, in which event neither party will elect to terminate the Lease and Landlord will proceed with the repair thereof, with Tenant funding such excess cost to Landlord as the funds are required.

 

14.

Eminent Domain.

14.1 Taking. In case the whole of the Premises, or such part of the Premises or the Building as shall substantially interfere with Tenant’s use and occupancy of the Premises, shall be taken (whether permanent or temporarily for a period that exceeds 30 days) by any lawful power or authority by exercise of the right of eminent domain, or sold to prevent such taking, within sixty (60) days after receipt of notice of such taking, either Tenant or Landlord may terminate this Lease effective as of the date possession is required to be surrendered to said authority. If a portion of the Building or Property is so taken or sold in lieu thereof, which renders the Building or Property economically unviable for its use as presently intended, or requires cancellation of substantially all tenant leases in the Building, or any Landlord’s Mortgagee requires that Landlord terminate this Lease, this Lease may be terminated by Landlord, as of the date of the vesting of title under such taking or sale, by written notice to Tenant within sixty (60) days following notice to Landlord of the date on which said vesting will occur. Tenant shall not because of such taking assert any claim against Landlord, any Landlord’s Mortgagee or the taking authority for any compensation because of such taking, and Landlord shall be entitled to receive the entire amount of any award without deduction for any estate or interest of Tenant. In the event this Lease is not terminated pursuant to this Section 14.1, Landlord shall restore the Premises, the Building and the Property to substantially their condition prior to such partial taking, and the Rent shall be abated in proportion to the time during which, and to the part of the Premises, the Common Area and/or the Parking Facility of which, Tenant is actually deprived of normal and customary use on account of such taking and restoration in substantially the same manner as before the taking and restoration. Notwithstanding the foregoing, during any Rent abatement under this Lease, Tenant shall continue to be obligated to pay Landlord for all services and utilities provided to and used by Tenant, if any, during the period of the Rent abatement. Nothing contained in this Section shall be deemed to give Landlord any interest in, or prevent Tenant from seeking a separate award against the taking authority for, the taking of personal property and fixtures belonging to Tenant or for relocation or business interruption expenses recoverable from the taking authority.

 

15.

Assignment and Subletting.

15.1 Limitation.

(a) Except as provided for herein, Tenant shall not directly or indirectly, or voluntarily or involuntarily, (i) assign, mortgage or otherwise encumber (collectively, “Assignment”) all or any portion of its leasehold estate, including, without limitation, an Assignment accomplished, directly or indirectly, by consolidation, merger, reorganization or other operation of law, or (ii) permit the Premises or any portion thereof to be occupied or used by anyone other than Tenant or Tenant’s employees, guests, contractors, vendors and invitees or

 

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sublet the Premises or any portion thereof (collectively, a “Sublease”) without obtaining the prior written consent of Landlord, which consent shall not be unreasonably conditioned (except as otherwise described below), withheld or delayed. The transfer, assignment or hypothecation of any stock, partnership interest, equity, voting or other ownership interest in Tenant, directly or indirectly, in excess of fifty percent (50%), in the aggregate, shall be deemed an Assignment hereunder. Any attempted Assignment or Sublease (collectively, a “Transfer”) without such consent shall, in addition to constituting an Event of Default hereunder, be null and void and of no effect. No Transfer shall relieve Tenant of its obligation to pay the Rent and to perform all of the other obligations to be performed by Tenant hereunder. The acceptance of Rent by Landlord from any other person shall not be deemed to be a waiver by Landlord of any provision of this Lease or to be a consent to any Transfer. Consent to one Transfer shall not be deemed to constitute consent to any other Transfer. No Transfer shall relieve Tenant of its obligations hereunder. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, Tenant may without Landlord’s consent or approval (I) undertake an “IPO” (herein so called, which shall be defined as the date, if ever, that Tenant files a Form S-I with the Securities and Exchange Commission with the intent of making its ownership interests available for trading on a public stock exchange) after which Tenant’s ownership interests would be listed and traded on a public exchange, (2) undertake a transaction that results in a change of control of Tenant in connection with a fundraising event, (3) undertake a transaction that results in a conversion of Tenant from one form of entity or jurisdiction of incorporation to another, but that has no material effect on the ownership of Tenant’s assets or the ownership interests in Tenant and (4) assign this Lease to a successor to Tenant by purchase, merger, consolidation or reorganization, provided that (only with respect to subsection (4) immediately preceding) all of the following conditions are satisfied (a “Permitted Transfer”): (w) Tenant is not in Default; (x) Tenant’s successor shall own substantially all of the assets of Tenant and have a net worth which is at least equal to Tenant’s net worth as of the Effective Date; (y) the proposed transferee intends to use the Premises for the use permitted hereunder; and (z) Tenant shall give Landlord written notice within at least IS Business Days of the effective date of the Permitted Transfer. Tenant’s notice to Landlord shall include information and documentation evidencing the Permitted Transfer and showing that each of the above conditions has been satisfied, as applicable. Tenant covenants and agrees that, within fifteen (IS) days of the creation of a Delaware corporation that will own substantially all of Tenant’s assets and which will not result in a substantial change in the ownership interests in Tenant, it will assign this Lease to such Delaware corporation. Tenant further covenants and agrees that, in the event it undertakes the IPO, the entity which is the subject of such IPO shall be the “Tenant” hereunder. If requested by Landlord, Tenant’s successor shall sign a commercially reasonable form of assumption agreement.

(b) Notwithstanding any law or custom to the contrary, Landlord’s refusal to consent to any Transfer requiring Landlord’s consent hereunder shall be deemed reasonable if:

(1) The Transferee is engaged in a business which is not consistent with the quality of the Buildings or the Property; or

(2) The Transferee intends to use the space being transferred for purposes which are not permitted under this Lease; or

 

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(3) The space being Transferred is not suitable for the uses permitted under this Lease in conformity with all applicable building and safety codes; or

(4) The Transferee will use the Premises or the Building in a manner that would materially increase the pedestrian or vehicular traffic to the Premises or the Building or would adversely affect the mechanical systems or structural components of the Building; or

(5) The Transferee is either (i) another occupant of the Property (provide Landlord may not withhold its consent if Landlord is unable to accommodate such occupant’s need for additional space in the Building, excluding the space covered by the proposed Transfer), or (ii) a prospective tenant with whom Landlord is in lease negotiations for space in the Buildings or any other building owned by Landlord (or an affiliate thereof) in Austin, Texas; or

(6) Intentionally deleted;

(7) The Transferee is a government (or subdivision or agency thereof); and

(8) The above is documented.

15.2 Notice of Intent to Assign or Sublet. If Tenant desires at any time to make a Transfer, it shall first give Landlord a notice (the “Transfer Notice”) that includes the following: (a) the size and location of the space Tenant proposes to Transfer (the “Transfer Space”); (b) the terms of the proposed Transfer and a copy of the instrument by which the Transfer will be made in the form that will be executed by the parties thereto; (c) the date on which Tenant proposes that the Transfer be effective, which shall be at least twenty-five (25) days after the Transfer Notice; (d) the name and address of the proposed assignee, subtenant, transferee or occupant (“Transferee”); and (e) reasonably satisfactory information about the proposed Transferee’s business, business history and proposed business to be carried on in the Transfer Space. Landlord shall then have a period of fifteen (15) days following receipt of the Transfer Notice within which to notify Tenant in writing whether Landlord elects to: (i) recapture the Transfer Space as provided below; (ii) permit Tenant to assign this Lease or sublet such space for the duration specified by Tenant in its notice; or (iii) reasonably reject the proposed assignment or sublease. If Landlord fails to notify Tenant in writing of its election within the fifteen (15) day period, Landlord shall be deemed to have elected option (iii) above.

15.3 Right of Recapture; Landlord’s Consent.

(a) In the case of a proposed Sublease of the entire Premises, within fifteen (15) days after Landlord’s receipt of all of the information required in the Transfer Notice, Landlord may by written notice to Tenant elect to recapture the Transfer Space and terminate this Lease with respect thereto (provided, this recapture right shall not apply to any Permitted Transfer) effective as of the proposed commencement date of such sublease or assignment (the “Effective Date of Recapture”). If Landlord elects to recapture, Tenant shall have the option to withdraw the proposed sublease or assignment by written notice to Landlord given within ten (10) days after Tenant’s receipt of Landlord’s recapture notice, in which event this Lease shall continue in full force and effect as if such sublease or assignment had not been proposed, and if Tenant fails to timely give notice of such withdrawal, Tenant shall surrender possession of the space proposed to be subleased or subject to the assignment to Landlord on the Effective Date of Recapture of

 

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such space from the Premises in the condition required under this Lease, such date being the termination date of this Lease for such space. Such recapture and termination shall not relieve Tenant of any obligation or liability arising prior to such recapture and termination or which by the terms hereof or their inherent nature survive the termination of this Lease (including, without limitation, with respect to any event or circumstance for which Tenant is to provide indemnity hereunder, which indemnity obligations shall continue regardless of such recapture or termination). If the Transfer Space is less than the entire Premises, this Lease shall remain in full force and effect with respect to the remainder of the Premises, except that Rent (including Tenant’s Pro Rata Share of Operating Expenses) shall be adjusted to reflect the diminution in the number of square feet of the Rentable Area

(b) If the Transfer is not completed within one hundred twenty (120) days of Landlord’s consent thereto, Tenant shall once again comply with all of the provisions of this Section 15, including, without limitation, the obligation to give Landlord the Transfer Notice and Landlord shall again have the right of recapturing the Transfer Space and terminating the Lease with respect thereto as provided for herein.

(c) Any Sublease shall provide that it is subject and subordinate to this Lease and to any Mortgages; that Landlord may enforce the provisions of the Sublease, including collection of Rent; that the cost of any modification to the Premises, Building and/or Property arising from or as a result of the Sublease, including any modifications to convert a single tenant floor to a multi-tenant floor, shall be the sole responsibility of Tenant; that in the event of termination of this Lease for any reason, including, without limitation, a voluntary surrender by Tenant, or in the event of any reentry or repossession of the Premises by Landlord, Landlord may, in its sole discretion, either (i) terminate the Sublease or (ii) take over all of the right, title and interest of Tenant, as sublessor, under such Sublease, in which case the Transferee shall attorn to Landlord, but that nevertheless Landlord shall not (1) be liable for any previous act or omission of Tenant under such Sublease, (2) be subject to any counterclaim, defense or offset previously accrued in favor of the Transferee against Tenant, (3) be bound by any previous modification of any Sublease made without Landlord’s written consent, or by any previous prepayment by the Transferee of more than one month’s Rent, (4) be bound by any security or advance rental deposit made by such subtenant which is not delivered or paid over to Landlord and with respect to which such subtenant shall look solely to Tenant for refund or reimbursement, or (5) be obligated to perform any work in the subleased space or to prepare it for occupancy, and in connection with such attornment, the subtenant shall execute and deliver to Landlord any commercially reasonable instruments Landlord may reasonably request to evidence and confirm such attornment. Each subtenant or licensee of Tenant shall be deemed, automatically upon and as a condition of its occupying or using the Premises or any part thereof, to have agreed to be bound by the terms and conditions set forth in this Section 15.3(c). The provisions of this Section 15.3(c) shall be self-operative, and no further instrument shall be required to give effect to this provision.

(d) Each Transferee by assignment shall assume all obligations of Tenant under this Lease from and after the subject Transfer and shall be and remain liable jointly and severally with Tenant for the payment of the Rent from and after the subject Transfer, and for the performance of all of the terms, covenants, conditions and agreements herein contained on Tenant’s part to be performed for the Term of this Lease from and after the subject Transfer. In

 

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the event the Base Rent and/or other amount payable by the sublessee or assignee is less than the amount specified in this Lease, the amount(s) specified in the sublease or assignment document shall be the amount(s) required to be paid by the sublessee or assignee and Tenant shall pay any deficiency; provided, nothing in this sentence shall be construed to relieve or release Tenant from its obligations under this Lease. No Assignment shall be binding on Landlord unless the Transferee and Tenant shall deliver to Landlord a counterpart of the Assignment and which contains a covenant of assumption by the Transferee satisfactory in substance and form to Landlord consistent with the requirements of this Section. Failure or refusal of the Transferee to execute such instrument of assumption shall not release or discharge the Transferee from its liability as set forth above.

(e) If there are any Profits (as defined in the following paragraph) from any Transfer, Tenant shall pay fifty percent (50%) of such Profits to Landlord as additional Rent. Landlord’s share of Profits shall be paid to Landlord within thirty (30) days after receipt thereof by Tenant. The payments of Profits to Landlord shall be made on a monthly basis as additional Rent with respect to each Transfer separately, subject to an annual reconciliation on each anniversary date of the Transfer. If the payments to Landlord under this paragraph during the twelve (12) months preceding each annual reconciliation exceed the amount of Profits determined on an annual basis, then Landlord shall refund to Tenant the amount of such overpayment or credit the overpayment against Tenant’s future obligations under this paragraph, at Landlord’s option. If Tenant has underpaid its obligations hereunder during the preceding twelve (12) months, Tenant shall immediately pay to Landlord the amount owing after the annual reconciliation. Anything in this Lease to the contrary notwithstanding, this Section 15.3(e) shall not apply to a Permitted Transfer.

For purposes of this Section, “Profits” are defined as all cash or cash equivalent amounts and sums which Tenant (including any affiliate or successor of Tenant or other entity related to Tenant) receives on an annual basis from any Transferee, directly or indirectly, attributable to the Premises or any portion thereof, less the sum of the following: (I) the amortized amount for each such annual period of (i) any additional tenant improvement costs paid to or on behalf of Tenant’s Transferee by Tenant; (ii) market leasing commissions paid by Tenant in connection with the Transfer; (iii) other economic concessions (planning allowance, lease takeover payments, moving expenses, etc.) paid by Tenant to or on behalf of the Transferee in connection with the Transfer; and (iv) Tenant’s reasonable attorneys’ fees and all other out-of-pocket costs and expenses actually and reasonably incurred by Tenant in connection with the Transfer (such amounts to be amortized over the term of the Transfer), and (2) the Rent paid during each such annual period by Tenant attributable to the Transfer Space (pro rata based on Rentable Square Feet). Any lump sum payment received by Tenant from a Transferee shall be treated like any other amount so received by Tenant for the applicable annual period and shall be utilized in computing Profits in accordance with the foregoing. All Profits and the components thereof shall be subject to audit by Landlord’s property manager or other in-house representatives at reasonable times mutually acceptable to Tenant and Landlord. Tenant shall deliver to Landlord, upon request but no more than one time per calendar year, any information reasonably required by Landlord to calculate and/or substantiate the amount of Profits hereunder. If Landlord’s audit reveals that Tenant has underpaid Landlord Profits by more than three percent (3%), Tenant shall reimburse Landlord the cost Landlord incurs in conducting such audit as additional Rent within fifteen (IS) days of Landlord’s written request therefor.

 

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15.4 Costs. Tenant agrees to pay to Landlord Landlord’s reasonable actual out of pocket costs and attorneys’ fees (in an amount not to exceed $2,000.00) incurred in connection with any request for a consent to a Transfer, whether or not Landlord consents to the Transfer or the same is finally consummated.

 

16.

Landlord’s Reserved Rights.

16.1 Right of Entry. Landlord and its agents and representatives shall have the right, at all reasonable times, but in such manner as to cause as little undue disturbance to Tenant as reasonably practical, to enter the Premises for the following purposes: (a) inspecting the physical condition of the Premises; (b) performing all obligations of Landlord under this Lease or Applicable Law; (c) showing the Premises to prospective purchasers, mortgagees and tenants (but only during the last twelve months of the Term of this Lease); (d) maintaining, repairing, replacing, extending or otherwise modifying the Building or Building Systems, but only in a manner that does not materially and adversely affect Tenant’s ability to utilize the Premises for its permitted use; and (e) accessing telephone closets, electrical panels, and similar installations that may serve areas of the Building other than (or in addition to) the Premises. Except for (i) bona fide emergencies and (ii) entry to furnish janitorial or other services to be provided by Landlord hereunder, Landlord will give Tenant no less than twenty-four (24) hours prior written (via e-mail) or oral notice prior to any entry, and Tenant shall have the right to have one of its employees accompany Landlord or its agent or representative, as the case may be. No such entry pursuant to the express terms of this Section shall be construed under any circumstances as a forcible or unlawful entry into the Premises, or an eviction of Tenant or result in an abatement of Rent. Tenant hereby waives any claim against Landlord or its agents or representatives for damages for any injury or inconvenience to or interference with, Tenant’s business or quiet enjoyment of the Premises except from damages arising from Landlord’s gross negligence or willful misconduct. Landlord will make reasonable efforts to coordinate any such visit with Tenant’s schedule to the extent such visit only affects the Premises and no other tenants in the Building.

16.2 Building and Common Areas. Without limitation of the preceding paragraph, and provided Landlord does not unreasonably interfere with Tenant’s use of the Premises, Building, Common Area, the Parking Facility, and private access roads and building appurtenances on the Land, Landlord may: (a) install, repair, replace or relocate pipes, ducts, conduits, wires and appurtenant meters and equipment for service to other parts of the Building above the ceiling surfaces, below the floor surfaces, within the walls and in the central core areas of the Premises or the rest of the Building; (b) repair, renovate, alter, expand or improve the Property; (c) make changes to the Common Area, including, without limitation, changes in the location, size, shape and number of street entrances, driveways, ramps, entrances, exits, parking spaces, parking areas, loading and unloading areas, halls, passages, stairways and other means of ingress and egress, direction of traffic, landscaped areas and walkways; (d) close temporarily any of the Common Areas for maintenance purposes as long as reasonable access to the Premises remains available; (e) designate other land outside the boundaries of the Building to be a part of the Common Area; (t) use the Common Area while engaged in making additional improvements, repairs or alterations to the Building, or any portion thereof; (g) take such reasonable measures as Landlord deems advisable for the access control of the Building and its occupants; (h) evacuating the Building for cause, suspected cause, or for drill purposes; (i) temporarily denying access to

 

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the Building; (j) closing the Building after Normal Working Hours and on Sundays and Holidays, subject, however, to Tenant’s right to enter when the Building is closed after Normal Working Hours under such reasonable regulations as Landlord may prescribe from time to time and uniformly apply to all tenants of the Buildings; and (k) do and perform such other acts and make such other changes in, to or with respect to the Common Area and Building and other portions of the Property as Landlord may deem appropriate.

16.3 Name. Landlord may adopt any name for the Building or the Property and Landlord reserves the right to change the name and/or the address of the Building or the Property and/or any part thereof at any time after providing Tenant with no less than ninety (90) days prior written notice. In case of any such name change, Landlord agrees to reimburse Tenant for its actual costs incurred in connection with that name change, including, without limitation, reprinting letterhead, envelopes, business cards that Tenant has on hand.

16.4 Sale of a Building in Property. In the event the Building or Building I is sold such that Landlord no longer owns both Buildings, Tenant’s Pro Rata Share shall automatically adjust so that it is calculated by dividing the Rentable Square Feet in the Premises by the total Rentable Square Feet in the Building which is hereby stipulated to be 96,056 Rentable Square Feet. Tenant’s Pro Rata Share of Operating Expenses shall then be based on the Operating Expenses for the Building only. Any shared Operating Expenses for the Property shall be allocated equitably between the Buildings pursuant to a reasonable reciprocal easement agreement between the owners of the Buildings; provided, however, any such Operating Expenses shall be subject to the limitations, and exclusions regarding Operating Expenses, and the Cap specified herein. In addition, the Gross Up described in Exhibit B of this Lease shall be based on the (i) Operating Expenses, and (ii) Rentable Square Feet in the Building. In the event of such a sale Tenant’s Pro Rata Share shall be equal to 34.3102%. Such adjustments shall be automatic and without the need to amend the Lease, and any other defined terms shall be deemed appropriately amended as well. In no event shall the adjustments as a result of such sale result in an increase in the amount of Operating Expenses paid by Tenant hereunder. Moreover such a sale (along with the corresponding adjustment to Tenant’s Pro Rata Share) shall not increase Tenant’s obligations nor impair Tenant’s rights under this Lease.

 

17.

Indemnification and Waiver.

17.1 Indemnity by Tenant. SUBJECT TO SECTION 12.6, TENANT SHALL DEFEND, INDEMNIFY, AND HOLD HARMLESS THE INDEMNIFIED PARTIES FROM AND AGAINST ALL CLAIMS, DEMANDS, LIABILITIES, CAUSES OF ACTION, SUITS, JUDGMENTS, DAMAGES, AND EXPENSES (INCLUDING ATTORNEYS’ FEES) ARISING FROM (I) ANY INJURY TO OR DEATH OF ANY PERSON OR THE DAMAGE TO OR THEFT, DESTRUCTION, LOSS, OR LOSS OF USE OF ANY PROPERTY OR INCONVENIENCE (A “LOSS”), TO THE EXTENT CAUSED BY ANY ACT OR OMISSION OR WILLFUL MISCONDUCT OF ANY TENANT PARTIES, OR (II) TENANT’S FAILURE TO PERFORM ITS OBLIGATIONS UNDER THIS LEASE, BUT NOT TO THE EXTENT THE LOSS WAS CAUSED BY THE NEGLIGENCE, RECKLESSNESS, OR WILLFUL MISCONDUCT OF LANDLORD, ITS EMPLOYEES, OR ITS AGENTS OR BY LANDLORD’S BREACH OF THIS LEASE. The indemnity set forth in this Section 17.1 shall survive termination or expiration of this Lease and shall not terminate or be waived,

 

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diminished or affected in any manner by any abatement or apportionment of Rent under any provision of this Lease. If any proceeding is filed for which indemnity is required hereunder, the Tenant agrees, upon request therefor, to defend the indemnified party in such proceeding at its sole cost utilizing counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party.

17.2 Waiver. SUBJECT TO THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION 12.6, AS A MATERIAL PART OF THE CONSIDERATION TO LANDLORD FOR ENTERING INTO THIS LEASE, TENANT HEREBY ASSUMES ALL RISK OF AND RELEASES, DISCHARGES AND HOLDS HARMLESS LANDLORD FROM AND AGAINST ANY AND ALL LIABILITY TO TENANT FOR DAMAGE TO PROPERTY OR INJURY TO PERSONS IN, UPON OR ABOUT THE PREMISES FROM ANY CAUSE WHATSOEVER EXCEPT THAT WHICH IS CAUSED BY THE NEGLIGENCE OR WILLFUL MISCONDUCT OF LANDLORD OR ANY INDEMNIFIED PARTY OR BY LANDLORD’S BREACH OF THIS LEASE. IN NO EVENT SHALL LANDLORD BE LIABLE TO TENANT FOR ANY INJURY TO ANY PERSON IN OR ABOUT THE PREMISES OR DAMAGE TO THE PREMISES OR FOR ANY LOSS, DAMAGE OR INJURY TO ANY PROPERTY OF TENANT THEREIN OR BY ANY MALFUNCTION OF ANY UTILITY OR OTHER EQUIPMENT, INSTALLATION OR SYSTEM, OR BY THE RUPTURE, LEAKAGE OR OVERFLOW OF ANY PLUMBING OR OTHER PIPES, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, WATER, STEAM AND REFRIGERATION LINES, SPRINKLERS, TANKS, DRAINS, DRINKING FOUNTAINS OR SIMILAR CAUSE IN, ABOUT OR UPON THE PREMISES, THE BUILDING OR ANY OTHER PORTION OF THE PROPERTY, UNLESS SUCH LOSS, DAMAGE OR INJURY IS CAUSED BY THE NEGLIGENCE OR WILLFUL MISCONDUCT OF LANDLORD OR ANY INDEMNIFIED PARTY OR BY LANDLORD’S BREACH OF THIS LEASE.

 

18.

Definition of Landlord.

The term “Landlord” as used in this Lease, so far as covenants or obligations on the part of Landlord are concerned, shall be limited to mean and include only the owner or owners, at the time in question, of the fee title of the Premises or the lessees under ground leases of the land or master leases of the Building, if any. In the event of any transfer, assignment or other conveyance of any such title, Landlord herein named (and in case of any subsequent transfer or conveyance, the then grantor) shall be automatically freed and relieved from and after the date of such transfer, assignment or conveyance of all liability for the performance of any covenant or obligation on the part of Landlord contained in this Lease thereafter to be performed. Without further agreement, the transferee of such title shall be deemed to have assumed and agreed to observe and perform any and all obligations of Landlord hereunder during its ownership of the Premises. Landlord may transfer its interest in the Premises without the consent of Tenant and such transfer or subsequent transfer shall not be deemed a violation on Landlord’s part of any term or condition of this Lease.

