Item 1A. Risk Factors.

Risk Factors Summary

The following summarizes the principal factors that make an investment in our company speculative or risky, all of which are more fully described in the risk factors section below. This summary should be read in conjunction with the risk factors section and should not be relied upon as an exhaustive summary of the material risks facing our business. The following factors could result in harm to our business, reputation, revenue, financial results, and prospects, among other impacts:

Risks Related to Our Business and Industry

• Our ability to reduce manufacturing costs

• Our ability to attain market acceptance for Tablo among providers and patients

• Our ability to expand into the home hemodialysis market

• Our ability to continue innovating and improving Tablo

• Our ability to compete effectively

• Our ability to effectively manage privacy, information and data security

• Our estimates of the sizes of the markets for Tablo

• Our ability to accurately forecast customer demand and manage our inventory

• Fluctuations in our operating results

• Our ability to obtain additional capital when needed

Risks Related to Government Regulation

• Our ability to comply with:

o environmental and occupational safety laws

Risks Related to Our Intellectual Property

Risks Related to Ownership of Our Common Stock

• Substantial resources associated with operating as a public company

General Risks

• General economic and financial market conditions

• Our estimates or judgments relating to our critical accounting policies

• Risks associated with potential future acquisitions or investments

The summary risk factors described above should be read together with the text of the full risk factors below and the other information set forth in this Annual Report, including our financial statements and the related notes and the section entitled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”, as well as in other documents that we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The risks summarized above or described in full below are not the only risks that we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not precisely known to us, or that we currently deem to be immaterial, may also arise and materially impact our business. If any of these risks occur, our business, results of operations and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected and the trading price of our common stock could decline.

Risks Related to our Business and Industry

We have a history of net losses, and we expect to continue to incur losses for the foreseeable future. If we ever achieve profitability, we may not be able to sustain it.

We have incurred losses since our inception and expect to continue to incur significant net losses for the foreseeable future. We have incurred net losses of $121.5 million, $68.3 million and $49.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively. As of December 31, 2020, we had $348.2 million in cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and short-term investments, and an accumulated deficit of $494.1 million. Based on our current planned operations, we expect our existing cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments, and cash generated from sales of our products, will be sufficient to meet our anticipated needs for at least the next 12 months from the date of this Annual Report. We have based this estimate on assumptions that may prove to be wrong, and we could use our capital resources sooner than we currently expect.

Our revenue is derived, and we expect it to continue to be derived, primarily from sales of Tablo, its associated consumables and related services. Because of its recent commercial introduction, Tablo currently has limited product and brand recognition. In addition, demand for Tablo may decline or may not increase as quickly as we expect. Our ability to generate revenue from sales of Tablo, associated consumables and related services, or from any products we may develop in the future, may not be sufficient to enable us to transition to profitability and generate positive cash flows.

We expect that our sales and marketing, research and development, regulatory and other expenses will continue to increase as we expand our marketing efforts to increase adoption of Tablo, expand existing relationships with our customers, obtain regulatory clearances or approvals for future product enhancements to Tablo, and conduct clinical trials on Tablo. In addition, we expect our general and administrative expenses to increase due to the additional costs associated with scaling our business operations as well as our new status of being a public company, including due to legal, accounting, insurance, exchange listing and SEC compliance, investor relations and other expenses. As a result, we expect to continue to incur operating losses and may never achieve profitability. We will need to generate significant additional revenue in order to achieve and sustain profitability. Even if we achieve profitability, we cannot be sure that we will remain profitable for any substantial period of time. If we do not achieve or sustain profitability, it will be more difficult for us to finance our business and accomplish our strategic objectives, either of which would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We may not be able to sufficiently reduce costs in the manufacturing and production of the Tablo system to achieve sustainable gross margins.

We partner with contract manufacturers in the production of the Tablo cartridge, and may continue to use a contract manufacturing partner as a second source for the production of Tablo consoles. Until recently, we exclusively relied on our contract manufacturer based in Morgan Hill, California for the production of the Tablo console, which resulted in higher costs associated with labor and component parts. As part of a number of initiatives designed to reduce the cost of producing Tablo devices, we recently established a new manufacturing facility for the production of Tablo consoles in Tijuana, Mexico which we operate in collaboration with our outsourced business administration service provider, Tacna Services (Tacna), and began manufacturing consoles at the new facility, and we are in the process of moving production of a majority of the Tablo cartridges from our existing contract manufacturing partner to a new contract manufacturer in Tijuana, Mexico. There is no guarantee that we will be able to achieve planned cost reductions from our various cost savings initiatives. For example, the savings associated with our recently established manufacturing facility with Tacna may not be as significant as projected or realized within the timeframe we currently estimate. There may also be unforeseen occurrences that increase our costs, such as increased prices of the components of Tablo, changes to labor costs, less favorable terms with third party suppliers or contract manufacturing partners, or disruptions to the operations of our contract manufacturers or third party suppliers including as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Our ability to maintain Tablo’s pricing is dependent on our customers’ recognition that the benefits outweigh the higher upfront purchase price. If we are unable to reduce our costs, if cost reductions are less significant or less timely than projected or if we are unable to maintain Tablo’s pricing, we will not be able to achieve sustainable gross margins, which would adversely affect our ability to invest in and grow our business and adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The commercial success of Tablo will depend upon attaining significant market acceptance among providers and patients.

