EverQuote, Inc 10-Q for FY2022 Q1
EverQuote, Inc. (EVER)
10-Q
2022-05-06
For: 2022-03-31
View Original
Added on
April 08, 2026
About this 10-Q
EverQuote, Inc filed this 10-Q on May 6, 2022, covering the quarter ended March 31, 2022 (FY2022 Q1).
Headline figures
Quarter ended March 31, 2022, as reported in this filing, compared with the same period a year earlier where the filing states it.
- Revenue
- $110.68M
- up 6.6% from $103.82M a year earlier
- Net loss
- $5.72M
- compared with a net loss of $3.8M a year earlier
- Diluted EPS
- -$0.19
- compared with -$0.13 a year earlier
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-Q
(Mark One)
QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the quarterly period ended March 31, 2022
OR
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the transition period from to .
Commission File Number: 001-38549
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
(Address of principal executive offices) |
(Zip Code) |
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (855 ) 522-3444
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class |
Trading Symbol(s) |
Name of each exchange on which registered | ||
Value Per Share |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation Yes ☒ No ☐
S-T
(§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). 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. ☒ |
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 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule ☒
12b-2
of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No As of April 12, 2022, the registrant had 25,204,930 shares of Class A common stock, $0.001 par value per share, issued and outstanding and 6,169,774 shares of Class B common stock, $0.001 par value per share, issued and outstanding.
Table of Contents
Page |
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PART I. |
5 |
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Item 1. |
5 |
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5 |
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6 |
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7 |
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8 |
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9 |
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Item 2. |
21 |
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Item 3. |
30 |
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Item 4. |
30 |
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PART II. |
32 |
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Item 1. |
32 |
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Item 1A. |
32 |
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Item 2. |
56 |
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Item 6. |
57 |
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58 |
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2
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Quarterly Report on Form
10-Q
contains forward-looking statements, within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements other than statements of historical fact contained in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q,
including statements regarding our future results of operations and financial position, business strategy and plans, and objectives of management for future operations and statements regarding the anticipated impact on our business of the coronavirus (COVID-19)
pandemic and related public health measures, are forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other important factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as “may,” “should,” “expects,” “might,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “could,” “intends,” “target,” “projects,” “contemplates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “potential,” “seek,” “would” or “continue,” or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions. The forward-looking statements in this Quarterly Report on
Form 10-Q are
only predictions. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our business, financial condition liquidity and results of operations. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee that the future results, levels of activity, performance or events and circumstances reflected in the forward-looking statements will be achieved or occur. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and
are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions described in the “Risk Factors” section and elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
Because forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. The events and circumstances reflected in our forward-looking statements may not be achieved or occur and actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. While we may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, whether as a result of any new information, future events, or otherwise, we have no current intention of doing so except to the extent required by applicable law. Summary of Risk Factors
In addition to the other information in this Quarterly Report on Form
10-Q,
the following risk factors should be considered carefully in evaluating our company and our business. A summary of the principal factors that create risk in investing in our securities and might cause actual results to differ is set forth below: | • | our future financial performance, including our expectations regarding our revenue, cost of revenue, variable marketing margin, operating expenses, cash flows and ability to achieve, and maintain, future profitability; |
| • | our ability to attract and retain consumers and insurance providers using our marketplace; |
| • | our dependence on our relationships with insurance providers with no long-term contracts; |
| • | our reliance on a small number of insurance providers for a significant portion of our revenue; |
| • | our dependence on revenue from automotive insurance providers for a significant portion of our revenue and exposure to risks related to the automotive insurance industry; |
| • | our ability to attract consumers searching for insurance, including through search engines, display advertising, email and social media; |
| • | our ability to develop new and enhanced products and services to attract and retain consumers and insurance providers, and our ability to successfully monetize them; |
| • | our anticipated growth and growth strategies and our ability to effectively manage that growth; |
| • | our ability to maintain and build our brand; |
| • | our ability to properly collect, process, store, share, disclose and use consumer information and other data; |
| • | our reliance on our third-party service providers; |
| • | the impact of competition in our industry and innovation by our competitors; |
| • | our ability to hire and retain necessary qualified employees to expand our operations; |
| • | our increased reliance on acquiring quote requests from third-party sources; |
| • | our ability to stay abreast of and comply with new or modified laws and regulations that currently apply or become applicable to our business; |
3
| • | the material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting that we and our independent registered public accounting firm have identified which, if not remediated, may cause us to not be able to accurately or timely report our financial condition or results of operations; |
| • | failure to maintain an effective system of internal controls necessary to accurately report our financial results and prevent fraud; and |
| • | the future trading prices of our Class A common stock. |
4
PART I—FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Item 1. Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)
EVERQUOTE, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(Unaudited)
(In thousands, except share and per share amounts)
March 31, 2022 |
December 31, 2021 |
|||||||
| Assets |
||||||||
| Current assets: |
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| Cash and cash equivalents |
$ |
$ |
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| Accounts receivable, net |
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| Prepaid expenses and other current assets |
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| Total current assets |
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| Property and equipment, net |
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| Goodwill |
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| Acquired intangible assets, net |
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| Operating lease right-of-use |
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| Other assets |
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| Total assets |
$ |
$ |
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| |
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| Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity |
||||||||
| Current liabilities: |
||||||||
| Accounts payable |
$ |
$ |
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| Accrued expenses and other current liabilities |
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| Deferred revenue |
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| Operating lease liabilities |
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| |
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| Total current liabilities |
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| Operating lease liabilities, net of current portion |
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| Other long-term liabilities |
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| Total liabilities |
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| Commitments and contingencies (Note 9) |
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| Stockholders’ equity: |
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| Preferred stock, $ |
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| Class A common stock, $ |
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| Class B common stock, $ |
||||||||
| Additional paid-in capital |
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| Accumulated other comprehensive income |
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| Accumulated deficit |
( |
) |
( |
) | ||||
| |
|
|
|
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| Total stockholders’ equity |
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| |
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| Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity |
$ |
$ |
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| |
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|
|
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The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.
5
EVERQUOTE, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE LOSS
(Unaudited)
(In thousands, except per share amounts)
Three Months Ended March 31, |
||||||||
2022 |
2021 |
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| Revenue |
$ |
$ |
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| |
|
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|
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| Cost and operating expenses: |
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| Cost of revenue |
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| Sales and marketing |
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| Research and development |
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| General and administrative |
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| Acquisition-related |
( |
) |
( |
) | ||||
| |
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| Total cost and operating expenses |
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| |
|
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|
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| Loss from operations |
( |
) |
( |
) | ||||
| |
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| Other income (expense): |
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| Interest income |
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| Other expense, net |
( |
) |
( |
) | ||||
| |
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| Total other expense, net |
( |
) |
( |
) | ||||
| |
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| Net loss |
$ |
( |
) |
$ |
( |
) | ||
| |
|
|
|
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| Net loss per share, basic and diluted |
$ |
( |
) |
$ |
( |
) | ||
| |
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|
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| Weighted average common shares outstanding, basic and diluted |
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| |
|
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| Comprehensive loss: |
||||||||
| Net loss |
$ |
( |
) |
$ |
( |
) | ||
| Other comprehensive income: |
||||||||
| Foreign currency translation adjustment |
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| |
|
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| Comprehensive loss |
$ |
( |
) |
$ |
( |
) | ||
| |
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The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.
6
EVERQUOTE, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
(Unaudited)
(In thousands, except share amounts)
Accumulated |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class A |
Class B |
Additional |
Other |
Total |
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Common Stock |
Common Stock |
Paid-in |
Comprehensive |
Accumulated |
Stockholders’ |
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Shares |
Amount |
Shares |
Amount |
Capital |
Income |
Deficit |
Equity |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Balances at December 31, 2021 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
( |
) |
$ |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Private placement of common stock |
— |
— |
— |
— |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Issuance of common stock upon exercise of stock options |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vesting of restricted stock units |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stock-based compensation expense |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Foreign currency translation adjustment |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net loss |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
( |
) |
( |
) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| |
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| Balances at March 31, 2022 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
( |
) |
$ |
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| |
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Accumulated |
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Class A |
Class B |
Additional |
Other |
Total |
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Common Stock |
Common Stock |
Paid-in |
Comprehensive |
Accumulated |
Stockholders’ |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Shares |
Amount |
Shares |
Amount |
Capital |
Income (Loss) |
Deficit |
Equity |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Balances at December 31, 2020 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
( |
) |
$ |
( |
) |
$ |
||||||||||||||||||||||
| Issuance of common stock upon exercise of stock options |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vesting of restricted stock units |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stock-based compensation expense |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Transfer of Class B common stock to Class A common stock |
( |
) |
( |
) |
— |
— |
— |
— |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Foreign currency translation adjustment |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
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| Net loss |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
( |
) |
( |
) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| |
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| Balances at March 31, 2021 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
( |
) |
$ |
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| |
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The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.
7
EVERQUOTE, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(Unaudited)
(In thousands)
Three Months Ended March 31, |
||||||||
2022 |
2021 |
|||||||
| Cash flows from operating activities: |
||||||||
| Net loss |
$ |
( |
) |
$ |
( |
) | ||
| Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities: |
||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization expense |
||||||||
| Stock-based compensation expense |
||||||||
| Change in fair value of contingent consideration liabilities |
( |
) |
( |
) | ||||
| Provision for (recovery of) bad debt |
( |
) | ||||||
| Unrealized foreign currency transaction losses |
||||||||
| Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of effects from acquisitions: |
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| Accounts receivable |
( |
) |
( |
) | ||||
| Prepaid expenses and other current assets |
( |
) |
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| Operating lease right-of-use |
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| Other assets |
( |
) |
( |
) | ||||
| Accounts payable |
( |
) | ||||||
| Accrued expenses and other current liabilities |
( |
) |
||||||
| Deferred revenue |
( |
) |
( |
) | ||||
| Operating lease liabilities |
( |
) |
( |
) | ||||
| Other long-term liabilities |
— |
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| |
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| Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities |
( |
) |
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| |
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| Cash flows from investing activities: |
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| Acquisition of property and equipment, including costs capitalized for development of internal-use software |
( |
) |
( |
) | ||||
| |
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| Net cash used in investing activities |
( |
) |
( |
) | ||||
| |
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| Cash flows from financing activities: |
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| Proceeds from exercise of stock options |
||||||||
| Proceeds from private placement of common stock |
— |
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| |
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| Net cash provided by financing activities |
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| |
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| Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash |
( |
) |
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| |
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| Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash |
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| Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period |
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| |
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| Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period |
$ |
$ |
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| |
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| Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing and financing information: |
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| Acquisition of property and equipment included in accounts payable |
$ |
$ |
— |
|||||
| Operating lease liabilities arising from obtaining right-of-use |
$ |
$ |
||||||
| Reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash: |
||||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents |
$ |
$ |
||||||
| Restricted cash (included in other assets) |
— |
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| |
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| Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash shown in the statement of cash flows |
$ |
$ |
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| |
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The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.
8
EVERQUOTE, INC.
NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(Unaudited)
1. Nature of the Business and Basis of Presentation
EverQuote, Inc. (the “Company”) was incorporated in the state of Delaware in 2008. Through its internet websites, the Company operates an online marketplace for consumers shopping for auto, home and renters, life and health insurance. The Company generates revenue primarily by selling consumer referrals to insurance provider customers, consisting of carriers and agents, and indirect distributors in the United States. The Company also generates revenue from commission fees paid by insurance provider customers for insurance policies it sells to consumers.
The Company is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties common to companies in similar industries and stages of development including, but not limited to, rapid technological changes, competition from substitute products and services from larger companies, protection of proprietary technology, customer concentration, patent litigation, the need to obtain additional financing to support growth and dependence on third parties and key individuals.
In addition, the Company is subject to risks and uncertainties relating to the ongoing coronavirus orders, business limitations and shutdowns and other measures to attempt to contain the spread of the virus. Government recommendations and requirements are continuing to change and there remains significant uncertainty as to the breadth and duration of business disruptions related to
(“COVID-19”)
pandemic. The COVID-19
pandemic has had a significant adverse impact on global commercial activity and has created significant volatility in financial markets. Many governmental authorities have implemented travel bans and restrictions, quarantines, shelter-in-place
COVID-19,
as well as its impact on the global economy and consumer confidence. Work-from-home and other measures have introduced additional operational risks, including cybersecurity risks, and may adversely affect the way the Company and its customers and insurance providers conduct business. The extent to which the COVID-19
pandemic impacts the Company’s workforce, business, financial condition, results of operations and the Company’s use of estimates in preparation of its consolidated financial statements will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted at this time. The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared on the basis of continuity of operations, realization of assets and the satisfaction of liabilities and commitments in the ordinary course of business. Since inception, the Company has incurred operating losses, including net losses of $5.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and $19.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. As of March 31, 2022, the Company had an accumulated deficit of $143.4 million. As of the issuance date of these condensed consolidated financial statements, the Company expects that its cash and cash equivalents will be sufficient to fund its operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements for at least the next 12 months from the issuance date of the condensed consolidated financial statements, without considering borrowing availability of up to $25.0
million under the Company’s revolving line of credit.
The Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”). Any reference in these notes to applicable guidance is meant to refer to the authoritative GAAP as found in the Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) and Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”). The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Unaudited Interim Financial Information
The condensed consolidated balance sheet at December 31, 2021 was derived from audited consolidated financial statements but does not include all disclosures required by GAAP. The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements as of March 31, 2022 and for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021 have been prepared by the Company pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) for interim financial statements. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in the consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. Therefore, these condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto for the year ended December 31, 2021 included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form
10-K for
the year ended December 31, 2021 on file with the SEC. In the opinion of management, all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments necessary for a fair statement of the Company’s financial position as of March 31, 2022 and results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021 and cash flows for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021 have been made. The Company’s results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2022 are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2022 or any other period. 9
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting periods. Significant estimates and assumptions reflected in these consolidated financial statements include, but are not limited to, revenue recognition and collectability of accounts receivable, the expensing and capitalization of website and software development costs, goodwill and acquired intangible assets, commissions receivable, the contingent consideration liabilities, the valuation of stock-based awards and income taxes. The Company bases its estimates on historical experience, known trends and other market-specific or relevant factors that it believes to be reasonable under the circumstances. On an ongoing basis, management evaluates its estimates, as there are changes in circumstances, facts and experience. Changes in estimates are recorded in periods in which they become known. Actual results may differ from those estimates or assumptions. Due to the
COVID-19
pandemic, there has been uncertainty and disruption in the global economy and financial markets. The Company is not aware of any specific event or circumstance that would require an update to its estimates or judgments or a revision of the carrying value of its assets or liabilities as of the date of issuance of these consolidated financial statements. These estimates may change, as new events occur and additional information is obtained. Actual results could differ materially from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. Concentrations of Credit Risk and of Significant Customers
Financial instruments that potentially expose the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents and accounts and commissions receivable. The Company maintains its cash and cash equivalents at accredited financial institutions. The Company does not believe that it is subject to unusual credit risk beyond the normal credit risk associated with commercial banking relationships.
The Company sells its consumer referrals to insurance provider customers, consisting of carriers and agents, and indirect distributors in the United States and receives commissions from insurance provider customers for insurance policies sold. For the three months ended March 31, 2022, two customers represented 14 % and 11 %, respectively, of total revenue. For the three months ended March 31, 2021, one customer represented 20 % of total revenue. As of March 31, 2022, one customer accounted for 15 % of the accounts receivable and commissions receivable balance. As of December 31, 2021, one customer accounted for 12 % of the total accounts and commissions receivable balance.
Fair Value Measurements
Fair value is defined as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. Valuation techniques used to measure fair value must maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. Financial assets and liabilities carried at fair value are to be classified and disclosed in one of the following three levels of the fair value hierarchy, of which the first two are considered observable and the last is considered unobservable:
• |
Level 1—Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. |
• |
Level 2—Observable inputs (other than Level 1 quoted prices), such as quoted prices in active markets for similar assets or liabilities, quoted prices in markets that are not active for identical or similar assets or liabilities, or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data. |
• |
Level 3—Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to determining the fair value of the assets or liabilities, including pricing models, discounted cash flow methodologies and similar techniques. |
The Company’s
Restricted Cash
As of December 31, 2021, restricted cash consisted of $0.3 million deposited in a separate restricted bank account as a security deposit for the Company’s corporate credit cards. Restricted cash was classified within other assets. During the three months ended March 31, 2022, the restricted cash was released to the Company and as a result, as of March 31, 2022, the Company no longer maintains a restricted cash balance.
10
Accounts Receivable
The Company provides credit to customers in the ordinary course of business and believes its credit policies 0.1 million and less than $0.1 million, respectively. During the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021, the Company wrote off an insignificant amount of uncollectible accounts.
are
prudent and reflect industry practices and business risk. The Company monitors economic conditions to identify facts or circumstances that may indicate that its receivables are at risk of collection. The Company provides reserves against accounts receivable for estimated losses, if any, that may result from a customer’s inability to pay based on the composition of its accounts receivable, current economic conditions, and historical credit loss activity. Amounts determined to be uncollectible are charged or written-off
against the reserve. As of March 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, the Company’s allowance for credit losses was $Revenue Recognition
The Company derives its revenue primarily by selling consumer referrals to its insurance provider customers, including insurance carriers, agents and indirect distributors. The Company also generates revenue from commission fees for the sale of policies, primarily in its health and automotive verticals. To determine revenue recognition for arrangements that the Company determines are within the scope of ASC 606, the Company performs the following five steps: (i) identify the contract(s) with a customer; (ii) identify the performance obligations in the contract; (iii) determine the transaction price; (iv) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract; and (v) recognize revenue when (or as) the Company satisfies a performance obligation.
The Company only applies the five-step model to contracts when collectability of the consideration to which the Company is entitled in exchange for the goods or services it transfers to the customer is determined to be probable. Amounts are recorded as accounts receivable when the Company’s right to consideration is unconditional. The Company does not assess whether a contract has a significant financing component if the expectation at contract inception is that the period between payment by the customer and the transfer of the promised goods or services to the customer will be one year or less.
Referral Revenue
The Company recognizes referral revenue when it satisfies its performance obligations by delivering the referrals to its customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which it expects to be entitled in exchange for those referrals.
Commission Revenue
The Company’s commission revenue is primarily comprised of commissions from health insurance carriers and auto insurance carriers. Commission revenue consists of the estimated constrained lifetime values (the “constrained LTVs”) of commission payments the Company expects to receive for selling an insurance policy. Commission revenue is recognized upon satisfaction of the Company’s performance obligation. The Company considers its performance obligation to be satisfied upon submission of the policy application. Commission revenue represented approximately 13 % of total revenue in the three months ended March 31, 2022 and less than 10 % of total revenue in the three months ended March 31, 2021.
The Company estimates commission revenue for each health insurance product by using a portfolio approach to a group of policies by product type and the application submission date of the relevant policy, which are referred to as “cohorts.” The Company’s estimate of constrained LTVs is based on an analysis of historical commission payment trends for relevant policies to establish an expected lifetime value and incorporates management’s judgment in interpreting those trends to calculate LTVs and to apply constraints to such LTVs. Significant factors impacting historical trends include carrier mix, average policy duration and conversion rates of paying policies.
Commission revenue from auto insurance carriers consists of constrained LTVs of commission payments the Company expects to receive for selling an insurance policy based on the effective date of the policy. The Company’s estimate of constrained LTVs is based on an analysis of historical commission payment trends for relevant policies to establish an expected lifetime value and incorporates management’s judgment in interpreting those trends to calculate LTVs and to apply constraints to such LTVs. The most significant factor impacting historical trends is average policy duration.
The Company applies a constraint to its estimated LTVs to only recognize the amount of variable consideration that it believes is probable that it will be entitled to receive and will not be subject to a significant revenue reversal in the future.
To the extent that commission payment trends change or the underlying factors impacting commission payments change, the Company’s estimate of constrained LTVs could be materially impacted. To the extent the Company makes changes to its estimates of constrained LTVs, it recognizes any material impact of the change to commission revenue in the reporting period in which the change is made, including revisions of estimated lifetime commissions either below or in excess of previously estimated constrained LTVs recognized as an adjustment to revenue and the related contract asset. The Company recognizes revenue for new policies by applying the latest estimated constrained LTV for that product.
Disaggregated Revenue
The Company presents disaggregated revenue from contracts with customers
by
distribution channel, as the distribution channel impacts the nature and amount of the Company’s revenue, and by vertical market segment. 11
Total revenue is comprised of revenue from the following distribution channels:
Three Months Ended March 31, |
||||||||
2022 |
2021 |
|||||||
| Direct channels |
% | % | ||||||
| Indirect channels |
% | % | ||||||
| |
|
|
|
|||||
| % | % | |||||||
| |
|
|
|
|||||
Total revenue is comprised of revenue from the following insurance verticals (in thousands):
Three Months Ended March 31, |
||||||||
2022 |
2021 |
|||||||
| Automotive |
$ | $ | ||||||
| Other |
||||||||
| |
|
|
|
|||||
| Total Revenue |
$ | $ | ||||||
| |
|
|
|
|||||
The Company has elected to apply the practical expedient in ASC 606 to expense incremental direct costs of obtaining a contract, consisting of sales commissions, as incurred as the expected period of benefit of the sales commissions is one year or less. At March 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, the Company had not capitalized any costs to obtain any of its contracts.
Deferred Revenue
Amounts received for referrals prior to satisfying the revenue recognition criteria are recorded as deferred revenue in the accompanying balance sheets. Amounts expected to be recognized as revenue within 12 months of the balance sheet date are classified as current deferred revenue. Deferred revenue was $2.1 million as of December 31, 2021. During the three months ended March 31, 2022, the Company recognized revenue of $1.4
million that was included in the contract liability balance (deferred revenue) at December 31, 2021. The Company recognizes deferred revenue by first allocating from the beginning deferred revenue balance to the extent that the beginning deferred revenue balance exceeds the revenue to be recognized. Billings during the period are added to the deferred revenue balance to be recognized in future periods.