 

19.

Subordination.

19.1 Subordination. Subject to Tenant’s rights under this Section 19 and Landlord’s obligation to obtain the SNDA referenced below, this Lease shall be subordinate to any existing and future deed of trust, mortgage, and/or other security instrument (each, a “Mortgage”) and any ground lease, master lease, or primary lease (each, a “Primary Lease”), which may now or

 

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hereafter encumber the Property and/or the Building, and all renewals, modifications, consolidations, replacements and extensions thereof. As a condition to the effectiveness of this Lease, Landlord shall obtain and deliver from its current mortgagee an executed subordination, non-disturbance and attornment agreement in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit I (as modified by those changes required to make it factually accurate) within 30 days following the Effective Date. Landlord agrees to obtain from any future mortgagee, ground lessor or ground lessee (herein referred to as a “Landlord’s Mortgagee”), a subordination, non-disturbance and attornment agreement (a “SNDA”) on such mortgagee, ground lessor or ground lessee’s standard form (as revised pursuant to reasonable negotiations between Tenant and such mortgagee, ground lessor or ground lessee, as long as such SNDA contains provisions whereby, as long as Tenant is not in Default hereunder, Tenant’s rights under this Lease shall not be disturbed) within thirty (30) days following Landlord’s execution of any such mortgage or ground lease entered into after the Effective Date of this Lease. Any Landlord’s Mortgagee may elect, at any time, unilaterally, to make this Lease superior to its Mortgage, Primary Lease, or other interest in the Premises by so notifying Tenant in writing, and signifying its election in the instrument creating its lien or lease or by separate recorded instrument. The provisions of this Section 19.1 shall be self-operative and no further instrument of subordination shall be required (except for the SNDA signed by Landlord’s Mortgagee); however, in confirmation of such subordination, Tenant shall execute and return to Landlord (or such other party designated by Landlord) within fifteen (15) days after Tenant’s receipt of written request therefor such documentation, in recordable form if required.

19.2 Attornment. In the event any proceedings are brought for the foreclosure of, or in the event of exercise of the power of sale under, any mortgage covering the Premises, or in the event the interests of Landlord under this Lease shall be transferred by reason of deed in lieu of foreclosure or other legal proceedings, or in the event of termination of any lease under which Landlord may hold title, such transferee or purchaser at foreclosure or under power of sale, or the lessor of the Landlord upon such lease termination, as the case may be (sometimes hereinafter called “such person”), shall, in accordance with and subject to the terms of the SNDA, recognize the interest of Tenant under the terms, covenants, and conditions of the Lease for the remaining balance of the Term and any renewal or extension thereof made in accordance with the terms of this Lease, and Tenant shall attorn to such person and shall recognize and be bound and obligated hereunder to such person as the Landlord under this Lease, subject to the terms of the SNDA. Conditioned on Tenant’s receipt of the SNDA, Tenant’s obligation to attorn to such person in accordance with the terms of the SNDA shall survive the exercise of any such power of sale, foreclosure or other proceeding. Conditioned on Tenant’s receipt of the SNDA, Tenant agrees that the institution of any suit, action or other proceeding by any mortgagee to realize on Landlord’s interest in the Premises pursuant to the powers granted to a mortgagee under its mortgage, shall not, by operation of law or otherwise, result in the cancellation or termination of the obligations of the Tenant hereunder. Tenant shall execute the SNDA confirming such attornment with ten (l0) business days of delivery by Landlord.

19.3 Notice to Landlord’s Mortgagee. Tenant shall not seek to enforce any remedy it may have for any default on the part of Landlord without first giving written notice by certified mail, return receipt requested, specifying the default in reasonable detail, to any Landlord’s Mortgagee whose address has been given to Tenant, and affording such Landlord’s Mortgagee a reasonable opportunity to cure any of Landlord’s defaults hereunder. Landlord shall give Tenant

 

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notice of the identity, address, telephone and telecopier numbers of all Landlord’s Mortgagees in writing in the form of a notice in the manner provided for herein. Tenant further agrees that if Landlord shall have failed to cure any default within the time period provided for in this Lease, then Landlord’s Mortgagee shall have an additional thirty (30) days within which to cure such default or if such default cannot be cured within that time, then such additional time as may be necessary if within such thirty (30) days such Landlord’s Mortgagee has commenced and is diligently pursuing the remedies necessary to cure such default (including, but not limited to, commencement of foreclosure proceedings, if necessary to effect such cure), in which event this Lease shall not be terminated while such remedies are being so diligently pursued.

19.4 Landlord’s Mortgagee’s Protection Provisions. Subject to the terms of Exhibit I, if Landlord’s Mortgagee shall succeed to the interest of Landlord under this Lease, Landlord’s Mortgagee shall not be: (I) liable for any act or omission of any prior lessor (including Landlord); (2) bound by any rent or additional rent or advance rent which Tenant might have paid for more than one month in advance to any prior lessor (including Landlord) which is not delivered or paid over to Landlord’s Mortgagee, and all such rent shall remain due and owing, notwithstanding such advance payment; (3) bound by any security or advance rental deposit made by Tenant which is not delivered or paid over to Landlord’s Mortgagee and with respect to which Tenant shall look solely to Landlord for refund or reimbursement; (4) bound by any termination, amendment or modification of this Lease made without Landlord’s Mortgagee’s consent and written approval, except for any termination by Tenant of this Lease expressly provided for in this Lease, and further, except for any amendment made to effectuate any renewal, extension or expansion option or right of first refusal set forth in this Lease, or to confirm the Commencement Date or any other date set forth in the Lease, or to confirm the square footage of the Premises and to modify the terms of the Lease to reflect such square footage; (5) subject to any defenses to the performance by Tenant of its obligations under this Lease expressly set forth in this Lease and related to periods of time following the acquisition of the Building by Landlord’s Mortgagee which Tenant might have against any prior lessor (including Landlord), unless the condition of default giving rise to any such defense is ongoing following such date and Tenant has provided written notice to Landlord’s Mortgagee (whether prior to or after Landlord’s Mortgagee succeeding to the interest of Landlord under this Lease) and provided Landlord’s Mortgagee a reasonable opportunity (not to exceed the Landlord’s Mortgagee Cure Period) to cure the event giving rise to such offset event; and (6) subject to any offsets, abatement or reductions in Rent which Tenant might have against any prior lessor (including Landlord) except for those offset, abatement or reduction rights which (A) are expressly provided in this Lease, (B) relate to periods of time following the acquisition of the Building by Landlord’s Mortgagee, and (C) Tenant has provided written notice to Landlord’s Mortgagee (whether prior to or after Landlord’s Mortgagee succeeding to the interest of Landlord under this Lease) and provided Landlord’s Mortgagee a reasonable opportunity (not to exceed the Landlord’s Mortgagee Cure Period) to cure the event giving rise to such offset event. Nothing in this Lease shall be construed to require Landlord’s Mortgagee to see to the application of the proceeds of any loan, and Tenant’s agreements set forth herein shall not be impaired on account of any modification of the documents evidencing and securing any loan.

 

20.

Substitution of Premises.

Intentionally deleted.

 

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21.

Surrender of Premises and Removal of Property.

21.1 No Merger. The voluntary or other surrender of this Lease by Tenant, a mutual cancellation or a termination hereof, shall not constitute a merger, and shall, at the option of Landlord, terminate all or any existing subleases or shall operate as an assignment to Landlord of any or all subleases affecting the Premises.

21.2 Surrender of Premises. No act by Landlord shall be deemed an acceptance of a surrender of the Premises, and no agreement to accept a surrender of the Premises shall be valid unless it is in writing and signed by Landlord. At the expiration or termination of this Lease, Tenant shall deliver to Landlord the Premises with all improvements located therein in good repair and condition, free of Hazardous Materials placed on the Premises during the Term, broom-clean, wear and tear (and condemnation and casualty damage) excepted, and shall deliver to Landlord all keys to the Premises. Provided that Tenant has performed all of its obligations hereunder, Tenant may remove all of Tenant’s Property placed in the Premises or elsewhere in the Building by Tenant (but Tenant may not remove any such item which was paid for, in whole or in part, by Landlord or by any of Landlord’s prior tenants [except Tenant herein D. Tenant shall, at Tenant’s sole cost and expense, repair all damage caused by such removal. All items not so removed shall, at Landlord’s option, be deemed to have been abandoned by Tenant and may be appropriated, sold, stored, destroyed, or otherwise disposed of by Landlord without notice to Tenant and without any obligation to account for such items. The provisions of this Section 21.2 shall survive the expiration or earlier termination of the Term.

21.3 Disposal of Property. In the event of the expiration of this Lease or other re-entry of the Premises by Landlord as provided in this Lease, any of Tenant’s Property which is not removed by Tenant upon the expiration of the Term of this Lease, or within 96 hours after a termination by reason of Tenant’s Default, shall be considered abandoned and Landlord may remove any or all of such property and dispose of the same in any manner or store the same in a public warehouse or elsewhere for the account of, and at the expense and risk of, Tenant. If Tenant shall fail to pay the costs of storing any such property after it has been stored for a period of 30 days or more, Landlord may sell any or all of such property at public or private sale, in such manner and at such places as Landlord, in its sole discretion, may deem proper, without notice to or demand upon Tenant. In the event of such sale, Landlord shall apply the proceeds thereof, first, to the cost and expense of sale, including reasonable attorneys’ fees; second, to the repayment of the cost of removal and storage; third, to the repayment of any other sums which may then or thereafter be due to Landlord from Tenant under any of the terms of this Lease; and fourth, the balance, if any, to Tenant.

 

22.

Holding Over.

If Tenant fails to vacate the Premises at expiration or earlier termination of the Term, then Tenant shall be a tenant at sufferance as to such space and, in addition to all other damages and remedies to which Landlord may be entitled for such holding over, (a) Tenant shall pay, in addition to the other Rent, holdover rent (on a per diem basis) for the Premises equal to 150% of each of the Base Rent and Tenant’s Pro Rata Share of Operating Expenses payable during the last month of the Term, which rate shall become effective after the 30th day following the end of the Term, and (b) Tenant shall otherwise continue to be subject to all of Tenant’s obligations under

 

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this Lease. The provisions of this Section 22 shall not be deemed to limit or constitute a waiver of any other rights or remedies of Landlord provided herein or at law or a consent by Landlord to any holding over by Tenant and Landlord expressly reserves the right to require Tenant to surrender possession of the Premises upon the expiration of the Term or upon the earlier termination hereof and to assert any remedy in law or equity to evict Tenant and/or collect actual reasonable out-of-pocket damages that Landlord actually and reasonably incurs in connection with such holding over. If Tenant fails to surrender the Premises upon the termination or expiration of this Lease, in addition to any other liabilities to Landlord accruing therefrom, Tenant shall protect, defend, indemnify and hold the Indemnified Parties harmless from all actual losses, costs (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) and liability resulting from such failure, including any claims made by any succeeding lessees of which Landlord has given Tenant written notice founded upon such failure to surrender.

 

23.

Defaults and Remedies.

23.1 Defaults by Tenant. The occurrence of any of the following shall constitute a material default and breach of this Lease by Tenant (each, a “Default” or an “Event of Default”); provided, however, that no Default or Event of Default shall be deemed to have occurred until Tenant has been afforded all applicable notices and opportunities to cure as set forth in this Lease:

(a) if Tenant fails to pay Rent or make any other payment required to be made by Tenant under this Lease as and when due and such failure continues for five (5) days after delivery of written notice from Landlord to Tenant that the same is past due and payable, provided Landlord shall not be required to give more than two (2) such notices in any consecutive twelve (12) month period;

(b) if Tenant makes a Transfer in violation of the terms of this Lease;

(c) if Tenant fails to observe or perform the provisions of Section 3 or those provisions of Section 10 in the case of Alterations that are adversely affecting Building Systems or other parts of the Building outside of the Premises or are weakening the structure of the Building and such failure continues for ten (10) business days after notice thereof from Landlord to Tenant;

(d) if Tenant fails to provide estoppel certificates, or other certificates as herein provided, and such failure continues for fifteen (15) days after notice to Tenant following the expiration of the period provided herein for the delivery of such certificates;

(e) except as otherwise provided in this Section 23.1 or elsewhere in this Lease, if Tenant fails to perform, comply with, or observe any other agreement or obligation of Tenant under this Lease and such failure continues for a period of more than thirty (30) days after Landlord has delivered to Tenant written notice thereof (or so long as Tenant commenced to cure such default promptly following receipt of such notice, but the default is not curable within thirty (30) days despite undertaking all reasonable efforts, then such period shall be extended, but in no event more than an additional sixty (60) days);

 

 

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(f) if any action is taken by or against Tenant pursuant to any statute pertaining to bankruptcy or insolvency or the reorganization of Tenant (unless, in the case of a petition filed against Tenant, the same is dismissed within ninety (90) days); if Tenant makes any general assignment for the benefit of creditors; if a trustee or receiver is appointed to take possession of all or any portion of Tenant’s assets located at the Premises or of Tenant’s interest in this Lease, where possession is not restored to Tenant within thirty (30) days; or if all or any portion of Tenant’s assets located at the Premises or of Tenant’s interest in this Lease is attached, executed upon, or otherwise judicially seized and such seizure is not discharged within thirty (30) days;

(g) Any rent paid by Tenant is recovered by the debtor or bankruptcy trustee as a preference payment in the event of the filing by or against Tenant of any proceeding under bankruptcy law;

(h) Any failure by Tenant to provide Landlord with a renewed LC or a substitute LC in form reasonably acceptable to Landlord at least thirty (30) days prior to the expiration of the then existing LC; and/or

(i) if Tenant fails to vacate and surrender the Premises as required by this Lease upon the expiration of the Term or sooner termination of this Lease.

23.2 Landlord’s Remedies. If there shall occur and be continuing an Event of Default, Landlord shall have and may exercise all remedies available to Landlord at law or in equity or under any statute or ordinance. Without limitation of the foregoing, Landlord may at its option:

(a) Performance of Obligations: Make any such payment or perform any other act which Tenant should have performed. All sums so paid by Landlord and all costs incurred by Landlord in making such payment or performing such other act or obligation and/or in enforcing this Lease, including attorneys’ fees, together with interest thereon at the Default Rate, shall be payable to Landlord on demand and Tenant agrees to pay any such sums, and Landlord shall have (in addition to any other right or remedy hereunder) the same rights and remedies in the event of the non-payment thereof by Tenant as in the case of Default by Tenant in the payment of Rent.

(b) Termination: Terminate this Lease by giving written notice thereof and, upon the giving of such notice, this Lease and the estate hereby granted shall expire and terminate with the same force and effect as though the date of such notice were the date fixed for the expiration of the Term, and all rights of Tenant hereunder shall expire and terminate, but Tenant shall remain liable as provided in (d) below and as otherwise hereinafter provided; and/or

(c) Recovery of Possession; Reletting: Whether or not this Lease has been terminated as herein provided, terminate Tenant’s right of possession and re-enter and repossess the Premises or any part thereof by summary proceedings, ejectment, forcible entry and detainer, forcible detainer or otherwise, and Landlord shall have the right to remove all persons and property therefrom and change the locks, without judicial process. Landlord shall be under no liability for or by reason of any such entry, repossession or removal. No such re-entry or taking of possession of the Premises by Landlord shall be construed as an election on Landlord’s part to

 

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terminate this Lease or to accept a surrender thereof unless a written notice of such intention is given by Landlord to Tenant or unless the termination of this Lease is decreed by a court of competent jurisdiction. If (and only to the extent) required by Applicable Law, Landlord shall use reasonable efforts to relet the Premises on market terms and may satisfy said obligation by complying with the provisions of (t) below; however, Landlord may at its option relet all or any part of the Premises for the account of Tenant for such term or terms (which may be greater or less than the period which would otherwise have constituted the balance of the Term) and on such conditions (which may include concessions or free Rent) and for such uses as Landlord, in its reasonable discretion, may determine, and Landlord may collect and receive any Rents payable by reason of such reletting; and apply the same on account of Rent due and to become due hereunder. Landlord shall not be required to accept any tenant offered by Tenant or observe any instruction given by Tenant about such reletting, or do any act or exercise any care or diligence with respect to such reletting, unless required by Applicable Law. Solely for the purpose of such reletting, Landlord may decorate or make repairs, changes, alterations or additions in or to the Premises or any part thereof to the extent deemed by Landlord desirable or convenient, and the actual, reasonable out-of-pocket costs of such decoration, repairs, changes, alterations or additions shall be charged to and be payable by Tenant as Rent hereunder, as well as any reasonable brokerage and legal fees actually and reasonably expended by Landlord and paid to third parties. Landlord reserves the right to terminate this Lease at any time after taking possession of the Premises as aforesaid. Neither termination nor repossession and reletting shall relieve Tenant of its obligations hereunder, all of which shall survive such termination, repossession or reletting. Tenant agrees that Landlord may file suit to recover any sums falling due under the terms of this Section 23 from time to time and that no suit or recovery of any portion due Landlord hereunder shall be any defense to any subsequent action brought for any amount not theretofore reduced to judgment in favor of Landlord. If Landlord terminates Tenant’s possession of the Premises under this Section 23, Landlord shall have no obligation to post any notice and Landlord shall have no obligation whatsoever to tender to Tenant a key for new locks installed in the Premises; and/or

(d) Damages: Terminate this Lease and recover from Tenant upon demand therefor, as damages for Tenant’s default, an amount equal to the sum of the following: (i) the actual and reasonable out-of-pocket cost of recovering the Premises, including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys’ fees; (ii) the unpaid Rent earned at the time of termination, plus interest thereon at the Default Rate; (iii) the difference, if any, between (I) Rent and other sums which would be payable under this Lease for the remainder of the Term, discounted to present worth at the rate of five percent (5%) per annum, and (2) the then fair market rental value of the Premises as reasonably determined by Landlord for the same period, discounted to present worth at the same rate; (iv) costs of reletting and refurbishing the Premises, including, without limitation, reasonable legal fees, brokerage commissions, the costs of alterations and the value of other concessions or allowances granted to a new tenant, and (v) any other sum of money and damages owed by Tenant to Landlord.

(e) Calculation of Rent: In calculating future Rent for purposes of subparagraphs (c) and (d) above, Landlord’s reasonable and good faith estimate of future Operating Expenses shall be based on historical escalations and the then current market conditions. In addition, Landlord may include as an item of Rent its out-of-pocket attorneys’ fees and costs actually and reasonably incurred in enforcing its rights hereunder, together with each of the other expenses related thereto as described in subparagraph (c) above.

 

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(f) Mitigation: Landlord shall have a duty to mitigate damages in accordance with Applicable Law. Notwithstanding the foregoing, upon the occurrence of an Event of Default, Landlord and Tenant agree that if Landlord sues Tenant to enforce the Lease and collect Rent that has accrued, unless contrary to Applicable Law, Landlord will have satisfied the duty to mitigate and will have used objectively reasonable efforts to relet the Premises if Landlord does the following within sixty (60) days after the occurrence of the Event of Default: (1) place the Premises on Landlord’s inventory of available space; (2) make Landlord’s inventory available to area brokers; (3) show the Premises to prospective tenants who request to see it; and (4) otherwise make commercially reasonable efforts to lease the Premises on market terms.

(g) Reimbursement. Landlord has or will pay substantial real estate brokerage commissions relating to this Lease (the “Commissions”). If Landlord terminates this Lease as a result of an Event of Default of a monetary nature hereunder, Tenant shall, to the extent Landlord has not recovered the full amount of its damages under subparagraph (d) above, immediately pay to Landlord the unamortized cost of the Commissions.. The unamortized cost is calculated by amortizing the Commissions over the number of months of the initial Term during which Tenant is required to pay Base Rent at 10% per annum on a monthly basis and multiplying the monthly amortized cost by the number of months remaining in the initial Term after such termination. Landlord may, or, at Tenant’s request, shall, after such termination forward a statement to Tenant setting forth the unamortized Commissions incurred by Landlord that are payable in accordance with this Section 23.2(g), but the failure to deliver the statement shall not be deemed to be a waiver of the right to collect such amounts.

23.3 Waivers by Tenant. In the event of a termination of this Lease as a result of an Event of Default, Tenant hereby waives all right to recover or regain possession of the Premises, to save forfeiture by payment of Rent due or by other performance of the conditions, terms or provisions hereof, and without limitation of or by the foregoing, Tenant waives all right to reinstate or redeem this Lease notwithstanding any provisions of any statute, law or decision now or hereafter in force or effect and Tenant waives all right to any second or further trial in summary proceedings, ejectment, forcible entry and detainer, forcible detainer or in any other action provided by any statute or decision now or hereafter in force or effect. Landlord shall not be required to serve Tenant with any notices or demands as a prerequisite to its exercise of any of its rights or remedies under this Lease, other than those notices and demands specifically required under this Lease. Tenant expressly waives the service of any statutory demand or notice that is a prerequisite to Landlord’s commencement of eviction proceedings against Tenant, including, without limitation, the demands and notices specified in the Texas Property Code.

23.4 Repossession. If Landlord exercises either of the remedies provided in Sections 23.2(b) or 23.2(c), Tenant shall surrender possession and vacate the Premises and immediately deliver possession thereof to Landlord, and Landlord may re-enter and take complete and peaceful possession of the Premises, with or without process of law, full and complete license to do so being hereby granted to Landlord, and Landlord may remove all occupants and property therefrom, using such force as may be necessary to the extent allowed by Applicable Law, without being deemed guilty in any manner of trespass, eviction or forcible

 

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entry and detainer and without relinquishing Landlord’s right to Rent or any other right given to Landlord hereunder or by operation of law. In order to exercise its remedies hereunder and to regain possession of the Premises and to deny Tenant access thereto, Landlord or its agent may, at the expense and liability of the Tenant, alter or change any or all locks or other security devices controlling access to the Premises without posting or giving notice of any kind to Tenant, and Tenant hereby waives all of such notices or demands to the fullest extent allowed by Applicable Law. Unless contrary to Applicable Law (after giving full force and effect to Tenant’s waivers in this Lease), Landlord shall have no obligation to provide Tenant a key or grant Tenant access to the Premises so long as Tenant is in Default under this Lease. Unless contrary to Applicable Law (after giving full force and effect to Tenant’s waivers in this Lease), Tenant shall not be entitled to recover possession of the Premises, terminate this Lease, or recover any actual, incidental, consequential, punitive, statutory or other damages or award of attorneys’ fees, by reason of Landlord’s alteration or change of any lock or other security device and the resulting exclusion from the Premises of Tenant or Tenant’s agents, servants, employees, customers, licensees, invitees or any other persons from the Premises in accordance with the terms of this paragraph. TENANT ACKNOWLEDGES THAT THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SUBPARAGRAPH OF THIS LEASE SUPERSEDE THE LOCKOUT PROVISIONS OF THE TEXAS PROPERTY CODE AND TENANT FURTHER WARRANTS AND REPRESENTS THAT IT HEREBY KNOWINGLY WAIVES ANY RIGHTS IT MAY HAVE THEREUNDER TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW.

23.5 Methodology of Calculating Charges. Landlord and Tenant are knowledgeable and experienced in commercial leasing transactions and agree that the provisions of this Lease for determining all Rent and other charges and amounts payable by Tenant are commercially reasonable and valid, and as to each such charge or amount, constitutes a “method by which the charge is to be computed” for purposes of Section 93.012 of the Texas Property Code, even though such methods may not state a precise mathematical formula for determining such charges. ACCORDINGLY, TENANT VOLUNTARILY AND KNOWINGLY WAIVES ALL RIGHTS AND BENEFITS, IF ANY, OF A TENANT UNDER SECTION 93.012 OF THE TEXAS PROPERTY CODE, AS SUCH SECTION NOW EXISTS OR AS IT MAY BE HEREAFTER AMENDED OR SUCCEEDED.

23.6 Right of Landlord to Injunction; Remedies Cumulative. Upon any actual or threatened Event of Default, Landlord shall have the right of injunction to restrain the same. The rights and remedies given to Landlord in this Lease are distinct, separate and cumulative remedies, and no one of them, whether or not exercised by Landlord, shall be deemed to be in exclusion of any of the others.