Our success will depend, in part, on the acceptance of Tablo as safe, easy to learn, easy to use, clinically flexible, operationally versatile and, with respect to providers, cost effective. We began commercializing Tablo throughout the United States in 2018 and began the process to commercialize Tablo for home-based dialysis in 2020. Our limited commercialization experience makes it difficult to evaluate our current business and predict our future prospects. We cannot predict how quickly, if at all, providers and patients will accept Tablo or, if accepted, how frequently it will be used. These constituents must believe that Tablo offers benefits over traditional machines. The degree of market acceptance of Tablo will depend on a number of factors, including:

• the potential and perceived advantages of Tablo over traditional machines;

• the convenience and ease of use of Tablo relative to traditional machines;

• the effectiveness of our sales and marketing efforts for Tablo;

Additionally, even if Tablo achieves widespread market acceptance, it may not maintain that market acceptance over time if competing products or technologies, which are more cost effective or received more favorably, are introduced. Failure to achieve or maintain market acceptance and/or market share would limit our ability to generate revenue and would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We currently derive substantially all of our revenue from the sale of Tablo and associated consumables and are therefore highly dependent on Tablo for our success.

We derive substantially all of our revenues from sales of Tablo and its associated consumables, with the remainder of our revenues largely coming from services provided for the support and maintenance of Tablo. Accordingly, our business is exposed to risks that our revenues are concentrated in a single product. As a result, any event that adversely affects Tablo or the market for Tablo and associated consumables could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operation.

Our ability to generate revenue from home-based dialysis is subject to certain risks and uncertainties, including around the adoption of Tablo in the home setting.

In March 2020, Tablo was cleared by the FDA for patient use in the home of patients with acute and/or chronic renal failure, with or without ultrafiltration, and we intend to expand within the home market. However, this implementation is subject to certain risks, including our ability to attract, retain and manage patients. Our business strategy, including our pricing of Tablo, is based on certain assumptions about the adoption of Tablo by home dialysis patients, as well as patient retention. If these assumptions about the home market are inaccurate and we are unable to increase our share of the home dialysis market by attracting new patients, or retain such market share once achieved, we would need to significantly change certain aspects of our business strategy, including the pricing of the Tablo console, associated consumables and support and maintenance, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our limited experience in the distribution, logistics and service support that relate to the use of Tablo in the home care setting may also negatively impact our ability to generate revenue from home-based dialysis. Currently, the provision of in-clinic and home dialysis is largely dominated by DaVita Inc. (DaVita) and Fresenius, and our expansion within the home dialysis market is dependent on our ability to grow new home programs with health systems and innovative dialysis clinic partners. In addition, patients and their care partners using Tablo for home dialysis may not successfully operate Tablo or may require increased service and support from us. Moreover, given the home dialysis market is a novel one for us, we also face the risk that we may encounter difficulties whose precise nature or magnitude we cannot accurately predict at this time, but which may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

We depend upon third-party suppliers, including contract manufacturers and single source suppliers, making us vulnerable to supply problems and price fluctuations.

We rely on third-party suppliers, including in some instances single source suppliers, to provide us with certain components of Tablo. The number of suppliers feeding into Tablo console production is in excess of 250 worldwide. We consider approximately 9% of these suppliers, located in the United States, Europe and China, as critical providers of components such as pumps, motors, valves and PCBA boards. While we are undertaking a second source qualification process for the majority of these critical components, we may not be successful in securing second sourcing for all of them.