Commissions Receivable
Commissions receivable are contract assets that represent estimated variable consideration for commissions to be received from insurance carriers for performance obligations that have been satisfied. The current portion of commissions receivable (included within prepaid expenses and other current assets) are estimated commissions expected to be received within one year, while the
non-current
portion of commissions receivable (included within other assets (non-current))
are expected to be received beyond one year. The current and
non-current
portions of commissions receivable are as follows (in thousands): March 31, 2022 |
December 31, 2021 |
|||||||
| Commissions receivable, current portion (included in prepaid expenses and other current assets) |
$ |
$ |
||||||
| Commissions receivable, non-current portion (included in other assets) |
||||||||
| |
|
|
|
|||||
$ |
$ |
|||||||
| |
|
|
|
|||||
A portion of the Company’s commissions receivable contract asset was recorded as part of the purchase price allocation for the Company’s two acquisitions (see Note 3). The Company assesses impairment for uncollectible consideration when information available indicates it is probable that an asset has been impaired. There were no impairments recorded during the three months ended March 31, 2022 or 2021. While the Company is exposed to credit losses due to the
non-payment
by insurance carriers, it considers the risk of this to be remote. Advertising Expense
Advertising expense consists of variable costs that are related to attracting consumers to the Company’s marketplace and generating consumer quote requests, including through its verified partner network, and promoting its marketplace to insurance carriers
and
agents. The Company expenses advertising costs as incurred and such costs are included in sales and marketing expense in the accompanying statements of operations and comprehensive loss. During the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021, advertising expense totaled
$76.4
million and
$72.4
million, respectively.
12
Net Income (Loss) per Share
Basic net income (loss) per common share is computed by dividing the net income (loss) by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding for the period. Diluted net income (loss) per common share is computed by dividing net income (loss) by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period, including potential dilutive common shares assuming the dilutive effect of outstanding stock options and unvested restricted stock units. For periods in which the Company reported a net loss, diluted net loss per common share is the same as basic net loss per common share, since dilutive common shares are not assumed to have been issued if their effect is anti-dilutive.
The Company has two classes of common stock outstanding: Class A common stock and Class B common stock. The rights of the holders of Class A and Class B common stock are identical, except with respect to voting and conversion. Each share of Class B common stock is convertible into one share of Class A common stock at the option of the holder at any time. The Company allocates undistributed earnings attributable to common stock between the common stock classes on a basis when computing net income (loss) per share. As a result, basic and diluted net income (loss) per share of Class A common stock and Class B common stock are equivalent.
one-to-one
The Company excluded the following potential common shares, presented based on amounts outstanding at each period end, from the computation of diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders for the periods indicated because including them would have had an anti-dilutive effect:
March 31, |
||||||||
2022 |
2021 |
|||||||
| Options to purchase common stock |
||||||||
| Unvested restricted stock units |
||||||||
| |
|
|
|
|||||
| |
|
|
|
|||||
The table above does not include shares issuable upon settlement of contingent consideration for the Company’s two acquisitions (see Note 3). Such shares are also not included in the Company’s calculation of basic or diluted net loss per common share.
Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements
In October 2021, the FASB issued ASU , as if it had originated the contracts. This approach differs from the current requirement to measure contract assets and contract liabilities acquired in a business combination at fair value. The amendments in this update are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2022, with early adoption permitted. The amendments in this update are to be applied prospectively to business combinations occurring on or after the effective date. The Company is currently assessing the impact of the adoption of this guidance on its consolidated financial statements.
No. 2021-08,
Accounting for Contract Assets and Contract Liabilities from Contracts with Customers (Topic 805), which requires contract assets and contract liabilities acquired in a business combination to be recognized and measured by the acquirer on the acquisition date in accordance with ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers
3. Acquisitions
PolicyFuel
On August 13, 2021, the Company completed the acquisition of Policy Fuel, LLC and its affiliated entities (“PolicyFuel”), a
policy-sales-as-a-service provider, with principal offices in Austin and San Antonio, Texas. PolicyFuel operates in the property and casualty insurance industry providing services to enable carriers to complement their own call center operations with access to dedicated advisor teams that focus exclusively on selling that provider’s offerings. This acquisition enables the Company to expand the range of products the Company offers to carriers and expands the market of the Company’s direct-to-consumer offerings.
policy-sales-as-a-service provider, with principal offices in Austin and San Antonio, Texas. PolicyFuel operates in the property and casualty insurance industry providing services to enable carriers to complement their own call center operations with access to dedicated advisor teams that focus exclusively on selling that provider’s offerings. This acquisition enables the Company to expand the range of products the Company offers to carriers and expands the market of the Company’s direct-to-consumer offerings.
The PolicyFuel acquisition was accounted for as a purchase of a business under ASC Topic 805, Business Combinations. Under the acquisition method of accounting, the assets and liabilities of PolicyFuel were recorded at their respective fair values as of the acquisition date. The purchase consideration of $20.0 million reflected a cash payment of $16.0 million, net of cash acquired, settlement of an outstanding receivable from PolicyFuel of $0.2 million and contingent consideration of $3.8 million, representing the estimated fair value as of the acquisition date of Class A common stock issuable to the former owners of PolicyFuel upon achievement of certain revenue targets over the next three years . The former owners of PolicyFuel are eligible to receive shares of Class A common stock upon the achievement (at varying levels) of each of three twelve-month revenue targets. The number of shares that may be issued at maximum performance is based on a total dollar value of $12.9 million; 50 % of which would be calculated at the time of issuance by dividing the applicable dollar value by a volume weighted average price per share for a 20 -day period preceding the acquisition. These shares are referred to as the “Fixed Shares” and the maximum number of Fixed Shares that may be issued is 199,311 . The fair value of such shares to be recorded upon issuance will be based on the number of shares issued multiplied by the market value of the Company’s Class A common stock on the date of issuance. The remaining 50 %, or $6.5 million at maximum performance, may be issued as shares of Class A common stock calculated by dividing the applicable dollar value earned by the
13
volume weighted average price per share for
The Fixed Shares described above include 17,030 performance-based restricted stock units issued as an Inducement Award and the Fixed Dollar Shares described above include $0.6 million of performance-based restricted stock units issued as an Inducement Award (see Note 8).
As achievement of each of the three twelve-month targets will result in the issuance of a variable number of shares of Class A common stock, the Company recorded the fair value of this contingent consideration within accrued expense and other current liabilities (first annual target) and within other long-term liabilities (second and third annual targets). The Company estimated the fair value of the contingent consideration as of the acquisition date using a Monte Carlo simulation model. The most significant assumptions and estimates utilized in the model include forecasted revenue (an acquisition specific input) and the market value of the Company’s Class A common stock (an observable input). Other assumptions utilized in the model include equity volatility, revenue volatility and discount rate. The Company remeasures the fair value of the contingent consideration at each subsequent reporting date until the liability is fully settled (see Note 4).
The Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements reflect the preliminary allocation of the purchase price to the assets and liabilities assumed based on fair value as of the date of the acquisition. The Company’s preliminary estimate of the fair value of specifically identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed as of the date of acquisition including the related impact to the deferred tax liability is subject to change upon finalizing its valuation analysis. The final determination may result in changes in the fair value of certain assets and liabilities as compared to these preliminary estimates, which is expected to be finalized in the second quarter of 2022. The Company expects an adjustment to the release of the deferred tax asset valuation allowance corresponding to any potential measurement period adjustments that impact the net deferred tax liability. The Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements as of March 31, 2022 reflect the preliminary allocation of the preliminary purchase price to the assets and liabilities assumed based on fair value as of the date of the acquisition.
The following tables summarize the preliminary purchase price for PolicyFuel and the preliminary allocation of the purchase price (in thousands):
| Cash paid, net of cash acquired |
$ |
|||
| Fair value of contingent consideration to be settled in stock |
||||
| Settlement of existing relationship |
||||
| |
|
|||
| Total purchase price consideration, net of cash acquired |
$ |
|||
| |
|
|||
| Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed: |
||||
| Accounts receivable |
$ |
|||
| Commissions receivable (current and long-term) |
||||
| Prepaid expenses and other current assets |
||||
| Customer relationships |
||||
| Developed technology |
||||
| Other identifiable intangible assets |
||||
| Goodwill |
||||
| |
|
|||
| Total assets acquired |
||||
| Accounts payable and accrued expenses (current) |
( |
) | ||
| Deferred tax liability |
( |
) | ||
| |
|
|||
| Total allocation of purchase price consideration, net of cash acquired |
$ |
|||
| |
|
Customer relationships were valued using the income approach and are being amortized to sales and marketing expense over their estimated useful life of nine years . Significant assumptions and estimates utilized in the model include revenue and earnings growth rates, royalty rates and the discount rate.
Developed technology was valued using the relief from royalty method and is being amortized to cost of revenue over its estimated useful life of three years . Significant assumptions and estimates utilized in this model include the royalty rate, the discount rate and the obsolescence curve.
Commissions receivable were recorded at constrained LTVs and are included in prepaid expenses and other current assets and other assets on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet.
14
Goodwill was recognized for the excess purchase price over the fair value of the net assets acquired. Goodwill is primarily attributable to the workforce of the acquired business (which is not eligible for separate recognition as an identifiable intangible asset) and future growth. Goodwill resulting from the acquisition of PolicyFuel is not deductible for tax purposes.
The Company incurred costs of $0.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, for third-party professional services utilized for the acquisition, which were expensed as incurred within acquisition-related costs on the Company’s consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss. The operating results of the acquired entity have been included in the consolidated financial statements beginning on the acquisition date but have not been disclosed as the Company does not account for the results of the acquired entity separate from its own results. Pro forma results of operations for the acquisition have not been presented as they are not material to the Company’s consolidated results of operations.
The Company recorded an income tax benefit for the year ended December 31, 2021 of $2.5 million related to the release of a portion of its valuation allowance as a result of the acquisition of PolicyFuel. The net deferred tax liability recorded for PolicyFuel relates to the intangible assets recognized in purchase accounting, which are
non-deductible
for tax purposes and result in a deferred tax liability. The net deferred tax liability is a source of income to support the recognition of a portion of the Company’s existing deferred tax assets. Therefore, the Company recorded a tax benefit for the release of a portion of its valuation allowance related to the net deferred tax liability recorded in purchase accounting. The Company maintains a valuation allowance on its overall net deferred tax asset as it is deemed more likely than not the net deferred tax asset will not be realized. Eversurance
On September 1, 2020, the Company completed the acquisition of Crosspointe Insurance & Financial Services, LLC, a health insurance agency headquartered in Evansville, Indiana. In the third quarter 2021, the Company changed the name of Crosspointe Insurance & Financial Services, LLC to Eversurance, LLC (“Eversurance”). Eversurance is a sales and decision support contact center that connects consumers to high quality health insurance in a customer-centric environment and serves the individual and family health, Medicare, and ancillary health product markets. This acquisition enables the Company to accelerate and expand its opportunity in the health insurance market, by providing insurance shoppers with a broader range of health insurance products through access to a greater number of carrier partners, and an improved and more personalized customer buying experience.
The Eversurance acquisition was accounted for as a purchase of a business under ASC Topic 805, Business Combinations. Under the acquisition method of accounting, the assets and liabilities of Eversurance were recorded as of the acquisition date, at their respective fair values. The purchase consideration of $16.7 million reflected a cash payment of $14.9 million and contingent consideration of $1.8 million representing the fair value of Class A common stock issuable to the former owners of Eversurance upon achievement of certain revenue targets over three years . The former owners of Eversurance were eligible to receive up to 97,922 shares of Class A common stock upon achievement of certain revenue targets measured in annual intervals. Shares of Class A common stock issuable upon achievement of the first two annual targets were for a fixed number of shares of Class A common stock of 39,168 shares and, as such, the Company recorded the fair value of these shares within stockholders’ equity based on the number of shares issuable and the market value of Class A common stock on the acquisition date. These shares were issued to the former owners of Eversurance during 2021. Achievement of the third annual target will result in the issuance of a variable number of shares of Class A common stock of up to 58,754 shares and, as such, the Company recorded the fair value of these shares as a long-term liability. The Company remeasures the fair value of the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon the estimated achievement levels of the third annual target at each subsequent reporting date until the liability is fully settled (see Note 4).
15
4. Fair Value of Financial Instruments
The following tables present the Company’s fair value hierarchy for its assets and liabilities which are measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of March 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021 (in thousands):
Fair Value Measurements at March 31, 2022 Using: |
||||||||||||||||
Level 1 |
Level 2 |
Level 3 |
Total |
|||||||||||||
Assets: |
||||||||||||||||
Cash equivalents: |
||||||||||||||||
Money market funds |
$ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||
Liabilities: |
||||||||||||||||
Contingent consideration liability associated with acquisition of Eversurance included in other long-term liabilities |
$ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||
Contingent consideration liability associated with acquisition of PolicyFuel included in accrued expense s and other current liabilities |
||||||||||||||||
Contingent consideration liability associated with acquisition of PolicyFuel included in other long-term liabilities |
||||||||||||||||
| $ | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||||||
Fair Value Measurements at December 31, 2021 Using: |
||||||||||||||||
Level 1 |
Level 2 |
Level 3 |
Total |
|||||||||||||
Assets: |
||||||||||||||||
Cash equivalents: |
||||||||||||||||
Money market funds |
$ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||
Liabilities: |
||||||||||||||||
Contingent consideration liability associated with acquisition of Eversurance included in other long-term liabilities |
$ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||
Contingent consideration liability associated with acquisition of PolicyFuel included in accrued expense s and other current liabilities |
||||||||||||||||
Contingent consideration liability associated with acquisition of PolicyFuel included in other long-term liabilities |
||||||||||||||||
| $ | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||||||
There were no
Money market funds were valued by the Company based on quoted market prices, which represent a Level 1 measurement within the fair value hierarchy.
Contingent consideration liabilities are valued by the Company using significant inputs not observable in the market, which represents a Level 3 measurement within the fair value hierarchy. The valuation of contingent consideration uses assumptions and estimates to forecast a range of outcomes for the contingent consideration. The Company assesses these assumptions and estimates on a quarterly basis as additional data impacting the assumptions is obtained. Changes in the fair value of contingent consideration related to updated assumptions and estimates are recognized as acquisition-related costs within the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss.
The Company estimates the fair value of the maximum 58,754 shares of Class A common stock issuable as contingent consideration upon achievement of certain Eversurance revenue targets (see Note 3) using probability of achievement of the revenue target (acquisition specific input) and the market value of the Company’s Class A common stock (observable input). The change in fair value of the contingent consideration liability for the three months ended March 31, 2022 was due to the change in market value of the Company’s Class A common stock.
The Company uses a Monte Carlo simulation model in its estimates of the fair value of the contingent consideration related to the PolicyFuel acquisition. The most significant assumptions and estimates utilized in the model include forecasted revenue (an acquisition specific input) and the market value of the Company’s Class A common stock (an observable input). Other assumptions utilized in the model include equity volatility, revenue volatility and discount rate. The decrease in fair value of contingent consideration related to the Class A common stock issuable upon achievement of revenue targets was primarily due to a change in estimate of forecasted revenue.
16
The following table provides a roll-forward of the aggregate fair values of the Company’s contingent consideration liabilities for which fair value is determined by Level 3 inputs (in thousands):
Contingent Consideration Liabilities |
||||
| Fair value at December 31, 2021 |
$ |
|||
| Change in fair value of contingent consideration related to Eversurance acquisition |
||||
| Change in fair value of contingent consideration related to PolicyFuel acquisition |
( |
) | ||
| |
|
|||
| Fair value at March 31, 2022 |
$ |
|||
| |
|
|||
5. Goodwill and Acquired Intangible Assets
Goodwill is not amortized, but instead is reviewed for impairment at least annually or more frequently when events and circumstances occur indicating that the recorded goodwill may be impaired. The Company considers its business to be one reporting unit for purposes of performing its goodwill impairment analysis. To date, the Company has had no impairments to goodwill.
There were no changes to goodwill for the three months ended March 31, 2022.
Acquired intangible assets consisted of the following (in thousands):
March 31, 2022 |
||||||||||||||||
Weighted Average Useful Life |
Gross Amount |
Accumulated Amortization |
Carrying Value |
|||||||||||||
(in years) |
||||||||||||||||
| Customer relationships |
$ | $ | ( |
) | $ | |||||||||||
| Developed technology |
( |
) | ||||||||||||||
| Other identifiable intangible assets |
( |
) | ||||||||||||||
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||
| $ | $ | ( |
) | $ | ||||||||||||
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||
December 31, 2021 |
||||||||||||||||
Weighted Average Useful Life |
Gross Amount |
Accumulated Amortization |
Carrying Value |
|||||||||||||
(in years) |
||||||||||||||||
| Customer relationships |
$ | $ | ( |
) | $ | |||||||||||
| Developed technology |
( |
) | ||||||||||||||
| Other identifiable intangible assets |
( |
) | ||||||||||||||
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||
| $ | $ | ( |
) | $ | ||||||||||||
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||
Future amortization expense of intangible assets as of March 31, 2022 is expected to be as follows (in thousands):
| Year Ending December 31, |
||||
| 2022 (remaining nine months) |
$ |
|||
| 2023 |
||||
| 2024 |
||||
| 2025 |
||||
| 2026 |
||||
| Thereafter |
||||
| |
|
|||
$ |
||||
| |
|
|||
6. Balance Sheet Detail
Prepaid expenses and other current assets consisted of the following (in thousands):
March 31, |
December 31, |
|||||||
2022 |
2021 |
|||||||
| Commissions receivable, current portion |
$ | $ | ||||||
| Prepaid expenses and other current assets |
||||||||
| |
|
|
|
|||||
| $ | $ | |||||||
| |
|
|
|
|||||
17
Other assets consisted of the following (in thousands):
March 31, 2022 |
December 31, 2021 |
|||||||
| Commissions receivable, non-current portion |
$ | $ | ||||||
| Other assets |
||||||||
| |
|
|
|
|||||
| $ | $ | |||||||
| |
|
|
|
|||||
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities consisted of the following (in thousands):
March 31, 2022 |
December 31, 2021 |
|||||||
| Accrued employee compensation and benefits |
$ | $ | ||||||
| Accrued advertising expenses |
||||||||
| Other current liabilities |
||||||||
| |
|
|
|
|||||
| $ | $ | |||||||
| |
|
|
|
|||||
7. Loan and Security Agreement
The Company has available borrowings of $25.0 million under its amended Loan and Security Agreement (the “2020 Loan Agreement”). Pursuant to the 2020 Loan Agreement, borrowings under the revolving line of credit cannot exceed 80 % of eligible accounts receivable balances, bear interest at the greater of 3.25 % or the prime rate and mature in August 2022 . Borrowings are collateralized by substantially all of the Company’s assets and property.
Under the 2020 Loan Agreement, the Company is subject to specified affirmative and negative covenants until maturity. These covenants include limitations on the Company’s ability to incur additional indebtedness and engage in certain fundamental business transactions, such as mergers or acquisitions. In addition, the Company is required to maintain a financial performance covenant: a minimum asset coverage ratio of 1.5 to 1, calculated as the sum of unrestricted cash and qualified accounts receivable divided by borrowings outstanding under the revolving line of credit. As of March 31, 2022, the Company was in compliance with these covenants. Events which would meet the criteria of a default under the 2020 Loan Agreement include failure to make payments when due, insolvency events, failure to comply with covenants or material adverse events with respect to the Company.
As of March 31, 2022, the Company had no amounts outstanding on the revolving line of credit.
8. Stock-Based Compensation
2008 and 2018 Plans
The Company has outstanding awards under its 2008 Stock Incentive Plan, as amended (the “2008 Plan”), but is no longer granting awards under this plan. Shares of common stock issued upon exercise of stock options granted prior to September 8, 2017 will be issued as either Class A common stock or Class B common stock. Shares of common stock issued upon exercise of stock options granted after September 8, 2017 will be issued as Class A common stock.
The Company’s 2018 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2018 Plan” and, together with the 2008 Plan, the “Plans”) provides for the grant of incentive stock 2,149,480 shares of Class A common stock, plus the number of shares (up to 5,028,832 shares) equal to the sum of (i) the 583,056 shares of Class A common stock and Class B common stock that were available for grant under the 2008 Plan upon the effectiveness of the 2018 Plan and (ii) the number of shares of Class A common stock and Class B common stock subject to outstanding awards under the 2008 Plan that expire, terminate or are otherwise surrendered, canceled, forfeited or repurchased by the Company at their original issuance price pursuant to a contractual repurchase right (subject, in the case of incentive stock options, to any limitations of the Internal Revenue Code). The number of shares of Class A common stock that may be issued under the 2018 Plan will automatically increase on the first day of each fiscal year until, and including, the fiscal year ending December 31, 2028, equal to the least of (i) 2,500,000 shares of Class A common stock; (ii) 5 % of the sum of the number of shares of Class A common stock and Class B common stock outstanding on the first day of such fiscal year; and (iii) an amount determined by the Company’s board of directors. The shares of common stock underlying any awards that are forfeited, canceled, held back upon exercise or settlement of an award to satisfy the exercise price or tax withholding, repurchased or are otherwise terminated by the Company under the 2018 Plan will be added back to the shares of common stock available for issuance under the 2018 Plan. The number of authorized shares reserved for issuance under the 2018 Plan was increased by 1,497,633 shares effective as of January 1, 2022 in accordance with the provisions of the 2018 Plan described above. As of March 31, 2022, 2,705,526 shares remain available for future grant under the 2018 Plan.
options, non-qualified stock
options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock awards, restricted stock units, and other stock-based awards. The number of shares initially reserved for issuance under the 2018 Plan is the sum of 18
Options and restricted stock units (“RSU”s) granted under the Plans vest over periods determined by the board of directors. Options granted under the Plans expire no longer than ten years from the date of the grant. The exercise price for stock options granted is not less than the fair value of common shares based on quoted market prices.
During
During the three months ended March 31, 2022, the Company granted 575,883 service-based RSUs under the 2018 Plan with an aggregate grant date fair value of $9.0 million.