23.7 Lien. Landlord waives all contractual. statutory and constitutional liens held by Landlord on Tenant’s personal property. goods. equipment. inventory. furnishings. chattels. accounts and assets (“Tenant’s Property”) to secure the obligations of Tenant under this Lease until such time as Landlord may obtain an enforceable judgment against Tenant from a court with jurisdiction of Tenant or Tenant’s Property. at which time Landlord shall have such lien rights at law and in equity to enforce and collect such judgment and Tenant’s obligations under this Lease.

 

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23.8 Waiver of Jury Trial. TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, LANDLORD AND TENANT HEREBY WAIVE TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY ACTION, PROCEEDING OR COUNTERCLAIM BROUGHT BY EITHER OF THE PARTIES HERETO AGAINST THE OTHER ON ANY MATTERS WHATSOEVER ARISING OUT OF OR IN ANY WAY CONNECTED WITH THIS LEASE, THE RELATIONSHIP OF LANDLORD AND TENANT, TENANT’S USE OR OCCUPANCY OF THE PREMISES, AND/OR ANY CLAIM OF INJURY OR DAMAGE, OR FOR THE ENFORCEMENT OF ANY REMEDY UNDER ANY STATUTE, ORDINANCE OR OTHERWISE. WITHOUT LIMITING THE GENERALITY OF THE FOREGOING, TENANT WAIVES ANY RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LAWSUIT BROUGHT BY LANDLORD TO RECOVER POSSESSION OF THE PREMISES FOLLOWING LANDLORD’S TERMINATION OF THIS LEASE PURSUANT TO SECTION 23.2(b) OR THE RIGHT OF TENANT TO POSSESSION OF THE PREMISES PURSUANT TO SECTION 23.2(c) AND ON ANY CLAIM FOR DELINQUENT RENT WHICH LANDLORD MAY JOIN IN ITS LAWSUIT TO RECOVER POSSESSION.

23.9 Definition of Tenant. The term “Tenant” shall be deemed to include all persons or entities named as Tenant under this Lease, or each and everyone of them. If any of the obligations of Tenant hereunder is guaranteed by another person or entity, the term “Tenant” shall be deemed to include all of such guarantors and anyone or more of such guarantors. If this Lease has been assigned, the term “Tenant” shall be deemed to include both the assignee and the assignor.

23.10 Tenant’s Obligation Not Dependent. SUBJECT TO THE OTHER TERMS OF THIS LEASE, TENANT’S OBLIGATION TO PAY RENT HEREUNDER IS NOT DEPENDENT UPON THE CONDITION OF THE PREMISES OR THE PERFORMANCE BY LANDLORD OF ITS OBLIGATIONS HEREUNDER, AND TENANT SHALL CONTINUE TO PAY RENT HEREUNDER WITHOUT ABATEMENT, SETOFF, OR DEDUCTION, NOTWITHSTANDING ANY BREACH BY LANDLORD OF ITS DUTIES OR OBLIGATIONS HEREUNDER, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED.

23.11 Defaults by Landlord. The occurrence of any of the following shall constitute a material default and breach of this Lease by Landlord (a “Landlord Default”):

(a) if Landlord fails to perform, comply with, or observe any other agreement or obligation of Landlord under this Lease and such failure continues for a period of more than thirty (30) days after Tenant has delivered to Landlord written notice thereof (or so long as Landlord commenced to cure such default promptly following receipt of such notice, but the default is not curable within thirty (30) days despite undertaking all reasonable efforts, then such period shall be extended, but in no event more than an additional sixty (60) days); and/or

(b) Upon any Landlord Default, Tenant, to the fullest extent permitted by law, shall have the right to maintain any and all actions at law or suits in equity or other proceedings (including the right to injunctive relief) to enforce the curing or remedying of such default or for damages resulting from such default.

 

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24.

Covenant Against Liens.

All work performed, materials furnished, or obligations incurred by or at the request of a Tenant Party shall be deemed authorized and ordered by Tenant only, and Tenant shall not permit any mechanic’s liens to be filed against the Premises or the Property in connection therewith. Upon completion of any such work, Tenant shall deliver to Landlord final lien waivers from all contractors, subcontractors and materialmen who performed such work. If such a lien is filed, then Tenant shall, within ten (10) days after Tenant obtains knowledge thereof (or such earlier time period as may be necessary to prevent the forfeiture of the Premises, the Property or any interest of Landlord therein or the imposition of a civil or criminal fine with respect thereto), either (i) pay the amount of the lien and cause the lien to be released of record, or (ii) diligently contest such lien and deliver to Landlord a bond or other security reasonably satisfactory to Landlord. If Tenant fails to timely take either such action, then Landlord may pay the lien claim, and any amounts so paid, including reasonable expenses and interest, shall be paid by Tenant to Landlord within ten (10) days after Landlord has invoiced Tenant therefor together with interest at the Default Rate. Tenant shall defend, indemnify and hold harmless the Indemnified Parties from and against all claims, demands, causes of action, suits, judgments, damages and expenses (including actual and reasonable out-of-pocket attorneys’ fees) in any way arising from or relating to the failure by any Tenant Party to pay for any work performed, materials furnished, or obligations incurred by or at the request of a Tenant Party. This indemnity provision shall survive termination or expiration of this Lease. Landlord and Tenant acknowledge and agree that their relationship is and shall be solely that of “landlord-tenant” (thereby excluding a relationship of “owner-contractor,” “owner-agent” or other similar relationships). Accordingly, all materialmen, contractors, artisans, mechanics, laborers and any other persons now or hereafter contracting with Tenant, any contractor or subcontractor of Tenant or any other Tenant Party for the furnishing of any labor, services, materials, supplies or equipment with respect to any portion of the Premises, at any time from the date hereof until the end of the Term, are hereby charged with notice that they look exclusively to Tenant to obtain payment for same. Nothing herein shall be deemed a consent by Landlord to any liens being placed upon the Premises, the Property or Landlord’s interest therein due to any work performed by or for Tenant or deemed to give any contractor or subcontractor or materialman any right or interest in any funds held by Landlord to reimburse Tenant for any portion of the cost of such work.

 

25.

Interest on Tenant’s Obligations; Late Charges.

25.1 Interest. Any amount due from Tenant to Landlord which is not paid when due shall bear interest at the lesser of ten percent (10%) per annum or the maximum lawful rate of interest (said lesser rate is herein referred to as the “Default Rate”), from the date such payment is due until paid, but the payment of such interest shall not excuse or cure any default by Tenant under this Lease.

25.2 Late Charge. In the event Tenant is late in paying any amount of Rent due under this Lease, Tenant shall pay Landlord a late charge equal to five percent (5%) of each delinquent amount of Rent and any subsequent delinquent amount of Rent. The parties agree that the amount of such late charge represents a reasonable estimate of the cost and expense that would be incurred by Landlord in processing each delinquent payment of Rent by Tenant and that such

 

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late charge shall be paid to Landlord as liquidated damages for each delinquent payment, but the payment of such late charge shall not excuse or cure any default by Tenant under this Lease. The parties further agree that the payment of late charges and the payment of interest provided for in the preceding paragraph are distinct and separate from one another in that the payment of interest is to compensate Landlord for the use of Landlord’s money by Tenant, while the payment of a late charge is to compensate Landlord for the additional administrative expense incurred by Landlord in handling and processing delinquent payments, but excluding attorneys’ fees and costs incurred with respect to such delinquent payments. Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, Landlord agrees that the first time in any given calendar year in which Tenant is late in the payment of Rent, no late charges will be due provided such payment is made within five (5) days after Tenant’s receipt of Landlord’s written notice to Tenant of such delinquency.

 

26.

Quiet Enjoyment.

Tenant, upon the paying of all Rent hereunder and performing each of the covenants, agreements and conditions of this Lease required to be performed by Tenant, shall lawfully and quietly hold, occupy and enjoy the Premises during the Term without hindrance or molestation of anyone lawfully claiming by, through or under Landlord, subject, however, to the terms and conditions of this Lease. This covenant of quiet enjoyment is in lieu of any implied covenant of quiet enjoyment under Texas law.

 

27.

Parking Facilities.

Landlord shall make available to Tenant, throughout the Term, permits for Tenant and its employees and invitees to park, at any given time, on an unreserved basis, four (4) cars in the Parking Facility for each 1000 Rentable Square Feet of the Premises, subject to such reasonable rules and regulations as Landlord may establish. Parking may be access controlled. There shall be no charge for any of the parking spaces specified herein during the Term or any Renewal Term. Tenant understands that parking patterns and areas may be modified by Landlord in its sole discretion provided such modification does not unreasonably interfere with Tenant’s use of the Parking Facility and parking spaces and private access roads and building appurtenances on the Land. Landlord shall have no liability for any damage to persons or property which may occur in, on, or about the Parking Facility.

 

28.

Brokers.

Landlord and Tenant each warrants to the other that it has not had any contact or dealings with any real estate broker or other intermediary other than Tenant’s dealings with Jones Lang LaSalle Brokerage, Inc. and Landlord’s dealings with Oxford Alliance Services dba Oxford Commercial (collectively, “Brokers”) which would give rise to the payment of any fee or brokerage commission in connection with this Lease. Landlord and Tenant shall each indemnify the other from and against any loss, liability or damage (including reasonable and actual counsel fees and costs) with respect to any fee or brokerage commission (except to Brokers) arising out of any act or omission of the indemnifying party. Landlord agrees to pay brokerage commissions due in connection with this Lease to Brokers in accordance with a separate commission agreement executed by Landlord and Brokers.

 

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29.

Rules and Regulations.

The “Rules and Regulations” attached hereto as Exhibit E are hereby incorporated herein and made a part of this Lease. Tenant agrees to abide by and comply with each and everyone of said Rules and Regulations and any amendments, modifications and/or additions thereto as may hereafter be adopted by Landlord for the safety, care, security, good order and cleanliness of the Premises, the Building, the Parking Facility or any other portion of the Property provided such existing and/or future Rules and Regulations (i) are consistent for all tenants of the Buildings, (ii) applied uniformly among all tenants of the Buildings, and (iii) do not materially and adversely affect Tenant’s use and occupancy of the Premises, Building, Common Area and/or Parking Facility; no change in the Rules and Regulations will result in any material out-of-pocket cost to Tenant. Landlord shall have the right to amend, modify or add to the Rules and Regulations in its sole discretion. Landlord agrees that the Rules and Regulations shall not be enforced so as to discriminate against Tenant and that Landlord shall use commercially reasonable efforts to enforce the Rules and Regulations uniformly against all tenants in the Building; provided, however, that Landlord shall not be liable to Tenant for Landlord’s failure to enforce the Rules and Regulations against any other tenants. Tenant shall not be obligated to comply with any future Rules and Regulations or amendments thereto until Tenant has received a written copy of such Rules and Regulations. In the event of a conflict between this Lease and the Rules and Regulations, the terms and conditions of the Lease shall prevail.

 

30.

Signage.

30.1 Directory. Landlord shall maintain a directory at the Building to accommodate the names of tenants of the Building and shall provide Tenant with name placement thereon as Tenant may request and change from time to time at Landlord’s sole cost and expense.

30.2 Signs. Tenant shall be permitted to install, at its own expense, appropriate signs containing Tenant’s name at the entrances to the Premises, in the reception area(s) of the Premises and, if and so long as Tenant leases all of the Rentable Area on individual floors of the Premises, on the walls of the elevator lobbies on each floor of the Premises leased solely by Tenant. Any such signs will be designed and constructed in a manner compatible with Building standard signs and graphics criteria and shall be subject to Landlord’s prior written approval which approval shall not be unreasonably conditioned, withheld or delayed. Upon expiration of the Term, Tenant shall promptly remove all of its signs and repair and restore the surfaces on which such signs were attached to a condition and appearance which is consistent with the finishes (e.g. paint and any other exterior finishes) in close proximity to such surface, at Tenant’s expense.

30.3 Monument Sign.

(a) Tenant shall have the right, at Tenant’s sole cost and expense, to place Tenant’s signage (“Tenant’s Monument Sign Placement”) on the existing monument sign (the “Monument Sign”) for the Building located at the entry to the Property in the location on the monument shown on the attached Exhibit K.

 

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(b) Tenant shall be solely responsible for all costs in connection with Tenant’s Monument Sign Placement -i.e. name, logo, etc. on the Monument Sign including, without limitation, all costs of obtaining permits and zoning and regulatory approvals, if any, and all costs of design, construction, installation, and supervision. Prior to commencing any work in connection with the installation of Tenant’s Monument Sign Placement, Tenant shall furnish to Landlord for its approval (which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed) copies of all plans and specifications for the installation of Tenant’s Monument Sign Placement; names and addresses of contractors; copies of contracts; necessary permits required, if any, and evidence of contractor’s and subcontractor’s insurance in an amount reasonably satisfactory to Landlord. Tenant shall be solely responsible for any damage to Tenant’s Monument Sign Placement.

(c) Tenant must obtain Landlord’s written consent (which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed) for Tenant’s Monument Sign Placement prior to its fabrication and installation. Landlord reserves the right to withhold consent to Tenant’s Monument Sign Placement if, in the reasonable judgment of Landlord, it is not harmonious with the design standards of the Building. To obtain Landlord’s consent, Tenant shall submit design drawings to Landlord, showing the type and sizes of all lettering; the colors, finishes and types of materials used.

(d) Upon expiration of the Term, Tenant shall promptly remove all its exterior signs and repair and restore the surfaces on which such signs were attached to a condition and appearance which is consistent with the finishes (e.g. paint) in close proximity to such surface, at Tenant’s expense.

(e) Tenant may use any portion of the Tenant Improvement Allowance for any signage permitted in this Lease.

 

31.

Personal Property Taxes.

Tenant shall be liable for all taxes levied or assessed against personal property, furniture, or fixtures placed by Tenant in the Premises or in or on the Property. If any taxes for which Tenant is liable are levied or assessed against Landlord or Landlord’s property and Landlord elects to pay the same, or if the assessed value of Landlord’s property is increased by inclusion of such personal property, furniture or fixtures and Landlord elects to pay the taxes based on such increase, then Tenant shall pay to Landlord, within thirty (30) days following written request therefor and the presentation of documentation specifying the basis for the increase and related documentation from Landlord, the part of such taxes for which Tenant is primarily liable hereunder; however, Landlord shall not pay such amount if Tenant notifies Landlord that it will contest the validity or amount of such taxes before Landlord makes such payment, and thereafter diligently proceeds with such contest in accordance with Applicable Laws and if the non-payment thereof does not pose a material and substantial threat of loss or seizure of the Building or the Property or interest of Landlord therein or impose any fee or penalty against Landlord.

 

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32.

General Provisions.

32.1 No Waiver. The waiver by Landlord or Tenant of any breach of any provision contained in this Lease, which waiver shall only be effective if the same is in writing, or the failure of Landlord or Tenant to insist on strict performance by Tenant or Landlord, shall not be deemed to be a waiver of such provision as to any subsequent breach thereof or of any other provision contained in this Lease. The acceptance of Rents hereunder by Landlord shall not be deemed to be a waiver of any breach or default by Tenant regardless of Landlord’s knowledge of such breach or default at the time of acceptance of Rent.

32.2 Terms; Headings. The words “Landlord” and “Tenant” as used herein shall include the plural, as well as the singular. The words used in neuter gender include the masculine and feminine and words in the masculine or feminine gender include the neuter. If there is more than one Tenant, the obligations hereunder imposed upon Tenant shall be joint and several. The headings or titles of this Lease shall have no effect upon the construction or interpretation of any part hereof. Any reference to a period of time measured in days refers to calendar days unless otherwise specifically indicated.

32.3 Entire Agreement. This instrument along with any exhibits and attachments or other documents attached hereto constitutes the entire and exclusive agreement between Landlord and Tenant with respect to the Premises. The exhibits attached hereto, including, without limitation, Exhibit G, are incorporated herein by this reference for all purposes. This instrument and said exhibits and attachments and other documents may be altered, amended, modified or revoked only by an instrument in writing signed by both Landlord and Tenant. Landlord and Tenant hereby agree that all prior or contemporaneous oral and written understandings, agreements or negotiations relative to the leasing of the Premises are merged into and superseded by this instrument.

32.4 Successors and Assigns. Subject to the provisions of Section 15 relating to Assignment and Sublease, this Lease is intended to and does bind the heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assigns of any and all of the parties hereto.

32.5 Notices. All notices, consents, approvals, requests, demands and other communications (collectively “notices”) which Landlord or Tenant are required or desire to serve upon, or deliver to, the other shall be in writing and shall be sent by certified U.S. mail, return receipt requested, or by personal delivery, or by a reputable commercial overnight courier service (such as, but not limited to, Federal Express), to the appropriate address indicated in the Lease Summary, or at such other place or places as either Landlord or Tenant may, from time to time, designate in a written notice given to the other. If the term “Tenant” in this Lease refers to more than one person or entity, Landlord shall be required to make service or delivery, as aforesaid, to anyone of said persons or entities only. Notices shall be deemed sufficiently served or given at the time of receipt, regardless of the method of delivery as long as such method complies with this Lease. Any notice, request, communication or demand by Tenant or Landlord to the other party hereto shall be addressed in accordance with the addresses set forth in the Lease Summary. Rejection or other refusal to accept a notice or the inability to deliver the same because of a changed address of which no notice was given, shall be deemed to be receipt of the notice on the date delivery was first attempted.

 

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32.6 Severability. If any provision of this Lease shall be held invalid or unenforceable to any extent, the remaining provisions of this Lease shall not be affected thereby and each of said provisions shall be valid and enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by law.

32.7 Time of Essence. Time is of the essence of this Lease and each provision hereof in which time of performance is established.

32.8 Governing Law. This Lease shall be governed by, interpreted and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Texas applicable to contracts executed and performed entirely within the State of Texas. Any party bringing a legal action or proceeding against any other party arising out of or relating to this Lease must bring such legal action or proceeding in the applicable court(s) of Travis County, Texas having jurisdiction over the subject matter of such action or proceeding, and each party submits to the jurisdiction of such court(s).

32.9 Attorneys’ Fees. In the event of any dispute, whether in litigation or in an alternative dispute resolution proceeding, between the parties, the prevailing party shall be entitled to obtain, as part of the resolution thereof, all reasonable attorneys’ fees, costs and expenses incurred in connection with such dispute, except as may be limited by Applicable Law.

32.10 Light and Air. Any diminution or shutting off of light, air or view by any structure which may be erected on lands adjacent to the Building or any other portion of the Property shall in no manner affect this Lease or impose any liability whatsoever on Landlord.

32.11 Bankruptcy Prior to Commencement. If, at any time prior to the Commencement Date, any action is taken by or against Tenant in any court pursuant to any statute pertaining to bankruptcy or insolvency or the reorganization of Tenant, Tenant makes any general assignment for the benefit of creditors, a trustee or receiver is appointed to take possession of substantially all of Tenant’s assets or of Tenant’s interest in this Lease, or there is an attachment, execution or other judicial seizure of substantially all of Tenant’s assets or of Tenant’s interest in this Lease, then this Lease shall ipso facto be canceled and terminated and of no further force or effect. In such event, neither Tenant nor any person claiming through or under Tenant or by virtue of any statute or of any order of any court shall be entitled to possession of the Premises or any interest in this Lease and Landlord shall, in addition to any other rights and remedies under this Lease, be entitled to retain any Rent, security deposit or other monies received by Landlord from Tenant as liquidated damages.

32.12 Force Majeure. Neither Landlord nor Tenant shall be liable for any failure to comply or delay in complying with its obligations hereunder (other than Tenant’s obligation to pay Rent and other sums hereunder, the obligations to carry insurance hereunder or to comply with Section 3 hereof) if such failure or delay is due to Force Majeure Events. Landlord shall not be obliged to settle any strike to avoid a Force Majeure Event from continuing.

32.13 Applicable Laws. At its sole cost and expense, Tenant shall promptly comply with all requirements of Applicable Laws, other than making any changes to the structure of the Building, relating to or arising out of the use, occupancy, repair or alteration of the Premises. Tenant, at its sole cost and expense, shall obtain and maintain throughout the Term, any business licenses or permits required by any governmental body for the conduct of its business within the Premises.

 

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32.14 Estoppel Certificates. Either party shall, without charge, at any time and from time to time hereafter, within fifteen (15) days after written request of the other (but no more often than twice in any calendar year period), certify by written instrument duly executed and acknowledged to any mortgagee or purchaser, or proposed mortgagee or proposed purchaser, or any other person, firm or corporation specified in such request: (a) as to whether this Lease has been supplemented or amended, and, if so, the substance and manner of such supplement or amendment; (b) as to the validity and force and effect of this Lease, in accordance with its tenor as then constituted; (c) as to the party’s knowledge the existence of any default thereunder; (d) as to the party’s knowledge the existence of any offsets, counterclaims or defenses thereto on the part of such other party; (e) as to the commencement and expiration dates of the Term of this Lease and the date to which Rent has been paid; and (f) as to any other matters as may reasonably be so requested. Any such certificate may be relied upon by the party requesting it and any other person, firm or corporation to whom the same may be exhibited or delivered and the contents of such certificate shall be binding on the party executing same.

32.15 Examination of Lease. The submission of this instrument for examination or signature by Tenant, Tenant’s agents or attorneys, does not constitute a reservation of, or an option to lease, and this instrument shall not be effective or binding as a lease or otherwise until its execution and delivery by both Landlord and Tenant.

32.16 Landlord Liability. NOTWITHSTANDING ANYTHING IN THIS LEASE OR ANY APPLICABLE LAW TO THE CONTRARY, THE LIABILITY OF LANDLORD HEREUNDER (INCLUDING ANY SUCCESSOR LANDLORD HEREUNDER) AND ANY RECOURSE BY TENANT AGAINST LANDLORD SHALL BE LIMITED SOLELY TO THE INTEREST OF LANDLORD IN THE PROPERTY, AND NEITHER LANDLORD, NOR ANY OF ITS CONSTITUENT MEMBERS, NOR ANY OF THEIR RESPECTIVE AFFILIATES, PARTNERS, DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS OR SHAREHOLDERS SHALL HAVE ANY PERSONAL LIABILITY THEREFOR, AND TENANT, FOR ITSELF AND ALL PERSONS CLAIMING BY, THROUGH OR UNDER TENANT, EXPRESSLY WAIVES AND RELEASES LANDLORD AND SUCH RELATED PERSONS AND ENTITIES FROM ANY AND ALL PERSONAL LIABILITY. IN NO EVENT SHALL EITHER PARTY BE LIABLE FOR CONSEQUENTIAL, SPECIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES EXCEPT AS SPECIFICALLY PROVIDED FOR HEREIN, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION ANY LIABILITY UNDER SECTIONS 22 OR 34 HEREOF. TENANT HEREBY WAIVES ITS STATUTORY LIEN UNDER SECTION 91.004 OF THE TEXAS PROPERTY CODE.

32.17 Representations by Tenant. Tenant represents and warrants to Landlord that, on the date hereof and throughout the Term, the following:

(a) Tenant is a proprietary limited company, duly organized and validly existing in good standing under the laws of Australia, has qualified to do business in the State of Texas and has all requisite power and authority to enter into and perform its obligation under this Lease;

 

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(b) no governmental action is required to be taken, given or obtained, as the case may be, by or from any governmental authority and no filing, recording, publication or registration in any public office or any other place, is necessary to authorize the execution, delivery and performance by Tenant of this Lease or for the legality, validity, binding effect or enforceability hereof;

(c) the execution and delivery of this Lease by Tenant and the performance of its obligation hereunder will not contravene any Applicable Laws, or any judgment or order applicable to or binding on it, or contravene or result in any breach of, or constitute any default under, its articles of incorporation or any indenture, mortgage, contract, agreement or instrument to which the Tenant is a party or by which any of its properties may be bound; and

(d) the execution, delivery and performance of this Lease by Tenant has been duly authorized by all necessary action;

(e) this Lease has been duly executed and delivered by Tenant and constitutes the legal, valid and binding obligation of Tenant enforceable against Tenant in accordance with its tenns, except as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, fraudulent conveyance, liquidation or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and by general principles of equity; and

(f) Tenant is in compliance and will continue to comply with all applicable anti-money laundering laws, including, without limitation, the USA Patriot Act, and the laws administered by the United States Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, including, without limitation, Executive Order 13224 (the “Executive Order”). Tenant further represents (such representation to be true throughout the Tenn) (i) that it is not, and it is not owned or controlled directly or indirectly by any person or entity, on the SON List published by the United States Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control and (ii) that it is not a person otherwise identified by government or legal authority as a person with whom a U.S. person is prohibited from transacting business. As of the date hereof, a list of such designations and the text for the Executive Order are published under the internet website address www.ustreas.gov/offices/enforcementlofac.