In addition, we purchase supplies through purchase orders and do not have long-term supply agreements with, or guaranteed commitments from, our suppliers, including single source suppliers. Additionally, at present, we rely on contract manufacturers for the production of the Tablo cartridge, and may continue to use a contract manufacturing partner as a second source for the production of Tablo consoles. Many of our suppliers and contract manufacturers are not obligated to perform services or supply products for any specific period, in any specific quantity or at any specific price, except as may be provided in a particular purchase order. We depend on our suppliers and contract manufacturers to provide us and our customers with materials in a timely manner that meet our and their quality, quantity and cost requirements. These suppliers and contract manufacturers may encounter problems during manufacturing for a variety of reasons, including as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, any of which could delay or impede their ability to meet our demand. These suppliers and contract manufacturers may cease producing the components we purchase from them or otherwise decide to cease doing business with us. Further, we maintain limited volumes of inventory from most of our suppliers and contract manufacturers. If we inaccurately forecast demand for finished goods, we may be unable to meet customer demand which could harm our competitive position and reputation. In addition, if we fail to effectively manage our relationships with our suppliers and contract manufacturers, we may be required to change suppliers or contract manufacturers. While we believe replacement suppliers exist for all materials, components and services necessary to manufacture our Tablo system, establishing additional or replacement suppliers for any of these materials, components or services, if required, could be time-consuming and expensive, may result in interruptions in our operations and product delivery, may affect the performance specifications of our Tablo system or could require that we modify Tablo’s design. Even if we are able to find replacement suppliers, we will be required to verify that the new supplier maintains facilities, procedures and operations that comply with our quality expectations and applicable regulatory requirements. Any of these events could require that we obtain a new regulatory authority approval before we implement the change, which could result in further delay and which may not be obtained at all. If our third-party suppliers fail to deliver the required commercial quantities of materials on a timely basis and at commercially reasonable prices, and we are unable to find one or more replacement suppliers capable of production at a substantially equivalent cost in substantially equivalent volumes and quality on a timely basis, the continued commercialization of our Tablo system, the supply of our products to customers and the development of any future products will be delayed, limited or prevented, which could have material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

For example, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the operations of certain of our third-party suppliers, resulting in increased lead-times for our purchases of some components and, in certain cases, requiring us to procure materials from alternative sources or incur higherlogisticsexpenses. We have worked closely with our manufacturing partners and suppliers to enable us to source key components and maintain appropriate inventory levels to meet customer demand, and have not experienced disruptions in our supply chain to date.However, there is no assurance that we will not experience more significant disruptions in our supply chain in the future, particularly if the operations of our contract manufacturing partners, any of our critical single source component providers, or the facility we operate in Tijuana, Mexico in collaboration with our outsourced business administration service provider, Tacna, are more severely impacted by the pandemic and associated containment measures.If these contract manufacturers or suppliers experience disruptions as a result of the pandemic that impede their ability to meet our demand in a timely manner, we may be unable to find alternative sources of supply, be required to pay higher prices, or fail to meet customer demand, any of which would harm our business.

We may experience manufacturing disruptions, and our transition to manufacturing the majority of our Tablo consoles and cartridges outside of the United States subjects us to additional risks associated with international manufacturing operations.

We continue to rely on contract manufacturing partners for the production of the Tablo cartridge, and may continue to use a contract manufacturing partner as a second source for the production of Tablo consoles. If any of our contract manufacturing partners’ facilities were disrupted, by labor disputes, work stoppages, public health crises including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, riots, terrorism, vandalism, natural disaster or otherwise, it could cause substantial delays in our operations and we may not have a sufficient number of Tablo consoles or Tablo cartridges in inventory to fulfill orders. Further, to the extent we seek to renew or renegotiate our arrangements with any of our contract manufacturing partners, and cannot agree to the terms and conditions of future contract manufacturing arrangements, or if any of our contract manufacturing partners terminate existing agreements with us, our ability to produce and sell Tablo could be delayed until an alternative manufacturing partner or arrangement is identified, a new contract manufacturing agreement is negotiated and new production lines are established.

In addition, we recently established a new manufacturing facility in Tijuana, Mexico which we operate in collaboration with our outsourced business administration service provider, Tacna, for the production of the Tablo console. Under our arrangement with Tacna, we control the operations, engineering, quality and materials supply functions at the new facility, while Tacna provides manufacturing space, the workforce, utilities, cross-border logistics, local permits and licenses. With the establishment of our new manufacturing facility in Tijuana, Mexico and the planned transfer of the production of a majority of the Tablo cartridge to a new contract manufacturing partner in Tijuana, Mexico, the manufacturing of a majority of the Tablo console and cartridge will be located in Tijuana, Mexico. We are subject to a number of additional risks associated with operating our Mexico-based manufacturing facility and increased international manufacturing operations generally. We may experience strikes, work stoppages, work slowdowns, high employee turnover, grievances, complaints, claims of unfair labor practices, other collective bargaining disputes or other labor disputes at our new facility. Our manufacturing operations at the new facility may also suffer disruptions from global or regional public health crises such as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, natural disasters, vandalism, terrorism or other political hostilities. Any such occurrences could negatively impact our ability to produce the Tablo console. We will also be subject to a variety of foreign laws and regulations, including trade and labor restrictions and laws relating to importation, exportation and taxation of goods, and U.S. laws and regulations relating to foreign operations, including anti-corruption, anti-bribery and anti-money laundering laws. In addition, because certain of our Mexico-based manufacturing operations incur costs that are denominated in Mexican Pesos (MXN), we are exposed to additional risk of currency fluctuations between the U.S. dollar and MXN, which could increase our product and labor costs, thus reducing our gross profit. Moreover, while certain members of our management team have some manufacturing experience, as an organization, we do not have any prior experience in this type of manufacturing arrangement, and we could accordingly experience other risks, the nature and magnitude of which we are unable to assess precisely at this time.