Inducement Grants
In connection with the acquisition of PolicyFuel in 2021, the Company granted service- and service- and performance-based RSUs to newly hired employees. The RSUs were approved by the Company’s board of directors and were granted as an inducement material to the new employees entering into employment with the Company in accordance with Nasdaq Rule 5635(c)(4) (the “Inducement Awards”). The Inducement Awards were granted outside of the 2018 Plan.
The Company also has outstanding service- and performance-based RSUs granted as Inducement Awards in 2021 that will vest for a variable number of shares of the Company’s Class A common stock upon the achievement (at varying levels) of certain revenue targets measured at twelve-month intervals over the next three years . The number of shares to be issued upon achievement of each of the revenue targets will be based on a fixed dollar value divided by the volume weighted average price per share of the Company’s Class A common stock for a 20 -day period preceding each revenue achievement determination date. The number of shares of Class A common stock that may be issued in settlement of such awards is capped at 173,042 , with any remainder being settleable in cash or unregistered shares solely at the Company’s option. Because a variable number of shares will be issued for a fixed dollar amount, the Company has accounted for the obligation to issue such shares as a liability. As of March 31, 2022, the balance of the liability included in accrued expenses and other current liabilities was $0.1 million. The Company has 17,030 performance-based RSUs granted in 2021 as Inducement Awards with no service requirement as PolicyFuel contingent consideration. The fair value of this issuance has been included in the fair value of contingent consideration (see Notes 3 and 4). The Company also has outstanding performance-based RSUs issued in 2021 as Inducement Awards as PolicyFuel contingent consideration that will vest for a variable number of shares of the Company’s Class A common stock upon the achievement (at varying levels) of certain revenue targets measured at twelve-month intervals over the next three years , but which have no service conditions. The number of shares to be issued upon achievement of each of the revenue targets is based on a fixed dollar amount divided by the volume weighted average price per share of the Company’s Class A common stock for a 20 -day period preceding each revenue target determination date. The maximum number of shares of Class A common stock that may be issued as Inducement Awards in settlement of the contingent consideration obligation is capped at 34,060 , with any remainder being settleable in cash or unregistered shares solely at the Company’s option. The fair value of such awards has been included in the fair value of contingent consideration (see Notes 3 and 4).
Stock-Based Compensation
The Company recorded stock-based compensation expense in the following expense categories of its statements of operations and comprehensive loss (in thousands):
Three Months Ended March 31, |
||||||||
2022 |
2021 |
|||||||
Cost of revenue |
$ | $ | ||||||
Sales and marketing |
||||||||
Research and development |
||||||||
General and administrative |
||||||||
| $ | $ | |||||||
Stock-based compensation expense for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021 included a total of $0.4 million and $0.6 million, respectively, related to unvested RSUs and option awards with performance-based vesting conditions, including options with performance- and market-based vesting conditions, for which the performance-based condition has not yet been achieved but has been deemed probable of being achieved.
As of March 31, 2022, unrecognized compensation expense for RSUs and option awards with service-based vesting conditions and RSUs and option awards with performance-based vesting conditions either achieved or deemed probable of being achieved was $45.5 million, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 2.9 years. Additionally, the Company had unrecognized compensation expense of $1.5 million related to unvested awards with performance-based vesting conditions, which have not been deemed probable and unrecognized compensation expense of $2.3 million related to the fixed dollar, variable number of shares portion of the Inducement Awards with performance-based vesting conditions that have not been deemed probable.
19
9. Commitments and Contingencies
Leases
The Company leases office space under various to the consolidated financial statements in the Company’s Annual Report on Form
non-cancelable
operating leases. There have been no material changes to the Company’s leases during the three months ended March 31 2022. For additional information, please read Note 12, Leases,
10-K
for the year ended December 31, 2021. Indemnification Agreements
In the normal course of business, the Company may provide indemnification of varying scope and terms to third parties and enters into commitments and guarantees (“Agreements”) under which it may be required to make payments. The duration of these Agreements varies, and in certain cases, is indefinite. Furthermore, many of these Agreements do not limit the Company’s maximum potential payment exposure.
In addition, the Company has entered into indemnification agreements with members of its board of directors and executive officers that will require the Company, among other things, to indemnify them against certain liabilities that may arise by reason of their status or service as directors or officers.
Through March 31, 2022, the Company has not incurred any material costs as a result of such indemnifications. The Company does not believe that the outcome of any claims under indemnification arrangements will have a material effect on its financial position, results of operations or cash flows, and it has not accrued any liabilities related to such obligations in its financial statements as of March 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021.
Legal Proceedings and Other Contingencies
The Company was contacted by a representative from a state tax assessor’s office requesting remittance of uncollected sales taxes. The Company does not believe its services are taxable in this state and is investigating this request and intends to vigorously defend this position. If the Company does not prevail in its position, uncollected sales taxes due for the period could amount to approximately $1.5 million, including interest and penalties. The Company has not recorded any liabilities related to this matter as the loss has not been deemed probable.
The Company is from time to time subject to various other legal proceedings and claims, either asserted or unasserted, which arise in the ordinary course of its business. While the outcome of these other claims cannot be predicted with certainty, management does not believe that the outcome of any of these other legal matters will have a material adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations or financial condition.
10. Retirement Plan
The Company has established a defined-contribution plan under Section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code (the “401(k) Plan”). The 401(k) Plan covers all employees who meet defined minimum age and service requirements, and allows participants to defer a portion of their annual compensation on a 0.2
pre-tax
basis. As currently established, the Company is not required to make any contributions to the 401(k) Plan. The Company contributed $11. Related Party Transactions
The Company has, in the ordinary course of business, entered into arrangements with other companies who have shareholders in common with the Company. Pursuant to these arrangements, related-party affiliates receive payments for providing website visitor referrals. During the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021, the Company recorded expense of $1.2 million and $1.0 million, respectively, related to these arrangements. During the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021, the Company paid $0.7 million and $0.8 million, respectively, related to these arrangements. As of March 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, amounts due to related-party affiliates totaled $0.8 million and $0.3 million, respectively, which were included in accounts payable on the balance sheets.
On February 23, 2022, the Company sold 1,004,016 shares of Class A common stock at a purchase price of $14.94 per share for gross proceeds of $15.0 million in a private placement to Recognition Capital, LLC, an entity which is owned and controlled by David Blundin, Chairman of the board of directors and co-founder of the Company.
20
Item 2. 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 together with our condensed consolidated financial statements and related notes and other financial information included elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form
10-Q
and our consolidated financial statements and the related notes and other financial information included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K
for the year ended December 31, 2021, on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The following discussion and analysis 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 Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q,
particularly in the section titled “Risk Factors.” EverQuote makes insurance shopping easy, efficient and personal, saving consumers and insurance providers time and money.
We operate a leading online marketplace for insurance shopping, connecting consumers with insurance providers. Our mission is to empower insurance shoppers to better protect life’s most important assets—their family, property, and future. Our vision is to become the largest online source of insurance policies by using data and technology to make insurance simpler, more affordable and personalized, ultimately reducing cost and risk. Our results-driven marketplace, powered by our proprietary data and technology platform, is reshaping the insurance shopping experience for consumers and improving the way insurance providers attract and connect with consumers shopping for insurance.
Finding the right insurance product is often challenging for consumers, who face limited online options, complex, variable and opaque pricing, and myriad coverage configurations. We present consumers with a single starting point for a comprehensive and cost-effective insurance shopping experience. Our marketplace reduces the time consumers spend searching across multiple sites by delivering broader and more relevant results than consumers may find on their own. In addition to our marketplace, we also operate a direct to consumer, or DTC, insurance agency. Our DTC agents bind policies for consumers, further streamlining the consumer shopping experience. Our services are free for consumers, and we derive our revenue from sales of consumer referrals to insurance providers and directly from commissions on sales of policies.
Insurance providers, which we view as including carriers, our own DTC agents, and third-party agents, operate in a highly competitive and regulated industry and typically specialize in
pre-determined
subsets of consumers. As a result, not every consumer is a good match for every provider, and some providers can struggle to reach the segments that are most desirable for their business models. Traditional offline and online advertising channels reach broad audiences but lack the fine-grained consumer acquisition capabilities needed for optimally matching consumers to specific insurance products. We connect providers to a large volume of high-intent, pre-validated
consumer referrals that match the insurers’ specific requirements. The transparency of our marketplace, as well as the campaign management tools we offer, make it easy for insurance carriers and third-party agents to evaluate the performance of their marketing spend on our platform and manage their own return on investment. Since 2011, our core mission has been to make finding insurance easy and more personal, saving consumers and insurance providers time and money. We are working to build the largest and most trusted online insurance marketplace in the world. In pursuing this goal, we have consistently innovated through our disruptive data driven approach. Highlights of our history of innovation include:
| • | In 2011, we launched the EverQuote marketplace for auto insurance. |
| • | In 2013, we launched EverQuote Pro, our provider portal, for carriers. |
| • | In 2015, we launched EverQuote Pro for agents. |
| • | In 2016, we added home and life insurance in our marketplace. |
| • | In 2019, we added health and renters insurance in our marketplace. |
| • | In 2020, we launched our DTC insurance offerings in our life vertical and in our health vertical via the acquisition of Crosspointe Insurance & Financial Services, LLC, or Crosspointe, which we later renamed Eversurance. |
| • | In August 2021, we launched our DTC insurance offerings in our auto and home and renters verticals via the acquisition of Policy Fuel LLC and its affiliates, or PolicyFuel. |
In the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021, our total revenue was $110.7 million and $103.8 million, respectively, representing year-over-year growth of 6.6%. We had net losses of $5.7 million and $3.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively, and had $2.4 million and $4.8 million in adjusted EBITDA for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. See the section titled
“—Non-GAAP Financial Measure”
for information regarding our use of adjusted EBITDA and its reconciliation to net income (loss) determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States, or GAAP. 21
COVID-19
The orders, business limitations and shutdowns and other measures to attempt to contain the spread of the virus. Government recommendations and requirements are continuing to change and there remains significant uncertainty as to the breadth and duration of business disruptions related to operations and could disrupt our business and operations, as well as that of our customers and consumer traffic to our marketplace for an indefinite period of time. For example, we believe that immediately after orders went into effect consumers performed fewer searches for insurance online. To support the health and well-being of our employees, customers, partners and communities, a majority of our employees continue to work remotely, however our offices are open for use. While such disruptions have not had a material adverse impact on our financial results through March 31, 2022, such disruptions may impact consumer insurance shopping behavior. We continue to monitor and are managing our operations for the ongoing impact of
COVID-19
pandemic has had a significant adverse impact on global commercial activity and has created significant volatility in financial markets. Many governmental authorities have implemented travel bans and restrictions, quarantines, shelter-in-place
COVID-19,
as well as its impact on the global economy and consumer confidence. While we are unable to accurately predict the full impact that COVID-19
will have on our results from operations, financial condition, liquidity and cash flows due to these uncertainties, our compliance with measures to contain the spread of the virus has impacted our day-to-day
shelter-in-place
COVID-19.
Factors Affecting Our Performance
We believe that our performance and future growth depend on a number of factors that present significant opportunities for us but also pose risks and challenges, including those discussed below and in the section titled “Risk Factors.”
Auto insurance industry risk
We derive a significant portion of our revenue from auto insurance providers and our financial results depend on the performance of the auto insurance industry. For example, in 2016, the U.S. commercial auto insurance industry experienced its worst underwriting performance in 15 years, with higher loss ratios that were driven by both adverse claim severity and frequency trends. As a result, our auto insurance carrier customers reduced marketing spend and cost per sale targets the following year, ultimately impacting our revenue growth in the auto insurance vertical in 2017. More recently, and specifically starting in the third quarter of 2021, the auto insurance industry has experienced similar challenges, which is impacting our revenue growth in the auto insurance vertical. We believe this trend will continue during 2022.
Expanding consumer traffic
Our success depends in part on the growth of our consumer traffic. We have historically increased consumer traffic to our marketplace by expanding existing advertising channels and adding new channels such as by engaging with consumers through our verified partner network. We plan to continue to increase consumer traffic by leveraging the features and growing data assets of our platform. While we plan to increase consumer traffic over the long term, we also have the ability to decrease advertising, if we believe the revenue associated with such consumer traffic does not result in incremental profit to our business. We have also increased the number of quote requests acquired from our verified partner network. While we plan to continue to increase the number of quote requests we acquire from our verified partner network, our ability to acquire quote requests in significant volume, at prices that are attractive, and that represent high-intent shoppers that insurance providers will purchase referrals for will impact our profitability.
Increasing the number of insurance providers and their respective spend in our marketplace
Our success also depends on our ability to retain and grow our insurance provider network. Historically, we have generally expanded both the number of insurance providers and the spend per provider on our platform.
Key Business Metrics
We regularly review a number of metrics, including GAAP operating results and the key metrics listed below, to evaluate our business, measure our performance, identify trends affecting our business, formulate financial projections, and make operating and strategic decisions. Some of these metrics are
non-financial
metrics or are financial metrics that are not defined by GAAP. Adjusted EBITDA
We define Adjusted EBITDA as net income (loss), adjusted to exclude: stock-based compensation expense, depreciation and amortization expense, acquisition-related costs, legal settlement expense,
one-time
severance charges, interest income and the provision for (benefit from) income taxes. Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure
that we present in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q to supplement
the financial information we present on a GAAP basis. We monitor and present Adjusted EBITDA because it is a key measure used by our management and board of directors to understand and evaluate our operating 22
performance, to establish budgets and to develop operational goals for managing our business. Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered in isolation from, or as an alternative to, measures prepared in accordance with GAAP. Adjusted EBITDA should be considered together with other operating and financial performance measures presented in accordance with GAAP. Also, Adjusted EBITDA may not necessarily be comparable to similarly titled measures presented by other companies. For further explanation of the uses and limitations of this measure and a reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to the most directly comparable GAAP measure, net income (loss), please see “—Non GAAP Financial Measure”.
Variable Marketing Margin
We define variable marketing margin, or VMM, as revenue, as reported in our consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss, less advertising costs (a component of sales and marketing expense, as reported in our statements of operations and comprehensive loss). We use VMM to measure the efficiency of individual advertising and consumer acquisition sources and to make
trade-off
decisions to manage our return on advertising. We do not use VMM as a measure of profitability. Key Components of Our Results of Operations
Revenue
We generate our revenue primarily by selling consumer referrals to insurance provider customers, consisting of carriers and agents, as well as to indirect distributors. To simplify the quoting process for the consumer and improve performance for the provider, we are able to provide consumer-submitted quote request data along with each referral. We recognize revenue from consumer referrals at the time of delivery. We support three secure consumer referral formats:
| • | Clicks: An online-to-online |
| • | Data: An online-to-offline follow-up. |
| • | Calls: An online-to-offline offline-to-offline |
We also generate revenue from commission fees for the sale of policies, primarily in our health and automotive verticals. Commission revenue represented approximately 13% of total revenue in the three months ended March 31, 2022 and less than 10% of total revenue in the three months ended March 31, 2021. We recognize revenue from commission fees based on our constrained estimate of commission payments we expect to receive over the lifetime of the policies sold, which we refer to as constrained lifetime values, or constrained LTVs, of commission payments. Commission revenue is recognized upon satisfaction of our performance obligation, which we consider to be submission of the policy application.
For the periods presented, our total revenue consisted of revenue generated from our automotive and other insurance verticals, which includes home and renters, life and health insurance verticals, as follows:
Three Months Ended March 31, |
||||||||
2022 |
2021 |
|||||||
| (in thousands) | ||||||||
| Automotive |
$ | 87,675 | $ | 84,481 | ||||
| Other |
23,006 | 19,341 | ||||||
| |
|
|
|
|||||
| Total Revenue |
$ | 110,681 | $ | 103,822 | ||||
| |
|
|
|
|||||
We expect revenue to remain relatively flat or decrease slightly in 2022 as we anticipate increases in commission revenue to be offset by decreases in referral revenue in our automotive vertical as a result of challenges in the automotive insurance industry described above. We expect revenue to fluctuate from quarter to quarter and, in particular, for our commission revenue to be impacted by the open enrollment period and annual enrollment period in our health vertical.
Cost and Operating Expenses
Our cost and operating expenses consist of cost of revenue, sales and marketing, research and development, and general and administrative expenses and acquisition-related costs.
We allocate certain overhead expenses, such as rent, utilities, office supplies and depreciation and amortization of general office assets, to cost of revenue and operating expense categories based on headcount. As a result, an overhead expense allocation is reflected in cost of revenue and each operating expense category. Personnel-related costs included in cost of revenue and each operating expense category include wages, fringe benefit costs and stock-based compensation expense.
23
Cost of Revenue
Cost of revenue is comprised primarily of the costs of operating our marketplace and delivering consumer referrals to our customers. These costs consist primarily of technology service costs including hosting, software, data services, and third-party call center costs. In addition, cost of revenue includes depreciation and amortization of our platform technology assets and personnel-related costs.
Sales and Marketing
Sales and marketing expenses consist primarily of advertising and marketing expenditures as well as personnel-related costs for employees engaged in sales, marketing, data analytics and consumer acquisition functions and amortization of sales and marketing-related intangible assets. Advertising expenditures consist of variable costs that are related to attracting consumers to our marketplace, generating consumer quote requests, including the cost of quote requests we acquire from our verified partner network, and promoting our marketplace to carriers and agents. Advertising costs are expensed as incurred. Marketing costs consist primarily of content and creative development, public relations, memberships, and event costs. In order to continue to grow our business and brand awareness, we expect that we will continue to commit substantial resources to our sales and marketing efforts. We expect our sales and marketing expense will increase in the near term, both as a percentage of revenue and in absolute dollars, especially as we continue to expand our DTC agency. In the longer term, we expect sales and marketing expense to decrease as a percentage of revenue due to efficiencies of scale and improvements in our marketplace technology.
Research and Development
Research and development expenses consist primarily of personnel-related costs for software development and product management. We have focused our research and development efforts on improving ease of use and functionality of our existing marketplace platform and developing new offerings and internal tools. We primarily expense research and development costs. Direct development costs related to software enhancements that add functionality are capitalized and amortized as a component of cost of revenue. We expect that research and development expenses will increase as we continue to enhance and expand our platform technology.
General and Administrative
General and administrative expenses consist of personnel-related costs and related expenses for executive, finance, legal, human resources, technical support and administrative personnel as well as the costs associated with professional fees for external legal, accounting and other consulting services, insurance premiums and payment processing and billing costs. We expect general and administrative expenses to increase as we continue to incur the costs of compliance associated with being a publicly traded company, including legal, audit, insurance and consulting fees.
Acquisition-related
Acquisition-related costs include expenses associated with third-party professional services we utilize for the evaluation and execution of acquisitions as well as changes in the fair value of our contingent consideration liabilities recorded as the result of our Eversurance and PolicyFuel acquisitions.
Other Income (Expense)
Other income (expense) consists of interest income and other income (expense). Interest income consists of interest earned on invested cash balances. Other income (expense) consists of miscellaneous income (expense) unrelated to our core operations.
Non-GAAP Financial
Measure To supplement our consolidated financial statements presented in accordance with GAAP and to provide investors with additional information regarding our financial results, we present in this Quarterly Report on
Form 10-Q
adjusted EBITDA as 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. Adjusted EBITDA
one-time
severance charges; interest income; and our provision for (benefit from) income taxes. The most directly comparable GAAP measure to adjusted EBITDA is net income (loss). We monitor and present in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q adjusted
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 that excluding the impact of these items in calculating adjusted EBITDA can provide a useful measure for period-to-period comparisons
24
We use adjusted EBITDA to evaluate our operating performance and trends and make planning decisions. We believe adjusted EBITDA helps identify underlying trends in our business that could otherwise be masked by the effect of the expenses that we exclude in the calculation of adjusted EBITDA. Accordingly, we believe that adjusted EBITDA provides useful information to investors 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 income (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 excludes acquisition-related costs that affect cash available to us and the change in fair value of non-cash contingent consideration; |
| • | adjusted EBITDA excludes legal settlement expense that affected cash available to us; |
| • | adjusted EBITDA excludes severance charges incurred and paid in the fourth quarter of 2021 related to our reduction in non-marketing operating expenses that affected cash available to us; |
| • | adjusted EBITDA does not reflect the cash received from interest income on our investments, which affects the cash available to us; |
| • | adjusted EBITDA does not reflect income tax expense (benefit) that affects cash available to us; and |
| • | the expenses and other items that we exclude in our calculation 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 adjusted EBITDA as a tool for comparison.
The following table reconciles adjusted EBITDA to net income (loss), the most directly comparable financial measures calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP.