32.18 Memorandum of Lease. Tenant shall not record this Lease or any memorandum of this Lease without the prior written consent of Landlord, which consent may be withheld or denied in the sole and absolute discretion of Landlord, and any recordation by Tenant shall be a Default under this Lease.

32.19 Landlord’s Fees. Whenever Tenant requests Landlord to take any action or give any consent required or permitted under this Lease and the direct cost, or portion thereof, of the person(s) taking such action and/or providing such consent is not recouped by the Landlord through Operating Expenses for the Building, Tenant will reimburse Landlord for Landlord’s actual reasonable, out-of-pocket costs payable to third parties and incurred by Landlord in reviewing the proposed action or consent, including, without limitation, reasonable fees of attorneys, engineers and architects, within thirty (30) days after Landlord’s delivery to Tenant of a statement of such costs. Tenant will be obligated to make such reimbursement without regard to whether Landlord consents to any such proposed action.

 

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32.20 Representations of Landlord. Landlord represents and warrants to Tenant that, on the date hereof and throughout the Term, the following:

(a) Landlord is a limited partnership, duly organized and validly existing in good standing under the laws of Texas, has qualified to do business in the State of Texas and has all requisite power and authority to enter into and perform its obligation under this Lease;

(b) no governmental action is required to be taken, given or obtained, as the case may be, by or from any governmental authority and no filing, recording, publication or registration in any public office or any other place, is necessary to authorize the execution, delivery and performance by Landlord of this Lease or for the legality, validity, binding effect or enforceability hereof;

(c) the execution and delivery of this Lease by Landlord and the performance of its obligation hereunder will not contravene any Applicable Laws, or any judgment or order applicable to or binding on it, or contravene or result in any breach of, or constitute any default under, its articles of organization or any indenture, mortgage, contract, agreement or instrument to which the Landlord is a party or by which any of its properties may be bound;

(d) the execution, delivery and performance of this Lease by Landlord has been duly authorized by all necessary action;

(e) this Lease has been duly executed and delivered by Landlord and constitutes the legal, valid and binding obligation of Landlord enforceable against Landlord in accordance with its terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, fraudulent conveyance, liquidation or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and by general principles of equity; and

(f) Landlord is in compliance and will continue to comply with all applicable anti-money laundering laws, including, without limitation, the USA Patriot Act, and the laws administered by the United States Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, including, without limitation, the Executive Order. Landlord further represents (such representation to be true throughout the Term) (i) that it is not, and it is not owned or controlled directly or indirectly by any person or entity, on the SON List published by the United States Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control and (ii) that it is not a person otherwise identified by government or legal authority as a person with whom a U.S. person is prohibited from transacting business.

32.21 Intentionally Deleted.

 

33.

DTPA WAIVER.

PURSUANT TO SECTION 17.42 OF THE TEXAS BUSINESS AND COMMERCE CODE, TENANT WAIVES ALL PROVISIONS OF SUBCHAPTER E OF CHAPTER 17 OF SUCH CODE (OTHER THAN SECTION 17.555) (THE “DTPA”) WITH RESPECT TO THIS LEASE. TO INDUCE LANDLORD TO ENTER INTO THIS LEASE, TENANT REPRESENTS AND WARRANTS: (A) TENANT IS REPRESENTED BY LEGAL COUNSEL OF ITS OWN CHOICE AND DESIGNATION IN CONNECTION WITH THE

 

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TRANSACTION CONTEMPLATED BY THIS LEASE; (B) TENANT’S COUNSEL WAS NOT DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY IDENTIFIED, SUGGESTED OR SELECTED BY LANDLORD OR AN AGENT OF LANDLORD; (C) TENANT IS LEASING THE PREMISES FOR BUSINESS OR COMMERCIAL PURPOSES, NOT FOR USE AS TENANT’S RESIDENCE; (D) TENANT HAS SUFFICIENT KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE IN FINANCIAL AND BUSINESS MATTERS AND IT CAN EVALUATE THE MERITS AND RISKS OF THIS LEASE; (E) TENANT IS NOT IN A SIGNIFICANTLY DISPARATE BARGAINING POSITION RELATIVE TO LANDLORD WITH RESPECT TO THIS LEASE; (F) TENANT HAS A CHOICE OTHER THAN TO ENTER INTO THIS LEASE WITH THIS DTPA WAIVER PROVISION, IN THAT IT CAN ENTER INTO A LEASE AGREEMENT WITH ANOTHER LANDLORD OR PA Y MORE CONSIDERATION TO ENTER INTO THIS LEASE WITHOUT THIS DTPA WAIVER PROVISION; (G) TENANT IS KNOWINGLY AND VOLUNTARILY AGREEING TO THIS DTPA WAIVER PROVISION AND CONSIDERS IT BINDING AND ENFORCEABLE; AND (H) TENANT ACKNOWLEDGES THAT LANDLORD WOULD NOT ENTER INTO THIS LEASE FOR THE SAME CONSIDERATION OR UPON THE SAME TERMS BUT FOR THE INCLUSION OF THIS DTPA WAIVER PROVISION IN THIS LEASE.

 

34.

Hazardous Materials.

The term “Hazardous Materials” means any substance, material, or waste which is now or hereafter classified or considered to be hazardous, toxic, or dangerous under any Applicable Laws relating to pollution or the protection or regulation of human health, natural resources or the environment, or poses or threatens to pose a hazard to the health or safety of persons on the Premises or the Property. Tenant shall not use, generate, store, or dispose of, or permit the use, generation, storage or disposal of Hazardous Materials on or about the Premises or the Property except in a manner and quantity necessary for the ordinary performance of Tenant’s business, and then in compliance with all Applicable Laws. If Tenant breaches its obligations under this Section, Landlord may immediately take any and all action reasonably appropriate to remedy the same, including taking all appropriate action to clean up or remediate any contamination resulting from Tenant’s use, generation, storage or disposal of Hazardous Materials. Tenant shall defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the Indemnified Parties from and against any and all claims, demands, liabilities, causes of action, suits, judgments, damages and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and cost of clean up and remediation) arising from Tenant’s failure to comply with the provisions of this Section. This indemnity provision shall survive termination or expiration of this Lease. Landlord shall not (and shall not permit its agents or employees to) use, generate, store or dispose of Hazardous Materials at the Building, except in a manner and quantity necessary for the operation of the Building and then in compliance with all Applicable Laws. Landlord represents and warrants to Tenant that, to the best of Landlord’s actual knowledge as of the latter of the Effective Date or delivery of possession of the Premises to Tenant, there are no Hazardous Materials, including asbestos containing materials, PCBs or petroleum, present, installed, released or discharged in or about the Premises or Property which are in violation of any Applicable Laws, that the Premises and Property are in compliance with all environmental laws, and that Landlord has and will maintain and operate the Building, including the Common Areas and Parking Facility, and the Property in compliance with all Applicable Laws including any laws related to the storage and disposal of Hazardous Materials. Landlord further represents and warrants to Tenant that, to the best of Landlord’s actual

 

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knowledge, there are no underground storage tanks for petroleum products or Hazardous Materials, active or abandoned, located on the Land on which the Building is situated and that there is no pending, threatened or anticipated claim, lawsuit, governmental proceedings or liens or other legal or administrative action involving environmental matters with respect to the Premises or Property. Landlord hereby agrees to indemnify Tenant and hold Tenant harmless from and against any and all losses, liabilities, including strict liability, damages, injuries, expenses, including reasonable attorney fees, costs of settlement or judgment and claims of any and every kind whatsoever paid, incurred or suffered by, or asserted against, Tenant by any person, entity or governmental agency for or with respect to, matters arising from Landlord’s violation of the covenants in this Section. The obligations of Landlord under this Section shall survive any expiration or termination of this Lease.

 

35.

Security.

35.1 Letter of Credit. Any Event of Default for purposes of this Section 35 shall mean an Event of Default that is monetary in nature or an Event of Default that has liquidated into a monetary Event of Default. Concurrent with Tenant’s execution and delivery of this Lease, Tenant shall deliver to Landlord an unconditional, irrevocable letter of credit (“LC”) in the original amount of Four Hundred Thousand and no/100 Dollars ($400,000.00) (the “LC Stated Amount”). The LC shall be held by Landlord as security for the faithful performance by Tenant of all of the terms, covenants and conditions of this Lease to be kept and performed by Tenant, and the parties hereto acknowledge and agree that the LC does not constitute and shall not, in any event, be deemed to constitute a security deposit. The LC shall be issued by a national money center bank reasonably acceptable to Landlord, and shall be in the form attached hereto as Exhibit J. Tenant shall pay all expenses, points and/or fees incurred in obtaining and renewing the LC. The LC shall be effective from the date of delivery thereof through the date which is one hundred (100) days after the expiration of the Lease Term (the “LC Expiration Date”). The LC may be re-issued, renewed or replaced for annual periods, provided that the LC Stated Amount is not reduced except as expressly provided below. Each reissue, renewal or replacement LC shall be in the form attached hereto as Exhibit J, and shall be subject to Landlord’s prior written approval. The LC Stated Amount shall be reduced by One Hundred Thousand and 0/100 Dollars ($100,000.00) on the day after the expiration of the twenty-sixth (26th) month following the Commencement Date and shall continue to be reduced by such amount following the expiration of subsequent one (I) year periods (herein, each a “Reduction Date”), subject to the provisions of Subparagraphs (a) and (b) immediately below, until it has been reduced to $100,000.00, at which amount it will remain until the expiration of the Term (as it may be extended).

(a) Notwithstanding any contrary provision hereof, if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing on a Reduction Date, or if an Event of Default would exist and be continuing on a Reduction Date but Landlord is barred by applicable law from sending a notice of default to Tenant with respect thereto, or if Tenant is in default under this Lease and Tenant has received notice thereof as required by this Lease, but failed to cure such default within the time period permitted under this Lease or such lesser time as may remain before a Reduction Date, then the LC Stated Amount shall not be reduced on such Reduction Date (but shall be reduced upon the curing of such default, subject, however, to Landlord’s draw on the LC as permitted hereunder in connection with an Event of Default).

 

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(b) Tenant hereby covenants to provide to Landlord not less than thirty (30) days prior to each Reduction Date, a certificate signed by an authorized officer or manager of Tenant stating to the best knowledge of the certifying officer or manager, Tenant’s net worth (i.e., the amount by which the sum of Tenant’s assets, excluding goodwill but including current accounts receivable, exceeds Tenant’s liabilities) as of a date not earlier than twelve (12) months prior to the applicable Reduction Date. If Tenant’s net worth as of such date is a negative number, or if Tenant fails to provide the certification as required hereunder, then the LC Amount shall not be reduced on the applicable Reduction Date.

(c) If, following the IPO, Tenant’s “net worth” is greater than the aggregate amount of the remaining gross lease payments over the remainder of the Term as it may be extended, the LC shall be returned to Tenant and (subject to the following sentence) Tenant shall not be required to obtain any future LC. Should Tenant’s tangible net worth subsequently fall below the remaining gross lease payments over the remainder of the Term as it may be extended, Tenant will again be required to deliver an LC in accordance with the terms of this Section, subject to any and all reductions that would have occurred on any subsequently occurring Reduction Date. As used herein, “net worth” shall mean the amount by which the sum of Tenant’s assets, excluding goodwill but including current accounts receivable, exceeds Tenant’s liabilities.

35.2 Failure to Reissue, Renew or Replace. If the bank that issues the LC fails to extend the expiration date thereof through the LC Expiration Date, and/or if Landlord receives a notice of non-renewal from such bank (as described in the LC), then Tenant shall provide Landlord with a substitute LC. If Tenant fails to provide Landlord with a substitute LC in a form reasonably acceptable to Landlord at least thirty (30) days prior to the expiration of the then existing LC, then (i) such failure shall be deemed an Event of Default hereunder, and (ii) Landlord shall be entitled to draw down the full amount of the LC then available and apply, use and retain the proceeds thereof in accordance with Paragraph 35.3; provided, however, that if Landlord does draw down and retain the proceeds of the LC, then no Default or Event of Default shall be deemed to have occurred as it relates to Tenant’s failure to provide a substitute LC.

35.3 Application of LC and LC Account. If an Event of Default shall occur and be continuing with respect to any provision of this Lease, including, but not limited to, the provisions relating to the payment of rent, or an Event of Default would exist under the Lease but Landlord is barred by applicable law from sending a notice of default to Tenant with respect thereto, or in the event the LC is not renewed or reissued at least thirty (30) days prior to the expiration of the then existing LC, Landlord may, but shall not be required to, draw upon all or any part of the LC and/or LC Account (defined below) or use, retain or apply all or any part of the proceeds thereof for the payment of any rent or any other sum in default, to repair damages caused by Tenant, to clean the Premises, or for the payment of any other amount which Landlord may spend or become obligated to spend by reason of Tenant’s Event of Default or to compensate Landlord for loss or damage which Landlord may suffer by reason of Tenant’s Event of Default, including without limitation the amounts to which Landlord may become entitled pursuant to Section 35.2 above (whether or not such amounts have been awarded) and any other loss, liability, expense and damages that may accrue upon Tenant’s Event of Default or the act or omission of Tenant or any officer, employee, agent or invitee of Tenant, and costs and the actual and reasonable out-of-pocket attorneys’ fees incurred by Landlord to recover possession of the Premises upon an Event of Default by Tenant hereunder. Any amount of the LC which is drawn

 

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upon by Landlord, but not used or applied by Landlord shall be held by Landlord in an account (the “LC Account”) as security for the full and faithful performance of each of the terms hereof by Tenant, subject to use and application as set forth herein. The use, application, retention or draw of the LC and/or LC Account, or any portion thereof, by Landlord shall not (i) constitute the cure of any Event of Default by Tenant or the waiver of such Event of Default, (ii) prevent Landlord from exercising any other remedies provided for under this Lease or by law, it being intended that Landlord shall not first be required to proceed against the LC and/or LC Account, or (iii) operate as a limitation on the amount of any recovery to which Landlord may otherwise be entitled. If any portion of the LC and/or LC Account is so drawn upon, or any part of the proceeds thereof is used or applied, Tenant shall, within fifteen (15) business days after written demand therefor, increase the value of the LC to its value immediately before any such draw, or deposit cash with Landlord in an amount equal to the draw upon the LC and/or the amount of the LC Account that was used or applied (so that the combined amount of the remaining sums available to be drawn upon the LC and the LC Account balance equals the LC Stated Amount (as the same may be reduced pursuant to any applicable Reduction Date), and Tenant’s failure to do so shall be an Event of Default under this Lease. The LC Account may be commingled with other funds of Landlord, shall be held in Landlord’s name, and Tenant shall not be entitled to any interest or earnings thereon. Notwithstanding any contrary provision herein, in the event that the total amount of the LC outstanding plus any amount remaining in the LC Account exceeds the LC Stated Amount (“Excess Security”), then Landlord shall return the amount of the Excess Security to Tenant upon Tenant’s request to the extent that such amount is available in the LC Account.

35.4 Entire Agreement. Landlord and Tenant hereby acknowledge that their entire agreement with respect to the LC and the LC Account is set forth herein.

35.5 Expiration of LC. Unless an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing under this Lease or an Event of Default would exist under the Lease but Landlord is barred by applicable law from sending a notice of default to Tenant with respect thereto, within sixty (60) days following the LC Expiration Date, Landlord shall return any LC previously delivered by Tenant and any balance remaining in the LC Account after use and application in accordance with this Section 35, to Tenant (or, at Landlord’s option, to the last assignee, if any, of Tenant’s interest hereunder), and Tenant shall have no further obligation to provide the LC.

35.6 Landlord’s Transfer. Tenant acknowledges that Landlord has the right to transfer or mortgage its interest in the Building or Project and in this Lease, and Tenant agrees that in the event of any such transfer or mortgage, Landlord shall have the right to transfer or assign the LC and/or the LC Account to the transferee or mortgagee. Upon such transfer or assignment of the LC and/or LC Account (and conditioned on the acceptance of the same by the transferee or mortgagee), Landlord shall be deemed released by Tenant from all liability or obligation for the return of the LC and LC Account, as applicable, and Tenant shall look solely to such transferee or mortgagee for the return thereof. If Landlord transfers or assigns the LC and Tenant fails to cause the bank that issued the LC to accept such transfer or assignment, such failure shall be an Event of Default hereunder.

 

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35.7 Bank Obligation. Tenant acknowledges and agrees that the LC is a separate and independent obligation of the issuing bank to Landlord and that Tenant is not a third party beneficiary of such obligation, and that Landlord’s right to draw upon the LC for the full amount due and owing thereunder shall not be, in any way, restricted, impaired, altered or limited by virtue of any provision of the United States Bankruptcy Code, including without limitation, Section 502(b)( 6) thereof.

 

36.

Counterparts.

This Lease may be executed in multiple counterparts, including by fax, electronic mail and other electronic means, each of which shall be deemed an original and all of which together shall constitute a single instrument.

 

37.

Relation of Parties.

It is the intention of this Lease to create the relationship between the parties hereto of landlord and tenant and no other relationship whatsoever, and nothing contained in this Lease (including, without limitation, the method of determining Rent) shall be construed to make the parties hereto partners or joint venturers or to render either party hereto liable for any of the debts or obligations of the other party.

 

38.

Joint and Several Liability.

If Tenant is comprised of more than one party, each such party shall be jointly and severally liable for Tenant’s obligations under this Lease.

 

39.

Appraisal of the Property.

TENANT HEREBY WAIVES ALL RIGHTS TO PROTEST THE APPRAISED VALUE OF THE PROPERTY OR TO APPEAL THE SAME AND ALL RIGHTS TO RECEIVE NOTICES OF REAPPRAISALS AS SET FORTH IN SECTIONS 41.413 AND 42.015 OF THE TEXAS TAX CODE.

 

40.

Usury.

All agreements between Landlord and Tenant, whether now existing or hereafter arising and whether written or oral, are hereby expressly limited so that in no contingency or event whatsoever shall the amount contracted for, charged or received by Landlord for the use, forbearance or retention of money hereunder or otherwise exceed the maximum amount which Landlord is legally entitled to contract for, charge or collect under the applicable state or federal law. If, from any circumstance whatsoever, fulfillment of any provision hereof at the time performance of such provision shall be due shall involve transcending the limit of validity prescribed by law, then the obligation to be fulfilled shall be automatically reduced to the limit of such validity, and if from any such circumstance Landlord shall ever receive as interest or otherwise an amount in excess of the maximum that can be legally collected, then such amount which would be excessive interest shall be applied to the reduction of Rent hereunder, and if such amount which would be excessive interest exceeds such Rent, then such additional amount shall be refunded to Tenant.

[REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Landlord and Tenant have executed this Lease as of the dates set forth below, to be effective as of the Effective Date.

 

LANDLORD:
NEW TPG-FOUR POINTS, L.P.,
a Texas limited partnership

 

By:   TPG-NEW FP GP, LLC,
  a Delaware limited liability company
  Its: General Partner
  By:   Thomas Properties Group, L.P.,
  a Maryland limited partnership
  Its: Manager

 

  By:    Thomas Properties Group, Inc.,
     a Delaware corporation
     Its: General Partner

 

  By:  

/s/ Randall L. Scott

  Name:   Randall L. Scott
  Title:   Authorized Signatory
  Date:   November 20, 2012

 

TENANT:
BIGCOMMERCE, INC.,
A Taxes corporation
By:  

/s/ Robert Alvarez

Name:   Robert Alvarez
Title:   CFO
Date:   November 14th, 2012

 

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EXHIBIT A

FLOOR PLAN

 

A-1


EXHIBIT B

GLOSSARY OF DEFINED TERMS

Applicable Laws. All laws, statutes, ordinances and other governmental rules, regulations and requirements, and all restrictive covenants, now or hereafter in effect, which apply to the Property, the Buildings and/or the Premises and/or Tenant’s operations within the Premises, including, without limitation, those pertaining to environmental protection.

Building. The office building known as Four Points Centre Building II and located at 11305 Four Points Drive, Austin, Texas 78726.

Building Systems. The electrical, mechanical, vertical transportation, sprinkler, fire and life safety, structural, security, heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems serving the Building, including pipes, wiring, cabling, ducts and conduits forming an integral part of such systems.

Class A Buildings. Means office buildings in the Austin, Texas area with comparable or better management, construction quality and amenities, including the landscaping and grounds, associated with such buildings as currently exist at the Property, that contain at least 50,000 square feet and structured parking, as reasonably designated by Landlord.

Completion Date. Means the date on which Substantial Completion occurs with respect to the Premises; provided, however, if Substantial Completion is delayed because of a “Tenant Delay” (as defined in Exhibit D attached to the Lease), then the Completion Date shall be deemed to occur on the earliest date (as determined by Landlord) that the Tenant Improvements would have been Substantially Complete but for such Tenant Delay.

Fair Market Rental Rate. The Fair Market Rental Rate shall mean the annual amount of rental that a willing tenant would pay and a willing landlord would accept in arm’s length, bona fide negotiations for a renewal or expansion lease of the subject premises to be executed at the time of determination and to commence on the commencement of the subject lease term, based upon other comparable lease transactions made concerning the Building and other Class A Buildings within northwest and far northwest submarkets, taking into consideration all relevant terms and conditions of such comparable leasing transactions, including, without limitation: (i) location, quality and age of the building: (ii) use and size of the space in question; (iii) location and/or floor level within the building; (iv) extent of leasehold improvement allowances (considering existing improvements); (v) the amount of any abatement of rental or other charges; (vi) parking charges or inclusion of same in rental; (vii) lease takeovers/assumptions; (viii) amenities, including fitness centers, restaurants and the like; (ix) relocation allowances; (x) refurbishment and repainting allowances; (xi) any and all other concessions or inducements consistent with the applicable submarket (including rental abatement); (xii) distinction between “gross” and “net” lease; (xiii) extent of services provided or to be provided; (xiv) base year or dollar amount for escalation purposes (both operating costs and ad valorem/real estate taxes); (xv) credit standing and financial stature of the tenant or subtenant; (xvi) any other adjustments (including by way of indexes) to base rental; and (xvii) length of term.

 

B-1


Force Majeure Events. Means acts of God, inability to obtain labor, strikes, lockouts, lack of materials, governmental restrictions, enemy actions, civil commotion, riots, insurrection, war, fire, earthquake, hurricane, unavoidable casualty or other similar causes beyond a party’s reasonable control.

Gross Property Income. All Rent and other income actually collected from operations during each year, except interest income derived from funds on deposit in financial institutions. “Rent” shall mean all amounts collected from tenants in the Property other than (i) security and other tenant deposits (other than as applied to pay Rent); and (ii) Rents paid in advance by tenants, except the portion of any such advance payment applied to the Rent due for the current month. Gross Property Income shall include all income from the Property whether or not characterized as Rent, including parking charges, operating expense reimbursements and fees, amounts paid for after-hours or excess utilities, air conditioning service or other services, amounts paid for special services rendered to tenants of the Building, and vending machine rental charges, but Gross Property Income shall not include any amounts received in settlement of insurance claims by Landlord, as awards in litigation or other proceedings (other than such amounts which compensate Landlord for income which Landlord otherwise would have received from the Property), as costs and fees recovered in litigation, or from refund or return of taxes paid or amounts paid under construction or service contracts.

Holidays. Shall have the meaning set forth in the definition of “Normal Working Hours.”

Indemnified Parties. Shall mean any and all of the following: Landlord; any Mortgagee, whether now or hereafter existing; Manager; and their respective members, managers, partners, officers, directors, agents and employees.

Land. That certain real property located in Travis County, Texas, as more particularly described as follows: Lot 2, Block “B”, FOUR POINTS CENTRE PUD, a subdivision in Travis County, Texas, according to the map or plat thereof, recorded under Document No. 200200080 and corrected under Document no. 2004185158, both of the Official Public Records of Travis County, Texas.