Furthermore, changes in export or import regulation and other trade barriers and uncertainties may disrupt our Mexico-based manufacturing operations. For example, recently, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), a new trade deal among the United States, Mexico and Canada to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement, was approved by the U.S. Congress and signed into law. Although the USMCA went into effect on July 1, 2020, its full impact on manufacturing operations in Mexico, as well as economic conditions and markets generally, is still unknown. Further, during the negotiations leading up to the USMCA, the political and trade relationship between the United States and Mexico was strained, and such relationship may deteriorate. If our ability, the ability of our partners or our contract manufacturer’s ability, to manufacture Tablo consoles and cartridges is interrupted as a result, or if our ability to import Tablo consoles and cartridges into the United States is impacted, we may not have a sufficient number of Tablo consoles or cartridges in inventory to fulfill all orders requested, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.

A pandemic, epidemic or outbreak of an infectious disease in the United States or worldwide, including the outbreak of the novel strain of coronavirus disease, COVID-19, could adversely affect our business.

If a pandemic, epidemic or outbreak of an infectious disease occurs in the United States or worldwide, our business may be adversely affected. For example, in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, efforts to contain the spread and mitigate the impact of COVID-19 continue in the United States and across the globe, with the implementation of “shelter-in-place” orders, quarantines, executive orders and similar government orders and restrictions. Such orders or restrictions have resulted in work stoppages, slowdowns and delays, travel restrictions and cancellation of events. Disruptions or potential disruptions to our business from COVID-19 or a future pandemic include the inability of our suppliers to manufacture components and parts and to deliver these to us on a timely basis, or at all; disruptions in our production schedule and ability to manufacture and assemble products; inventory shortages or obsolescence; diversion of or limitations on employee resources that would otherwise be focused on the operations of our business; delays in growing or reductions in our sales organization, including through delays in hiring, lay-offs, furloughs or other losses of sales representatives; business adjustments or disruptions of or to certain third parties, including suppliers and customers; delays to any clinical trials we are conducting or plan to conduct; delays in our ability to timely submit 510(k) notifications or PMAs or PMA supplements, as applicable, and to obtain clearance or approval from the FDA to market our products; and additional government requirements or other incremental mitigation efforts that may further impact our or our suppliers’ capacity to manufacture Tablo.

For example, in order to operate in a safe manner, we have restricted non-essential travel of our employees and the majority of our employees at our headquarters have been asked to work from home. For roles that require employees to be physically on-site, such as our R&D and manufacturing technical staff, we have and continue to provide protective equipment, practice social distancing, enforce mask wearing, increase sanitization standards and implement onsite COVID-19 testing at our facilities once testing became available. If significant or critical portions of our workforce are unable to work effectively, or at all, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, including because of illness, quarantines, facility closures, ineffective remote work arrangements or technology failures or limitations, our operations would be materially adversely impacted.

While we believe the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the limitations of traditional machines and the benefits of Tablo, it is possible that the increased demands we experienced during the second and third quarters of 2020 may decrease as the pandemic dissipates, whether due to the availability of vaccines, or otherwise, which would have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations. Any increase in revenue due to a corresponding increase in demand for Tablo during periods when COVID-19 persists may not be indicative of our revenue in future periods. In addition, to the extent dialysis providers, including outpatient dialysis clinics, reduce demand for our products due to COVID-related patient deaths, our business would be adversely impacted.

The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic impacts our business will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including new information which may emerge concerning the severity, spread, resurgences, and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, the nature, extent and effectiveness of actions to contain or treat the disease including the availability and distribution of an effective vaccine, the extent and duration of the effect on the economy and how quickly and to what extent normal economic and operating conditions can resume. While the potential economic impact brought by and the duration of any pandemic, epidemic or outbreak of an infectious disease, including COVID-19, may be difficult to assess or predict, the widespread COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant disruption of global financial markets, which could result in a reduction in our ability to access capital that could adversely affect our liquidity. In addition, a recession or market correction resulting from the spread of an infectious disease, including COVID-19, could materially affect our business. Such economic recession could have a material adverse effect on our long-term business. To the extent the COVID-19 pandemic adversely affects our business and financial results, it may also have the effect of heightening many of the other risks described in this “Risk Factors” section.

We need to ensure strong product performance and reliability to maintain and grow our business.

We need to maintain and continuously improve the performance and reliability of Tablo to achieve our profitability objectives. Poor product performance and reliability could lead to customer dissatisfaction, adversely affect our reputation and revenues, and increase our service and distribution costs and working capital requirements. Software and hardware incorporated into Tablo may contain errors or defects, especially when first introduced and while we have made efforts to test this software and hardware extensively, we cannot assure that the software and hardware, or software and hardware developed in the future, will not experience errors or performance problems. In addition, as we continue to transition the manufacturing of the Tablo console to our new facility in Tijuana, Mexico operated in collaboration with Tacna, we are more exposed to risks relating to product quality and reliability until the manufacturing processes mature. Like all transitions of this nature, they could increase our costs in the near-term and accordingly adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

If we are unable to continue to innovate and improve Tablo, we could lose customers or market share.