Reconciliation of Net Loss to Adjusted EBITDA:
Three Months Ended March 31, |
||||||||
2022 |
2021 |
|||||||
| (in thousands) | ||||||||
| Net loss |
$ | (5,715 | ) | $ | (3,801 | ) | ||
| Stock-based compensation |
7,530 | 7,520 | ||||||
| Depreciation and amortization |
1,511 | 1,174 | ||||||
| Acquisition-related |
(892 | ) | (79 | ) | ||||
| Interest income |
(8 | ) | (14 | ) | ||||
| |
|
|
|
|||||
| Adjusted EBITDA |
$ | 2,426 | $ | 4,800 | ||||
| |
|
|
|
|||||
25
Results of Operations
Comparison of the Three Months Ended March 31, 2022 and 2021
The following tables set forth our results of operations for the periods shown:
Three Months Ended March 31, |
||||||||
2022 |
2021 |
|||||||
| (in thousands) | ||||||||
| Statement of Operations Data: |
||||||||
| Revenue(1) |
$ | 110,681 | $ | 103,822 | ||||
| |
|
|
|
|||||
| Cost and operating expenses(2): |
||||||||
| Cost of revenue |
5,984 | 5,953 | ||||||
| Sales and marketing |
96,150 | 87,569 | ||||||
| Research and development |
8,196 | 8,573 | ||||||
| General and administrative |
6,941 | 5,596 | ||||||
| Acquisition-related |
(892 | ) | (79 | ) | ||||
| |
|
|
|
|||||
| Total cost and operating expenses |
116,379 | 107,612 | ||||||
| |
|
|
|
|||||
| Loss from operations |
(5,698 | ) | (3,790 | ) | ||||
| |
|
|
|
|||||
| Other income (expense): |
||||||||
| Interest income |
8 | 14 | ||||||
| Other expense, net |
(25 | ) | (25 | ) | ||||
| |
|
|
|
|||||
| Total other expense, net |
(17 | ) | (11 | ) | ||||
| |
|
|
|
|||||
| Net loss |
$ | (5,715 | ) | $ | (3,801 | ) | ||
| |
|
|
|
|||||
| Other Financial and Operational Data: |
||||||||
| Variable marketing margin |
$ | 34,264 | $ | 31,438 | ||||
| Adjusted EBITDA(3) |
$ | 2,426 | $ | 4,800 | ||||
| (1) | Comprised of revenue from the following distribution channels: |
Three Months Ended March 31, |
||||||||
2022 |
2021 |
|||||||
| Direct channels |
88 | % | 90 | % | ||||
| Indirect channels |
12 | % | 10 | % | ||||
| |
|
|
|
|||||
| 100 | % | 100 | % | |||||
| |
|
|
|
|||||
| (2) | Includes stock-based compensation expense as follows: |
Three Months Ended March 31, |
||||||||
2022 |
2021 |
|||||||
| (in thousands) | ||||||||
| Cost of revenue |
$ | 59 | $ | 91 | ||||
| Sales and marketing |
3,210 | 3,391 | ||||||
| Research and development |
2,411 | 2,327 | ||||||
| General and administrative |
1,850 | 1,711 | ||||||
| |
|
|
|
|||||
| $ | 7,530 | $ | 7,520 | |||||
| |
|
|
|
|||||
| (3) | See “—Non-GAAP Financial Measure” for information regarding our use of adjusted EBITDA as a non-GAAP financial measure and a reconciliation of adjusted EBITDA to its comparable GAAP financial measure. |
Revenue:
Three Months Ended March 31, |
Change |
|||||||||||||||
2022 |
2021 |
Amount |
% |
|||||||||||||
| (dollars in thousands) | ||||||||||||||||
| Revenue |
$ | 110,681 | $ | 103,822 | $ | 6,859 | 6.6 | % | ||||||||
Revenue increased by $6.9 million from $103.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 to $110.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022. The increase in revenue was due to increases of $3.2 million and $3.7 million in revenue from our automotive and other insurance marketplace verticals, respectively. The increase in revenue from our automotive vertical was primarily due to an increase in commission revenue of $5.2 million, partially offset by a decrease in carrier spend for referrals. The increase in revenue from our other marketplace verticals was primarily due to an increase of $6.6 million in commission revenue, partially offset by a decrease in number of referrals sold.
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Cost of Revenue
Three Months Ended March 31, |
Change |
|||||||||||||||
2022 |
2021 |
Amount |
% |
|||||||||||||
| (dollars in thousands) | ||||||||||||||||
| Cost of revenue |
$ | 5,984 | $ | 5,953 | $ | 31 | 0.5 | % | ||||||||
| Percentage of revenue |
5.4 | % | 5.7 | % | ||||||||||||
Cost of revenue was relatively consistent for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021. Cost of revenue increased due primarily to increased third-party call center costs of $0.4 million, which were primarily related to increased volume of call referrals and to increased amortization expense of $0.2 million. These increases were partially offset by a decrease in hosting costs of $0.5 million.
Sales and Marketing
Three Months Ended March 31, |
Change |
|||||||||||||||
2022 |
2021 |
Amount |
% |
|||||||||||||
| (dollars in thousands) | ||||||||||||||||
| Sales and marketing expense |
$ | 96,150 | $ | 87,569 | $ | 8,581 | 9.8 | % | ||||||||
| Percentage of revenue |
86.9 | % | 84.3 | % | ||||||||||||
Sales and marketing expenses increased by $8.6 million from $87.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 to $96.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022. The increase in sales and marketing expense was primarily due to an increase in advertising expenditures of $4.0 million and an increase in personnel-related costs of $4.0 million. The increase in personnel-related costs was primarily due to an increase in headcount, a significant portion of which was in DTC agency.
Research and Development
Three Months Ended March 31, |
Change |
|||||||||||||||
2022 |
2021 |
Amount |
% |
|||||||||||||
| (dollars in thousands) | ||||||||||||||||
| Research and development expense |
$ | 8,196 | $ | 8,573 | $ | (377 | ) | -4.4 | % | |||||||
| Percentage of revenue |
7.4 | % | 8.3 | % | ||||||||||||
Research and development expenses decreased by $0.4 million from $8.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 to $8.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022. The decrease in research and development expense was primarily due to a decrease in personnel-related costs of $0.5 million.
General and Administrative
Three Months Ended March 31, |
Change |
|||||||||||||||
2022 |
2021 |
Amount |
% |
|||||||||||||
| (dollars in thousands) | ||||||||||||||||
| General and administrative expense |
$ | 6,941 | $ | 5,596 | $ | 1,345 | 24.0 | % | ||||||||
| Percentage of revenue |
6.3 | % | 5.4 | % | ||||||||||||
General and administrative expenses increased by $1.3 million from $5.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 to $6.9 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022. The increase in general and administrative expenses was primarily due to an increase in personnel-related costs of $0.7 million. Other increases included legal fees of $0.2 million and hosting, insurance and credit card fees of $0.1 million each.
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Acquisition-related
Acquisition-related costs for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021 consisted solely of the change in fair value of our contingent consideration liabilities recorded as the result of our acquisitions, which were comprised of income of $0.9 million and $0.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The decrease in our contingent consideration liability for the three months ended March 31, 2022 related primarily to our future revenue forecasts.
Other Income (Expense)
Other expense, net was not significant for either of the three months ended March 31, 2022 or 2021.
Variable Marketing Margin
Three Months Ended March 31, |
Change |
|||||||||||||||
2022 |
2021 |
Amount |
% |
|||||||||||||
| (dollars in thousands) | ||||||||||||||||
| Revenue |
$ | 110,681 | $ | 103,822 | $ | 6,859 | 6.6 | % | ||||||||
| Less: total advertising expense (a component of sales and marketing expense) |
76,417 | 72,384 | ||||||||||||||
| |
|
|
|
|||||||||||||
| Variable marketing margin |
$ | 34,264 | $ | 31,438 | $ | 2,826 | 9.0 | % | ||||||||
| |
|
|
|
|||||||||||||
| Percentage of revenue |
31.0 | % | 30.3 | % | ||||||||||||
The increase in variable marketing margin was due primarily to growth in commissions revenue.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
At March 31, 2022, our principal sources of liquidity were cash and cash equivalents of $46.1 million and availability of $25.0 million under our revolving line of credit, which availability expires in August 2022.
Borrowings under our revolving line of credit are collateralized by substantially all of our assets and property. Additionally, we are subject under our revolving line of credit to affirmative and negative covenants to which we will remain subject until maturity. These covenants include limitations on our ability to incur additional indebtedness and engage in certain fundamental business transactions, such as mergers or acquisitions of other businesses. As of March 31, 2022, we were in compliance with these covenants. In addition, we are required to maintain a minimum asset coverage ratio of 1.5 to 1 calculated as the sum of unrestricted cash and qualified accounts receivable divided by borrowings outstanding under the revolving line of credit. Events of default under our revolving line of credit include failure to make payments when due, insolvency events, failure to comply with covenants and material adverse events with respect to us. In the event of a default, the lender may declare all borrowings immediately due and payable.
Since our inception, we have incurred operating losses and may continue to incur losses in the foreseeable future. We anticipate that our operating expenses and capital expenditures will increase substantially in the near term as we continue to expand our DTC agency, hire additional employees and improve our technology and infrastructure capabilities. Additionally, a significant portion of the commission revenue we record will be collected over a multi-year time frame as policyholders renew their policies, and we are paid commissions on those renewals. As of March 31, 2022, $18.9 million of our $28.1 million commissions receivable contract asset was classified as long-term. We believe our existing cash and cash equivalents will be sufficient to fund our operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements for at least the next 12 months, without considering the borrowing availability under our revolving line of credit. Our future capital requirements may vary materially from those currently planned and will depend on many factors, including our rate of revenue growth, the timing and extent of spending on business initiatives, purchases of capital equipment to support our growth, the expansion of sales and marketing activities, expansion of our business through acquisitions or our investments in complementary offerings, technologies or businesses, market acceptance of our platform and overall economic conditions. If we do not achieve our revenue goals as planned, we believe that we can reduce our operating costs. If we need additional funds and are unable to obtain funding on a timely basis, we may need to significantly curtail our operations in an effort to provide sufficient funds to continue our operations, which could adversely affect our business prospects.
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Cash Flows
The following table shows a summary of our cash flows for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021:
Three Months Ended March 31, |
||||||||
2022 |
2021 |
|||||||
| (in thousands) | ||||||||
| Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities |
$ | (3,845 | ) | $ | 3,520 | |||
| Net cash used in investing activities |
(681 | ) | (777 | ) | ||||
| Net cash provided by financing activities |
15,558 | 1,272 | ||||||
| Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash |
(5 | ) | 1 | |||||
| |
|
|
|
|||||
| Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash |
$ | 11,027 | $ | 4,016 | ||||
| |
|
|
|
|||||
Net cash provided by operating activities
Operating activities used $3.8 million during the three months ended March 31, 2022 primarily resulting from our net loss of $5.7 million and net cash used by operating activities of $6.4 million, partially offset by net
non-cash
charges of $8.2 million. Net cash used by changes in our operating assets and liabilities consisted primarily of an $11.0 million decrease in accounts receivable and a $5.6 million increase in other assets, partially offset by a $10.4 million increase in accounts payable and accrued expenses and other current liabilities. Operating activities provided $3.5 million during the three months ended March 31, 2021 primarily resulting from the offset of net non-cash
charges of $8.6 million to our net loss of $3.8 million and net cash used by changes in our operating assets and liabilities of $1.3 million. Net cash used by changes in our operating assets and liabilities consisted primarily of a $2.9 million increase in accounts receivable and a $0.7 million increase in other assets, partially offset by an aggregate $2.1 million increase in accounts payable and accrued expenses and other current liabilities. Changes in accounts receivable, accounts payable and accrued expenses and other current liabilities were generally due to growth in our business and timing of customer and vendor invoicing and payments. Collection of commissions receivable, which are included in prepaid expenses and other current assets and other assets depends upon the timing of our receipt of commission payments from insurance carriers. A significant portion of our commissions receivable is classified as long-term.
Net cash used in investing activities
Net cash used in investing activities was $0.7 million and $0.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Net cash used in investing activities for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021 included the acquisition of property and equipment, which included the capitalization of certain software development costs. During the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021, we capitalized $0.5 million and $0.7 million, respectively, of software development costs.
Net cash provided by financing activities
During the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021, net cash provided by financing activities was $15.6 million and $1.3 million, respectively. Net cash provided by financing activities during the three months ended March 31, 2022 consisted of $15.0 million of proceeds from the issuance and sale of shares of common stock in a private placement with Recognition Capital, LLC, an entity which is owned and controlled by David Blundin, Chairman of the Board of Directors and
co-founder
of the Company, and $0.6 million from the exercise of common stock options. Net cash provided by financing activities during the three months ended March 31, 2021 consisted of proceeds received from the exercise of common stock options. Contractual Obligations and Commitments
There have been no material changes to the contractual obligations reported in our Annual Report on Form
10-K
for the year ended December 31, 2021. Critical Accounting Policies and Significant Judgments and Estimates
Our condensed consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of our condensed consolidated financial statements and related disclosures requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue, costs and expenses, and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities in our condensed consolidated financial statements. We base our estimates on historical experience, known trends and events, and various other factors that we believe are reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. We evaluate our estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis. Our actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. We believe that the accounting policies discussed below are critical to understanding our historical and future performance, as these policies relate to the more significant areas involving management’s judgments and estimates.
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The following critical accounting policies reflect significant judgments and estimates used in the preparation of our condensed consolidated financial statements:
| • | goodwill and acquired intangible assets; |
| • | valuation of contingent consideration; |
| • | revenue recognition; and |
| • | stock-based compensation expense. |
There have been no material changes to our critical accounting policies from those disclosed in our financial statements and the related notes and other financial information included in our Annual Report on Form
10-K
for the year ended December 31, 2021, on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. For further disclosure, refer to our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q
and our audited consolidated financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements
A description of recently issued accounting pronouncements that may potentially impact our financial position and results of operations is disclosed in Note 2 to our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements included in this Quarterly Report on Form
10-Q.
Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.
We have a credit agreement that provides us with a revolving line of credit of up to $25.0 million. Borrowings bear interest at a floating rate of the greater of 3.25% or the prime rate. As of March 31, 2022, we had no outstanding borrowings under our revolving line of credit and therefore no material exposure to fluctuations in interest rates.
We contract with vendors in foreign countries and we have foreign subsidiaries. As such, we have exposure to adverse changes in exchange rates of foreign currencies associated with our foreign transactions and our foreign subsidiaries. We believe this exposure to be immaterial. We do not hedge against this exposure to fluctuations in exchange rates.
Item 4. Controls and Procedures.
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Our management, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer (our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, respectively), evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the period covered by this Quarterly Report on Form
10-Q.
The term “disclosure controls and procedures,” as defined in Rules 13a-15(e)
and 15d-15(e)
under the Exchange Act, means controls and other procedures of a company that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by a company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the Securities and Exchange Commission’s rules and forms. Disclosure controls and procedures include, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by a company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to the company’s management, including its principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. Management recognizes that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving their objectives and our management necessarily applies its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible controls and procedures. Based on the evaluation of our disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the period covered by this Quarterly Report on Form
10-Q,
our principal executive officer and principal financial officer have concluded that, as of such date, our disclosure controls and procedures were not effective due to the material weaknesses described below. A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of a company’s annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. We have identified deficiencies in control over certain information technology (IT) general controls for revenue-related systems that are relevant to the preparation of our financial statements that constitute material weaknesses. Specifically, we did not design and maintain:
| • | User access controls to ensure appropriate segregation of duties and that adequately restrict user and privileged access to certain financial applications, programs, and data to appropriate company personnel; |
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| • | Program change management controls for certain financial applications to ensure that IT program and data changes affecting financial IT applications and underlying accounting records are identified, tested, authorized and implemented appropriately; and |
| • | Controls over the completeness and accuracy of data relevant to certain automated revenue calculations. |
These material weaknesses did not result in a misstatement to the financial statements. However, the material weaknesses could impact the effectiveness of segregation of duties controls, as well as the effectiveness of
IT-dependent
controls that could result in misstatements impacting revenue-related financial statement accounts and disclosures that would result in a material misstatement of the annual or interim consolidated financial statements that would not be prevented or detected. Remediation Plan
We and our board of directors are committed to maintaining a strong internal control environment. Management, with the oversight of the audit committee of our board of directors, has evaluated the material weaknesses described above and designed a remediation plan to address the material weaknesses and enhance our internal control environment. The remediation plan is being implemented and includes a robust risk assessment process coupled with additional controls and procedures. Management is committed to successfully implementing the remediation plan as promptly as possible.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
No changes in our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules
13a-15(f)
and 15d-15(f)
under the Exchange Act) occurred during the three months ended March 31, 2022 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting. 31
PART II—OTHER INFORMATION
Item 1. Legal Proceedings.
Information with respect to legal proceedings and this item is included in Note 9 of the Notes to the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements contained in Part I, Item I of this Quarterly Report on Form
10-Q,
which is incorporated herein by reference. Item 1A. Risk Factors.
Investing in our Class A common stock involves a high degree of risk. Certain factors may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operation. You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described below, together with all of the other information included in this Quarterly Report on Form
10-Q,
including our condensed consolidated financial statements and the related notes, and in our other filings with the SEC. Our business, financial condition, operating results, cash flow and prospects could be materially adversely affected by any of these risks or uncertainties. In that case, the trading price of our Class A common stock could decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment. Risks Related to Our Business and Industry
Our business is dependent on our relationships with insurance providers with no long-term contractual commitments. If insurance providers stop purchasing consumer referrals from us, decrease the amount they are willing to spend per referral, or if we are unable to establish and maintain new relationships with insurance providers, our business, results of operations and financial condition could be materially adversely affected.
A substantial majority of our revenue is derived from sales of consumer referrals to insurance providers, including both insurance carriers and agents. Our relationships with insurance providers are dependent on our ability to deliver quality referrals at attractive volumes and prices. If insurance providers are not able to acquire their preferred referrals in our marketplace, they may stop buying referrals from us, or may decrease the amount they are willing to spend for referrals. Our agreements with insurance providers are short-term agreements, and insurance providers can stop participating in our marketplace at any time with no notice. As a result, we cannot guarantee that insurance providers will continue to work with us, or, if they do, the number of referrals they will purchase from us, the price they will pay per referral or their total spend with us. For example, we are currently experiencing, and expect to continue to experience, decreased auto insurance carrier marketing spend, which we believe is due to challenges in the auto insurance industry. In addition, we may not be able to attract new insurance providers to our marketplace or increase the amount of revenue we earn from insurance providers over time.
If we are unable to maintain existing relationships with insurance providers in our marketplace, or are unable to add new insurance providers, we may be unable to offer our consumers the shopping experience they expect. This deficiency could reduce consumers’ confidence in our services, making us less popular with consumers. As a result, consumers could cease to use us, or use us at a decreasing rate.
In addition, we derive revenue as a result of subsidy payments made by carriers to us on behalf of their agents. Our insurance carrier customers often provide subsidies for the benefit of agents to offset agents’ costs in connection with selling insurance policies from our referrals. Our carrier customers have no obligation to provide such subsidies and may reduce the amount of such subsidies or cease providing them at any time. If our carrier customers were to reduce the amounts of or cease providing such subsidies, our insurance agent customers may terminate or reduce the extent of their relationships with us. Because our insurance provider customers can stop buying from us, or spend less with us, at any time and our insurance carrier customers may cease providing subsidies to our insurance agent customers at any time, our business, results of operations and financial condition could be materially adversely affected with little to no notice.
We depend on search engines, display advertising, social media, email, content-based online advertising and other online sources to attract consumers to our websites or marketplace, and if we are unable to cost-effectively attract consumers and convert them into referrals that we can sell to our insurance provider customers, our business and financial results may be harmed.
Our success depends on our ability to attract online consumers to our websites or marketplace and convert those consumers into referrals that we can sell to our insurance provider customers. We depend, in part, on search engines, display advertising, social media, email, content-based online advertising and other online sources for our website traffic. We are included in search results as a result of both paid search listings, where we purchase specific search terms that result in the inclusion of our advertisement, and, separately, organic searches that depend upon the content on our sites.
32
Search engines, social media platforms and other online sources often revise their algorithms and introduce new advertising products. If one or more of the search engines or other online sources on which we rely for website traffic were to modify its general methodology for how it displays our advertisements, resulting in fewer consumers clicking through to our websites, our business could suffer. In addition, if our online display advertisements are no longer effective or are not able to reach certain consumers due to consumers’
use of ad-blocking software, our
business could suffer. If one or more of the search engines or other online sources on which we rely for purchased listings or visitor traffic modifies or terminates its relationship with us, our expenses could rise, we could lose consumer traffic to our websites, and a decrease in consumer traffic to our websites, for any reason, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Consumer traffic to our websites and the volume of quote requests generated by consumer traffic varies and can decline from to time. Additionally, even if we are successful in generating traffic to our websites, we may not be able to convert these visits into referrals.
We currently compete with numerous other online marketing companies, and we expect that competition will intensify. Some of these existing competitors may have more capital or complementary products or services than we do, and they may leverage their greater capital or diversification in a manner that adversely affects our competitive position. In addition, other newcomers, including major search engines and content aggregators, may be able to leverage their existing products and services to our disadvantage. We may be forced to expend significant resources to remain competitive with current and potential competitors. If any of our competitors are more successful than we are at attracting and retaining consumers, or if we are unable to effectively convert visits into referrals, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected.
The ongoing
COVID-19
pandemic could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.The orders, business limitations and shutdowns and other measures to attempt to contain the spread of the virus. Government recommendations and requirements are continuing to change and there remains significant uncertainty as to the breadth and duration of business disruptions related to
COVID-19
pandemic has had a significant adverse impact on global commercial activity and has created significant volatility in financial markets. Many governmental authorities have implemented travel bans and restrictions, quarantines, shelter-in-place
COVID-19,
as well as its impact on the global economy and consumer confidence. As a result, we are unable to accurately predict the full impact that COVID-19
will have on our insurance provider customers or our users, or on our results from operations, financial condition, liquidity and cash flows. The impact of the COVID-19
pandemic could also exacerbate other risks discussed in this Risk Factors section and this report, which could in turn have a material adverse effect on us. To support the health and well-being of our employees and communities, our employees began working remotely starting in March 2020, however our offices are now open for use. Work-from-home and other measures have introduced additional operational risks, including cybersecurity risks, and have affected the way we conduct our product and business development efforts as well as other activities, which could have an adverse effect on our operations. There is no certainty that such measures will be sufficient to mitigate the risks posed by the virus, and illness and workforce disruptions could lead to unavailability of key personnel and harm our ability to perform critical functions. The disruptions to our operations caused by orders went into effect consumers performed fewer searches for insurance online.
COVID-19
may result in inefficiencies, delays and additional costs in our sales and marketing efforts that we cannot fully mitigate through remote or other alternative work arrangements. We are also unsure what additional actions our carrier and agent customers, as well as our users, may take in response to the COVID-19
pandemic. In addition, we are unable to predict how user behavior and the overall insurance markets will change in response to the COVID-19
pandemic. For example, we believe that immediately after shelter-in-place
Although we expect that current cash and cash equivalent balances will be sufficient to meet our working capital needs and other capital and liquidity requirements for at least the next 12 months, if our access to capital is restricted or our borrowing costs increase as a result of the
COVID-19
pandemic, our operations and financial condition could be adversely impacted. We compete with other media for advertising spend from our insurance provider customers, and if we are unable to maintain or increase our share of the advertising spend of our insurance provider customers, our business could be harmed.