Landlord’s Mort!!a!!ee Cure Period. Shall mean fifteen (15) days following the expiration of the time period allowed for Landlord to cure any alleged default under this Lease (or so long as Landlord’s Mortgagee commenced to cure such default or event promptly following receipt of the notice of such default, but the default or event is not curable within fifteen (15) days despite undertaking all reasonable efforts, then such period as it takes to cure such default as long as Landlord’s Mortgagee is diligently pursuing such cure).

Manager. Thomas Properties Group, LP, or any successor manager of the Building.

Normal Working Hours. The periods from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, and from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Saturday with respect to the Premises and Building, except New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, the day after Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day (on the days such holidays are generally observed) (Holidays”).

 

B-2


Operating Expenses. For the purposes of this Lease, “Operating Expenses” shall mean the total of all actual costs incurred by Landlord and disbursements of Landlord (but not specific costs billed to specific tenants of the Buildings), computed on the accrual basis and calculated in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles consistently applied, which are attributable and allocable to the management, operation, maintenance, cleaning, protecting, servicing and repair of the Property for a particular calendar year or portion thereof. Operating Expenses shall include, without limitation, (i) the cost of providing, managing, operating, maintaining and repairing air conditioning, sprinkler, fire and life safety, electricity, steam, heating, mechanical, ventilation, Common Area lighting, escalator and elevator systems and all other utilities and the cost of supplies, including, without limitation, replacement lamps and ballasts, and equipment and maintenance and service contracts in connection therewith; (ii) the cost of repairs, general maintenance and cleaning, trash removal, telephone service, janitorial service, and supplies, security, indoor and outdoor landscaping, and other Property services, if any; (iii) the cost of fire, extended coverage, boiler, sprinkler, apparatus, commercial general liability, property damage, rent, earthquake, hurricane and other insurance; (iv) wages, salaries and other labor costs including taxes, insurance, retirement, medical and other employee benefits for all staff at or below the grade of property manager engaged either full or part-time in operation, management or maintenance related to the Property, including without limitation, project accounting and accounts receivable and payable personnel with the cost of wages, salaries and other labor costs specified above allocated pro rata based upon the square footage that the Property bears to the total amount of square footage of office properties owned and/or managed by Landlord and its affiliates in the Austin, Texas market; (v) fees, charges and other costs, including management fees, consulting fees, legal fees and accounting fees, of all independent contractors engaged by Landlord to the extent such services benefit the tenants of the Buildings generally or reasonably charged by Landlord if Landlord performs any such services in connection with the Property (currently the management fee is three and one-half percent (3.5%) of Gross Property Income, calculated prior to the inclusion of said management fee in Gross Property Income); (vi) the fair market rental value of the Property manager’s offices and storage areas in the Buildings, provided said offices and storage areas are of a size comparable to other property management offices for similar office buildings and are devoted to the management, operation, maintenance or repair of the Property (or to the extent such areas are devoted to other properties, then pro rata to the Property and such other properties) but not leasing, marketing or construction personnel or functions; (vii) the cost of business taxes and licenses; (viii) fees imposed by any federal, state or local government for fire and police protection, trash removal or other similar services which do not constitute Real Property Taxes as defined below; (ix) any charges which are payable by Landlord to a special assessment district or imposed upon Landlord pursuant to any lawful means; (x) the costs of contesting the validity or applicability of any governmental enactment after the Effective Date which would increase Operating Expenses; (xi) capital costs incurred in connection with any equipment, device or other improvement reasonably anticipated to achieve economies in the operation, maintenance or repair of the Property or portion thereof provided, however, the maximum amount which is added to Operating Expenses for any given calendar year for a capital investment item(s) installed for the purpose of achieving economies in the operation, maintenance or repair of the Property or portion thereof shall not exceed the actual costs saved as a result of the installation thereof in excess of amounts previously amortized therefor but only to the extent such expenses are incurred after January 1, 2013; or to comply with Applicable Laws; provided, however, the

 

B-3


same shall be amortized (including a reasonable interest rate on the unamortized cost) over the cost recovery period (i.e., the anticipated period to recover the full cost of such capital item), of the relevant capital item as reasonably determined by Landlord; (xii) depreciation of the cost of acquiring, or the rental expense of, personal property used in the maintenance, operation and repair of the Buildings or Property; and (xiii) Real Property Taxes.

Operating Expenses shall not include the following:

(a) The cost of repair to the Buildings, including the Premises, to the extent the cost of the repairs is reimbursed by insurance or condemnation proceeds or is covered by warranty;

(b) Leasing commissions paid to agents of Landlord, other brokers or any other persons in connection with the leasing of space in the Buildings or any other portion of the Property;

(c) The cost of improving or renovating space for tenants (including Tenant) or space vacated by any tenant (including Tenant);

(d) The cost of utilities charged to individual tenants (including Tenant) and payroll, material and contract costs of other services charged to tenants (including Tenant);

(e) The cost of painting and decorating the Premises or premises of other tenants as well as costs including permit, license and inspection fees incurred in renovating or otherwise improving, decorating or painting or altering space for current or prospective tenants or other occupants or of vacant space in the Property;

(t) Depreciation of the Buildings and other real property structures in the Property;

(g) Ground lease payments, principal, interest, points, and other charges and fees on debt or amortization payments on any mortgages on the Property or any part thereof;

(h) Legal and other related expenses associated with the negotiation or enforcement of leases or the defense of (i) Landlord’s title to the Land, the Buildings or other portions of the Property; or (ii) any action based solely on an alleged breach by Landlord of a lease pertaining to space within the Buildings;

(i) Advertising costs incurred directly for leasing individual space In the Buildings or other portions of the Property;

(j) Landlord’s general corporate overhead, including salaries of officers or other employees of Landlord above the level of property manager for the area, and Landlord’s general administrative expenses not directly related to the operation of the Property;

 

B-4


(k) Any compensation paid to clerks, attendants or other persons in commercial concessions operated by Landlord (excluding compensation paid to clerks, attendants or other persons in connection with the operations of the Parking Facilities);

(I) All items and services for which Tenant or any other tenant in the Building reimburses Landlord (other than Operating Expenses), provided that, any item or service supplied selectively to Tenant shall be paid for by Tenant;

(m) Costs of capital improvements to the Buildings and other portions of the Property, except to the extent included in Operating Expenses pursuant to (xi) above;

(n) Amounts paid to any party, including a division or affiliate of Landlord, providing materials, services (except building management), labor, or equipment to the extent that such amounts exceed the competitive costs of such materials, services (except building management), labor or equipment when provided by an independent party in an arm’s-length transaction;

(o) Any costs, fines or penalties imposed due to Landlord’s deliberate or grossly negligent actions or omissions with respect to any governmental rule or authority;

(p) Any costs incurred by Landlord (i) to bring the Buildings or the Property or any equipment maintained therein in compliance with laws, ordinances, rules, regulations, requirements, directives, guidelines and orders in effect and applicable to the Property as of the Commencement Date, and/or (ii) to complete the improvements to the Building necessary to satisfy the shell condition described in Section 8.3;

(q) The cost of any services or materials supplied to other tenants and not supplied to Tenant;

(r) Depreciation on the Property;

(s) Federal, state, county, city or any other income taxes imposed on or measured by the income of Landlord from the operation of the Property to the extent not included in the definition of Real Property Taxes contained herein;

(t) Repairs, alterations, additions, improvements, replacements made to rectify or correct any defect in the design, materials or workmanship of the Buildings or the Property;

(u) Damage and repairs necessitated by the gross negligence or willful misconduct of Landlord, Landlord’s employees, contractors or agents or by Landlord’s breach of this Lease;

(v) Landlord’s general overhead expenses not related to the Property to the extent not permitted hereunder;

(w) Costs incurred due to a violation by Landlord or any other tenant of the Property of the terms and conditions of a lease;

 

B-5


(x) Fines, penalties, late payment charges, and interest;

(y) Contributions to any organizations whether political or charitable;

(z) Reserves, including reserves for capital items, bad debts, or rental losses;

(aa) Costs, taxes, and fees assessed by or payable to public authorities in connection with any construction, renovation, or expansion of the Building or Property (including, without limitation, costs, taxes, and fees for infrastructure, transit, housing, schools, open space, child care and art work), or incurred for, or in connection with, traffic studies, environmental impact reports, transportation systems management plans, and traffic mitigation measures;

(bb) Rentals and other related expenses incurred in leasing items where the cost of such items would, if purchased, be excluded from Operating Expenses, except for equipment used for making repairs or keeping permanent systems in operation while repairs are being made;

(cc) Costs, including, without limitation, costs of investigation, monitoring, removal, or remediation, arising from the presence of Hazardous Materials (as defined in this Lease) in or about the Property, including, without limitation, the soil or groundwater;

(dd) Costs associated with the operation or maintenance of the corporation, partnership, or other entity which constitutes Landlord, as distinguished from the costs of operation of the Property, including accounting and legal costs, costs of defending lawsuits with any mortgagee, and costs of selling, syndicating, financing, mortgaging, or hypothecating any ownership interest of Landlord or any of Landlord’s interests in the Property; and

(ee) Travel and entertainment expenses.

If the average amount of the Rentable Square Feet in the Buildings leased during any calendar year of the Term is less than 100% of the Rentable Square Feet in the Buildings on an average annualized basis, and Landlord estimates in its reasonable discretion that the Operating Expenses actually incurred by Landlord for the variable costs of (i) utilities, (ii) the property management fee and/or (iii) janitorial services for the Buildings are lower than what would be incurred for such items if at least 100% of the Buildings were occupied, then at Landlord’s election appropriate adjustments using reasonable cost projections based on industry standards shall be made to increase Operating Expenses for such calendar year for the variable costs incurred for utilities and/or janitorial services as specified above as though Landlord had furnished utilities and janitorial services to 100% of the Rentable Floor Area of the Buildings. Notwithstanding Landlord’s right to adjust the three expenses as provided above or anything contained in this Lease to the contrary, in no event will Landlord bill tenants of the Buildings or collect from tenants of the Buildings more than one hundred percent (100%) of the actual amount incurred by Landlord for any calendar year for each item specified above. In the event an adjustment (increase(s)) is made pursuant to the terms stated above, Landlord shall provide Tenant

 

B-6


with written notice specifying in reasonable detail the adjustment which was made (including the specifics of the calculation) at the same time Landlord provides Tenant the Annual Operating Expenses Statement specified in Section 5.4 of this Lease; provided, however, for purposes of this paragraph, the amount of Rentable Square Footage leased shall be determined by the total amount of rentable square feet specified in all of the leases in the Property for which the commencement date of each lease term has begun for each such calendar year during the term of the Lease.

Parking Facility. The garage and parking areas located at the Property and serving the Buildings.

Prohibited Uses. Shall mean the operations of any of the following entities or persons or for any of the following purposes:

(a) collection or employment agencies;

(b) schools, day-care facilities or other similar organizations, other than training facilities ancillary to general office use;

(c) radio, television or other broadcasting stations;

(d) living quarters, sleeping apartments or lodging rooms;

(e) any foreign consulates or domestic or foreign government agencies;

(t) governmental agencies, or any subdivision or agency thereof, regularly visited by members of the general public at that office for services provided at that office;

(g) an office that does not exceed the Project’s parking limitations or the Building’s load or density limitations;

(h) any medical groups or practitioners providing medical services;

(i) retail sales operation, retail showroom, classroom (other than for Tenant’s employees), testing center or for non-incidental storage;

(j) any use which would violate any Applicable Laws, including, without limitation, those with respect to hazardous or toxic materials, or the provisions of any governmental permit or document related to the Property;

(k) any use which would adversely affect or render more expensive any fire or other insurance maintained by Landlord for the Building or any of its contents; provided, however Landlord agrees and acknowledges that Tenant’s permitted use hereunder will not result in an adverse effect or more expense;

(l) any use which would impair or interfere with the Building Systems, the Service Facilities or the other tenants in the Buildings;

 

B-7


(m) any use the providing of which is the exclusive right of another tenant in the Building; provided, however, Landlord agrees and acknowledges that (i) no tenant in the Buildings has any exclusive right as of the Effective Date of this Lease that Tenant’s permitted use would violate, (ii) it will not agree to any exclusive use(s) which would result in a conflict with Tenant’s permitted use;

(n) any use which would tend to create a nuisance or tend to injure, annoy, interfere with or disturb other tenants or occupants of the Property; or

(o) any use which would impair the appearance of the Buildings or be prejudicial to the business or reputation of Landlord or the Property or confuse or mislead the public as to the relationship between Landlord and Tenant.

Property. The Land, those two (2) office buildings located on the Land with an address of 11305 Four Points Drive, Austin, Texas 78726, described as the Building containing approximately 96,056 rentable square feet and Building I (“Building I”) containing approximately 96,006 rentable square feet (the Building and Building I are sometimes collectively referred to as the “Buildings”), the Parking Facility, the Common Area and private access roads and building appurtenances on the Land.

Pro Rata Share. A percentage calculated by dividing the Rentable Square Feet in the Premises by the total Rentable Square Feet in the Buildings. For purposes of this Lease, Landlord and Tenant agree that at the inception of this Lease, Tenant’s Pro Rata Share will be 17.1596% for all purposes.

Real Property Taxes. All taxes, assessments (special or otherwise) and charges levied upon or with respect to the Property and any ad valorem taxes on personal property used in connection therewith. Real Property Taxes shall include, without limitation, any tax, fee or excise on the act of entering into this Lease, on the occupancy of Tenant, the Rent hereunder or in connection with the business of owning and/or renting space in the Property which are now or hereafter levied or assessed against Landlord by the United States of America, the State of Texas, or any political subdivision, public corporation, district or other political or public entity, and shall also include any other tax, assessment, fee or excise, however described (whether general or special, ordinary or extraordinary, foreseen or unforeseen), which may be levied or assessed in lieu of, or as a substitute for, either in part or in whole, any Real Property Taxes. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing and notwithstanding anything contained in this Lease to the contrary, Real Property Taxes shall include the tax (sometimes referred to as business, margin or franchise tax) enacted by House Bill 3 as passed during the 3rd called session of the Texas Legislature in 2006, which has been codified in Chapter 171, Texas Tax Code, and any supplements, replacements, additions or other modifications thereto, but only to the extent and for so long as such taxes are determined by reference to the “taxable margin” of Landlord with respect to the Property, such taxes to be apportioned as provided by the Texas Tax Code and determined using elections or methods applicable to Landlord that result in the lowest taxable margin, with such taxes being allocated to the Property under generally accepted accounting principles based on the portion of the taxable margin of Landlord from the Property relative to the taxable margin from other sources of Landlord and its affiliates included in any combined group report. Landlord may pay any such special assessments in installments when

 

B-8


allowed by Applicable Law, in which case Real Property Taxes shall include any interest charged thereon. Real Property Taxes shall also include any private assessments or the Buildings’ contribution towards a private or quasi-public cost-sharing agreement for the purpose of augmenting or improving the quality of service and amenities normally provided by governmental agencies. Real Property Taxes shall also include legal fees, costs and disbursements incurred in connection with proceedings to contest, determine or reduce Real Property Taxes. Except as expressly provided herein, Real Property Taxes shall not include income, franchise, transfer, inheritance or capital stock taxes, unless, due to a change in the method of taxation, any of such taxes are levied or assessed against Landlord, in whole or in part, in lieu of, as a substitute for, any other tax which would otherwise constitute a Real Property Tax. In the event that at any time during the Term of this Lease the assessment for the Property is reduced on appeal with a result that Landlord receives a refund of any real estate taxes, Landlord shall pay to, or credit against installments of Rent, at Landlord’s election, Tenant its Pro Rata Share of any such refund (net of Landlord’s out-of-pocket expenditures in connection with such appeal).

Rentable Area or Rentable Square Feet. The actual, measurable area (square footage) within the Premises adjusted upward so as to allocate to the Premises a portion of the Common Area and non-usable areas of the Building. The parties agree that at the inception of this Lease the Premises contain 32,957 Rentable Square Feet, the Buildings contain a total of 192,062 Rentable Square Feet and such measurements are consistent with BOMA Standards ANSI-BOMA Z65.1-1996, as amended.

Service Facilities. The janitorial, security and building maintenance services used in the Buildings.

Tenant Improvements. Physical improvements to the Premises, including, without limitation, partitions, wiring, floor coverings, wall coverings, kitchens, HVAC, lighting, ceilings, outlets, data and telecommunications cable and millwork, all as specifically shown or described in Tenant’s Final Plans (defined in Exhibit D).

Tenant Party or Parties. Means any of the following persons: Tenant; any assignees claiming by, through, or under Tenant; any subtenants claiming by, through, or under Tenant; and any of their respective agents, contractors, employees, licensees and invitees.

 

B-9


EXHIBIT C

MEMORANDUM OF LEASE COMMENCEMENT

 

C-1


EXHIBIT D

TENANT IMPROVEMENT LETTER

 

D-1


EXHIBIT E

RULES AND REGULATIONS

 

E-1


EXHIBIT F

JANITORIAL SPECIFICATIONS

 

F-1


EXHIBIT G

ADDENDUM

 

G-1


EXHIBIT H

BUILDING SHELL CONDITION

 

H-1


EXHIBIT I

FORM OF SNDA

 

I-1


EXHIBIT J

FORM OF LETTER OF CREDIT

 

J-1


EXHIBIT K

LOCATION OF MONUMENT SIGN

K-1

EX-10.18

Exhibit 10.18

 

LOGO   

Tenant: BigCommerce, Inc.

Premises: Four Points Centre, Suites 2-100, 2-201, 2-300 and 1-150

FIRST AMENDMENT TO LEASE

February 5, 2018

THIS FIRST AMENDMENT TO LEASE (“Amendment”) is made and entered into as of February 5, 2018, by and between G&I VII FOUR POINTS LP, a Delaware limited partnership (“Landlord”), and BIGCOMMERCE, INC., a Texas corporation (“Tenant”).

A. Landlord, as successor-in-interest to New TPG-Four Points, L.P., and Tenant are parties to a Lease (“Current Lease”) dated November 20, 2012 for the Premises (“Suite 2-300”) deemed to contain 32,957 rentable square feet presently known as Suite 2-300 in the building known as Four Points Centre, Building II, located at 11305 Four Points Drive, Austin, Texas 78726. The Current Lease as amended by this Amendment is referred to herein as the “Lease”.

B. Tenant desires to lease from Landlord, and Landlord desires to lease to Tenant, certain additional premises in the Building presently known as Suite 2-100 and shown on the location plan attached hereto as Exhibit A-1, which space is deemed to contain 30,142 rentable square feet of space (“Suite 2-100”).

C. Tenant desires to lease from Landlord, and Landlord desires to lease to Tenant, certain additional premises in the Building presently known as Suite 2-201 (“Suite 2-201”), consisting of approximately 5,246 rentable square feet of space, plus certain additional space consisting of approximately 2,623 rentable square feet of space (“Additional Space”), which together shall comprise approximately 7,869 rentable square feet of space. Suite 2-201 and the Additional Space shall collectively be known as the “Must-Take Space”, and are shown on the location plan attached hereto as Exhibit A-2.

D. Landlord and Tenant wish to amend the Current Lease to expand the Premises (currently Suite 2-300) to include Suite 2-100 and the Must-Take Space, and to extend the Term upon the terms and conditions set forth herein.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements contained herein, Landlord and Tenant hereby agree as follows:

1. Incorporation of Recitals; Definitions. The recitals set forth above are hereby incorporated herein by reference as if set forth in full in the body of this Amendment. Capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined in this Amendment have the respective meanings given to them in the Current Lease.

2. Term. The Term is hereby extended through April 30, 2028. “Expiration Date” means the last day of the Term, or such earlier date of termination of the Lease pursuant to the terms thereof. Except for: (i) the Right of First Refusal as per Exhibit G, Section 2 of the Current Lease; (ii) the Expansion Option as per Section 10 of this Amendment; (iii) the Extension Options as per Section 11 of this Amendment; (iv) the Termination Option as per Section 12 of this Amendment; and (v) the Right of First Offer as per Section 13 of this Amendment, any and all options of Tenant to extend or reduce the Term or expand or reduce the size of the Premises, including without limitation rights of first refusal, offer, and negotiation, are hereby deleted in their entireties and are of no further force and effect.

3. Suite 2-100.

(a) The Term for Suite 2-100 commences on the date (“Suite 2-100 Commencement Date”) that is the earlier of: (i) the date on which Tenant first occupies all or any portion of Suite 2-100 for the conduct of Tenant’s business (or the conduct of its transferee’s business under a Permitted Transfer); or (ii) the date that is 120 days after the Suite 2-100 Delivery Date. The “Suite 2-100 Delivery Date” means the date Landlord delivers exclusive possession of Suite 2-100 to Tenant accompanied by notice of same to Tenant. The Term for Suite 2-100 expires on April 30, 2028.


(b) By the Confirmation of Lease Term substantially in the form of Exhibit B attached hereto (“COLT”), Landlord will notify Tenant of the Suite 2-100 Commencement Date, rentable square footage of Suite 2-100 (measured per BOMA standards as set forth in the Current Lease), and all other related matters stated therein. The COLT will be conclusive and binding on Tenant as to all matters set forth therein unless, within 10 days following delivery of the COLT to Tenant, Tenant contests any of the matters contained therein by notifying Landlord in writing of Tenant’s objections.

(c) Effective on the Suite 2-100 Commencement Date: (i) the “Premises” includes Suite 2-100; and (ii) “Tenant’s Pro Rata Share” means the rentable area of the Premises divided by the rentable area of the Building on the date of calculation.

(d) Landlord shall use commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Suite 2-100 Delivery Date to occur no later than December 1, 2018. If Landlord does not deliver possession of Suite 2-100 by March 1, 2019 (which date shall be pushed back on a day-for-day basis for each day that delivery is delayed due to a Force Majeure Event or that a pending default remains uncured), Tenant shall be entitled to 1 day of free Base Rent and Tenant’s Pro Rata Share of Operating Expenses with respect to Suite 2-100 for each day of such delay commencing on March 1, 2019 until possession of Suite 2-100 is delivered, which credit shall be applied against the Base Rent and Tenant’s Pro Rata Share of Operating Expenses next due and owing. In lieu of but not in addition to the foregoing, if Landlord does not deliver possession of Suite 2-100 by April 1, 2019 (which date shall be pushed back on a day-for-day basis for each day that delivery is delayed due to a Force Majeure Event or that a pending default remains uncured), Tenant shall be entitled to 1 and 1/2 days of free Base Rent and Tenant’s Pro Rata Share of Operating Expenses with respect to Suite 2-100 for each day of such delay commencing on April 1, 2019 until possession of Suite 2-100 is delivered, which credit shall be applied against the Base Rent and Tenant’s Pro Rata Share of Operating Expenses next due and owing. In lieu of but not in addition to the foregoing, if Landlord does not deliver possession of Suite 2-100 by May 1, 2019 (which date shall be pushed back on a day-for-day basis for each day that delivery is delayed due to a Force Majeure Event or that a pending default remains uncured),Tenant shall be entitled to 2 days of free Base Rent and Tenant’s Pro Rata Share of Operating Expenses with respect to Suite 2-100 for each day of such delay commencing on May 1, 2019 until possession of Suite 2-100 is delivered or October 1, 2019, whichever occurs first, which credit shall be applied against the Base Rent and Tenant’s Pro Rata Share of Operating Expenses next due and owing. Landlord shall notify Tenant within 5 business days of the occurrence of a Force Majeure Event for which Landlord intends to assert a delay under this subsection (d). For avoidance of doubt, the parties acknowledge and agree that the continued occupancy of Suite 2-100 by another tenant, or an event resulting in the continued occupancy of Suite 2-100 by another tenant, shall not be considered a Force Majeure Event for purposes of this subsection (d).