Our success will depend on our ability to keep ahead of developments in the dialysis industry. It is critical to our competitiveness that we continue to innovate and make improvements to Tablo’s functionality and efficiency. If we fail to make improvements to Tablo’s functionality over time, our competitors may develop products that offer features and functionality similar or superior to those of Tablo. If we fail to make improvements to Tablo’s efficiency, our competitors may develop products that are more cost effective than Tablo. Our failure to make continuous improvements to Tablo to keep ahead of the products of our competitors could result in the loss of customers or market share that would adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

We face competition from many sources, including larger companies, and we may be unable to compete successfully.

There are a number of dialysis machine manufacturers in the United States, Europe and Asia. Notable competitors in the United States include Fresenius, Baxter and B. Braun. In addition, Quanta Dialysis Technologies Ltd’s (Quanta) dialysis system recently received FDA 510(k) clearance for use in acute and/or chronic settings. Of these competitors, Fresenius is the largest and it supplies dialysis products, operates a significant number of dialysis clinics and provides outsourced dialysis services in many hospitals. Fresenius, Baxter and B. Braun all supply machines and supplies in both the acute and home care settings. With the exception of Quanta, all of these organizations are currently significantly larger with greater financial and personnel resources than us, enjoy significantly greater market share than ours and have greater resources than we do. As a consequence, they are able to spend more on product development, marketing, sales and other product initiatives than we can. Additionally, companies with dialysis machine development programs include Medtronic and CVS. Some of our competitors have:

• substantially greater name recognition;

• more established distribution networks;

Our continued success depends on our ability to:

• successfully expand within the home dialysis market;

In addition, competitors with greater financial resources than ours could acquire other companies to gain enhanced name recognition and market share, as well as new technologies or products that could effectively compete with our existing products, which may cause our revenue to decline and would harm our business.

Our competitors also compete with us in recruiting and retaining qualified scientific, management and commercial personnel, as well as in acquiring technologies complementary to, or necessary for, Tablo. Because of the complex and technical nature of Tablo and the dynamic market in which we compete, any failure to attract and retain a sufficient number of qualified employees could materially harm our ability to develop and commercialize Tablo, which would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

As we attain greater commercial success, our competitors are likely to develop products that offer features and functionality similar to Tablo. Improvements in existing competitive products or the introduction of new competitive products may make it more difficult for us to compete for sales, particularly if those competitive products demonstrate better reliability, convenience or effectiveness or are offered at lower prices.

More generally, the development of viable medical, pharmacological and technological advances in treating or preventing kidney failure may also limit the opportunity for Tablo and our services. While kidney transplantation is the treatment of choice for most patients with ESRD, it is not currently a viable treatment for most patients. This may change, however, with the development of new medications designed to reduce the incidence of kidney transplant rejection, progress in using kidneys harvested from genetically engineered animals as a source of transplants, and other advances in kidney transplantation.

We may face additional costs, loss of revenue, significant liabilities, harm to our brand, decreased use of our platform and business disruption if there are any security or data privacy breaches or other unauthorized or improper access.

In connection with various facets of our business, we collect and use a variety of personal information as part of the Tablo data ecosystem, such as name, mailing address, email addresses, mobile telephone number, location information, and prescription information. Security breaches, computer malware and computer hacking attacks have become more prevalent across industries and may occur on our systems or those of our third-party service providers or partners. Despite the implementation of security measures, our internal computer systems and those of our third-party service providers and partners are vulnerable to damage from computer viruses, hacking and other means of unauthorized access, denial of service and other attacks, natural disasters, terrorism, war and telecommunication and electrical failures. Attacks upon information technology systems are increasing in their frequency, levels of persistence, sophistication and intensity, and are being conducted by sophisticated and organized groups and individuals with a wide range of motives and expertise. Further, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we may face increased cybersecurity risks due to our reliance on internet technology and the number of our employees who are working remotely, which may create additional opportunities for cybercriminals to exploit vulnerabilities. In addition to unauthorized access to or acquisition of personal information, confidential information, intellectual property or other sensitive information, such attacks could include the deployment of harmful malware and ransomware, and may use a variety of methods, including denial-of-service attacks, social engineering and other means, to attain such unauthorized access or acquisition or otherwise affect service reliability and threaten the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information. Any failure to prevent or mitigate security breaches or improper access to, or use or disclosure of, our data or consumers’ personal information, including information hosted by third party service providers such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), could result in significant liability under applicable data protection laws, such as state breach notification laws and the HIPAA and its implementing regulations, as amended by the HITECH Act, and all regulations promulgated thereunder. Such an incident may also cause a material loss of revenue from the potential adverse impact to our reputation and brand, affect our ability to retain or attract new users of Tablo and potentially disrupt our business, as well as require significant expenditure of resources to contain, mitigate and remediate the incident.