We compete for insurance provider advertising spend with traditional offline media such as television, billboards, radio, magazines and newspapers, as well as online sources such as websites, social media and websites dedicated to providing multiple quote insurance information. Our ability to attract and retain insurance provider customers, and to generate advertising revenue from them, depends on a number of factors, including:
| • | the ability of our insurance provider customers to earn an attractive return on investment from their spending with us; |
| • | our ability to increase the number of consumers using our marketplace; |
| • | our ability to compete effectively with other media for advertising spending; and |
33
| • | our ability to keep pace with changes in technology and the practices and offerings of our competitors. |
We may not succeed in retaining or capturing a greater share of our insurance provider customers’ advertising spending compared to alternative channels. If our current insurance provider customers reduce or end their advertising spending with us and we are unable to increase the spending of our other insurance provider customers or attract new insurance provider customers, our revenue and business and financial results would be materially adversely affected. Furthermore, we cannot assure you that the market for online marketing services will continue to grow. If the market for online marketing services fails to continue to develop or develops more slowly than we anticipate, the success of our business may be limited, and our revenue may decrease.
If consumers do not find value in our services or do not like the consumer experience on our platform, the number of referrals in our marketplace may decline, and our business, results of operations and financial condition could be materially adversely affected.
If we fail to provide a compelling insurance shopping experience to our consumers both through our web and mobile platforms, the number of consumer referrals purchased from us will decline, and insurance providers may terminate their relationships with us or reduce their spending with us. If insurance providers stop offering insurance in our marketplace, we may not be able to maintain and grow our consumer traffic, which may cause other insurance providers to stop using our marketplace. We believe that our ability to provide a compelling insurance shopping experience, both on the web and through mobile devices, is subject to a number of factors, including:
| • | our ability to maintain a marketplace for consumers and insurance providers that efficiently captures user intent and effectively delivers relevant quotes to each individual insurance buyer; |
| • | our ability to continue to innovate and improve our marketplace; |
| • | our ability to launch new vertical offerings that are effective and have a high degree of consumer and insurance provider engagement; and |
| • | our ability to access a sufficient amount of data to enable us to provide relevant quotes to consumers. |
If the use of our marketplace declines or does not continue to grow, our business and operating results would be harmed.
A significant portion of our revenue in recent periods was derived from two customers, and our results of operations could be adversely affected and stockholder value harmed if we lose business from these customers.
Sales to Progressive Casualty Insurance Company accounted for 14% of our revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 16% of our revenue for the year ended December 31, 2021. Sales to State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company accounted for 11% of our revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and less than 10% of our revenue for the year ended December 31, 2021. These customers made purchases from us under short-term agreements and may decrease or cease doing business with us at any time with no notice. As a result, we have no assurances that these customers will continue to purchase from us at their historical levels or at all. If these customers were to reduce their level of purchases from us or discontinue their relationships with us, the loss could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations in both the short and long term.
If our emails are not delivered and accepted or are routed by email providers less favorably than other emails our business may be substantially harmed.
If email providers implement new or more restrictive email or content delivery or accessibility policies it may become more difficult to deliver emails to consumers or for consumers to access our websites and services. For example, certain email providers, including Google, may categorize our emails as “promotional,” and these emails may be directed to an alternate, and less readily accessible, section of a consumer’s inbox. If email providers materially limit or halt the delivery of our emails, or if we fail to deliver emails to consumers in a manner compatible with email providers’ email handling or authentication technologies, our ability to contact consumers through email could be significantly restricted. In addition, if we are placed on “spam” lists or lists of entities that have been involved in sending unwanted, unsolicited emails, our operating results and financial condition could be substantially harmed.
34
A significant portion of our revenue is derived from insurance providers acquiring referrals on an auction basis. If insurance providers decrease their bids or stop bidding in our auctions, our business, results of operations, liquidity and financial condition could be materially adversely affected.
Insurance providers in our marketplace participate in a unified, real-time auction. Since our agreements with insurance providers are short-term agreements, insurance providers can decrease their bids or stop participating in our auctions at any time with no notice. In addition, insurance providers frequently change their bidding in our auctions, which can make it difficult to predict revenue from period to period. Because our insurance provider customers can stop buying from us, or spend less with us, at any time our business, results of operations, liquidity and financial condition could be materially adversely affected with little to no notice. For example, some of our large auto insurance carrier customers have reduced their bids, and have indicated further bid reductions, in response to challenges in the auto insurance industry.
If we are unable to develop new offerings, achieve increased consumer adoption of those offerings or penetrate new vertical markets, our business and financial results could be materially adversely affected.
Our success depends on our continued innovation to provide product and service offerings that make our marketplace, websites and mobile applications useful for consumers. These new offerings must be widely adopted by consumers in order for us to continue to attract insurance providers to our marketplace. Accordingly, we must continually invest resources in product, technology and development in order to improve the comprehensiveness and effectiveness of our marketplace and its related product and service offerings and effectively incorporate new internet and mobile technologies into them. These product, technology and development expenses may include costs of hiring additional personnel and of engaging third-party service providers and other research and development costs.
Without an innovative marketplace and related product and service offerings, we may be unable to attract additional consumers or retain current consumers, which could adversely affect our ability to attract and retain insurance providers who want to participate in our marketplace, which could, in turn, harm our business and financial results. In addition, while we have historically concentrated our efforts on the automobile insurance market, we will need to further penetrate additional vertical markets, such as home and renters, life and health insurance, in order to achieve our long-term growth goals. Our success in the automobile insurance market depends on our deep understanding of this industry. In order to penetrate new vertical markets, we will need to develop a similar understanding of those new markets and the associated business challenges faced by participants in them. Developing this level of understanding may require substantial investments of time and resources and we may not be successful. In addition, these new vertical markets may have specific risks associated with them. If we fail to penetrate new vertical markets successfully, our revenue may grow at a slower rate than we anticipate and our financial condition could suffer.
Our business is substantially dependent on revenue from automotive insurance providers and subject to risks related to automotive insurance and the larger automotive industry. Our business may also be adversely affected by downturns in the home and renters, life and health insurance industries.
A substantial majority of the referrals made through our marketplace are for automobile insurance and our financial prospects depend significantly on the larger automotive industry ecosystem. Revenue from automotive insurance providers accounted for 79% of our total revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 79% of our total revenue for the year ended December 31, 2021. If insurance carriers experience large or unexpected losses through the offering of insurance, these carriers may choose to decrease the amount of money they spend with us. For example, starting in late 2021 and continuing into 2022, many auto insurance carriers experienced larger than expected loss-ratios which continues to result in a decreasing spend in our marketplace. In addition, decreases in consumer demand in the automotive industry in general could adversely affect the demand for insurance and, in turn, the number of consumers using our marketplace to request insurance quotes. For example, trends in the automotive industry, such as from the effects of ride sharing applications, including Uber and Lyft, distracted driving and autonomous driving technologies, have the potential to adversely affect automobile purchases and to decrease the demand for auto insurance. Similarly, we believe that current shortages of semiconductor chips for new car production, as well as the availability of automotive parts used in car repair, is resulting in higher insurance claims losses and increasing insurance carrier loss ratios.
We depend on third-party publishers, including strategic partners, for a significant portion of our visitors. Any decline in the supply of media available through these third-party publishers’ websites or increase in the price of this media could cause our revenue to decline or our cost to reach visitors to increase.
A significant portion of our revenue is attributable to visitor traffic originating from third-party publishers (including strategic partners). In many instances, third-party publishers can change the media inventory they make available to us at any time in ways that could impact our results of operations. In addition, third-party publishers may place significant restrictions on our offerings. These restrictions may prohibit advertisements from specific clients or specific industries, or restrict the use of certain creative content or formats. If a third-party publisher decides not to make its media channel or inventory available to us or decides to demand a higher cost for such inventory, we may not be able to find media inventory from other websites that satisfies our requirements in a timely and cost-effective manner. Consolidation of internet advertising networks and third-party publishers could eventually lead to a concentration of desirable inventory on websites or networks owned by a small number of individuals or entities, which could limit the supply or impact the pricing of inventory available to us. Additionally, third-party publishers may use advertising creatives that do not meet our compliance guidelines or that of our insurance provider customers, which could result in loss of revenue and reputational harm. As a result, we may not be able to acquire media inventory that meets our insurance provider’s performance, price, and quality requirements, in which case our revenue could decline, or our operating costs could increase.
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Changes in the health insurance market or in the variety, quality and affordability of the insurance products offered by our insurance carrier partners could harm our business, operating results, financial condition and prospects.
The demand for our agency services is impacted by the health insurance market generally as well as the variety, quality and price of the insurance products we distribute. If insurance carriers do not continue to provide us with a variety of high-quality, affordable insurance products, or if, as a result of consolidation in the insurance industry or otherwise their offerings are limited, our sales may decrease and our business, operating results, financial condition and prospects could be harmed.
The commissions received by our DTC agency are set by our insurance carrier partners and can be reduced with little to no notice. Additionally, our insurance carrier partners can also change their underwriting practices in ways that reduce the number of insurance policies we sell, which could harm our business, operating results, financial condition, liquidity and prospects.
Our commission rates from our insurance carrier partners are typically set by each carrier or negotiated between us and each carrier, and carriers can alter, and have altered, these commission rates with relatively short notice. Changes of this nature could result in reduced commissions or impact our relationship with such carriers. In addition, carriers periodically change the criteria they use for determining whether they are willing to insure individuals. Future changes in insurance carrier underwriting criteria could negatively impact sales of, or the renewal or approval rates of, insurance policies on our distribution platform and could harm our business, operating results, financial condition, liquidity and prospects.
Our insurance carrier partners can choose to no longer offer products and services through us and may instead sell directly to consumers or through our competitors.
Our DTC agents are appointed by our insurance carrier partners to sell insurance products. None of these appointments are exclusive, and consumers may obtain quotes from, and purchase the same insurance policies we sell directly from the carrier, or from our competitors. Insurance carriers often attract consumers directly through their own marketing campaigns or other methods of distribution, such as referral arrangements, internet sites, physical storefront operations or broker agreements. Furthermore, our insurance carrier partners could discontinue distributing their products through our agency services, which would reduce the breadth of the products we distribute and could put us at a competitive disadvantage. If consumers seek insurance policies directly from insurance carriers or through our competitors, the number of consumers shopping for insurance through our platform may decline, and our business, operating results, financial condition and prospects could be materially adversely affected.
If our ability to enroll individuals during the health insurance Annual Enrollment Period and Open Enrollment Period is impeded, our business will be harmed.
During 2021, most of our DTC agency commissions were achieved in the fourth quarter. In general, our Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement policies are submitted during the Annual Enrollment Period, or AEP. Our agents, systems and processes must handle an increased volume of transactions that occur during the AEP and the Open Enrollment Period, or OEP. To accommodate this increased volume, we hire additional agents during these periods. In order for agents to be effective, we must ensure that such agents are properly trained, licensed, appointed and certified to the extent required by state authorities and our insurance carrier partners. If technology failures, any inability to timely employ, license, train, certify and retain our employees to sell health insurance products, interruptions in the operation of our systems, issues with
government-run
health insurance exchanges, weather-related events that prevent our employees from coming to our offices, or any other circumstances prevent our health insurance agency from operating as expected during an enrollment period, we could sell fewer policies and suffer a reduction in our business and our operating results, financial condition, prospects and profitability could be materially adversely affected. If our DTC agents are unable to effectively convert consumer referrals to bound insurance policies, our business may be adversely affected.
Our DTC agency depends on our ability to successfully obtain insurance referrals and convert those referrals to bound policies. If we are unable to convert these consumers, or if our conversion rates do not match our expectations, our business may be substantially impacted. Many factors impact our conversion rate, including the quality of our referrals, the effectiveness of our agents, and the effectiveness of our workflow technology. If referral quality diminishes, our conversion rates will be adversely affected. Competition in the marketplace and referral quality affect conversion rates. If competition for customers increases, our referral costs will increase and conversion rates may decline, even absent a degradation in referral quality. Our conversion rates are also affected by agent tenure. If agent turnover increases, leading to a decline in the average tenure of our agents, conversion rates may be adversely affected. If we are unable to recruit, train and retain talented agents, our ability to successfully convert consumer referrals may be adversely impacted. Our conversion rates may also be affected by issues with our workflow technology. Any adverse impact on our conversion rates could cause a material and adverse effect on our business, operating results, financial condition and prospects.
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Our business is dependent on our obtaining a large quantity of high-intent consumer referrals in a cost-effective manner.
Our business requires access to a large quantity of quality consumer referrals to keep our agents productive. We are dependent upon a number of lead suppliers from whom we obtain consumer referrals to support our sales of insurance policies. The loss of one or more of these referral sources, or our failure to otherwise compete to secure quality consumer referrals, could significantly limit our ability to access our target market for selling policies.
We may not be able to compete successfully for high-quality referrals against our current or future competitors, some of whom have significantly greater financial, technical, marketing and other resources than we do. If we fail to compete successfully with our competitors to source high intent consumers, we may experience increased marketing costs, lower policy sales, and loss of market share, and our business and profitability could be materially adversely affected.
If we fail to build and maintain our brand, our ability to expand the use of our marketplace by consumers and insurance providers may be adversely affected.
Our future success depends upon our ability to create and maintain brand recognition and a reputation for delivering easy, efficient and personal insurance shopping. A failure by us to build our brand and deliver on these expectations could harm our reputation and damage our ability to attract and retain consumers, which could adversely affect our business. If consumers do not perceive our marketplace as a better insurance shopping experience, our reputation and the strength of our brand may be adversely affected.
Many of our competitors have more resources than we do and can spend more advertising their brands and services. As a result, we are required to spend considerable money and other resources to create brand awareness and build our reputation. Should the need or and brand preference increase, we may not be able to build brand awareness, and our efforts at building, maintaining and enhancing our reputation could fail. Even if we are successful in our branding efforts, such efforts may not be cost-effective. If we are unable to maintain or enhance consumer awareness of our brand cost-effectively, our business, results of operations and financial condition could be materially adversely affected.
competition for top-of-mind awareness
Complaints or negative publicity about our business practices, our marketing and advertising campaigns, our compliance with applicable laws and regulations, the integrity of the data that we provide to consumers, data privacy and security issues, and other aspects of our business, whether valid or not, could diminish confidence and participation in our marketplace and could adversely affect our reputation and business. There can be no assurance that we will be able to maintain or enhance our brand, and failure to do so would harm our business growth prospects and operating results.
Our marketing efforts may not be successful.
We currently rely on performance marketing channels that must deliver on metrics that are selected by our insurance provider customers and are subject to change at any time. We are unable to control how our insurance provider customers evaluate our performance. Certain of these metrics are subject to inherent challenges in measurement, and real or perceived inaccuracies in such metrics may harm our reputation and adversely affect our business. In addition, the metrics we provide may differ from estimates published by third parties or from similar metrics of our competitors due to differences in methodology. If our insurance provider customers do not perceive our metrics to be accurate, or if we discover material inaccuracies in our metrics, it could adversely affect our online marketing efforts and business.
In addition, we plan to further expand our marketing efforts in offline channels such as television and radio. We face significant competition in marketing on offline channels, including from competitors and insurance carriers who may have significantly greater resources and brand recognition than we do. If we fail to expand our marketing efforts in offline channels or to market ourselves successfully on such channels, we may not experience increases in consumer traffic and increased referral and advertising revenue necessary to grow our business, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial results.
Failure to increase our revenue or reduce our sales and marketing expense as a percentage of revenue would adversely affect our financial condition, liquidity and profitability.
We expect to make significant future investments to support the further development and expansion of our business, and these investments may not result in increased revenue or growth on a timely basis or at all. Furthermore, these investments may not decrease as a percentage of revenue if our business grows. In particular, we intend to continue investing in marketing to our consumers to increase brand awareness, including through television and radio advertisements. There can be no assurance that these investments will increase revenue or that we will eventually be able to decrease our sales and marketing expense as a percentage of revenue, and failure to do so would adversely affect our financial condition, liquidity and profitability.
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We participate in a highly competitive market, and pressure from existing and new companies may adversely affect our business and operating results.
We face significant competition from companies that provide information and insurance-buying services designed to help consumers shop for insurance and to enable insurance providers to reach these consumers. Our competitors offer various products and services that compete with us. Some of these competitors include:
| • | companies that operate, or could develop, insurance search websites; |
| • | media sites, including websites dedicated to providing multiple quote insurance information and financial services information generally; |
| • | internet search engines; and |
| • | individual insurance providers, including through the operation of their own websites, physical storefront operations and broker arrangements. |
We compete with these and other companies for a share of insurance providers’ overall budget for online and offline media marketing and referral spend. To the extent that insurance providers view alternative marketing and media strategies to be superior to our marketplace, we may not be able to maintain or grow the number of insurance providers using, and advertising on, our marketplace, and our business and financial results may be harmed.
Our competitors could significantly impede our ability to maintain or expand the number of consumers and insurance providers using our marketplace. Our competitors also may develop and market new technologies that render our marketplace less competitive, unmarketable or obsolete. In addition, if our competitors develop marketplaces with similar or superior functionality to ours, and our web traffic declines, we may need to decrease our referral and advertising fees. If we are unable to maintain our current pricing structure due to competitive pressures, our revenue would likely be reduced and our financial results would be adversely affected.
Our existing and potential competitors may have significantly more financial, technical, marketing and other resources than we have, and the ability to devote greater resources to the development, promotion and support of their marketplaces, products and services. In addition, they may have more extensive insurance industry relationships than we have, longer operating histories and greater name recognition. As a result, these competitors may be able to respond more quickly with new technologies and to undertake more extensive marketing or promotional campaigns than we can. In addition, to the extent that any of our competitors have existing relationships with insurance providers for marketing or data analytics solutions, those insurance providers may be unwilling to partner with us. If we are unable to compete with these competitors, the demand for our marketplace and related products and services could substantially decline.
In addition, if one or more of our competitors were to merge or partner with another of our competitors, the change in the competitive landscape could adversely affect our ability to compete effectively. We may not be able to compete successfully against current or future competitors, and competitive pressures may harm our business and financial results.
We have limited experience, and may not be successful, in acquiring consumers from offline sources.
We acquire consumers through limited offline sources, including television advertisements, direct mail and inbound calls from consumers. We may not succeed in advertising and acquiring consumers to these channels and may incur substantial costs without corresponding benefit. In addition, consumers that request quotes through offline sources like inbound calls do not provide the same level of consumer data as we receive from our online sources and as a result, we may not be able to successfully match these consumers with insurance providers.
We have increased reliance on acquiring consumer quote requests from third-party sources and as a result we may not be successful with our verified partner network.
Through our verified partner network, we acquire consumer quote requests that are submitted by consumers directly to select third parties. While we have increased the number of quote requests acquired from these third-party sources, we still have limited experience in acquiring quote requests from third-party providers, we do not know if we will be able to continue to acquire verified partner network quote requests in significant volume, at prices that are attractive, whether the consumers will represent high-intent insurance shoppers, or whether insurance providers in our marketplace will purchase referrals for consumers acquired through our verified partner network. Additionally, any failure by us or third parties in our verified partner network on which we rely for quote
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requests to adhere to or successfully implement appropriate processes and procedures in response to existing regulations and changing regulatory requirements could result in significant legal and monetary liability, including fines and penalties, or damage to our reputation in the marketplace, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
A significant portion of the agents in our marketplace are affiliated with a limited number of insurance carriers. In the event one or more of these carriers no longer supports, or advises against, acquiring referrals in our marketplace, our business, results of operations and financial condition could be materially adversely affected.
Our marketplace includes thousands of insurance agencies, a significant portion of which are affiliated with a limited number of carriers. If a carrier no longer supports our service, no longer provides a subsidy for our referrals, or advises that its agents no longer do business with us, we could lose a substantial number of these agents in our marketplace, which could harm our brand, results of operations and overall business.
Our business depends on our ability to maintain and improve the technology infrastructure necessary to send marketing emails and operate our websites, and any significant disruption in service on our email network infrastructure or websites could result in a loss of consumers, which could harm our business, brand, operating results and financial condition.
Our brand, reputation and ability to attract consumers and insurance providers depend on the reliable performance of our technology infrastructure and content delivery. We use emails to attract consumers to our marketplace. Our systems may not be adequately designed with the necessary reliability and redundancy to avoid performance delays or outages that could be prolonged and harmful to our business. If our websites are unavailable when users attempt to access them, or if they do not load as quickly as expected, users may not return as often in the future, or at all. As our user base and the amount of information shared on our websites and mobile applications continue to grow, we will need an increasing amount of network capacity and computing power. We have spent and expect to continue to spend substantial amounts on data centers and equipment and related network infrastructure and services to handle the traffic on our websites and mobile applications and to help shorten the length of or prevent system interruptions. The operation of these systems is expensive and complex and we could experience operational failures. Interruptions, delays or failures in these systems, whether due to earthquakes, adverse weather conditions, other natural disasters, power loss, computer viruses, cybersecurity attacks, physical
break-ins,
terrorism, errors in our software or otherwise, could be prolonged and could affect the security or availability of our websites and applications, and prevent consumers from accessing our services. Such interruptions also could result in third parties accessing our confidential and proprietary information, including our intellectual property or consumer information. Problems with the reliability or security of our systems could harm our reputation, our ability to protect our confidential and proprietary information, result in a loss of users of our marketplace or result in additional costs. If we do not maintain or expand our network infrastructure successfully or if we experience operational failures or prolonged disruptions or delays in the availability of our systems or a significant search engine, we could lose current and potential consumers, which could harm our operating results and financial condition. Substantially all of the communications, network and computer hardware used to operate our websites and mobile applications are located in the United States in Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud Platform data centers. Although we believe our systems are fully redundant, there may be exceptions for certain hardware. In addition, we do not own or control the operation of these facilities. Our systems and operations are vulnerable to damage or interruption from fire, flood, power loss, telecommunications failure, terrorist attacks, acts of war, electronic and physical
break-ins,
computer viruses, earthquakes and similar events. The occurrence of any of these events could result in damage to our systems and hardware or could cause them to fail. In addition, we may not have sufficient protection or recovery plans in certain circumstances. Problems faced by our third-party web hosting providers could adversely affect the experience of users of our marketplace. Our third-party web hosting providers could close their facilities without adequate notice. Any financial difficulties, up to and including bankruptcy, faced by our third-party web hosting providers or any of the service providers with whom they contract may have adverse effects on our business, the nature and extent of which are difficult to predict. If our third-party web hosting providers are unable to keep up with our growing capacity needs, our business could be harmed.