(e) If the Suite 2-100 Delivery Date does not occur on or before September 1, 2019 (notwithstanding delays due to a Force Majeure Event), then Tenant may terminate the Lease for all of the Premises by written notice delivered to Landlord after October 1, 2019 but no later than October 31, 2019. If the Lease is terminated under this subsection (e), then: (i) the Lease shall be deemed terminated on the date that is 365 days after delivery of the termination notice to Landlord; and (ii) neither party shall have any further obligations or liabilities under the Lease (except as to any Lease obligations that exist prior to such 365th day and any obligations that expressly survive termination); (iii) the free rent credits that have accrued under subsection (d) prior to such termination notice and that would have been applied against the Base Rent and Tenant’s Pro Rata Share of Operating Expenses due and owing for Suite 2-100 shall instead be applied against the Base Rent and Tenant’s Pro Rata Share of Operating Expenses next due and owing for the remainder of the Premises; and (iv) each party acknowledges and agrees that neither Tenant nor Landlord shall have liability to the other for any other costs, expenses or damages (consequential or otherwise) under the Lease. For the avoidance of doubt, the Lease shall continue in full force and effect with respect to Suite 2-300 until the date that is 365 days from the delivery of the termination notice, and the Lease shall continue in full force and effect with respect to Suite 2-201, the Additional Premises, Suite 1-150 and Suite 1-210, as applicable, until the date that is 365 days from the delivery of the termination notice if, on or before the date the termination notice is sent, the commencement date for such space has occurred. Notwithstanding the foregoing, upon receipt of such termination notice from Tenant, Landlord shall have 10 days to provide Tenant with a time recovery plan that is acceptable to Tenant. If after reviewing such time recovery plan, Tenant is not reasonably satisfied that Suite 2-100 shall be delivered within 30 days thereafter, then Tenant may elect to terminate the Lease on the date that is 365 days after delivery of Tenant’s original termination notice to Landlord. Tenant’s sole remedy for Landlord’s failure to deliver possession of Suite 2-100 is to terminate the Lease for all of the Premises as provided in this subsection (e). If Tenant does not terminate the Lease under this subsection (e) by written notice delivered to Landlord by October 31, 2019, such option to terminate shall be deemed waived and the Lease shall continue in full force and effect.

4. Suite 2-201; Must-Take Space.

 

2


(a) Tenant currently occupies Suite 2-201 pursuant to a sublease with Somnio Solutions, Inc. (“Sublease”). The Sublease and the underlying lease agreement between Landlord and such sublessor are scheduled to expire on August 31, 2018. Effective on the date (“Suite 2-201 Commencement Date”) that is the earlier of September 1, 2018 or the earlier termination date of the Sublease and such underlying lease, Landlord shall deliver exclusive possession of Suite 2-201 to Tenant, the “Premises” shall include Suite 2-201, Tenant’s Pro Rata Share of Operating Expenses shall be recalculated, and Base Rent with respect to Suite 2-201 shall be at the rate of $21.50 per rentable square foot until the Suite 2-100 Commencement Date. Upon the Suite 2-100 Commencement Date, Tenant shall not pay any Rent for Suite 2-201 through September 30, 2020, except that for any time during such period that Tenant occupies Suite 2-201 for the conduct of Tenant’s business (or the conduct of its transferee’s business under a Permitted Transfer), Tenant shall pay variable expenses associated with such occupancy (i.e., expenses incurred by Landlord solely and directly as a result of Tenant’s actual occupancy of Suite 2-201, such as utility costs and Tenant’s Pro Rata Share of janitorial expenses with respect to Suite 2-201) that are otherwise chargeable under the Lease. Commencing on October 1, 2020, Tenant shall pay Base Rent for Suite 2-201 at the rate per rentable square foot as per the rent chart set forth in Section 5(a) below, subject to Section 5(c) below.

(b) The Term for the Additional Space commences on the date (“Additional Space Commencement Date”) that Landlord delivers exclusive possession of the Additional Space to Tenant accompanied by notice of same to Tenant. Effective on the Additional Space Commencement Date, the “Premises” shall include the Additional Space and Tenant’s Pro Rata Share of Operating Expenses shall be recalculated. Effective on the Additional Space Commencement Date, Suite 2-201 and the Additional Space shall collectively be deemed the Must-Take Space. The Term for the Additional Space and Suite 2-201 shall expire on April 30, 2028. Tenant shall not pay any Rent for the Additional Space until the earlier of the date when Tenant actually occupies the Additional Space or October 1, 2020. Upon the date Tenant actually occupies the Additional Space through September 30, 2020, Tenant shall pay only variable expenses associated with such occupancy (i.e., expenses incurred by Landlord solely and directly as a result of Tenant’s actual occupancy of the Additional Space, such as utility costs and Tenant’s Pro Rata Share of janitorial expenses with respect to the Additional Space) that are otherwise chargeable under the Lease. Commencing on October 1, 2020, Tenant shall pay Base Rent for the Additional Space at the rate per rentable square foot as per the rent chart set forth in Section 5(a) below, subject to Section 5(c) below.

(c) Landlord shall use commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Additional Space Commencement Date to occur no later than December 1, 2018. If Landlord does not deliver possession of the Additional Space by March 1, 2019, (which date shall be pushed back on a day-for-day basis for each day that delivery is delayed due to a Force Majeure Event or that a pending default remains uncured), Tenant shall be entitled to 1 day of free Base Rent and Tenant’s Pro Rata Share of Operating Expenses with respect to the Additional Space for each day of such delay commencing on March 1, 2019 until possession of the Additional Space is delivered, which credit shall be applied against the Base Rent and Tenant’s Pro Rata Share of Operating Expenses next due and owing. In lieu of but not in addition to the foregoing, if Landlord does not deliver possession of the Additional Space by April 1, 2019 (which date shall be pushed back on a day-for-day basis for each day that delivery is delayed due to a Force Majeure Event or that a pending default remains uncured), Tenant shall be entitled to 1 and 1/2 days of free Base Rent and Tenant’s Pro Rata Share of Operating Expenses with respect to the Additional Space for each day of such delay commencing on April 1, 2019 until possession of the Additional Space is delivered, which credit shall be applied against the Base Rent and Tenant’s Pro Rata Share of Operating Expenses next due and owing. In lieu of but not in addition to the foregoing, if Landlord does not deliver possession of the Additional Space by May 1, 2019 (which date shall be pushed back on a day-for-day basis for each day that delivery is delayed due to a Force Majeure Event or that a pending default remains uncured), Tenant shall be entitled to 2 days of free Base Rent and Tenant’s Pro Rata Share of Operating Expenses with respect to the Additional Space for each day of such delay commencing on May 1, 2019 until possession of the Additional Space is delivered or October 1, 2019, whichever occurs first, which credit shall be applied against the Base Rent and Tenant’s Pro Rata Share of Operating Expenses next due and owing. Landlord shall notify Tenant within 5 business days of the occurrence of a Force Majeure Event for which Landlord intends to assert a delay under this subsection (c). For avoidance of doubt, the parties acknowledge and agree that the continued occupancy of the Additional Space by another tenant, or an event resulting in the continued occupancy of the Additional Space by another tenant, shall not be considered a Force Majeure Event for purposes of this subsection (c).

 

3


(d) By a COLT, Landlord will notify Tenant of the Suite 2-201 Commencement Date, the Additional Space Commencement Date, rentable square footage of Suite 2-201 (measured per BOMA standards as set forth in the Current Lease), the rentable square footage of Additional Space (measured per BOMA standards as set forth in the Current Lease), and all other related matters stated therein. The COLT will be conclusive and binding on Tenant as to all matters set forth therein unless, within 10 days following delivery of a COLT (for Suite 2-201 and/or the Additional Space) to Tenant, Tenant contests any of the matters contained therein by notifying Landlord in writing of Tenant’s objections.

5. Base Rent.

(a) Effective on May 1, 2018, Tenant covenants and agrees to pay to Landlord, without notice, demand, setoff, deduction, or counterclaim, Base Rent with respect to Suite 2-300 during the Term as follows, payable in equal monthly installments, and otherwise in accordance with the terms of the Lease:

 

Time Period

   Annual Base Rent Per
Rentable Square Foot
 

5/1/18 – 10/31/18 (“Suite 2-300 Abatement Period”)

   $ 0.00  

11/1/18 – 4/30/19

   $ 23.36  

5/1/19 – 4/30/20

   $ 24.06  

5/1/20 – 4/30/21

   $ 24.78  

5/1/21 – 4/30/22

   $ 25.52  

5/1/22 – 4/30/23

   $ 26.29  

5/1/23 – 4/30/24

   $ 27.08  

5/1/24 – 4/30/25

   $ 27.89  

5/1/25 – 4/30/26

   $ 28.73  

5/1/26 – 4/30/27

   $ 29.59  

5/1/27 – 4/30/28

   $ 30.48  

During the Suite 2-300 Abatement Period, Base Rent with respect to Suite 2-300 only is abated in full. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if at any time during the Suite 2-300 Abatement Period an Event of Default occurs, then the abatement of Base Rent provided above immediately becomes void, and the monthly Base Rent for Suite 2-300 for the remainder of the Suite 2-300 Abatement Period equals $63,167.58. Further, if more than three (3) monetary Events of Default occur within any 60-consecutive month period during the Term after the date hereof, then upon occurrence of the 4th monetary Event of Default within such 60-consecutive month period, Tenant shall repay to Landlord the total amount of Base Rent abated during the Suite 2-300 Abatement Period upon demand by Landlord.

(b) Effective on the Suite 2-100 Commencement Date, Tenant covenants and agrees to pay to Landlord, without notice, demand, setoff, deduction, or counterclaim, Base Rent with respect to Suite 2-100 during the Term, payable in equal monthly installments at the rate per rentable square foot stated in the rent chart set forth in Section 5(a) of this Amendment, following the same rent bumps during the same time periods. For example, if the Suite 2-100 Commencement Date occurs on May 1, 2019, Base Rent for Suite 2-100 shall be at the rate of $24.06 per rentable square foot. There shall be no abatement period for Suite 2-100. If the Suite 2-100 Commencement Date occurs prior to May 1, 2019, Base Rent for Suite 2-100 shall be $23.36 per rentable square foot. If the Suite 2-100 Commencement Date does not occur on the first day of a calendar month, Base Rent during such month shall be prorated based on the number of days in such month.

(c) Effective on October 1, 2020, Tenant covenants and agrees to pay to Landlord, without notice, demand, setoff, deduction, or counterclaim, Base Rent with respect to the Additional Premises and Suite 2-201 (Must-Take Space) during the Term at the rate of $24.78 per rentable square foot, payable in equal monthly installments, subject to the following. The Must-Take Space’s Base Rent rate per rentable square foot shall increase at the rate as per the rent chart set forth in Section 5(a) of this Amendment, following the same rent bumps during the same time periods. For example, on May 1, 2021, Base Rent for the Must-Take Space shall be $25.52 per rentable square foot. There shall be no abatement period for the Must-Take Space. If the Suite 2-201 Commencement Date and/or the Additional Space Commencement Date does not occur on the first day of a calendar month, Base Rent during such month shall be prorated based on the number of days in such month.

 

4


(d) Rent payments must be made by ACH credit of immediately available funds to an account designated by Landlord (or as otherwise directed in writing by Landlord to Tenant from time to time). “ACH” means Automated Clearing House network or similar system designated by Landlord. All Rent payments must include the Building number and the Lease number, which numbers will be provided to Tenant.

6. Condition of Suite 2-300, Suite 2-100 and Must-Take Space. Tenant acknowledges and agrees that Landlord has no obligation under the Lease to make any improvements to or perform any work in Suite 2-300, Suite 2-100, or the Must-Take Space, or, except as set forth otherwise on Exhibit C attached hereto, provide any improvement allowance, and Tenant accepts Suite 2-300, Suite 2-100, and the Must-Take Space in their current “AS IS” condition, subject to normal wear and tear thereafter, provided Landlord shall: (i) be responsible at Landlord’s expense for correction of any latent defects or code violations discovered by Tenant in Suite 2-100 and the Must-Take Space within 180 days after delivery of possession thereof; (ii) deliver possession of Suite 2-100 and the Must-Take Space in broom clean condition with all cabling, equipment, and other items of prior occupants removed; (iii) remain responsible for Landlord’s maintenance and repair obligations under the Current Lease; and (iv) at Landlord’s expense, deliver possession of the Additional Space to Tenant as a separately demised space, if not already done as of the date hereof. Subject to the foregoing, neither Landlord, nor anyone acting on Landlord’s behalf, has made any representation, warranty, estimation, or promise of any kind or nature whatsoever relating to the physical condition or suitability, including without limitation, the fitness for Tenant’s intended use, of Suite 2-300, Suite 2- 100, or the Must-Take Space. As used in this Amendment, “normal wear and tear” does not, and shall not be deemed to, include any damage or deterioration that could have been prevented through proper maintenance, or by Tenant’s full and timely performance of all its obligations under the Lease. Upon Tenant’s and Landlord’s execution of this Amendment and surrender of Suite 2-100 and/or the Must-Take Space by any prior occupant (which may occur on different dates), Landlord shall deliver possession of Suite 2-100 and the Must-Take Space to Tenant for Tenant’s completion of the Leasehold Improvements (as defined in and pursuant to Exhibit C). Effective on the date of each such delivery of possession, for purposes of all insurance and indemnity provisions in the Lease, the term “Premises” shall refer to Suite 2-300, Suite 2-100 and the Must-Take Space.

7. Temporary Premises.

(a) Suite 1-150. Upon Landlord’s delivery of exclusive possession of Suite 1-150 to Tenant (“Suite 1-150 Commencement Date”) through the Suite 1-150 Surrender Date (as defined below), Tenant shall lease certain premises deemed to contain approximately 8,283 rentable square feet and presently known as Suite 1-150 on the 1st floor of the building known as Building I located at 11305 Four Points Drive Austin, Texas 78726 (“Building I”) as shown on Exhibit A-3 attached hereto (“Suite 1-150”) on a temporary basis, subject to the surrender of Suite 1-150 by the current occupant, and on the following terms and conditions: (i) Suite 1-150 and all furniture and equipment (“Premises Personal Property”) currently located at Suite 1-150 shall be taken and accepted in its present “as is” condition, and Landlord shall not be obligated to do any remodeling, renovation, or repair work with respect thereto; (ii) from and after the Suite 1-150 Commencement Date, Suite 1-150 shall be included as a portion of the Premises demised under the Lease, and Tenant’s occupancy shall be subject to all of the terms, covenants, and provisions of the Lease except that Tenant shall pay Base Rent to Landlord based on the rental rate of $21.50 per rentable square foot of Suite 1-150, plus Tenant’s Pro Rata Share of Operating Expenses; (iii) Tenant shall reimburse Landlord for any direct and reasonable expenses incurred by Landlord as a result of Tenant’s use and occupancy of Suite 1-150, and not otherwise included in Tenant’s Pro Rata Share of Operating Expenses, including, without limitation, signage, keys, wiring, electricity, and janitorial services, within 30 days after receipt of Landlord’s bill therefor; (iv) Landlord shall have the right to enter Suite 1-150 at any time to show the same to prospective tenants upon reasonable advance notice to Tenant; and (v) Tenant shall be deemed the owner of the Premises Personal Property for all purposes from and after January 1, 2018. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, during the first 90 days from the Suite 1-150 Commencement Date, Tenant shall not pay any Base Rent, but will pay Tenant’s Pro Rata Share of Operating Expenses. On or before the date (“Suite 1-150 Surrender Date”) that is the day immediately prior to the Suite 2-100 Commencement Date, time being of the essence, Tenant shall, at Tenant’s sole cost, relocate any furniture, furnishings, trade fixtures, equipment (including telecommunication lines and equipment), and other personal property of Tenant and the Premises Personal Property from Suite 1-150 to the Premises (or otherwise remove such property from Suite 1-150) and surrender Suite 1-150 to Landlord in the condition specified in Section 21 of the Current Lease for a surrender on the Suite 1-150 Surrender Date. Upon such surrender of Suite 1-150, Suite 1-150 shall not be included as a portion of the Premises demised pursuant to this Lease but shall continue to be subject to Tenant’s Right of First Refusal as per Exhibit G, Section 2 of the Current Lease. If Tenant fails to timely surrender possession of Suite 1-150 to Landlord on the Suite 1-150 Surrender Date, then Tenant shall be deemed a tenant at sufferance with respect to Suite 1-150 and the terms and provisions of Sections 10 and 21 of the Current Lease shall apply to such space, provided that Tenant shall have up to 30 days after the Suite 1-150 Surrender Date to complete removal of Tenant’s property from Suite 1-150 before any such property is deemed abandoned by Tenant.

 

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(b) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, Tenant’s right to occupy Suite 1-150 under subsection (a) above is contingent upon the existing tenant of such space surrendering such space by January 15, 2018, and Landlord will use commercially reasonable efforts to cause same to occur but if such space is not surrendered by such date, Tenant shall have the right to lease another similarly-sized available space in Four Points Centre Buildings I—IV or River Place Corporate Park Buildings I – VII, on the same terms above as Suite 1-150 in a mutually agreeable location until such time as Suite 1-150 becomes available (but no later than the Suite 2-100 Commencement Date) by providing written notice to Landlord requesting such space and Tenant shall execute an amendment memorializing the same.

(c) Suite 1-210. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Amendment, commencing on August 1, 2018 (“Suite 1-210 Commencement Date”), Tenant shall have the option to occupy certain premises deemed to contain approximately 11,610 rentable square feet and presently known as Suite 1-210 on the 2nd floor of Building I as shown on Exhibit A-5 attached hereto (“Suite 1-210”) on a temporary basis, and on the following terms and conditions: (i) Tenant shall deliver written notice to Landlord no later than March 31, 2018 of Tenant’s election to lease Suite 1-210, with time being of the essence; (ii) Suite 1-210 shall be taken and accepted in its present “as is” condition, and Landlord shall not be obligated to do any remodeling, renovation, or repair work with respect thereto, provided Landlord shall (A) be responsible at Landlord’s expense for correction of any latent defects or code violations discovered by Tenant in such space within 180 days after delivery of possession thereof; (B) deliver possession of such space in broom clean condition with all cabling, equipment, and other items of prior occupants removed; and (C) remain responsible for Landlord’s maintenance and repair obligations under the Current Lease; (iii) from the Suite 1-210 Commencement Date, Suite 1-210 shall be included as a portion of the Premises demised under the Lease, and Tenant’s occupancy shall be subject to all of the terms, covenants, and provisions of the Lease except that Tenant shall pay Base Rent to Landlord based on the rental rate of $21.50 per rentable square foot of Suite 1-210, plus Tenant’s Pro Rata Share of Operating Expenses; and (iv) Landlord shall have the right to enter Suite 1-210 at any time to show the same to prospective tenants upon reasonable advance notice thereof to Tenant. On or before the date (“Suite 1-210 Surrender Date”) that is the day immediately prior to the Suite 2-100 Commencement Date, time being of the essence, Tenant shall, at Tenant’s sole cost, relocate any furniture, furnishings, trade fixtures, equipment (including telecommunication lines and equipment), and other personal property of Tenant from Suite 1-210 to the Premises (or otherwise remove such property from Suite 1-210) and surrender the Suite 1-210 to Landlord in the condition specified in Section 21 of the Current Lease for a surrender on Suite 1-210 Surrender Date. Upon such surrender of Suite 1-210, Suite 1-210 shall not be included as a portion of the Premises demised pursuant to this Lease. If Tenant fails to timely surrender possession of Suite 1-210 to Landlord on the Suite 1-210 Surrender Date, then Tenant shall be deemed a tenant at sufferance with respect to Suite 1-210 and the terms and provisions of Sections 10 and 21 of the Current Lease shall apply to such space, provided that Tenant shall have up to 30 days after the Suite 1-210 Surrender Date to complete removal of Tenant’s property from Suite 1-210 before any such property is deemed abandoned by Tenant. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Suite 1-210 Commencement Date shall be pushed back on a day-for-day basis for each day that delivery is delayed due to the continued occupancy of Suite 1-210 by the current occupant thereof, provided that Landlord shall use diligent and good faith efforts to cause the current occupant of Suite 1-210 to surrender such space prior to August 1, 2018 or as soon as reasonably possible thereafter.

(d) If Tenant has the right to terminate the Lease under Section 3(e) of this Amendment but does not timely do so, the Term for Suite 1-150 and Suite 1-210 (if Tenant so elects to lease Suite 1-210) shall continue in full force and effect through the earlier of the Suite 2-100 Commencement Date or April 30, 2028, except that, commencing on November 1, 2019 Base Rent with respect to Suite 1-150 and Suite 1-210, if applicable, shall increase to the rate per rentable square foot stated in the rent chart set forth in Section 5(a) of this Amendment, following the same rent bumps during the same time periods. For example, on November 1, 2019, Base Rent for Suite 1-150 shall be at the rate of $24.06 per rentable square foot.

8. Operating Expenses. Effective on the Suite 2-100 Commencement Date the last sentence of Section 5.3 of the Current Lease is hereby deleted in its entirety and replaced by the following:

 

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Notwithstanding the foregoing, future increases in Operating Expenses above the actual amounts for the prior calendar year beginning with those expenses for 2018, excluding Real Property Taxes, assessments, insurance, utilities, maintenance expenses and janitorial expenses, shall be limited to the lesser of (i) the actual increase; or (ii) five percent (5%) (the “Cap”) per year on a cumulative and compounding basis.

9. Security Deposit. In replacement of the existing LC (as that term is defined in Section 35 of the Current Lease) currently held by Landlord in the amount of $100,000.00 (“Existing LC”), Tenant must deliver to Landlord, together with its execution and delivery of this Amendment, a replacement LC in the face amount of $1,100,000.00 (“LC Amount”). Such replacement LC shall subject to all of the terms and conditions of Section 35 of the Current Lease applicable to the Existing LC, except as modified herein. Landlord hereby approves a replacement LC in substantially the same form as, and with the same issuing bank as under, the Existing LC. On May 1, 2023, subject to the provisions of Sections 35.1(a) and (b) of the Current Lease, upon Tenant’s written request, the LC Amount shall decrease by $250,000.00, and such LC amount shall continue to be reduced by $250,000 following the expiration of subsequent one (1) year periods (herein, each a “Reduction Date”), subject to the provisions of Sections 35.1(a) and (b) of the Current Lease, until the LC Amount has been reduced to $350,000.00, at which amount it will remain until the Expiration Date (as it may be extended).

10. Expansion Option.

(a) Provided: (i) Tenant is not then in default of the Lease; (ii) no more than 3 monetary Events of Default have occurred within any 60-consecutive month period after the date of this Amendment; (iii) the Lease is in full force and effect; (iv) Tenant is the originally named Tenant (or its transferee under a Permitted Transfer); and (v) Tenant (or its transferee under a Permitted Transfer) is then occupying 100% of the Premises for the conduct of Tenant’s business (or for the conduct of a transferee’s business under a Permitted Transfer), then Tenant has the option (“Expansion Option”) to lease all (but not less than all) of the approximately 13,220 rentable square feet known as Suite 2-200 and shown on Exhibit A-4 attached hereto (“Expansion Space”) upon the terms and conditions set forth in this Section. If Tenant desires to exercise the Expansion Option, Tenant shall send a written notice to Landlord of its irrevocable exercise of the Expansion Option (“Tenant’s Expansion Notice”), which must be received by Landlord before May 31, 2022, time being of the essence. Upon Tenant’s delivery of Tenant’s Expansion Notice, Tenant may not thereafter revoke Tenant’s exercise of the Expansion Option. The Term for the Expansion Space shall commence on the date (“Expansion Space Commencement Date”) that is the earlier of: (i) the date on which Tenant first occupies all or any portion of the Expansion Space for the conduct of any business; or (ii) 90 days after the date Landlord delivers possession of the Expansion Space to Tenant.

(b) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Lease, the Expansion Option shall be subject, subordinate, and in all respects inferior to the rights of any third party leasing space at the Building under its existing lease for the Expansion Space (including, without limitation, any lease term extension period(s) contained in such tenant’s lease, regardless of whether the extension right or agreement is contained in such lease or is agreed to at any time by Landlord and the tenant under such lease). Notwithstanding the foregoing, Landlord: (i) agrees not to grant the existing tenant in the Expansion Space an option or right to extend its term past November 1, 2023, unless such right is subordinate to Tenant’s right to lease the Expansion Space provided Tenant provides Tenant’s Expansion Notice before May 31, 2022, and (ii) represents and warrants to Tenant that no other third party leasing space at the Building has, or will have, rights to the Expansion Space beyond September 1, 2023. If an Event of Default exists at the time Landlord receives Tenant’s Expansion Notice or on the first day that Tenant commences to lease the Expansion Space, Landlord, at Landlord’s option, shall have the right to nullify Tenant’s exercise of the Expansion Option with respect to the Expansion Space.