Because the techniques used to obtain unauthorized access, disable or degrade service or sabotage systems change frequently or may be designed to remain dormant until a predetermined or other future event and often are not recognized until launched against a target, we and our partners may be unable to anticipate these techniques or to implement adequate preventative measures. Further, we do not have any direct control over the operations of the facilities or technology of AWS or our other cloud and service providers. Our systems, servers and platforms, those of our cloud service providers, and Tablo’s two-way wireless communication system, may be vulnerable to computer viruses or physical or electronic break-ins that our or their security measures may not detect or effectively block, and may be breached due to the actions of outside parties, employee error or misconduct, malfeasance, or a combination of these and, as a result, an unauthorized party may obtain access to our data or the personal information maintained by us or on our behalf. Additionally, outside parties may attempt to fraudulently induce employees to disclose sensitive information in order to gain access to the data and personal information we maintain. Threat actors, including individuals, criminal groups, state sponsored actors or others may be able to circumvent such security measures and misappropriate our confidential or proprietary information, disrupt our operations, corrupt our data, damage our computers or otherwise impair our reputation and business. We may need to expend significant resources and make significant capital investment to protect against security breaches or to mitigate the impact of any such breaches. In addition, to the extent that our cloud and other service providers experience security breaches that result in the unauthorized or improper use of confidential information, employee information or personal information, we may not be indemnified for any losses resulting from such breaches. If we are unable to prevent or mitigate the impact of such security breaches or other cyber events that impact our operations, our ability to attract and retain new customers, patients, and other partners could be harmed, as they may be reluctant to entrust us with their data, and we could be exposed to litigation and governmental investigations, which could lead to a potential disruption to our business or other adverse consequences.

We may encounter difficulties in managing our growth, which could disrupt our operations.

As of December 31, 2020, we had 313 full-time employees. Over the next several years, we expect to increase significantly the scope of our operations, particularly in the areas of manufacturing, sales and support, product development, regulatory affairs, marketing and other functional areas, including finance, accounting, quality and legal. To manage our anticipated future growth, we must continue to implement and improve our managerial, operational quality and financial systems, expand our facilities and continue to recruit and train additional qualified personnel. Due to our limited financial resources, we may not be able to manage the expansion of our operations or recruit and train additional qualified personnel in an effective manner. In addition, the physical expansion of our operations, including the recent establishment of our manufacturing facility in Tijuana, Mexico, may lead to significant costs and may divert our management and business development resources. Any inability to manage growth could delay the execution of our business plans or disrupt our operations.

The home hemodialysis market may not expand sufficiently to support our growth prospects.

We believe a significant growth opportunity exists within the home hemodialysis market. However, home hemodialysis therapies to date have not been extensively adopted. We believe that the home hemodialysis market is sufficient to fuel our growth in the near term if we are able to capture sufficient market share; however, there can be no assurance that we will be successful in increasing our market share.

Our long term growth will require us to shift patients’ and the medical community’s understanding and view of home hemodialysis and will require further increases in the number of patients who adopt home hemodialysis from current levels, physicians who are willing to prescribe home hemodialysis, and dialysis centers that are willing to support home hemodialysis growth. Most dialysis centers presently do not have the infrastructure to support a significant home hemodialysis patient population, including the availability of home hemodialysis training nurses, and may not be motivated to invest in home hemodialysis programs. We will need to continue to devote significant resources to expanding the home hemodialysis market, but these efforts ultimately may not be successful.

Natural or man-made disasters and other similar events, including the COVID-19 pandemic, may significantly disrupt our business, and negatively impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.

A significant portion of our employee base, operating facilities and infrastructure are centralized in Northern California. Any of our facilities may be harmed or rendered inoperable by natural or man-made disasters, including earthquakes, wildfires, floods, nuclear disasters, riots, acts of terrorism or other criminal activities, infectious disease outbreaks or pandemic events, including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, power outages and other infrastructure failures, which may render it difficult or impossible for us to operate our business for some period of time. Our facilities would likely be costly to repair or replace, and any such efforts would likely require substantial time. Any disruptions in our operations could adversely affect our business and results of operations and harm our reputation. Moreover, although we have disaster recovery plans, they may prove inadequate. We may not carry sufficient business insurance to compensate for losses that may occur. Any such losses or damages could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations. In addition, our facility in Mexico and the facilities of our suppliers and manufacturers may be harmed or rendered inoperable by such natural or man-made disasters, which may cause disruptions, difficulties or otherwise materially and adversely affect our business.