Any errors, defects, disruptions or other performance or reliability problems with our network operations could cause interruptions in access to our marketplace as well as delays and additional expense in arranging new facilities and services and could harm our reputation, business, operating results and financial condition. Although we carry business interruption insurance, it may not be sufficient to compensate us for the potentially significant losses, including the potential harm to the future growth of our business that may result from interruptions in our service as a result of system failures.
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Consumer adoption of call blocking technology may reduce, and restrictions implemented by telephone carriers and communications platforms have reduced, our ability to call or text message our consumers, which could significantly decrease the number of referrals and value of our data referrals and substantially harm our business.
Increased adoption of call blocking technology may prevent us from reaching our consumers that have expressed an interest in getting insurance information. Additionally, telephone carriers and communication platforms have themselves placed restrictions on our ability to call or send text messages to our consumers. If calls or text messages to our consumers are blocked, or if insurance providers obtaining data referrals have their calls or text messages blocked due to these call blocking technologies or restrictions, we may see a significant decrease in referrals, the value of our referrals and the number of data and call referrals we are able to sell to insurance providers which could materially adversely impact our business.
We depend on key personnel to operate our business, and if we are unable to retain, attract and integrate qualified personnel, our ability to develop and successfully grow our business could be harmed.
We believe our success depends on the efforts and talents of our executives and employees. Our future success depends on our continuing ability to attract, develop, motivate and retain highly qualified and skilled employees. Qualified individuals are in high demand, and we may incur significant costs to attract and retain them. Experienced information technology personnel, who are critical to the success of our business, are in particularly high demand. Competition for their talents is intense, and retaining such individuals can be difficult. The loss of any of our executive officers or key employees could materially adversely affect our ability to execute our business plan and strategy, and we may not be able to find adequate replacements on a timely basis, or at all. Our executive officers and other
employees are at-will employees, which
means they may terminate their employment relationships with us at any time, and their knowledge of our business and industry would be extremely difficult to replace. We cannot ensure that we will be able to retain the services of any members of our senior management or other key employees. If we do not succeed in attracting well-qualified employees or retaining and motivating existing employees, our business could be materially adversely affected. If we are unable to successfully respond to changes in the market, our business could be harmed.
While our business has grown rapidly as consumers and insurance providers have increasingly accessed our marketplace, we expect that our business will evolve in ways that may be difficult to predict. For example, we anticipate that over time we may reach a point when investments in new user traffic are less productive and the continued growth of our revenue will require more focus on developing new product and service offerings for consumers and insurance providers, expanding our marketplaces into new international markets and new industries to attract new customers, and increasing our referral and advertising fees. It is also possible that consumers and insurance providers could broadly determine that they no longer believe in the efficiency and effectiveness of our marketplace. Our continued success will depend on our ability to successfully adjust our strategy to meet the changing market dynamics. If we are unable to do so, our business could be harmed and our results of operations and financial condition could be materially adversely affected.
We have incurred net losses in the past and we may generate losses in the future.
We have incurred net losses in the past and have never generated net income on an annual basis. We anticipate that our operating expenses and capital expenditures will increase substantially in the foreseeable future as we continue to invest to expand into new verticals, grow our DTC agency, enhance our brand awareness, hire additional employees, consider expanding outside of the United States and improve our technology and infrastructure capabilities. Our expansion efforts may prove more expensive than we anticipate, and we may not succeed in increasing our revenue and margins sufficiently to offset these higher expenses. We incur significant expenses in acquiring consumers, developing our technology and marketing the products and services we offer. Our costs also may increase due to our continued new product development and general administrative expenses, such as legal and accounting expenses related to being a public company. If we fail to increase our revenue or manage these additional costs, we may continue to incur losses in the future.
We expect our results of operations to fluctuate on a quarterly and annual basis.
Our revenue and results of operations could vary significantly from period to period and may fail to match expectations as a result of a variety of factors, some of which are outside of our control. Our results may vary as a result of fluctuations in the number of consumers and insurance providers using our marketplace and the size and seasonal variability of the marketing budgets of our insurance provider customers. In addition, the auto, home and renters, life and health insurance industries may each be subject to their own cyclical trends and uncertainties. Fluctuations and variability across these different verticals may affect our revenue. As a result of the potential variations in our revenue and results of operations, comparisons may not be meaningful and the results of any one period should not be relied on as an indication of future performance. In addition, our results of operations may not meet the expectations of investors or public market analysts who follow us, which may adversely affect our stock price.
period-to-period
Our past growth may not be indicative of our future growth, and our revenue growth rate may decline in the future.
Our revenue grew from $96.8 million in 2015 to $122.8 million in 2016, to $126.2 million in 2017, to $163.3 million in 2018, to $248.8 million in 2019, to $346.9 million in 2020 and to $418.5 million in 2021, increases of 26.8%, 2.8%, 29.4%, 52.3%, 39.4% and 20.6%, respectively. This growth may not be indicative of our future growth, if any, and we will not be able to grow as expected, or at all, if we do not accomplish the following:
| • | increase the number of consumers using our marketplace; |
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| • | maintain and expand the number of insurance providers that use our marketplace or our revenue per provider; |
| • | further improve the quality of our marketplace, and introduce high-quality new products; and |
| • | increase the number of insurance shoppers acquired by insurance providers on our marketplace. |
Our revenue growth rates may also be limited if we are unable to achieve high market penetration rates as we experience increased competition. If our revenue or revenue growth rates decline, investors’ perceptions of our business may be adversely affected and the market price of our Class A common stock could decline.
Our operating results may be impacted by factors that impact our estimate of the constrained lifetime value of commissions per policy.
We recognize commission revenue based on the latest estimated constrained lifetime value, or constrained LTV, for each product. Constrained LTVs are impacted by a number of factors, which include, but are not limited to, carrier mix, policy duration and conversion rates of paying policies. These factors impact historical trends and changes in those factors or in historical trends will affect our constrained LTV estimates in future periods and therefore could adversely affect our revenue and financial results in those future periods. As a result, adverse changes in the constraints we apply or the assumptions we make in computing expected lifetime values, such as increased cancellation rates or lower renewal rates, would harm our business, operating results, financial condition and prospects.
Additionally, if customer cancellation rates exceed our expectations or renewal rates are less than expected, we may not receive the commission revenue we have projected to receive, despite our having incurred and recorded the cost to sell the policy. Any adverse impact on cancellation or renewal rates could lead to our receipt of commission payments that are less than the amount we estimated when we recognized commission revenue. Under such circumstances, we would need to decrease the remaining commissions receivable balance, which would result in a change to earnings in the period of the
write-off.
Our dedication to making decisions based primarily on the best interests of our company and stockholders may cause us to forgo short-term gains in pursuit of potential but uncertain long-term growth.
Our guiding principle is to build our business by making decisions based primarily upon the best interests of our entire marketplace, including consumers and insurance providers, which we believe has been essential to our success in increasing our user growth rate and engagement and best serves the long-term interests of our company and our stockholders. In the past, we have forgone, and we will in the future continue to forgo, certain expansion or short-term revenue opportunities that we do not believe are in the best interests of our marketplace and its users, even if such decisions adversely affect our results of operations in the short term. However, this strategy may not result in the long-term benefits that we expect, in which case our user traffic and engagement, business and financial results could be harmed.
We collect, process, store, share, disclose and use consumer information and other data, and our actual or perceived failure to protect such information and data or respect users’ privacy could damage our reputation and brand and harm our business and operating results.
Use of our marketplace involves the storage and transmission of consumers’ information, including personal information, and security breaches could expose us to a risk of loss or exposure of this information, which could result in potential liability, litigation and remediation costs, as well as reputational harm, all of which could materially adversely affect our business and financial results. For example, unauthorized parties could steal our users’ names, email addresses, physical addresses, phone numbers and other information that we collect when providing referrals. While we use encryption and authentication technology licensed from third parties designed to effect secure transmission of such information, we cannot guarantee the security of the transfer and storage of the personal information we collect from customers.
Cybersecurity risks have significantly increased in recent years, in part, because of the proliferation of new technologies, the use of the internet and telecommunications technologies to exchange information and conduct transactions, and the increased sophistication and activities of computer hackers, organized crime, terrorists, and other external parties, including foreign state actors. We have been subject to, and are likely to continue to be the target of, cyberattacks. These cyberattacks could include computer viruses, malicious or destructive code, phishing attacks, denial of service or information, improper access by employees or third-party partners or other security breaches that have or could in the future result in the unauthorized release, gathering, monitoring, misuse,
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loss or destruction of our confidential, proprietary and other information, confidential and other information concerning employees or consumers, or otherwise materially disrupt our or our other third-party partners’ network access or business operations. We also have employees and contractors that are located outside of the United States. These individuals may be at greater risk of cyberattacks, and we may not be able to successfully secure our data.
Although we have a chief information officer who coordinates our cybersecurity measures, policies and procedures, and our chief information officer regularly reports to our board of directors regarding these matters, we cannot be certain that our efforts, as well as those of our third-party partners and service providers, will be able to prevent breaches of the security of our information systems and technology. If we, or any of our third-party partners and service providers, experience compromises to security that result in websites or mobile application performance or availability problems, the complete shutdown of our websites or mobile applications or the loss or unauthorized disclosure, access, acquisition, alteration or use of confidential information, consumers and insurance providers may lose trust and confidence in us, and consumers and insurance providers may decrease the use of our website or stop using our website entirely. Further, outside parties may attempt to fraudulently induce employees, consumers or insurance providers to disclose sensitive information in order to gain access to our information or consumers’ or insurance providers’ information. Because the techniques used to obtain unauthorized access, disable or degrade service, or sabotage systems change frequently, often are not recognized until launched against a target, and may originate from less regulated and remote areas around the world, we may be unable to proactively address these techniques or to implement adequate preventative measures.
Any or all of the issues above could adversely affect our ability to attract new users and increase engagement by existing users, cause existing users to curtail or stop use of our marketplace, cause existing insurance provider customers to cancel their contracts or subject us to governmental or third-party lawsuits, investigations, regulatory fines or other actions or liability, thereby harming our business, results of operations and financial condition. Although we are not aware of any material information security incidents to date, we have detected common types of attempts to attack our information systems and data using means that have included viruses and phishing.
There are numerous federal, state and local laws in the United States and around the world regarding privacy and the collection, processing, storing, sharing, disclosing, using, cross-border transfer and protecting of personal information and other data, the scope of which are changing, subject to differing interpretations, and which may be costly to comply with, may result in regulatory fines or penalties, and may be inconsistent between countries and jurisdictions or conflict with other rules.
We are subject to the terms of our privacy policies and privacy-related obligations to third parties. We strive to comply with all applicable laws, policies, legal obligations and industry codes of conduct relating to privacy and data protection, to the extent possible. However, it is possible that these obligations may be interpreted and applied in new ways or in a manner that is inconsistent from one jurisdiction to another and may conflict with other rules or our practices or that new regulations could be enacted. Any failure or perceived failure by us to comply with our privacy policies, our privacy-related obligations to consumers or other third parties, or our privacy-related legal obligations, or any compromise of security that results in the unauthorized release or transfer of sensitive information, which could include personally identifiable information or other user data, may result in governmental investigations, enforcement actions, regulatory fines, litigation or public statements against us by consumer advocacy groups or others, and could cause consumers and insurance providers to lose trust in us, all of which could be costly and have an adverse effect on our business. In addition, new and changed rules and regulations regarding privacy, data protection and cross-border transfers of consumer information could cause us to delay planned uses and disclosures of data to comply with applicable privacy and data protection requirements. Moreover, if third parties that we work with violate applicable laws or our policies, such violations also may put consumer or insurance provider information at risk and could in turn harm our reputation, business and operating results.
We are subject to a number of risks related to the credit card and debit card payments we accept.
We accept payments through credit and debit card transactions. For credit and debit card payments, we pay interchange and other fees, which may increase over time. An increase in those fees may require us to increase the prices we charge and would increase our operating expenses, either of which could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We currently rely exclusively on one third-party vendor to provide payment processing services, including the processing of payments from credit cards and debit cards, and our business would be disrupted if this vendor becomes unwilling or unable to provide these services to us and we are unable to find a suitable replacement on a timely basis. If we or our processing vendor fail to maintain adequate systems for the authorization and processing of credit card transactions, it could cause one or more of the major credit card companies to disallow our continued use of their payment products. In addition, if these systems fail to work properly and, as a result, we do not charge our customers’ credit cards on a timely basis or at all, our business, revenue, results of operations and financial condition could be harmed.
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We are also subject to payment card association operating rules, certification requirements and rules governing electronic funds transfers, which could change or be reinterpreted to make it more difficult for us to comply. We are required to comply with payment card industry security standards. Failing to comply with those standards may violate payment card association operating rules, federal and state laws and regulations, and the terms of our contracts with payment processors. Any failure to comply fully also may subject us to fines, penalties, damages and civil liability, and may result in the loss of our ability to accept credit and debit card payments. Further, there is no guarantee that such compliance will prevent illegal or improper use of our payment systems or the theft, loss or misuse of data pertaining to credit and debit cards, card holders and transactions.
We may acquire other companies or technologies, which could divert our management’s attention, result in additional dilution to our stockholders and otherwise disrupt our operations and harm our operating results.
Our success will depend, in part, on our ability to grow our business in response to the demands of consumers, insurance providers and other constituents within the insurance industry as well as competitive pressures. In some circumstances, we may determine to do so through the acquisition of complementary businesses and technologies rather than through internal development. For example, in September 2020, we acquired Eversurance, and in August 2021, we acquired PolicyFuel. The identification of suitable acquisition candidates can be difficult, time-consuming and costly, and we may not be able to successfully complete identified acquisitions. The risks we face in connection with acquisitions include:
| • | diversion of management time and focus from operating our business to addressing acquisition integration challenges; |
| • | coordination of technology, research and development, and sales and marketing functions; |
| • | transition of the acquired company’s consumers and data to our marketplace; |
| • | retention of employees from the acquired company; |
| • | cultural challenges associated with integrating employees from the acquired company into our organization; |
| • | integration of the acquired company’s accounting, management information, human resources and other administrative systems; |
| • | the need to implement or improve controls, procedures and policies at a business that prior to the acquisition may have lacked effective controls, procedures and policies; |
| • | potential write-offs of intangibles or other assets acquired in such transactions that may have an adverse effect on our operating results in a given period; |
| • | potential liabilities for reputational harm from activities of the acquired company before the acquisition, including patent and trademark infringement claims, violations of laws, commercial disputes, tax liabilities and other known and unknown liabilities; and |
| • | litigation or other claims in connection with the acquired company, including claims from terminated employees, consumers, former stockholders or other third parties. |
Our failure to address these risks or other problems encountered in connection with future acquisitions and investments could cause us to fail to realize the anticipated benefits of these acquisitions or investments, cause us to incur unanticipated liabilities and harm our business generally. Future acquisitions also could result in dilutive issuances of our equity securities, the incurrence of debt, contingent liabilities, amortization expense or impairment charges associated with acquired intangible assets or goodwill, any of which could harm our financial condition. Also, the anticipated benefits of any acquisitions may not be realized.
We use third-party contractor insurance agents to sell insurance for our DTC agency. These agents could take actions that could harm our business.
We contract licensed insurance agents to sell insurance in connection with our DTC agency. These agents are independent contractors and, as such, are not our employees, and we do not exercise control over their operations. If independent contractors were to provide diminished quality of service to customers, engage in fraud, misconduct or negligence or otherwise violate the law, our image and reputation may suffer materially, and we may become subject to liability claims based upon such actions of our independent contractor agents. Additionally, actions by our independent contractor agents could damage our brand and even isolated incidents can result in considerable negative publicity or litigation. Any such incidence could adversely affect our results of operations.
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We may require additional capital to pursue our business objectives and respond to business opportunities, challenges or unforeseen circumstances. If capital is not available to us, our business, operating results and financial condition may be harmed.
We intend to continue to make investments to support our growth and may require additional capital to pursue our business objectives and respond to business opportunities, challenges or unforeseen circumstances, including to increase our marketing expenditures to improve our brand awareness, develop new product and service offerings or further improve our marketplace and existing product and service offerings, enhance our operating infrastructure and acquire complementary businesses and technologies. Accordingly, we may need to engage in equity or debt financings to secure additional funds. However, additional funds may not be available when we need them, on terms that are acceptable to us, or at all. Volatility in the credit markets also may have an adverse effect on our ability to obtain debt financing.
If we raise additional funds through further issuances of equity or convertible debt securities, our existing stockholders could suffer significant dilution, and any new equity securities we issue could have rights, preferences and privileges superior to those of holders of our Class A common stock. If we are unable to obtain adequate financing or financing on terms satisfactory to us, when we require it, our ability to continue to pursue our business objectives and to respond to business opportunities, challenges or unforeseen circumstances could be significantly limited, and our business, operating results, financial condition and prospects could be materially adversely affected.
Litigation could distract management, increase our expenses or subject us to material monetary damages and other remedies.
We were previously subject to class action lawsuits alleging violations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, or TCPA, and were subject to a class action lawsuit alleging federal securities law violations in connection with our initial public offering, or IPO, and may be involved from time to time in various additional legal proceedings, including, but not limited to, actions relating to breach of contract, breach of federal and state privacy laws, and intellectual property infringement that might necessitate changes to our business or operations. Regardless of whether any claims against us have merit, or whether we are ultimately held liable or subject to payment of damages, claims may be expensive to defend and may divert management’s time away from our operations. If any legal proceedings were to result in an unfavorable outcome, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position and results of operations. Any adverse publicity resulting from actual or potential litigation may also materially adversely affect our reputation, which in turn could adversely affect our results.
We conduct marketing activities, directly and indirectly, via telephone, text messages, email and/or through other online and offline marketing channels, which general marketing activities are governed by numerous federal and state regulations, such as the Telemarketing Sales Rule, state telemarketing laws, federal and state privacy laws, the Controlling the Assault of
Non-Solicited
Pornography and Marketing Act of 2003, or CAN-SPAM
Act, the TCPA, and the Federal Trade Commission Act and its accompanying regulations and guidelines, among others. In addition to being subject to action by regulatory agencies, some of these laws, like the TCPA, allow private individuals to bring litigation against companies for breach of these laws, and we have received complaints from individuals that we have violated the TCPA. We are also dependent on our third-party vendors to comply with applicable laws. For example, with the commencement of our verified partner network in 2019, we depend upon these third-party vendors to obtain consent from consumers to receive telemarketing calls in compliance with the TCPA. We may be alleged to have indemnification obligations to third-party customers for alleged breaches of privacy laws like the TCPA, which could increase our defense costs and require that we pay damages, even if there is no adverse ruling in connection with any such claims. While we have not incurred any material costs to date with respect to these types of events, any of these events may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects. Companies in the internet, technology and media industries are frequently subject to allegations of infringement or other violations of intellectual property rights. We have been and may continue to become subject to intellectual property claims by third parties. We plan to vigorously defend our intellectual property rights and our freedom to operate our business; however, regardless of the merits of the claims, intellectual property claims are often time consuming and extremely expensive to litigate or settle and are likely to continue to divert managerial attention and resources from our business objectives. Successful infringement claims against us could result in significant monetary liability or prevent us from operating our business or portions of our business. Resolution of claims may require us to obtain licenses to use intellectual property rights belonging to third parties, which may be expensive to procure, or we may be required to cease using intellectual property of third parties altogether. Many of our contracts require us to provide indemnification against third-party intellectual property infringement claims, which would increase our defense costs and may require that we pay damages if there were an adverse ruling in any such claims. Any of these events may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects.
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We may become subject to enforcement actions or litigation as a result of our failure to comply with laws and regulations, even though noncompliance was inadvertent or unintentional.
We maintain systems and procedures designed to ensure that we comply with applicable laws and regulations; however, some legal and regulatory frameworks provide for the imposition of fines or penalties for noncompliance even though the noncompliance was inadvertent or unintentional and even though there were systems and procedures designed to ensure compliance in place at the time.
For example, we engage in outbound telephone and text communications with consumers, and accordingly must comply with a number of statutes and regulations, including the TCPA and Telemarketing Sales Rules, and state law equivalents, that govern those communications and the use of automatic telephone dialing systems, or ATDS, and artificial or
pre-recorded
voice messages. The U.S. Federal Communications Commission, or the FCC, and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, or the FTC, have responsibility for regulating various aspects of these laws. Among other requirements, the TCPA requires us to obtain prior express written consent for certain telemarketing calls. Many states have similar consumer protection laws regulating telemarketing. These laws limit our ability to communicate with consumers and reduce the effectiveness of our marketing programs. The TCPA does not currently distinguish between voice and data, and, as such, SMS/MMS messages are also “calls” for the purpose of TCPA obligations and restrictions.For example, violations of the TCPA, the law provides for a private right of action under which a plaintiff may recover monetary damages of $500 for each call or text made in violation of the prohibitions on calls made using an “artificial or
pre-recorded
voice” or an ATDS. Various state law equivalents of the TCPA may also provide for monetary damages in amounts greater than those provided for under the TCPA. A court may also treble the amount of damages upon a finding of a “willful or knowing” violation. There is no statutory cap on maximum aggregate exposure. An action may be brought by the FCC, a state attorney general, an individual, or a class of individuals. Like other companies that rely on telephone and text communications, we have been and may be subject to future putative class action suits alleging violations of the TCPA or state law equivalents. If in the future we are found to have violated the TCPA, or a state law equivalent, the amount of damages and potential liability could be extensive and adversely impact our business. Accordingly, were such a class certified or if we are unable to successfully defend such a suit, then TCPA or other state law damages could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition. Any future indebtedness could adversely affect our ability to operate our business.