(c) Tenant shall take the Expansion Space in “AS IS” condition, and Landlord shall have no obligation to make any improvements or alterations to the Expansion Space. With respect to the Expansion Space, Tenant shall pay Tenant’s Share of Operating Expenses and utilities pursuant to the terms of this Lease. Except to the extent expressly set forth in this Section to the contrary, if Tenant elects to lease the Expansion Space, such space shall become subject to the Lease upon the same terms and conditions as are then applicable to the original Premises, including without limitation the Expiration Date. Upon the Expansion Space Commencement Date, the “Premises” shall include the Expansion Space and, except as otherwise set forth in this Section, all computations made under the Lease based upon or affected by the rentable area of the Premises shall be recomputed to include the Expansion Space.

 

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(d) (i) Base Rent for the first year that Tenant leases the Expansion Space shall be at the Expansion Option Rent (as defined below) multiplied by the number of rentable square feet in the Expansion Space (as measured per BOMA standards as set forth in the Current Lease). When Base Rent for the first year that Tenant will lease the Expansion Space is being determined, Base Rent for the second and all subsequent years that Tenant will lease the Expansion Space shall also be determined (in accordance with the same procedures as are set forth herein for determining the Expansion Option Rent) based upon the then-prevailing annual rent escalation factor in the applicable leasing market.

(ii) “Expansion Option Rent” means the Fair Market Rental Rate (as defined in Exhibit B of the Current Lease) for the Expansion Space. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, Tenant will not be entitled to any tenant improvement allowances, free rent periods or other economic concessions (if any) that Tenant was entitled to with respect to the original Premises (as theretofore expanded), except to the extent such items are indirectly incorporated into the Expansion Option Rent as set forth in this Section.

(iii) If Landlord and Tenant do not agree upon the Fair Market Rental Rate for the Expansion Space in writing within 20 days after Landlord receives Tenant’s Expansion Notice, then the Fair Market Rental Rate for the Expansion Space shall be determined in accordance with Exhibit G, Section 1.5 of the Current Lease.

(e) Except as set forth in this Section to the contrary, Tenant shall lease the Expansion Space under an amendment to the Lease. Upon Landlord’s request, Tenant shall execute an appropriate amendment, in form and content reasonably satisfactory to both Landlord and Tenant, memorializing the expansion of the Premises as set forth in this Section (provided Tenant’s failure to execute such amendment shall not negate the effectiveness of Tenant’s exercise of the Expansion Option).

(f) If Tenant exercises its right to lease the Expansion Space the Expansion Option shall thereafter be null and void. If Tenant timely sends Tenant’s Expansion Notice, Landlord shall use commercially reasonable efforts to deliver possession of the Expansion Space by September 1, 2023. Landlord shall promptly commence and diligently pursue obtaining possession of the Expansion Space so that Landlord can tender the Expansion Space to Tenant by such date or as soon as reasonably practicable thereafter; provided, however, Landlord shall have no liability to Tenant if Landlord does not tender the Expansion Space to Tenant if Landlord is otherwise in compliance with its obligations under this Section 10.

11. Extension Options.

(a) Provided: (i) Tenant is not then in default of the Lease; (ii) no more than 3 monetary Events of Default have occurred within any 60-consecutive month period after the date of this Amendment; (iii) the Lease is in full force and effect; (iv) Tenant is the originally named Tenant (or its transferee under a Permitted Transfer); and (v) Tenant (or its transferee under a Permitted Transfer) is then occupying 85% of the Premises for the conduct of Tenant’s business (or for the conduct of a transferee’s business under a Permitted Transfer), Tenant shall have the right to extend the Term (“Extension Option”) for up to 2 consecutive terms of 60 months each beyond the end of the Term (each an “Extension Term”) by delivering Tenant’s written extension election notice to Landlord no later than the Extension Deadline, with time being of the essence. The “Extension Deadline” means the date that is 15 months prior to the expiration of the then-current Term. The terms and conditions of the Lease during each Extension Term shall remain unchanged except Tenant shall only be entitled to the 2 Extension Terms provided above, the annual Base Rent for the applicable Extension Term shall be the Extension Rent (as defined below), the Expiration Date shall be the last day of the Extension Term (or such earlier date of termination of the Lease pursuant to the terms hereof), and, except to the extent reflected in the Extension Rent, Landlord shall have no obligation to perform any tenant improvements to the Premises or provide any tenant improvement allowance to Tenant. Upon Tenant’s delivery of its written extension election notice, Tenant may not thereafter revoke its exercise of the Extension Option. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Lease, Tenant shall have no right to extend the Term other than or beyond the 2, 60-month Extension Terms described in this paragraph. For avoidance of doubt, if Tenant timely exercises the first Extension Option only, the Term for the Premises shall expire on April 30, 2033, and if Tenant timely exercises both the first and second Extension Options, the Term for the Premises shall expire on April 30, 2038.

 

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(b) “Extension Rent” means the Fair Market Rental Rate (as defined in Exhibit B of the Current Lease) for the Extension Terms. In lieu of directly providing any prevailing market allowances and/or concessions, Landlord may elect to reduce the Extension Rent by the economic equivalent thereof to reflect the fact that such allowances and concessions were not provided directly to Tenant. During the Extension Term, Tenant shall not be entitled to any tenant improvement allowances, free rent periods or other economic concessions (if any) that Tenant was entitled to during the Term, except to the extent such items are indirectly incorporated into the Extension Rent as set forth in this Section. When the Extension Rent is being determined for the first year of the Extension Term, the Extension Rent for the second and all subsequent years of the Extension Term shall also be determined in accordance with the same procedures as are set forth herein and based upon the then prevailing annual rent escalation factor in the applicable leasing market.

(c) If Tenant timely exercises an Extension Option and Landlord and Tenant do not agree upon the Extension Rent in writing by the date that is the later of 20 days after Landlord’s receipt of Tenant’s extension notice or 3 months prior to the Extension Deadline, then the Fair Market Rental Rate for the Extension Terms shall be determined in accordance with Exhibit G, Section 1.5 of the Current Lease.

(d) Upon Tenant’s timely and proper exercise of an Extension Option pursuant to the terms above and satisfaction of the above conditions: (i) the “Term” shall include the Extension Term, subject only to the determination of Extension Rent; and (ii) upon Landlord’s request, Tenant shall execute prior to the expiration of the then-expiring Term, an appropriate amendment to this Lease, in form and content reasonably satisfactory to both Landlord and Tenant, memorializing the extension of the Term for the ensuing Extension Term (provided Tenant’s failure to execute such amendment shall not negate the effectiveness of Tenant’s exercise of the Extension Option).

12. Termination Option. Provided: (i) Tenant is not then in default of the Lease; (ii) no more than 3 monetary Events of Default have occurred within any 60-consecutive month period after the date of this Amendment; (iii) the Lease is in full force and effect; (iv) Tenant is the originally named Tenant (or its transferee under a Permitted Transfer); (v) Tenant has not exercised its Expansion Option under Section 10, or Right of First Offer under Section 13 or otherwise expanded the Premises (unless the Termination Payment is proportionately increased on a per square foot basis); and (vi) Tenant has not leased the entirety of the Building, Tenant has the right to terminate the Lease effective at 11:59 p.m. on the Termination Date, in accordance with and subject to each of the following terms and conditions (“Termination Option”). The “Termination Date” means September 30, 2025. If Tenant desires to exercise the Termination Option, Tenant must give to Landlord irrevocable written notice of Tenant’s exercise of the Termination Option (“Termination Notice”), together with the Termination Payment (as defined below). The Termination Notice and the Termination Payment must be received by Landlord no later than September 30, 2024, failing which the Termination Option is deemed waived (provided Landlord reserves the right to waive in writing the requirement that Tenant fully and/or timely pay the Termination Payment). The “Termination Payment” means the sum of $1,905,510.00. Tenant’s payment of the Termination Payment is a condition precedent to the termination of the Lease on the Termination Date, and such obligation survives the Expiration Date. Tenant acknowledges and agrees that the Termination Payment is not a penalty and is fair and reasonable compensation to Landlord for the loss of expected rentals from Tenant. The Termination Payment is payable only by wire transfer or cashier’s check. Time is of the essence with respect to the dates and deadlines set forth herein. As of the date Tenant delivers the Termination Notice, any and all unexercised rights or options of Tenant to extend the Term or expand the Premises (whether expansion options, rights of first refusal, rights of first offer, or otherwise), and any and all outstanding tenant improvement allowance not properly claimed by Tenant in accordance with the Lease shall immediately terminate and are automatically, without further action required by any party, null and void and of no force or effect. If Tenant timely and properly exercises the Termination Option in accordance with this paragraph, the Lease and the Term shall come to an end on the Termination Date with the same force and effect as if the Term were fixed to expire on such date, the Expiration Date shall be the Termination Date, and the terms and provisions of Sections 10 and 21 of the Current Lease shall apply.

13. Right of First Offer.

(a) Provided: (i) Tenant is not then in default of the Lease; (ii) no more than 3 monetary Events of Default have occurred within any 60-consecutive month period after the date of this Amendment; (iii) the Lease is in full force and effect; (iv) Tenant is the originally named Tenant (or its transferee under a Permitted Transfer); and (v) Tenant (or its transferee under a Permitted Transfer) is then occupying 100% of the Premises for the conduct of Tenant’s business (or for the conduct of a transferee’s business under a Permitted Transfer),, Landlord shall notify Tenant in writing (“Landlord’s ROFO Notice”) when any rentable space located in Building I becomes available for lease (as defined below) from Landlord or Landlord reasonably anticipates that such space will become available for

 

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lease from Landlord (“ROFO Space”). Landlord’s ROFO Notice shall include the anticipated availability date and basic economic terms for the lease of the ROFO Space (which shall be market terms) and, subject to the terms and provisions of this Section, Tenant shall have an ongoing right (“ROFO”) to lease all (but not less than all) of the ROFO Space by delivering Tenant’s written notice of such election to Landlord (“Tenant’s ROFO Notice”) within 5 business days after Tenant’s receipt of Landlord’s ROFO Notice. This ROFO is expressly conditioned on Landlord or any of its wholly owned affiliates owning the Building and Building I at the time the Landlord’s ROFO Notice is delivered.

(b) Upon Tenant’s delivery of Tenant’s ROFO Notice, Tenant may not thereafter revoke Tenant’s exercise of the ROFO. If an Event of Default exists at the time Landlord receives Tenant’s ROFO Notice or on the first day that Tenant commences to lease the ROFO Space, Landlord, at Landlord’s option, shall have the right to nullify Tenant’s exercise of the ROFO with respect to such ROFO Space. If Tenant notifies Landlord that Tenant elects not to lease the ROFO Space or if Tenant fails to timely deliver Tenant’s ROFO Notice to Landlord with respect thereto, then Landlord shall have the right to enter into a lease for the ROFO Space under one or more leases containing such terms as Landlord deems acceptable in Landlord’s sole discretion, and the ROFO shall be void and have no further force or effect with respect to such space until such space again becomes available for lease.

(c) The ROFO shall be subject, subordinate, and in all respects inferior to the rights of any third-party tenant leasing space at the Building or Building I as of the date of this Amendment. Landlord may at any time choose to use any space that is or about to become vacant within the Building or Building I for marketing or property management purposes, or as a building amenity or Common Area such as a fitness center or conference area, or to lease such space to an existing tenant of Landlord in connection with the relocation of such tenant, without in any such case notifying or offering such space to Tenant or giving rise to any right of Tenant hereunder. Space is “available to lease” if and when: (i) the lease for any tenant of all or a portion of the space expires or is otherwise terminated, provided space shall not be deemed to be or become available if the space is assigned or subleased by the tenant of the space, or relet by the tenant or subtenant of the space by renewal, extension, or new lease; and (ii) to the extent that all or a portion of the ROFO Space is available for lease from Landlord as of the date of this Amendment, Landlord has entered into a lease with a third-party tenant for such currently available ROFO Space after the date of this Amendment and the term of that lease has expired (including, without limitation, the expiration of any lease term extension period(s), regardless of whether the extension right or agreement is contained in such lease or is agreed to at any time by Landlord and the tenant under such lease or otherwise) or been terminated.

(d) Except to the extent expressly set forth in Landlord’s ROFO Notice to the contrary, if Tenant elects to lease the ROFO Space, such space shall become subject to the Lease upon the same terms and conditions as are then applicable to the original Premises, except that Tenant shall take the ROFO Space in “AS IS” condition and Landlord shall have no obligation to make any improvements or alterations to the ROFO Space. Landlord shall determine the exact location of any demising walls (if any) for the ROFO Space. Tenant shall not be entitled to any tenant improvement allowances, free rent periods, or other special concessions granted to Tenant with respect to the original Premises. Upon Tenant’s leasing of the ROFO Space, the “Premises” shall include the ROFO Space and, except as otherwise set forth in this Section, all computations made under the Lease based upon or affected by the rentable area of the Premises shall be recomputed to include the ROFO Space.

(e) If Tenant timely exercises its right to lease the ROFO Space: (i) Tenant’s lease of the ROFO Space shall commence upon the later of: (A) the date of availability specified in Landlord’s ROFO Notice; or (B) the first date that Landlord is able to tender possession of the ROFO Space to Tenant in vacant condition; (ii) the ROFO shall thereafter be null and void as to such space; (iii) the term of Tenant’s lease of the ROFO Space shall be coterminous with the Term for Suite 2-300 so long as at least 60 months remain on the Term, and otherwise shall be on the term specified in Landlord’s ROFO Notice; and (iv) upon Landlord’s request, Tenant shall execute an appropriate amendment, in form and content reasonably satisfactory to both Landlord and Tenant, memorializing the expansion of the Premises as set forth in this Section (provided Tenant’s failure to execute such amendment shall not negate the effectiveness of Tenant’s exercise of the ROFO).

 

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14. Exterior Signage; Suite 2-100 Signage.

(a) Effective at any time after the Suite 2-100 Delivery Date and provided all of the Building Signage Conditions are fully satisfied, the originally named Tenant (or its transferee under a Permitted Transfer) shall have the nonexclusive right to cause Landlord, exercisable by the delivery of written notice from Tenant to Landlord, to install one exterior monument sign or monument sign panel in one of the locations adjacent to the Building as shown on Exhibit D attached hereto (“Building Sign”), subject to Applicable Laws (including without limitation all necessary local governmental approvals) and satisfaction of all of the following terms and conditions: (i) the size and location and Tenant’s specifications and design of the Building Sign shall be subject to Landlord’s prior written consent, such consent not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned, or delayed, and generally consistent with the aesthetic standards of the Building; (ii) Landlord shall obtain, install, repair, maintain and replace the Building Sign on Tenant’s behalf, at Tenant’s sole cost and expense following Tenant’s approval of the identity of and bid from the sign contractor, such approval as to the identity of the sign contractor not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed; (iii) if the Building Sign is illuminated, Tenant shall pay its proportionate share of the costs of such illumination (equitably allocated in Landlord’s reasonable determination); and (iv) only one entity shall be identified on the Building Sign (i.e., either Tenant or its transferee under a Permitted Transfer). The “Building Signage Conditions” are that: (a) the originally named Tenant (or its transferee under a Permitted Transfer) is occupying and paying full Rent on at least 80% of the rentable area of Suite 2-100, the Must-Take Space and Suite 2-300; (b) there is no pending Event of Default at the time Tenant initially exercises such right; (c) no more than three (3) monetary Events of Default have occurred within any 60-consecutive month period during the Term after the date hereof; (d) the Lease is in full force and effect; and (e) Landlord, at Tenant’s cost, has obtained all necessary approvals and permits to erect the Building Sign. Prior to the Expiration Date, or immediately upon any of the Building Signage Conditions no longer being satisfied, Landlord shall have the right, at Tenant’s sole cost and expense, to remove the Building Sign and repair and restore the Building Sign location to its prior existing condition. With respect to clause (i) above, Landlord’s determination and selection of the size, location, specifications, and design of the Building Sign may take into account the necessity to reserve or reallocate space for signage for existing and future tenants of the Building and in furtherance of the foregoing, Landlord shall have the right to require that the Building Sign be replaced with a Building Sign of a different size, configuration, or design reasonably acceptable to Tenant, from time to time, and the Building Sign’s placement may be relocated by Landlord to a new location reasonably acceptable to Tenant, from time to time, such relocation to be at Landlord’s sole cost unless it is required under Applicable Laws. Tenant shall pay Landlord for all costs due from Tenant under this paragraph as Additional Rent within 30 days after receipt of Landlord’s invoice therefor.

(b) Effective at any time after the Suite 2-100 Commencement Date, subject to Landlord’s prior written approval, Tenant, at its cost, may reconfigure Suite 2-100 to incorporate sliding glass doors (or a similar design) which will open to the main lobby, and may install one additional sign within Suite 2-100 that is visible from the common area lobby, which work shall be deemed an Alteration and subject to the provisions of Section 10 of the Current Lease.

15. Parking. Tenant has the nonexclusive right to use the parking facilities at the Project for parking standard-size automobiles and standard-size trucks (not to exceed the length and width of the Building’s parking spaces or any garage height restrictions) of Tenant and its employees, at no charge to Tenant with Tenant being entitled to unreserved parking at a ratio of no more than 4 per 1,000 square feet of rentable area of the Premises (rounded downward). With respect to the allocated share of parking for Suite 2-100 and Suite 2-300, Tenant may designate up to a total of 3 of such allocated parking spaces as reserved parking spaces in a location(s) agreed by Landlord and Tenant and also at no charge to Tenant; provided, however, Landlord shall have no obligation to monitor or patrol such reserved parking spaces, and Tenant shall pay Landlord for any reasonable costs for the reserved parking signage within 15 days after receipt of an invoice therefor. Such reserved spaces allocated for Suite 2-100 shall be available on the execution date of this Amendment. Landlord shall have the option of relocating the reserved parking spaces from time to time by delivery of written notice to Tenant provided the relocated parking spaces are substantially as accessible to the Premises as the originally granted spaces. If Landlord reasonably determines that parking has become an issue for the Building or Project, Landlord may implement a valet service or alternative parking arrangement, the costs of which are includable in Tenant’s Operating Expenses.

16. Prohibited Uses. Item (g) under “Prohibited Uses” in Exhibit B to the Current Lease, shall be deleted in its entirety and replaced by the following:

(g) A Prohibited Use is an office that exceeds the Project’s parking limitations or the Building’s load or density limitations. For the avoidance of doubt, Tenant’s use of the parking facilities at the Project in compliance with Section 15 of this Amendment shall be deemed to be within the Project’s parking limitations; and Tenant’s use and occupancy of the Premises in conformance with plans and specifications expressly approved by Landlord and expressly permitted by all applicable governmental authorities (as evidenced by a building permit) shall be deemed to be within the Building’s load or density limitations.

 

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17. Assignment and Subletting. The language in Section 15.1(b)(5)(ii) of the Current Lease which states “or any other Building owned by Landlord (or an affiliate thereof) in Austin, Texas” shall be deleted in its entirety and replaced by the following: “or a prospective tenant with whom Landlord is in lease negotiations, as evidenced by an agreed upon letter of intent, for space in Four Points Centre Building I, Building II, Building III and Building IV and River Place Corporate Park Buildings I – VII, so long as Landlord or an affiliate of Landlord own the aforementioned buildings.”

18. Generator. Subject to the terms of this paragraph and there then being available space, and provided there is no pending Event of Default, Tenant shall have the right to install and maintain an emergency generator outside of the Building in a location as shown on Exhibit E attached hereto or otherwise mutually and reasonably acceptable to Landlord and Tenant, together with such service lines as are necessary to cause such emergency generator to service the Premises (the generator and the service lines, the “Generator”). Tenant shall deliver to Landlord detailed plans and specifications for the Generator (including the proposed location and screen wall design) and a copy of Tenant’s contract for installing the Generator, which plans and specifications and contract shall be subject to Landlord’s approval, not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned, or delayed. Landlord shall have the right, at any time and from time to time, to require Tenant to relocate the Generator to another location specified by Landlord at Landlord’s sole cost unless such relocation is required under Applicable Laws or Tenant’s breach of the Lease. Subject to the foregoing, Tenant shall pay all costs of purchase, installation, maintenance, replacement, governmental inspection, permitting, insurance, cleanup, and operation of the Generator. Tenant shall not use the Generator in a manner that will unreasonably interfere with Landlord’s and/or any current or future tenant’s use of the Project. Tenant is hereby granted such nonexclusive easements and licenses as are reasonably necessary for: (i) use of any Building shafts required to install the electrical wiring for the Generator; and (ii) access to the Generator at all reasonable times and in emergencies. The Generator shall be connected to the Premises by electrical wiring, the installation of which shall be performed by Tenant’s contractor, at Tenant’s expense. Tenant shall be responsible for procuring all licenses and permits required for the installation, use, and operation of the Generator, and Landlord makes no representations or warranties regarding the permissibility or the permitability of the Generator under applicable Laws. Upon Landlord’s written approval of the plans and specifications and of the installation contract for the Generator, Tenant shall cause the Generator to be installed by a contractor reasonably acceptable to Landlord. Tenant shall cause the Generator to be constructed, installed, maintained, and operated: (I) in compliance with all applicable Laws and in accordance with the Building rules and regulations including those promulgated by Landlord pertaining to construction at the Building by third-party contractors; and (II) so as not to adversely affect or impact the structural, communications, or other systems of or serving the Building. Upon installation of the Generator, Tenant shall furnish Landlord with an “as built” drawing of the Generator certified by Tenant’s architect or such other professional as Landlord shall reasonably approve. On or prior to the Expiration Date, Tenant shall remove the Generator and related wiring and other equipment associated therewith, repair any damage caused by such removal, and restore the area to the condition existing prior to the date the Generator was installed, reasonable wear and tear and damage by casualty or condemnation excepted. Tenant shall pay Landlord within 30 days after demand by Landlord any reasonable increase(s) in Landlord’s insurance premium(s) attributable to the Generator. Tenant shall maintain the Generator and any related equipment in a clean and safe manner throughout the Term. In addition, all repairs to the Building and/or the Property made necessary by reason of the installation, maintenance, and operation of the Generator shall be Tenant’s expense. Any operation of the Generator for testing or upkeep purposes shall be conducted only at times not falling within the normal hours of operation of the Building. Fuel for the Generating Equipment shall only be maintained in quantities sufficient for emergency operation in accordance with all applicable Laws and Tenant shall not stockpile fuel in excess of these quantities anywhere at the Project. Tenant shall immediately take all actions necessary to properly remediate any spillage or leak of fuel from the Generator, and promptly furnish Landlord with a copy of any notice received from any governmental authority relating to any claimed spillage or leak of fuel. Tenant hereby assumes all liability to persons and property arising from or in any way related to the Generator. Tenant shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Landlord from and against any and all claims or damages (including, but not limited to environmental claims or damages) arising out of or from or related to the installation, use, and removal of the Generator. Landlord shall be named as an additional insured on all Tenant insurance relating to the Generator. If Tenant exercises its option under this Section, upon Landlord’s request Tenant shall execute Landlord’s customary generator equipment license agreement, which agreement shall be consistent with the terms and conditions of this Section.

 

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19. Roof Equipment.

(a) At Tenant’s sole cost and expense and provided there is no pending Event of Default, Tenant (but not any subtenant, other than a transferee under a Permitted Transfer) shall have access to the Tenant’s Pro Rata Share of the area of the roof of the Building designated by Landlord as specified for antennas, in designated areas mutually agreed upon, for the purpose of installation of a microwave satellite device and associated wiring, supplemental HVAC units and/or other equipment serving Tenant’s business within the Premises (collectively, the “Roof Equipment”) provided: (i) the Roof Equipment does not impact Landlord’s roof warranty; (ii) the Roof Equipment complies with all applicable Laws; (iii) Tenant obtains Landlord’s prior written consent thereto, such consent not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned, or delayed, including without limitation approval of (1) the placement of the Roof Equipment, (2) any roof penetrations, (3) an elevation or representational drawing of what the Roof Equipment will look like when mounted to the roof of the Building, and (4) a specific scope of work from Tenant’s contractor; (iv) Landlord shall have the right, at any time and from time to time, to require Tenant to relocate the Roof Equipment to another Building roof location specified by Landlord, which relocation shall be at Landlord’s sole cost unless such relocation is required under Applicable Laws or Tenant’s breach of the Lease; and (v) Tenant removes the Roof Equipment and restores the roof to its original condition on or prior to the Expiration Date. The Roof Equipment is deemed Tenant’s Property and shall be for the sole benefit of Tenant and Landlord, relate specifically to Tenant’s use of the Premises, and not be used as a switching station, amplification station, or by other tenants or third parties. Tenant is solely responsible for all costs associated with the installation, maintenance, and removal of the Roof Equipment.