Any failure to offer high-quality product support for Tablo may adversely affect our relationships with providers and negatively impact our reputation among patients and providers, which may adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

We operate a multichannel model, including remote and on-site product support to respond to and resolve issues reported to us by providers and nurses on behalf of their patients. In implementing and using Tablo, providers depend on our support to resolve product quality- and performance-related issues in a timely manner. We may be unable to respond quickly enough to accommodate short-term increases in demand for customer support. Increased customer demand for product support could increase costs and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Our sales are highly dependent on our reputation and on positive recommendations from our existing patients, care partners and providers. Any failure to maintain high-quality customer support for our products, or a market perception that we do not maintain high-quality customer support for our products, could adversely affect our reputation, our ability to sell Tablo, and in turn our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

The sizes of the markets for Tablo in the acute and home settings have not been established with precision and may be smaller than we estimate and may decline.

Our estimates of the annual total addressable market for Tablo is based on a number of internal and third-party estimates, including, without limitation, the assumed prices at which we can sell Tablo in the acute and home markets. While we believe our assumptions and the data underlying our estimates are reasonable, these assumptions and estimates may not be correct and the conditions supporting our assumptions or estimates may change at any time, thereby reducing the predictive accuracy of these underlying factors.

As a result, our estimates of the annual total addressable market for Tablo in different settings may prove to be incorrect. If the actual number of patients who would benefit from Tablo, the price at which we can sell Tablo, or the total addressable market for Tablo is smaller than we have estimated, it may impair our sales growth and negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We have significant customer concentration, with a limited number of customers accounting for a substantial portion of our revenues.

For the year ended December 31, 2020, a government distributor customer, a federal health department customer, and one other customer accounted for 22%, 19% and 16% of our revenue, respectively. There are risks whenever a large percentage of total revenues are concentrated with a limited number of customers. It is not possible for us to predict the level of demand for Tablo that will be generated by any of these customers in the future. In addition, revenues from these larger customers may fluctuate from time to time based on these customers’ business needs and customer experience, the timing of which may be affected by market conditions or other factors outside of our control. Furthermore, because our business model consists of an upfront capital purchase by our customers, and relatively lower recurring revenue from future sales of consumables and services, revenues from these larger customers may not represent a substantial portion of our revenues in future periods. These customers could also potentially pressure us to reduce the prices we charge for Tablo, which could have an adverse effect on our margins and financial position and could negatively affect our revenues and results of operations. If any of our largest customers terminates its relationship with us, such termination could negatively affect our revenues and results of operations.

Our results of operations will be materially harmed if we are unable to accurately forecast customer demand for, and utilization of, Tablo and manage our inventory.

To ensure adequate inventory supply, we must forecast inventory needs and manufacture the Tablo console and the Tablo cartridge based on our estimates of future demand for Tablo. Our ability to accurately forecast demand for Tablo could be negatively affected by many factors, including our failure to accurately manage our expansion strategy, product introductions by competitors, an increase or decrease in customer demand for Tablo or for products of our competitors, our failure to accurately forecast customer acceptance of new products, potential disruption in our supply chain from regional or global public health crises including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, unanticipated changes in general market conditions or regulatory matters and weakening of economic conditions or consumer confidence in future economic conditions. Inventory levels in excess of customer demand may result in inventory write-downs or write-offs, which would cause our gross margin to be adversely affected and could impair the strength of our brand. Conversely, if we underestimate customer demand for Tablo, our supply chain, manufacturing partners and/or internal manufacturing team may not be able to deliver components and products to meet our requirements, and this could result in damage to our reputation and customer relationships. In addition, if we experience a significant increase in demand, additional supplies of raw materials or additional manufacturing capacity may not be available when required on terms that are acceptable to us, or at all, or suppliers may not be able to allocate sufficient capacity in order to meet our increased requirements, which will adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Inadequate training of, and improper use of Tablo by, nurses, dialysis technicians, care partners and patients may lead to negative patient outcomes, affect adoption of Tablo and adversely affect our business.

The success of Tablo depends in part on the proper training and use of Tablo by nurses and dialysis technicians in the acute setting or patients and care partners in the home setting. We train nurses and dialysis technicians on the appropriate use of Tablo, as well as how to train other users, including patients and care partners who use Tablo in the home setting, on the appropriate use of Tablo. If nurses and dialysis technicians, including those we train directly and those trained by others, or patients and care partners, who are not trained by us directly, use Tablo inappropriately or incorrectly, or with supplies that are not compatible with Tablo or without adhering to or completing training sessions, patient outcomes may not be consistent with expected results. This may result in adverse events, including reduced treatment efficacy, and may negatively impact the perception of patient benefit and safety and limit adoption of Tablo, which would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, we may face liability for inadequate training and training materials for nurses and other providers who use our products.

Our operating results may fluctuate significantly, which makes our future operating results difficult to predict and could cause our operating results to fall below expectations or any guidance we may provide.