We have $25.0 million available for borrowing under our revolving line of credit with Western Alliance Bank, and in the future we could incur indebtedness beyond our revolving line of credit.
Borrowing on our revolving line of credit, combined with our other financial obligations and contractual commitments, could have significant adverse consequences, including:
| • | requiring us to dedicate a portion of our cash resources to the payment of interest and principal, reducing money available to fund working capital, capital expenditures, product development and other general corporate purposes; |
| • | increasing our vulnerability to adverse changes in general economic, industry and market conditions; |
| • | subjecting us to restrictive covenants that may reduce our ability to take certain corporate actions or obtain further debt or equity financing (for example, the covenants in the loan and security agreement for our revolving line of credit include limitations on our ability to incur additional indebtedness and engage in certain fundamental business transactions, such as mergers or acquisitions of other businesses); |
| • | limiting our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in our business and the industry in which we compete; and |
| • | placing us at a competitive disadvantage compared to our competitors that have less debt or better debt servicing options. |
In addition, any indebtedness we incur under our current revolving line of credit will bear interest at a variable rate, which would make us vulnerable to increases in the market rate of interest. If the market rate of interest increases substantially, we would have to pay additional interest, which would reduce cash available for our other business needs. We intend to satisfy any future debt service obligations with our existing cash and cash equivalents. Under our loan and security agreement with Western Alliance Bank, our failure to make payments when due or comply with specified covenants, as well as the occurrence of an event that would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on our business, operations, assets or condition, is an event of default. If an event of default occurs and the lender accelerates any indebtedness then outstanding, we may need to seek additional financing, which may not be available on acceptable terms, in a timely manner or at all. In such event, we may not be able to make accelerated payments, and the lender could seek to enforce security interests in the collateral securing such indebtedness, which includes substantially all of our assets. In addition, the covenants under our existing debt instruments, the pledge of our assets as collateral and the negative pledge with respect to our intellectual property could limit our ability to obtain additional debt financing. Any of these events could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations or financial condition.
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Risks Related to Our Intellectual Property
We may not be able to adequately protect our intellectual property rights.
Our business depends on our intellectual property, the protection of which is crucial to the success of our business. We rely on a combination of trademark, trade secret and copyright law and contractual restrictions to protect our intellectual property. In addition, we attempt to protect our intellectual property, technology and confidential information by requiring our employees and consultants to enter into confidentiality and assignment of inventions agreements and third parties to enter into nondisclosure agreements as we deem appropriate. Despite our efforts to protect our proprietary rights, unauthorized parties may attempt to copy aspects of our website features, software and functionality or obtain and use information that we consider proprietary.
We may not be able to discover or determine the extent of any unauthorized use or infringement or violation of our intellectual property or proprietary rights. Third parties also may take actions that diminish the value of our proprietary rights or our reputation. The protection of our intellectual property may require the expenditure of significant financial and managerial resources. Litigation may be necessary in the future to enforce our intellectual property rights, to protect our trade secrets, to determine the validity and scope of the proprietary rights of others or to defend against claims of infringement or invalidity. Such litigation could be costly, time-consuming and distracting to management, result in a diversion of resources, the impairment or loss of portions of our intellectual property and could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and operating results. Furthermore, our efforts to enforce our intellectual property rights may be met with defenses, counterclaims and countersuits attacking the validity and enforceability of our intellectual property rights. These steps may be inadequate to protect our intellectual property. 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. Despite our precautions, it may be possible for unauthorized third parties to use information that we regard as proprietary to create product offerings that compete with ours. We also cannot be certain that others will not independently develop or otherwise acquire equivalent or superior technology or other intellectual property rights, which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and operating results.
Competitors may adopt service names similar to ours, thereby harming our ability to build brand identity and possibly leading to user confusion. In addition, there could be potential trade name or trademark infringement claims brought by owners of other registered trademarks or trademarks that incorporate variations of the term “EverQuote.” We currently hold the “everquote.com” internet domain name as well as various other related domain names. The regulation of domain names in the United States is subject to change. Regulatory bodies could establish additional
top-level
domains, appoint additional domain name registrars, or modify the requirements for holding domain names. As a result, we may not be able to acquire or maintain all domain names that use the name EverQuote. We currently operate only in the United States. To the extent that we determine to expand our business internationally, we will encounter additional risks, including different, uncertain or more stringent laws relating to intellectual property rights and protection.
We may in the future be subject to intellectual property disputes, which are costly to defend and could harm our business and operating results.
From time to time we have faced and may continue to face allegations or claims that we have infringed the trademarks, copyrights, patents and other intellectual property rights of third parties, including from our
competitors or non-practicing entities. Such
claims, regardless of their merit, could result in litigation or other proceedings and could require us to expend significant financial resources and attention by our management and other personnel that otherwise would be focused on our business operations, result in injunctions against us that prevent us from using material intellectual property rights, or require us to pay damages to third parties. Patent and other intellectual property litigation may be protracted and expensive, and the results are difficult to predict and may result in significant settlement costs or require us to stop offering some features, or purchase licenses or modify our products and features while we develop non-infringing substitutes,
but such licenses may not be available on terms acceptable to us or at all, which would require us to develop alternative intellectual property. Even if these matters do not result in litigation or are resolved in our favor or without significant cash settlements, these matters, and the time and resources necessary to litigate or resolve them, could harm our business, our operating results and our reputation.
As our business expands, we may be subject to intellectual property claims against us with increasing frequency, scope and magnitude. We may also be obligated to indemnify affiliates or other partners who are accused of violating third parties’ intellectual property rights by virtue of those affiliates or partners’ agreements with us, and this could increase our costs in defending such claims and our damages. For example, many of our agreements with insurance providers and other partners require us to indemnify these entities against third-party intellectual property infringement claims. Furthermore, such insurance providers and partners may discontinue their relationship with us either as a result of injunctions or otherwise. The occurrence of these results could harm our brand or materially adversely affect our business, financial position and operating results.
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Confidentiality agreements with employees and others may not adequately prevent disclosure of trade secrets and other proprietary information.
In order to protect our technologies and processes, we rely in part on confidentiality agreements with our employees, independent contractors and other advisors. These agreements may not effectively prevent disclosure of confidential information, including trade secrets, and may not provide an adequate remedy in the event of unauthorized disclosure of confidential information. In addition, others may independently discover our trade secrets and proprietary information, and in such cases we may not be able to assert our trade secret rights against such parties. To the extent that our employees, contractors or other third parties with whom we do business use intellectual property owned by others in their work for us, disputes may arise as to the rights to related
or resulting know-how and inventions.
The loss of confidential information or intellectual property rights, including trade secret protection, could make it easier for third parties to compete with our products. In addition, any changes in, or unexpected interpretations of, intellectual property laws may compromise our ability to enforce our trade secret and intellectual property rights. Costly and time-consuming litigation could be necessary to enforce and determine the scope of our proprietary rights, and failure to obtain or maintain protection of our trade secrets or other proprietary information could harm our business, results of operations, reputation and competitive position. Our use of “open source” software could adversely affect our ability to protect our proprietary software and subject us to possible litigation.
We use open source software in connection with our software development. From time to time, companies that use open source software have faced claims challenging the use of open source software and/or compliance with open source license terms. We could be subject to suits by parties claiming ownership of what we believe to be open source software,
or claiming non-compliance with open
source licensing terms. Some open source licenses require users who distribute software containing open source to make available all or part of such software, which in some circumstances could include valuable proprietary code of the user. While we monitor our use of open source software and try to ensure that none is used in a manner that would require us to disclose our proprietary source code or that would otherwise breach the terms of an open source agreement, such use could inadvertently occur, in part because open source license terms are often ambiguous. Any requirement to disclose our proprietary source code or pay damages for breach of contract could be harmful to our business, results of operations or financial condition, and could help our competitors develop services that are similar to or better than ours. Risks Related to Government Regulation
Our businesses are heavily regulated. We are, and may in the future become, subject to a variety of international, federal, state, and local laws, many of which are unsettled and still developing and which could subject us to claims or otherwise harm our business.
Our activities are subject to extensive regulation under the laws of the United States and its various states and the other jurisdictions in which we operate. We are currently subject to a variety of, and may in the future become subject to additional, international, federal, state and local laws or judicial decisions that are continuously evolving and developing, including laws regarding the insurance industry, mobile- and internet-based businesses and other businesses that rely on advertising, as well as privacy and consumer protection laws, including the TCPA, the Telemarketing Sales Rule, the
CAN-SPAM
Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, and employment laws, including those governing wage and hour requirements. We also generate a significant amount of revenue from calls made by our internal call centers as well as, in some cases, by third-party publishers’ call centers. We also purchase a portion of our lead data from third-party vendors. These third-party vendors are outside contractors, and we do not exercise control over their business or operations and cannot guarantee that these third parties will comply with regulations. Any failure by us or the third-party vendors on which we rely for telemarketing, email marketing, and other lead generation activities to adhere to or successfully implement appropriate processes and procedures in response to existing regulations and changing regulatory requirements could result in legal and monetary liability, significant fines and penalties, or damage to our reputation in the marketplace, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
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In addition, there is increasing attention by state and other jurisdictions to regulation in this area. Our insurance activities are subject to regulation by state insurance regulators in the United States. These laws are complex and can be costly to comply with, require significant management time and effort, and could subject us to claims, government enforcement actions, civil and criminal liability or other remedies, including suspension of business operations. These laws may conflict with each other, further complicating compliance efforts.
If we are alleged not to comply with these laws, regulations, or judicial decisions, we may be required to modify affected products and services, which could require a substantial investment and loss of revenue, or cease providing the affected product or service altogether. If we are found to have violated laws, regulations, or judicial decisions, we may be subject to significant fines, penalties and other losses.
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We assess customer insurance needs, collect customer contact information and provide other product offerings, which results in us receiving personal information. This information is increasingly subject to legislation and regulation in the United States. This legislation and regulation is generally intended to protect individual privacy and the privacy and security of personal information. We could be adversely affected if government regulations require us to significantly change our business practices with respect to this type of information or if the insurance providers who use our marketplace violate applicable laws and regulations. For example, the California Consumer Privacy Act, or CCPA, went into effect on January 1, 2020. The CCPA created new individual privacy rights for California consumers (as the word is broadly defined in the law) and placed increased privacy and security obligations on many organizations that handle personal information of consumers or households. The CCPA requires covered companies to provide new disclosure to consumers about such companies’ data collection, use and sharing practices, provides such consumers a new right to
opt-out
of certain sales or transfers of personal information, and provides consumers with a new cause of action for certain data breaches. The CCPA authorized the Attorney General of the state of California to bring enforcement actions for violations beginning July 1, 2020. The CCPA may have a substantial negative impact on our business activities and increase our compliance costs and potential liability. Additionally, effective starting on January 1, 2023, the California Privacy Rights Act, or the CPRA, will significantly modify the CCPA, including by expanding consumers’ rights with respect to certain sensitive personal information. The CPRA also creates a new state agency that will be vested with authority to implement and enforce the CCPA and the CPRA. Many similar privacy laws have been proposed at the federal level and in other states. These potential new laws may impact our business practice and/or the business practices of our customers and may have a material impact on our business activities. Changes in applicable laws and regulations may materially increase our direct and indirect compliance and other expenses of doing business, having a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. If there were to be changes to statutory or regulatory requirements, we may be unable to comply fully with or maintain all required insurance licenses and approvals. Regulatory authorities have relatively broad discretion to grant, renew and revoke licenses and approvals. If we do not have all requisite licenses and approvals, or do not comply with applicable statutory and regulatory requirements, the regulatory authorities could preclude or temporarily suspend us from carrying on some or all of our activities or monetarily penalize us, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
We cannot predict the outcome of judicial decisions, or whether any proposed legislation or regulatory changes will be adopted, or what impact, if any, such proposals or, if enacted, such laws could have on our business, results of operations and financial condition. If we are alleged to have failed to comply with applicable laws and regulations, we may be subject to investigations, criminal penalties or civil remedies, including fines, injunctions, loss of an operating license or approval, increased scrutiny or oversight by regulatory authorities, the suspension of individual employees, limitations on engaging in a particular business or redress to customers. The cost of compliance and the
consequences of non-compliance could have
a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. In addition, a finding that we have failed to comply with applicable laws and regulations could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition by exposing us to negative publicity and reputational damage or by harming our customer or employee relationships. In most jurisdictions, government regulatory authorities have the power to interpret and amend applicable laws and regulations, and have discretion to grant, renew and revoke the various licenses and approvals we need to conduct our activities. Such authorities may require us to incur substantial costs in order to comply with such laws and regulations. Regulatory statutes are broad in scope and subject to differing interpretation. In some areas of our businesses, we act on the basis of our own or the industry’s interpretations of applicable laws or regulations, which may conflict from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. In the event those interpretations eventually prove different from the interpretations of regulatory authorities, we may be penalized or precluded from carrying on our previous activities.
Federal, state and international laws and regulations regulating insurance activities are complex and could have a material adverse effect on our business, may reduce our profitability and potentially limit our growth.
The insurance regulatory system in the United States is generally designed to protect the interests of consumers or policyholders, and not necessarily the interests of insurance producers, insurers, their stockholders and other investors. This system addresses, among other things: licensing companies and agents to transact business and authorizing lines of business; and regulating unfair trade and claims practices, including through the imposition of restrictions on marketing and sales practices, distribution arrangements and payment of inducements. In some cases, these insurance and other laws and regulations may impose operational limitations on our business, including on the products and services we may offer or on the amount or type of compensation we may collect. Additionally, as a result of our entry into the health insurance vertical and our acquisition of Eversurance, we are now engaged in marketing and selling Medicare plans that are principally regulated by The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, but are also subject to state laws. The laws and regulations applicable to the marketing and sale of Medicare plans are numerous, ambiguous and complex.
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While we attempt to comply with applicable laws and regulations, there can be no assurance that we, our employees, consultants, contractors and other agents are in full compliance with such laws and regulations or interpretations at all times, or that we will be able to comply with any future laws or regulations.
In recent years, the state insurance regulatory framework has come under increased federal scrutiny, and some state legislatures have considered or enacted laws that may alter or increase state authority to regulate insurance entities. Further, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and state insurance regulators continually reexamine existing laws and regulations, interpretations of existing laws and the development of new laws and regulations. With limited exceptions, the U.S. federal government does not directly regulate the business of insurance. However, federal legislation and administrative policies in several areas can significantly and adversely affect insurance entities. These areas include financial services regulation, securities regulation, privacy and taxation. In the future, additional federal regulation may be enacted, which could affect the way we conduct our business and could result in higher compliance costs.
Insurance laws or regulations that are adopted or amended, in addition to changes in federal statutes, including the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act and the McCarran-Ferguson Act, financial services regulations and federal taxation laws or regulations, may be more restrictive than current laws or regulations and may result in lower revenues or higher costs of compliance and thus could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and limit our growth.
The increasing adoption by states of cybersecurity regulations could impose additional compliance burdens on us and expose us to additional liability.
In response to the growing threat of cyberattacks in the insurance industry, certain jurisdictions, including New York, have begun to consider new cybersecurity measures, including the adoption of cybersecurity regulations. In March 2017, the New York State Department of Financial Services promulgated Cybersecurity Requirements for Financial Services Companies, which requires us to establish and maintain a cybersecurity program and implement and maintain cybersecurity policies and procedures with specific requirements. Additionally, on October 24, 2017, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, or NAIC, adopted its Insurance Data Security Model Law to serve as model legislation for states to enact in order to govern cybersecurity and data protection practices of insurers, insurance agents, and other licensed entities registered under state insurance laws. Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Ohio, South Carolina and Virginia have adopted versions of the NAIC Insurance Data Security Model Law, each with a different effective date, and other states may adopt versions of the NAIC Insurance Data Security Model Law in the future. Although we take steps to comply with applicable cybersecurity regulations, our failure to comply with new or existing cybersecurity regulations could result in regulatory actions and other penalties. In addition, efforts to comply with new or existing cybersecurity regulations could impose significant costs on our business, which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.
The marketing and sale of Medicare plans are subject to numerous, complex and frequently changing laws, regulations and guidelines, and
non-compliance
with or changes in laws, regulations and guidelines could harm our business, operating results and financial condition. The marketing and sale of Medicare plans are subject to numerous laws, regulations and guidelines at the federal and state level. The marketing and sale of Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D prescription drug plans are principally regulated by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS, but are also subject to state laws. The marketing and sale of Medicare Supplement plans are principally regulated on a basis by state departments of insurance. The laws and regulations applicable to the marketing and sale of Medicare plans are numerous, ambiguous and complex, and, particularly with respect to regulations and guidance issued by CMS for Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D prescription drug plans, change frequently. We have altered, and likely will have to continue to alter, our marketing materials and sales process to comply with these laws, regulations and guidelines.
state-by-state
Health insurance carriers whose Medicare plans we sell may be required to approve our websites, our call center scripts and some of our marketing materials in order for us to market and sell Medicare plans to Medicare-eligible individuals as a health insurance agent. In addition, certain aspects of our Medicare plan marketing partner relationships have been in the past, and will be in the future, subjected to CMS and health insurance carrier review. Our health insurance carrier partners, CMS, or state departments of insurance may object to or not approve aspects of our online platforms, sales function or marketing material and processes and may determine that certain existing aspects of our Medicare-related business are not in compliance with legal requirements. CMS scrutinizes health insurance carriers whose Medicare plans we sell and those health insurance carriers may be held responsible for actions that we and our agents take. Based on industry guidance, we expect that health insurance carriers will be increasingly evaluating broker performance based on quality of their enrollments, including complaints, retention rates, customer satisfaction and volumes. As a result, health insurance carriers may terminate their relationships with us or require us to take other corrective action if our Medicare product sales, marketing and operations are not in compliance or give rise to too many complaints. The termination of or
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change in our relationships with health insurance carriers could reduce the products we are able to offer, result in the loss of commissions for past and future sales and otherwise harm our business, operating results and financial condition. Changes to the laws, regulations and guidelines relating to the sale of Medicare plans, their interpretation or the manner in which they are enforced could impact the manner in which we conduct our Medicare business, or our sale of Medicare plans, or we could be prevented from operating aspects of our Medicare revenue generating activities altogether, which would harm our business, operating results and financial condition. We may in the future receive inquiries from CMS or state departments of insurance regarding our marketing and business practices and compliance with laws and regulations. Inquiries and proceedings initiated by the government could adversely impact our health insurance licenses, require us to pay fines, require us to modify marketing and business practices, result in litigation and otherwise harm our business, operating results or financial condition.
In May 2021, CMS changed its process for the submission and approval of marketing materials related to Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D prescription drug plans. The practical application of the previous process allowed for a lead carrier to handle most of the review and filing of Medicare plan marketing materials with CMS. The new process requires each carrier to approve of each filed marketing material and has resulted in a more complicated and time-consuming process to get our marketing material filed with CMS and through the process with carriers. In October 2021, CMS issued a letter reiterating that certain types of marketing materials, including certain generic marketing materials that refer to the benefits or costs of Medicare Advantage or Medicare Part D prescription drug plans but that do not specifically mention a health insurance carrier’s name or a specific plan, must be filed with CMS. As a result, we now submit to each Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D prescription drug plan carrier with which we have a relationship a significantly larger number of marketing materials than we have in the past. We may not be able to use certain of our marketing materials and implement our marketing programs effectively if CMS or a health insurance carrier has comments or disapproves of our marketing materials. If we do not timely file the additional marketing materials with CMS or if health insurance carriers do not adapt to the new CMS requirements or increase the efficiency with which they review our marketing material, it could harm our sales and also harm our ability to efficiently change and implement new or existing marketing material, including call center scripts and our websites, which could harm our business, operating results and financial condition. If we or our marketing partners are not successful in timely receiving health insurance carrier or CMS approval of our marketing materials, we could be prevented from implementing our Medicare marketing and sales initiatives, which could harm our business, operating results and financial conditions, particularly if such delay or
non-compliance
occurs during the Medicare annual enrollment period or the Medicare Advantage open enrollment period. Taxing authorities may assert that we should have collected or in the future should collect sales, use, value added or similar taxes, and we could be subject to liability with respect to past or future sales, which could adversely affect our operating results.
We do not collect sales, use, value added or similar taxes in jurisdictions in which we have sales, and we believe that such taxes are not applicable either because we do not have the requisite amount of contacts with the state for the state to be able to impose these taxes or our products and services are not subject to these taxes. Sales, use, value added and similar tax laws and rates vary greatly by jurisdiction. Certain jurisdictions in which we do not collect such taxes may assert that such taxes are applicable, which could result in tax assessments, penalties and interest, to us or our
end-customers
for the past amounts, and we may be required to collect such taxes in the future. If we are unsuccessful in collecting such taxes from our end-customers,
we could be held liable for such costs. Such tax assessments, penalties and interest, or future requirements may adversely affect our operating results. For example, we were contacted by a representative from a state tax assessor’s office requesting remittance of uncollected sales taxes. While we do not believe our services are taxable in this state, if we do not prevail in our position, uncollected sales taxes due for the period could amount to approximately $1.5 million including interest and penalties. Federal, state and international laws regulating telephone and email marketing practices impose certain obligations on marketers, which could reduce our ability to expand our business.