(b) Tenant shall make a request for approval of the Roof Equipment by submission of specific plans and specifications for the work to be performed. Landlord shall respond in writing within 15 business days after receipt of the same, advising Tenant of approved contractors and those portions of the work that are acceptable and disapproving those portions of the work that are, in Landlord’s judgment, reasonably exercised, unacceptable and with respect to the plans, specifically detailing the nature of Landlord’s objection.

(c) Tenant shall be solely responsible for all damages caused by the Roof Equipment, the removal of the Roof Equipment, and the restoration of the roof prior to the Expiration Date, unless directed in writing by Landlord otherwise. Landlord shall be named as an additional insured on all Tenant insurance relating to the Roof Equipment. All installation, repair, replacement, and modification of the Roof Equipment shall be coordinated with Landlord, use only contractors approved in writing by Landlord, and be in accordance with all applicable Laws and the rules and regulations set forth in this Lease. If Tenant exercises its option under this subsection, upon Landlord’s request Tenant shall execute Landlord’s customary roof equipment license agreement, which agreement shall be consistent with the terms and conditions of this Section.

20. Security Services; Reception Desk; Elevator Access. Tenant shall have the right, at any time and from time to time, to require Landlord to contract for security services to be provided to the Building on weekdays during the hours of 11:00 PM until 7:00 AM, the costs of which shall be paid by Tenant as Additional Rent within 30 days after receipt of an invoice. If Tenant leases the entire Building, it may erect a reception desk and seating located in the first floor main lobby of the Building, subject to Landlord’s reasonable approval of the location and configuration and such improvement shall be deemed an Alteration and subject to the provisions of Section 10 of the Current Lease. Subject to all laws, Landlord’s access rights and reasonable security measures, for so long as Tenant is the sole tenant on a full floor in the Building and there is no pending default under the Lease, Tenant may restrict elevator access to visitors on such fully occupied floors, and Tenant shall be responsible to pay all costs associated therewith.

21. Utilities. For any separately metered utilities, Landlord is hereby authorized to request and obtain, on behalf of Tenant, Tenant’s utility consumption data from the applicable utility provider for informational purposes and to enable Landlord to obtain full building Energy Star scoring for the Building. Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning will be furnished to the Premises on Saturdays at no additional cost and upon Tenant’s prior request to Landlord received no later than noon on the preceding business day, provided Tenant remains responsible for after-hours charges for service outside of Normal Working Hours pursuant to the terms of the Lease. In the event of an emergency, such as a burst waterline or act of God, Landlord may make repairs for which Tenant is responsible under the Lease (at Tenant’s cost) without giving Tenant prior notice, but in such case Landlord will provide notice to Tenant as soon as practicable thereafter, and Landlord will take commercially reasonable steps to minimize the costs incurred. Tenant shall be charged Landlord’s actual cost of after-hours HVAC, with no mark-up, as per the Current Lease (currently $27.50 per hour).

 

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22. Outdoor Deck. Subject to all Applicable Laws and codes, Tenant shall have the right to use a portion of the Common Area adjacent to the Building for the purpose of constructing and maintaining an outdoor deck for the exclusive use by Tenant and its employees and invitees (the “Outdoor Deck”), provided such Outdoor Deck does not impede any other tenant’s ability to use and access other portions of the Common Area. The size, location and Tenant’s specifications and design of the Outdoor Deck shall be subject to Landlord’s prior written consent, such consent not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned, or delayed, and generally consistent with the aesthetic standards of the Building. Landlord makes no representations or warranties regarding the permissibility or the permitability of the Outdoor Deck under Applicable Laws and codes. Tenant further acknowledges and agrees that the size and location of the Outdoor Deck may be limited by impervious cover restrictions, easement and setback lines, and other site-specific considerations. If Tenant elects to construct the Outdoor Deck, construction shall be performed either as part of Tenant’s Leasehold Improvements under Exhibit C, or as a subsequent Alteration subject to the provisions of Section 10 of the Current Lease. Tenant, at its sole cost, shall pay all costs to install, maintain, repair, and replace the Outdoor Deck, and all repairs to the Building and/or the Property made necessary by reason of the installation, maintenance, and operation of the Outdoor Deck. No part of the Improvement Allowance shall be applied toward any costs for the Outdoor Deck. The Outdoor Deck shall not be included in the Premises for the purpose of calculating Base Rent or Tenant’s Pro Rata Share of Operating Expenses, but shall be included in the Premises for all other purposes hereunder. Tenant, at its sole cost, Tenant shall maintain the Outdoor Deck in good condition and shall remove all trash and debris generated by Tenant and/or its employees and invitees on the Outdoor Deck. Tenant shall pay for the cost of any utilities serving the Outdoor Deck. Tenant shall cause the Outdoor Deck to be constructed, installed, maintained, and operated in a safe and clean manner: (I) in compliance with all Applicable Laws and in accordance with the Building rules and regulations including those promulgated by Landlord pertaining to construction at the Building by third-party contractors; and (II) so as not to adversely affect or impact the structural, communications, or other systems of or serving the Building. Upon installation of the Outdoor Deck, Tenant shall furnish Landlord with an “as built” drawing of the Outdoor Deck certified by Tenant’s Architect or such other professional as Landlord shall reasonably approve. On or prior to the Expiration Date or earlier termination of Tenant’s right to occupy the Outside Deck as provided herein, Tenant shall remove the Outdoor Deck and any related wiring and other equipment associated therewith, repair any damage caused by such removal, and restore the area to the condition existing prior to the date the Outdoor Deck was installed, reasonable wear and tear and damage by casualty or condemnation excepted. Tenant shall pay Landlord within 30 days after demand by Landlord any reasonable increase(s) in Landlord’s insurance premium(s) attributable to the Outdoor Deck. Tenant hereby assumes all liability to persons and property arising from or in any way related to the Outdoor Deck. Tenant shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Landlord from and against any and all claims or damages arising out of or from or related to the installation, use, and removal of the Outdoor Deck.

23. Brokers. Landlord and Tenant each represents and warrants to the other that such representing party has had no dealings, negotiations, or consultations with respect to the Premises or this transaction with any broker or finder other than a Landlord affiliate and HPI Corporate Services (“Broker”). Each party must indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the other from and against any and all liability, cost, and expense (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and court costs), arising out of or from or related to its misrepresentation or breach of warranty under this Section. Landlord must pay Broker a commission in connection with this Amendment pursuant to the terms of a separate written agreement between Landlord and Broker. This Section will survive the expiration or earlier termination of the Term.

24. Notices. Copies of notices to Tenant should be sent via email to                     . Landlord’s notice address for the purposes of Section 32.5 of the Current Lease is hereby revised as follows:

 

Landlord:   

G&I VII FOUR POINTS LP

c/o Brandywine Realty Trust

Attn: General Manager

111 Congress Ave., Suite 3000

Austin, TX 78701

  

With a copy to:

Email:

 

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25. Effect of Amendment; Ratification. Landlord and Tenant hereby acknowledge and agree that, except as provided in this Amendment, the Current Lease has not been modified, amended, canceled, terminated, released, superseded, or otherwise rendered of no force or effect. The Current Lease is hereby ratified and confirmed by the parties hereto, and every provision, covenant, condition, obligation, right, term, and power contained in and under the Current Lease continues in full force and effect, affected by this Amendment only to the extent of the amendments and modifications set forth herein. In the event of any conflict between the terms and conditions of this Amendment and those of the Current Lease, the terms and conditions of this Amendment control. To the extent permitted by applicable law, Landlord and Tenant hereby waive trial by jury in any action, proceeding, or counterclaim brought by either against the other on any matter arising out of or in any way connected with the Lease, the relationship of Landlord and Tenant, or Tenant’s use or occupancy of the Building, any claim or injury or damage, or any emergency or other statutory remedy with respect thereto.

26. Representations. Each of Landlord and Tenant represents and warrants to the other that the individual executing this Amendment on such party’s behalf is authorized to do so. Tenant hereby represents and warrants to Landlord that there are no defaults by Landlord or Tenant under the Current Lease, nor any event that with the giving of notice or the passage of time, or both, will constitute a default under the Current Lease.

27. Press Releases; Confidentiality. Landlord shall have the right, to the extent required to be disclosed by Landlord or Landlord’s affiliates in connection with filings required by applicable Laws, including without limitation the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), without notice to Tenant to include in such securities filings general information relating to the Lease, including, without limitation, Tenant’s name, the Building, and the square footage of the Premises. Except as set forth in the preceding sentence, neither Tenant nor Landlord shall issue, or permit any broker, representative, or agent representing either party in connection with the Lease to issue, any press release or other public disclosure regarding the specific terms of the Lease (or any amendments or modifications hereof), without the prior written approval of the other party. The parties acknowledge that the transaction described in the Lease and the terms thereof (but not the existence thereof) are of a confidential nature and shall not be disclosed except to such party’s employees, attorneys, accountants, consultants, brokers, advisors, affiliates, and actual and prospective purchasers, lenders, investors, subtenants and assignees (collectively, “Permitted Parties”), and except as, in the good faith judgment of Landlord or Tenant, may be required to enable Landlord or Tenant to comply with its obligations under Law or under laws and regulations of the SEC. Neither party may make any public disclosure of the specific terms of the Lease, except as required by Law, including without limitation SEC laws and regulations, or as otherwise provided in this paragraph. In connection with the negotiation of the Lease and the preparation for the consummation of the transactions contemplated thereby, each party acknowledges that it will have had access to confidential information relating to the other party. Each party shall treat such information and shall use its best efforts to cause its Permitted Parties to treat such confidential information as confidential, and shall preserve the confidentiality thereof, and not duplicate or use such information, except by Permitted Parties.

28. Counterparts; Electronic Transmittal. This Amendment may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which when taken together will be deemed to be one and the same instrument. The parties acknowledge and agree that notwithstanding any law or presumption to the contrary, the exchange of copies of this Amendment and signature pages by electronic transmission will constitute effective execution and delivery of this Amendment for all purposes, and signatures of the parties hereto transmitted and/or produced electronically will be deemed to be their original signature for all purposes.

29. OFAC. Each party hereto represents and warrants to the other that such party is not a party with whom the other is prohibited from doing business pursuant to the regulations of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, including those parties named on OFAC’s Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List. Each party hereto is currently in compliance with, and must at all times during the Term remain in compliance with, the regulations of OFAC and any other governmental requirement relating thereto. Each party hereto must defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the other from and against any and all claims, damages, losses, risks, liabilities and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs) incurred by the other to the extent arising from or related to any breach of the foregoing certifications. The foregoing indemnity obligations will survive the expiration or earlier termination of the Lease.

[SIGNATURES ON FOLLOWING PAGE]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Landlord and Tenant have duly executed this Amendment as of the date first-above written.

 

LANDLORD:
G&I VII FOUR POINTS LP
By:   G&I VII Four Points GP LLC, its general partner
  By:   G&I VII Austin Office LLC, its sole member
    By:   BDN Austin Properties LLC, its operating manager
      By:  

/s/ Bill Redd

      Name:   Bill Redd
      Title:   EVP & Senior Managing Director
      Date:   2/5/2018

 

TENANT:

BIGCOMMERCE, INC.

By:  

/s/ Robert Alvarez

Name:   Robert Alvarez
Title:   CFO / COO
Date:   1/5/2018

 

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EXHIBIT A-1

LOCATION PLAN OF SUITE 2-100 (NOT TO SCALE)

 

 

A-1


EXHIBIT A-2 (NOT TO SCALE)

LOCATION PLAN OF SUITE 2-201 AND ADDITIONAL SPACE

 

A-2


EXHIBIT A-3

LOCATION PLAN OF SUITE 1-150 (TEMPORARY SPACE) (NOT TO SCALE)

 

 

A-3


EXHIBIT A-4

LOCATION PLAN OF SUITE 2-200 (NOT TO SCALE)

 

 

A-4


EXHIBIT A-5

LOCATION PLAN FOR SUITE 1-210 TEMPORARY PREMISES

 

A-5


EXHIBIT B

CONFIRMATION OF LEASE TERM

 

C-1


EXHIBIT C

LEASEHOLD IMPROVEMENTS


EXHIBIT C-1

CONTRACTOR REQUIREMENTS

 

C-1-1


EXHIBIT C-2

INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS

C-2-1


EXHIBIT D

BUILDING SIGN LOCATION

D-1


EXHIBIT E

GENERATOR LOCATION

E-1

EX-10.19

Exhibit 10.19

 

LOGO   

Tenant: BigCommerce, Inc.

Premises: Four Points Centre, Suites 2-100, 2-201, 2-210, 2-300 and 1-150

SECOND AMENDMENT TO LEASE

THIS SECOND AMENDMENT TO LEASE (“Amendment”) is made and entered into as of October 4, 2018, by and between G&I VII FOUR POINTS LP, a Delaware limited partnership (“Landlord”), and BIGCOMMERCE, INC., a Texas corporation (“Tenant”).

A. Landlord, as successor-in-interest to New TPG-Four Points, L.P., and Tenant are parties to a Lease (“Original Lease”) dated November 20, 2012, as amended by a First Amendment to Lease (“First Amendment”) dated as of February 5, 2018 (the Original Lease as amended by the First Amendment is referred to herein as the “Current Lease”), for the Premises in the building known as Four Points Centre, Building II, located at 11305 Four Points Drive, Austin, Texas 78726. The Current Lease as amended by this Amendment is referred to herein as the “Lease”.

B. Tenant no longer desires to lease from Landlord, and Landlord no longer desires to lease to Tenant, the Additional Space, and Tenant desires to surrender to Landlord Suite 2-201. In lieu thereof, Tenant desires to lease from Landlord, and Landlord desires to lease to Tenant, certain additional premises in the Building presently known as Suite 2-210 (“Must-Take Space”), consisting of approximately 7,583 rentable square feet of space, as shown on the location plan attached hereto as Exhibit A.

C. Landlord and Tenant wish to amend the Current Lease with respect to the Must-Take Space upon the terms and conditions set forth herein.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements contained herein, Landlord and Tenant hereby agree as follows:

1. Incorporation of Recitals; Definitions. The recitals set forth above are hereby incorporated herein by reference as if set forth in full in the body of this Amendment. Capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined in this Amendment have the respective meanings given to them in the Current Lease.

2. Additional Premises. The words “the Additional Premises” in Section 3(e) of the First Amendment are hereby deleted. Clause (iv) in Section 6 of the First Amendment is hereby deleted. Exhibit A-2 attached to the First Amendment is hereby deleted in its entirety and replaced with Exhibit A attached hereto.

3. Suite 2-201; Must-Take Space. Section 4 of the First Amendment is hereby deleted in its entirety and the following is inserted in lieu thereof:

(a) Effective on September 1, 2018 through the day prior to the Must-Take Space Commencement Date (as defined below), the “Premises” shall include Suite 2-201, Tenant’s Pro Rata Share of Operating Expenses shall be recalculated, and Base Rent with respect to Suite 2-201 shall be at the rate of $21.50 per rentable square foot. The Term with respect to Suite 2-201 shall end on the day prior to the Must-Take Space Commencement Date, and Tenant shall vacate and surrender to Landlord Suite 2-201 on or before such date.

(b) The Term for the Must-Take Space commences on the date (“Must-Take Space Commencement Date”) that is the earlier of: (i) the date on which Tenant first occupies all or any portion of the Must-Take Space for the conduct of Tenant’s business (or the conduct of its transferee’s business under a Permitted Transfer) at any time after the Must-Take Space Delivery Date; or (ii) the date that is 120 days after the Must-Take Space Delivery Date. The “Must-Take Space Delivery Date” means the date on which Landlord delivers to Tenant exclusive possession of the Must-Take Space, accompanied by notice of such delivery. Effective on the Must-Take Space Commencement Date, the “Premises” shall include the Must-Take Space, and Tenant’s Pro Rata Share of Operating Expenses shall be recalculated. The Term for the Must-Take Space shall expire on April 30, 2028. Tenant shall not pay any Rent for the Must-Take Space until the earlier of the date when Tenant actually occupies the Must-Take Space or October 1, 2020. Upon the date Tenant actually occupies the Must-Take Space for the conduct of Tenant’s business through September 30, 2020, Tenant shall pay only variable expenses associated with such occupancy (that is, expenses incurred by Landlord solely and directly as a result of Tenant’s actual occupancy of the Must-Take Space, such as utility costs and Tenant’s Pro Rata Share of janitorial expenses with respect to the Must-Take Space) that are otherwise chargeable under the Lease. Commencing on October 1, 2020, Tenant shall pay Base Rent for the Must-Take Space at the rate per rentable square foot as per the rent chart set forth in Section 5(a) below, subject to Section 5(c) below.


(c) If the Must-Take Space Delivery Date does not occur by March 1, 2019 (which date shall be pushed back on a day-for-day basis for each day that delivery is delayed due to a Force Majeure Event or that a pending default remains uncured), Tenant shall be entitled to 1 day of free Base Rent and Tenant’s Pro Rata Share of Operating Expenses with respect to the Must-Take Space for each day of such delay commencing on March 1, 2019 until the Must-Take Space Delivery Date occurs, which credit shall be applied against the Base Rent and Tenant’s Pro Rata Share of Operating Expenses next due and owing. In lieu of but not in addition to the foregoing, if the Must-Take Space Delivery Date does not occur by April 1, 2019 (which date shall be pushed back on a day-for-day basis for each day that delivery is delayed due to a Force Majeure Event or that a pending default remains uncured), Tenant shall be entitled to 1 and 1/2 days of free Base Rent and Tenant’s Pro Rata Share of Operating Expenses with respect to the Must-Take Space for each day of such delay commencing on April 1, 2019 until the Must-Take Space Delivery Date occurs, which credit shall be applied against the Base Rent and Tenant’s Pro Rata Share of Operating Expenses next due and owing. In lieu of but not in addition to the foregoing, if the Must-Take Space Delivery Date does not occur by May 1, 2019 (which date shall be pushed back on a day-for-day basis for each day that delivery is delayed due to a Force Majeure Event or that a pending default remains uncured), Tenant shall be entitled to 2 days of free Base Rent and Tenant’s Pro Rata Share of Operating Expenses with respect to the Must-Take Space for each day of such delay commencing on May 1, 2019 until the Must-Take Space Delivery Date occurs or October 1, 2019, whichever occurs first, which credit shall be applied against the Base Rent and Tenant’s Pro Rata Share of Operating Expenses next due and owing. Landlord shall notify Tenant within 5 business days after the occurrence of a Force Majeure Event for which Landlord intends to assert a delay under this subsection (c). For avoidance of doubt, the parties acknowledge and agree that the continued occupancy of the Must-Take Space by another tenant, or an event resulting in the continued occupancy of the Must-Take Space by another tenant, shall not be considered a Force Majeure Event for purposes of this subsection (c).

(d) By a COLT, Landlord will notify Tenant of the Must-Take Space Commencement Date, the rentable square footage of the Must-Take Space (measured per BOMA standards as set forth in the Current Lease), and all other related matters stated therein. The COLT will be conclusive and binding on Tenant as to all matters set forth therein unless, within 10 days following delivery of a COLT to Tenant, Tenant contests any of the matters contained therein by notifying Landlord in writing of Tenant’s objections.

4. Base Rent. Section 5(c) of the First Amendment is hereby deleted in its entirety and the following is inserted in lieu thereof:

(c) Effective on October 1, 2020, Tenant covenants and agrees to pay to Landlord, without notice, demand, setoff, deduction, or counterclaim, Base Rent with respect to the Must-Take Space during the Term at the rate of $24.78 per rentable square foot, payable in equal monthly installments, subject to the following. The Must-Take Space’s Base Rent rate per rentable square foot shall increase at the rate as per the rent chart set forth in Section 5(a) of this Amendment, following the same rent bumps during the same time periods. For example, on May 1, 2021, Base Rent for the Must-Take Space shall be $25.52 per rentable square foot. There shall be no abatement period for the Must-Take Space. If the Must-Take Space Commencement Date does not occur on the first day of a calendar month, Base Rent during such month shall be prorated based on the number of days in such month.

5. Improvement Allowance. Section 1.8 of Exhibit C of the First Amendment is hereby deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following: “The “Improvement Allowance” means an amount equal to the product of $30.00 multiplied by the rentable square footage of Suite 2-300 (that is, $988,710.00); $50.00 multiplied by the rentable square footage of Suite 2-100 (that is, $1,507,100.00); and $50.00 multiplied by the rentable square footage of the Must-Take Space (that is, $379,150.00), which aggregate product equals $2,874,960.00.”

6. Brokers. Landlord and Tenant each represents and warrants to the other that such representing party has had no dealings, negotiations, or consultations with respect to the Premises or this transaction with any broker or finder other than a Landlord affiliate and HPI Corporate Services (“Broker”). Each party must indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the other from and against any and all liability, cost, and expense (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and court costs), arising out of or from or related to its misrepresentation or breach of warranty under this Section. This Section will survive the expiration or earlier termination of the Term.

 

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7. Effect of Amendment; Ratification. Landlord and Tenant hereby acknowledge and agree that, except as provided in this Amendment, the Current Lease has not been modified, amended, canceled, terminated, released, superseded, or otherwise rendered of no force or effect. The Current Lease is hereby ratified and confirmed by the parties hereto, and every provision, covenant, condition, obligation, right, term, and power contained in and under the Current Lease continues in full force and effect, affected by this Amendment only to the extent of the amendments and modifications set forth herein. In the event of any conflict between the terms and conditions of this Amendment and those of the Current Lease, the terms and conditions of this Amendment control. To the extent permitted by applicable law, Landlord and Tenant hereby waive trial by jury in any action, proceeding, or counterclaim brought by either against the other on any matter arising out of or in any way connected with the Lease, the relationship of Landlord and Tenant, or Tenant’s use or occupancy of the Building, any claim or injury or damage, or any emergency or other statutory remedy with respect thereto.

8. Representations. Each of Landlord and Tenant represents and warrants to the other that the individual executing this Amendment on such party’s behalf is authorized to do so. Tenant hereby represents and warrants to Landlord that there are no defaults by Landlord or Tenant under the Current Lease, nor any event that with the giving of notice or the passage of time, or both, will constitute a default under the Current Lease.

9. Counterparts; Electronic Transmittal. This Amendment may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which when taken together will be deemed to be one and the same instrument. The parties acknowledge and agree that notwithstanding any law or presumption to the contrary, the exchange of copies of this Amendment and signature pages by electronic transmission will constitute effective execution and delivery of this Amendment for all purposes, and signatures of the parties hereto transmitted and/or produced electronically will be deemed to be their original signature for all purposes.

10. OFAC. Each party hereto represents and warrants to the other that such party is not a party with whom the other is prohibited from doing business pursuant to the regulations of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, including those parties named on OFAC’s Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List. Each party hereto is currently in compliance with, and must at all times during the Term remain in compliance with, the regulations of OFAC and any other governmental requirement relating thereto. Each party hereto must defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the other from and against any and all claims, damages, losses, risks, liabilities and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs) incurred by the other to the extent arising from or related to any breach of the foregoing certifications. The foregoing indemnity obligations will survive the expiration or earlier termination of the Lease.

[SIGNATURES ON FOLLOWING PAGE]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Landlord and Tenant have duly executed this Amendment as of the date first-above written.

 

LANDLORD:
G&I VII FOUR POINTS LP
By: G&I VII Four Points GP LLC, its general partner
  By:   G&I VII Austin Office LLC, its sole member
    By: BDN Austin Properties LLC, its operating manager
      By:  

/s/ Suzanne Stumpf

           Name:   Suzanne Stumpf
      Title:   VP, Asset Management
      Date:   10/4/2018
TENANT:
BIGCOMMERCE, INC.
By:  

/s/ Robert Alvarez

Name:   Robert Alvarez
Title:   CFO / COO
Date:   10/4/2018

 

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EXHIBIT A

LOCATION PLAN OF MUST-TAKE SPACE (NOT TO SCALE)

 

A-1