We, along with third parties we acquire consumer referrals from, and the insurance providers using our marketplace, make telephone calls and send emails to consumers who request insurance quotes through our marketplace. The United States regulates marketing by telephone and email. The TCPA prohibits companies from making certain telemarketing calls to numbers listed in the Federal Registry and imposes other obligations and limitations on making phone calls and sending text messages to consumers. The
Do-Not-Call
CAN-SPAM
Act regulates commercial email messages and specifies penalties for the transmission of commercial email messages that do not comply with certain requirements, such as providing an opt-out
mechanism for stopping future emails from senders. We, along with third parties we acquire consumer referrals from, and the insurance providers who use our marketplace may need to comply with such laws and any associated rules and regulations. States and other countries have similar laws related to telemarketing and commercial emails. Additional or modified laws and regulations, or interpretations of existing, modified or new laws, regulations and rules, could prohibit or increase the cost of engaging with consumers and impair our ability to expand the use of our products, including our demand response solution, to more users. Alleged failure to comply with obligations and restrictions related to telephone, text message and email marketing could subject us to lawsuits, fines, statutory damages, consent decrees, injunctions, adverse publicity and other losses that could harm our business. Moreover, over the past several years there has been a 50
significant amount of litigation alleging violations of laws relating to telemarketing, which has increased the exposure of companies that operate telephone and text messaging campaigns to class action litigation alleging violations of the TCPA. If we, third parties we acquire quote requests from, or the insurance providers who use our marketplace become subject to such litigation, it could result in substantial costs to and materially adversely affect our business.
Changes in the regulation of the internet could adversely affect our business.
Laws, rules and regulations governing internet communications,
advertising and e-commerce are dynamic
and the extent of future government regulation is uncertain. Federal and state regulations govern various aspects of our online business, including intellectual property ownership and infringement, trade secrets, the distribution of electronic communications, marketing and advertising, user privacy and data security, search engines and internet tracking technologies. In addition, changes in laws or regulations that adversely affect the growth, popularity or use of the internet, including potentially the repeal in the United States of net neutrality, could decrease the demand for our offerings and increase our cost of doing business. Future taxation on the use of the internet or e-commerce transactions could
also be imposed. Existing or future regulation or taxation could hinder growth in or adversely affect the use of the internet generally, including the viability of internet e-commerce, which could
reduce our revenue, increase our operating expenses and expose us to significant liabilities. Risks Related to Our Class A Common Stock
An active trading market for our Class A common stock may not be sustained.
Our Class A common stock began trading on the Nasdaq Global Market on June 28, 2018. Given the limited trading history of our Class A common stock, there is a risk that an active trading market for our shares may not be sustained, which could put downward pressure on the market price of our Class A common stock and thereby affect the ability of our stockholders to sell their shares at attractive prices, at the times that they would like to sell them, or at all.
The market price of our Class A common stock has been and may continue to be volatile, which could result in substantial losses for investors and could subject us to securities class action litigation.
The market price of our Class A common stock has been and could continue to be subject to significant fluctuations. For example, our Class A common stock traded within a range of a high price of $63.44 per share and a low price of $4.05 per share for the period beginning June 28, 2018, our first day of trading on the Nasdaq Global Market, through March 31, 2022. Some of the factors that may cause the market price of our Class A common stock to fluctuate include:
| • | price and volume fluctuations in the overall stock market from time to time; |
| • | volatility in the market price and trading volume of comparable companies; |
| • | actual or anticipated changes in our earnings or fluctuations in our operating results or in the expectations of securities analysts; |
| • | announcements of new service offerings, strategic alliances or significant agreements by us or by our competitors; |
| • | loss of key personnel; |
| • | litigation involving us or that may be perceived as having an adverse effect on our business; |
| • | changes in general economic, industry and market conditions and trends; |
| • | investors’ general perception of us; |
| • | sales of large blocks of our stock; and |
| • | announcements regarding industry consolidation. |
In addition, equity markets in general, and the equities of technology companies in particular, have experienced and may experience in the future, extreme price and volume fluctuations due to, among other factors, the actions of market participants or other actions outside of our control, including general market volatility caused by the
COVID-19
pandemic. Such price and volume fluctuations may adversely affect the market price of our common stock for reasons unrelated to our business or operating results. 51
In the past, following periods of volatility in the market price of a company’s securities, securities class action litigation has often been brought against that company. For example, we were subject to a class action lawsuit alleging federal securities law violations in connection with our IPO. Because of the past and potential future volatility of our stock price, we may become the target of additional securities litigation in the future. Securities litigation could result in substantial costs and divert management’s attention and resources from our business.
Our quarterly operating results or other operating metrics may fluctuate significantly, which could cause the trading price of our Class A common stock to decline.
Our quarterly operating results and other operating metrics have fluctuated in the past and may in the future fluctuate as a result of a number of factors, many of which are outside of our control and may be difficult to predict, including:
| • | the level of demand for our product and service offerings and our ability to maintain and increase our customer base; |
| • | the level of consumer traffic to our websites and the volume of referrals generated by consumer traffic; |
| • | the timing and success of new product and service introductions by us or our competitors or any other change in the competitive landscape of our market; |
| • | bind rates by consumers; |
| • | pricing pressure as a result of competition or otherwise; |
| • | our ability to reduce costs; |
| • | errors in our forecasting of the demand for our product and service offerings, which could lead to lower revenue or increased costs; |
| • | seasonal or other variations in purchasing patterns by customers; |
| • | increases in and timing of sales and marketing and other operating expenses that we may incur to grow and expand our operations and to remain competitive; |
| • | adverse litigation judgments, settlements or other litigation-related costs; |
| • | regulatory proceedings or other adverse publicity about us or our product and service offerings; |
| • | costs related to the acquisition of businesses, talent, technologies or intellectual property, including potentially significant amortization costs and possible write-downs; and |
| • | general economic conditions. |
Any one of the factors above or the cumulative effect of some of the factors above may result in significant fluctuations in our operating results.
The variability and unpredictability of our quarterly operating results or other operating metrics could result in our failure to meet our expectations or those of any analysts that cover us or investors with respect to revenue or other operating results for a particular period. If we fail to meet or exceed such expectations for these or any other reasons, the market price of our Class A common stock could fall substantially, and we could face costly lawsuits, including securities class action suits.
If securities or industry analysts cease publishing research or reports about us, our business or our market, or if they publish negative evaluations of our stock or the stock of other companies in our industry, the price of our stock and trading volume could decline.
The trading market for our Class A common stock will be influenced by the research and reports that industry or securities analysts may publish about us, our business, our market or our competitors. If one or more of the analysts covering our business downgrade their evaluations of our Class A common stock or the stock of other companies in our industry, the price of our Class A common stock could decline. If one or more of these analysts cease to cover our Class A common stock, we could lose visibility in the market for our Class A common stock, which in turn could cause our stock price to decline.
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The dual-class structure of our common stock has the effect of concentrating voting control with the holders of our Class B common stock, including our directors, executive officers and Link Ventures and other significant stockholders, who collectively held in the aggregate approximately 77% of the voting power of our capital stock as of April 12, 2022; and Link Ventures, directly or through a voting agreement, together with Cogo Labs, held approximately 76% of the voting power of our capital stock as of that date. This concentration of voting power will limit or preclude the ability of other stockholders to influence corporate matters, including the election of directors, amendments of our organizational documents and any merger, consolidation, sale of all or substantially all of our assets, or other major corporate transaction requiring stockholder approval.
Our Class B common stock has 10 votes per share, and our Class A common stock has one vote per share. Our directors, executive officers and holders of more than 10% of our common stock, and their respective affiliates, held in the aggregate approximately 77% of the voting power of our capital stock as of April 12, 2022; and Link Ventures, directly or through a voting agreement pursuant to which Tomas Revesz and the heirs and estate of Seth Birnbaum are obligated to vote on all matters presented to our stockholders all voting capital stock held by them in the manner directed by Link Ventures, together with Cogo Labs, held in the aggregate approximately 76% of the voting power of our capital stock as of that date. Because of the voting ratio between our Class B and Class A common stock, the holders of our Class B common stock collectively will continue to control a majority of the combined voting power of our common stock and therefore be able to control all matters submitted to our stockholders for approval. This concentration of voting power will limit or preclude your ability to influence corporate matters for the foreseeable future, including the election of directors, amendments of our organizational documents, and any merger, consolidation, sale of all or substantially all of our assets, or other major corporate transaction requiring stockholder approval. This may also prevent or discourage unsolicited acquisition proposals or offers for our capital stock that you may feel are in your best interest as one of our stockholders. In addition, major stock index providers, such as FTSE Russell and S&P Dow Jones, exclude from their indices
10-to-one
non-voting
securities or the securities of companies with unequal voting rights. Exclusion from stock indices could make it more difficult, or impossible, for some fund managers to buy our Class A common stock, particularly in the case of index tracking mutual funds and exchange traded funds, which could adversely affect the trading liquidity and market price of our Class A common stock. Future transfers by holders of Class B common stock will generally result in those shares converting to Class A common stock, subject to limited exceptions, such as certain transfers to trusts and individual retirement accounts. In addition, all shares of Class B common stock will be required to convert to Class A common stock upon the election of a majority by voting power of the outstanding Class B common stock. The conversion of Class B common stock to Class A common stock will have the effect, over time, of increasing the relative voting power of those holders of Class B common stock who retain their shares.
Our status as a “controlled company” could make our Class A common stock less attractive to some investors or otherwise harm our stock price.
More than 50% of our voting power is held by entities affiliated with Link Ventures. As a result, we are a “controlled company” under the rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market. Under these rules, a company of which more than 50% of the voting power is held by an individual, a group or another company is a “controlled company” and, as such, will be exempt from certain corporate governance requirements, including requirements that:
| • | a majority of the board of directors consist of independent directors; |
| • | director nominees be selected or recommended for the board’s selection by independent directors constituting a majority of the independent directors or by a nominations committee with prescribed duties and a written charter and comprised solely of independent directors; and |
| • | the board of directors maintain a compensation committee with prescribed duties and a written charter and comprised solely of independent directors. |
We have availed ourselves of certain of these exemptions and, for so long as we qualify as a “controlled company,” we will maintain the option to utilize from time to time some or all of these exemptions. For example, we do not have a nominations committee, and director nominees might not be selected or recommended for the board’s selection by a qualifying nominations committee or by independent directors constituting a majority of the independent directors, and our compensation committee is not comprised solely of independent directors. Accordingly, should the interests of Link Ventures differ from those of other stockholders, the other stockholders may not have the same protections afforded to stockholders of companies that are subject to all of the Nasdaq Stock Market corporate governance standards. Our status as a controlled company could make our Class A common stock less attractive to some investors or otherwise harm our stock price.
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A significant portion of our total outstanding shares may be sold into the public market in the near future, which could cause the market price of our Class A common stock to drop significantly, even if our business is doing well.
Sales of a significant number of shares of our Class A common stock in the public market could occur at any time. These sales, or the market perception that the holders of a large number of shares intend to sell shares, could reduce the market price of our Class A common stock.
In addition to our outstanding Class A common stock, as of March 31, 2022, there were 976,188 shares of Class A common stock subject to outstanding options, 593,677 shares of either Class A common stock or Class B common stock subject to outstanding options, 2,891,797 shares of Class A common stock subject to outstanding restricted stock unit awards, or RSUs, and an additional 2,705,526 shares of Class A common stock reserved for future issuance under our equity incentive plan. Because we have registered 15,949,000 shares of our Class A common stock and Class B common stock that may be issued under our equity incentive plans pursuant to registration statements
on Form S-8, any such
shares that we issue can be freely sold in the public market upon issuance, subject to the restrictions imposed on our affiliates under Rule 144. Moreover, holders of a significant number of shares of our Class A common stock and Class B common stock as of March 31, 2022, have rights, subject to certain conditions, to require us to file registration statements covering their shares or to include their shares in registration statements that we may file for ourselves or other stockholders. Upon registration, such shares would be able to be freely sold in the public market.
Anti-takeover provisions in our restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws, as well as provisions of Delaware law, might discourage, delay or prevent a change in control of our company or changes in our management and, therefore, depress the trading price of our Class A common stock.
Our restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws and Delaware law contain provisions that may discourage, delay or prevent a merger, acquisition or other change in control that stockholders may consider favorable, including transactions in which you might otherwise receive a premium for your shares of our Class A common stock. These provisions may also prevent or delay attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our management or directors. Our corporate governance documents include provisions:
| • | providing that directors may be removed by stockholders only for cause and only with a vote of the holders of shares representing a majority of the voting power of all shares that stockholders would be entitled to vote for the election of directors; |
| • | limiting the ability of our stockholders to call and bring business before special meetings of stockholders and to take action by written consent in lieu of a meeting; |
| • | requiring advance notice of stockholder proposals for business to be conducted at meetings of our stockholders and for nominations of candidates for election to our board of directors; |
| • | authorizing blank check preferred stock, which could be issued with voting, liquidation, dividend and other rights superior to our Class A common stock; and |
| • | limiting the liability of, and providing indemnification to, our directors and officers. |
As a Delaware corporation, we are also subject to provisions of Delaware law, including Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, which limits the ability of stockholders holding shares representing more than 15% of the voting power of our outstanding voting stock from engaging in certain business combinations with us. Any provision of our restated certificate of incorporation or amended and restated bylaws or Delaware law that has the effect of delaying or deterring a change in control could limit the opportunity for our stockholders to receive a premium for their shares of our Class A common stock, and could also affect the price that some investors are willing to pay for our Class A common stock.
The existence of the foregoing provisions and anti-takeover measures could limit the price that investors might be willing to pay in the future for shares of our Class A common stock. They could also deter potential acquirers of our company, thereby reducing the likelihood that you could receive a premium for your Class A common stock in an acquisition.
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Our restated certificate provides that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware is the sole and exclusive forum for substantially all disputes between us and our stockholders. Our restated certificate further provides that the federal district courts of the United States of America are the sole and exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act. These choice of forum provisions could limit the ability of stockholders to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers or employees.
Our restated certificate of incorporation provides that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (or, if the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware does not have jurisdiction, the federal district court for the District of Delaware) shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, 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, officer 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 or as to which the Delaware General Corporation Law confers jurisdiction on the Court of Chancery or (4) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine. Our restated certificate of incorporation further provides that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the federal district courts of the United States of America shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the sole and exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act. In, No. 346, 2019 (Del. Mar. 18, 2020), the Delaware Supreme Court, reversing the Delaware Court of Chancery held that such federal forum selection provisions are “facially valid” under Delaware law, although there is uncertainty as to whether courts in other states will enforce these provisions and we may incur additional costs of litigation should such enforceability be challenged. Neither of these choice of forum provisions would affect suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, or the rules and regulations thereunder, jurisdiction over which is exclusively vested by statute in U.S. federal courts, or any other claim for which U.S. federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction. These choice of forum provisions may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers or other employees, which may discourage such lawsuits against us and our directors, officers and other employees. Alternatively, if a court were to find the choice of forum provisions contained in our certificate of incorporation to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions, which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and operating results.
Salzberg v. Sciabacucchi
The requirements of being a public company may strain our resources, divert management’s attention and affect our ability to attract and retain qualified board members.
As a public company, we are subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, the listing requirements of the Nasdaq Stock Market and other applicable securities rules and regulations. Compliance with these rules and regulations will increase our legal and financial compliance costs, make some activities more difficult, time-consuming or costly, and increase demand on our systems and resources, particularly as we are no longer an emerging growth company. Among other things, the Exchange Act requires that we file annual, quarterly and current reports with respect to our business and operating results and maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting. In order to maintain and, if required, improve our disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting to meet this standard, significant resources and management oversight may be required. As a result, management’s attention may be diverted from other business concerns, which could harm our business and operating results. Although we have already hired additional employees to comply with these requirements, we may need to hire even more employees in the future, which will increase our costs and expenses.
As a result of being a public company, it is more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance than when we were a private company, and in the future we may be required to accept reduced coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain coverage. These factors could also make it more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified members of our board of directors, particularly to serve on our audit committee, and qualified executive officers.
We and our independent registered public accounting firm have identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting. If we are unable to remediate these material weaknesses, we may not be able to accurately or timely report our financial condition or results of operations, which may adversely affect our business and the market price of our Class A common stock.
We and our independent registered public accounting firm have identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting. If we are unable to remediate these material weaknesses, we may not be able to accurately or timely report our financial condition or results of operations, which may adversely affect our business and the market price of our Class A common stock. A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. We and our independent registered public accounting firm have identified deficiencies in control over certain information technology (IT) general controls for revenue-related information systems that are relevant to the preparation of our financial statements that constitute material weaknesses.
Specifically, we did not design and maintain (i) user access controls to ensure appropriate segregation of duties and that adequately restrict user and privileged access to certain financial applications, programs, and data to appropriate company personnel, (ii) program change management controls for certain financial applications to ensure that information technology program and data changes affecting financial IT applications and underlying accounting records are identified, tested, authorized and implemented appropriately, and (iii) controls over the completeness and accuracy of data relevant to certain automated revenue calculations.
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These material weaknesses did not result in a misstatement to the financial statements. However, the material weaknesses could impact the effectiveness of segregation of duties controls, as well as the effectiveness of
IT-dependent
controls that could result in misstatements impacting revenue-related financial statement accounts and disclosures that would result in a material misstatement of the annual or interim consolidated financial statements that would not be prevented or detected. As a result of these material weaknesses, our management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was not effective as of December 31, 2021. We are in the process of implementing a remediation plan designed to improve our internal control over financial reporting to remediate these material weaknesses, which remediation plan includes a robust risk assessment process coupled with additional controls and procedures.
We cannot assure you that the measures we have taken to date, and actions we may take in the future, will be sufficient to remediate the control deficiencies that led to the material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting or that they will prevent or avoid potential future material weaknesses. If we are unable to successfully remediate the material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting, the accuracy and timing of our financial reporting may be adversely affected, investors could lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports, the market price of our Class A common stock could decline, we could be subject to sanctions or investigations by the Nasdaq Stock Market, the SEC or other regulatory authorities, and our ability to access the capital markets could be limited.
We are obligated to maintain a system of effective internal control over financial reporting and any failure to maintain the adequacy of these internal controls may harm investor confidence in our company and, as a result, the value of our common stock.
The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 requires that we maintain effective internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures. We are required, pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, to furnish a report by management on, among other things, the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. This assessment includes disclosure of any material weaknesses identified by our management in our internal control over financial reporting, such as the material weaknesses described above.
Our compliance with Section 404 necessitates that we incur substantial accounting expense and expend significant management efforts. We will continue to dedicate internal resources, engage outside consultants and adopt a detailed work plan to assess and document the adequacy of internal control over financial reporting, continue steps to improve control processes as appropriate, including the remediation of the material weaknesses described above, validate through testing that controls are functioning as documented and implement a continuous reporting and improvement process for internal control over financial reporting and to compile the system and process documentation necessary to perform the evaluation needed to comply with Section 404. We may not be able to remediate the material weaknesses described above, or any future material weaknesses that may be identified, or to complete our evaluation, testing and remediation in a timely fashion and our independent registered public accounting firm may issue further reports that are adverse in the event it is not satisfied with the level at which our controls are documented, designed or operating. Consequently, we cannot assure you that our independent registered public accounting firm will be able to attest to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting.
Our failure to maintain adequate 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 assert that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, or if our auditors are unable to express an opinion on the effectiveness of our internal controls, investors could lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports, the market price of our Class A common stock could decline, and we could be subject to sanctions or investigations by the Nasdaq Stock Market, the SEC or other regulatory authorities. Failure to remedy the material weaknesses described above, or any future material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting that may be identified, or to implement or maintain other effective control systems required of public companies, could also restrict our future access to the capital markets.
Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds.
Recent Sales of Unregistered Equity Securities
There were no shares of equity securities sold or issued, or options granted, by us during the three months ended March 31, 2022 that were not registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, and that were not previously reported in a Current Report on Form
8-K.
Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
We did not purchase any of our registered equity securities during the period from January 1, 2022 to March 31, 2022.
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Item 6. Exhibits.
| # | Indicates management contract or compensation plan. |
| † | The certifications attached as Exhibits 32.1 and 32.2 that accompany this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, are not deemed filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and are not to be incorporated by reference into any filing of EverQuote, Inc. under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, whether made before or after the date of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, irrespective of any general incorporation language contained in such filing. |
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
| EVERQUOTE, INC. | ||||
| Date: May 6, 2022 | By: | /s/ Jayme Mendal | ||
| Jayme Mendal Chief Executive Officer and President (Principal Executive Officer) | ||||
| Date: May 6, 2022 | By: | /s/ John Wagner | ||
| John Wagner Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer (Principal Financial Officer) | ||||
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Exhibit 31.1
CERTIFICATION OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICER
PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
I, Jayme Mendal, certify that:
1. I have reviewed this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of EverQuote, Inc.;
2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;
3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;
4. The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:
(a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;
(b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;
(c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and
(d) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and
5. The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):
(a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and
(b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.
Date: May 6, 2022
| /s/ Jayme Mendal |
| Jayme Mendal Chief Executive Officer and President (Principal Executive Officer) |
Exhibit 31.2
CERTIFICATION OF PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL OFFICER
PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
I, John Wagner, certify that:
1. I have reviewed this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of EverQuote, Inc.;
2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;
3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;
4. The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:
(a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;
(b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;
(c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and
(d) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and
5. The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):
(a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and
(b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.
Date: May 6, 2022
| /s/ John Wagner |
| John Wagner |
| Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer |
| (Principal Financial Officer) |
Exhibit 32.1
CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
PURSUANT TO 18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
I, Jayme Mendal, certify pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that, to my knowledge, the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of EverQuote, Inc. for the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2022 fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the information contained in such Form 10-Q fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of EverQuote, Inc.
| /s/ Jayme Mendal |
| Jayme Mendal |
| Chief Executive Officer and President |
| (Principal Executive Officer) |
| May 6, 2022 |
Exhibit 32.2
CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
PURSUANT TO 18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
I, John Wagner, certify pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that, to my knowledge, the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of EverQuote, Inc. for the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2022 fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the information contained in such Form 10-Q fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of EverQuote, Inc.
| /s/ John Wagner |
| John Wagner |
| Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer |
| (Principal Financial Officer) |
| May 6, 2022 |