Our quarterly and annual revenue and operating results may fluctuate significantly, which makes it difficult for us to predict our future operating results. Accordingly, the results of any one quarter or period should not be relied upon as an indication of future performance. Our quarterly and annual operating results may fluctuate as a result of a variety of factors, many of which are outside our control and, as a result, may not fully reflect the underlying performance of our business. These fluctuations may occur due to a variety of factors, including, but not limited to:

• unanticipated pricing pressures;

• the impact, if any, that COVID-19 may have on the number of patients treated;

• pricing and discounts for Tablo or competing products;

• future accounting pronouncements or changes in our accounting policies; and

The cumulative effects of these factors could result in large fluctuations and unpredictability in our quarterly and annual financial results. As a result, comparing our operating results on a period-to-period basis may not be meaningful. Further, our historical results are not necessarily indicative of results expected for any future period, and quarterly results are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year or any other period, and accordingly should not be relied upon as indicative of future performance.

This variability and unpredictability could also result in our failure to meet the expectations of industry or financial analysts or investors for any period. If our revenue or operating results fall below the expectations of analysts or investors or below any forecasts we may provide to the market, it will negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We use Amazon Web Services to support Tablo’s cloud connectivity and any disruption of service could interrupt or delay our ability to receive and deliver critical treatment and reporting information from and to providers and patients.

We currently use AWS to host our cloud-based ecosystem. We also use other cloud service providers in our operations. We do not have direct control over the operations of the facilities of AWS or of our other cloud service providers and these facilities are vulnerable to damage or interruption from earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, fires, cyber security attacks, terrorist attacks, power losses, telecommunications failures and similar events. The occurrence of a natural disaster or an act of terrorism, a decision by AWS or another cloud service provider to close the facilities without adequate notice, or other unanticipated problems could result in lengthy interruptions in, or curtailment of, Tablo’s functionality and our ability to provide software updates or analyze patient and machine data. The facilities also could be subject to break-ins, computer viruses, sabotage, intentional acts of vandalism and other misconduct. The continuing and uninterrupted performance of Tablo is critical to our success. Because our customer-facing software platform is used by providers to gain insight into treatment performance, it is critical that our customer facing software platform be accessible without interruption or degradation of performance or data. Providers and patients may become dissatisfied by any system failure that interrupts our ability to provide the full suite of Tablo capabilities to them. Outages could lead to the triggering of our service level agreements and the issuance of credits to our clients, in which case, we may not be fully indemnified for such losses pursuant to our agreement with AWS or our agreements with our other cloud service providers. We may not be able to easily switch our AWS operations to another cloud provider if there are sustained disruptions or interference with our use of AWS. Repeated or prolonged system failures may reduce the attractiveness of Tablo to providers and patients and result in a decreased demand for Tablo, thereby adversely affecting our business, financial condition and results of operations. Moreover, negative publicity arising from these types of disruptions could damage our reputation and may adversely impact use of Tablo.

AWS and our other cloud service providers are not obligated to renew its agreement with us on commercially reasonable terms, or at all. If we are unable to renew our agreements with AWS or our other cloud service providers on commercially reasonable terms, if our agreement with AWS or our other cloud service providers are prematurely terminated, or if in the future we add additional data providers, we may experience costs or downtime in connection with the transfer to, or the addition of, new providers. If these providers were to increase the cost of their services, we may have to increase the price of Tablo or take other measures to offset such cost increases, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

If we experience significant disruptions in our information technology systems, our business may be adversely affected.

We depend on our information technology systems for the efficient functioning of our business, including the manufacture, distribution and maintenance of Tablo, as well as for accounting, data storage, compliance, purchasing and inventory management. We do not have redundant information technology in all aspects of our systems at this time. Our information technology systems may be subject to computer viruses, ransomware or other malware, attacks by computer hackers or malicious insiders, failures during the process of upgrading or replacing software, databases or components thereof, power outages, damage or interruption from fires or other natural disasters, hardware failures, telecommunication failures and user errors, among other malfunctions. We could be subject to an unintentional event that involves a third party gaining unauthorized access to our systems, which could disrupt our operations, corrupt our data or result in release of our confidential information. Technological interruptions or malfunction would disrupt our operations, including our ability to timely ship and track Tablo orders, project inventory requirements, ensure the integrity of our data analytics services, manage our supply chain and otherwise adequately service our customers or disrupt our customers’ ability to use Tablo. In the event we experience significant disruptions, we may be unable to repair our data or systems in an efficient and timely manner. Accordingly, such events may disrupt or reduce the efficiency of our entire operation and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Currently, we carry business interruption coverage to mitigate certain potential losses but this insurance is limited in amount, and we cannot be certain that such potential losses will not exceed our policy limits. We are increasingly dependent on complex information technology to manage our infrastructure. Our information systems require an ongoing commitment of significant resources to maintain, protect and enhance our existing systems. Failure to maintain or protect our information systems and data integrity effectively could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

If product liability lawsuits are brought against us, we may incur substantial liabilities and may be required to limit or halt the marketing and sale of Tablo. The expense and potential unavailability of insurance coverage for liabilities resulting from Tablo could harm us and our ability to sell Tablo.

We face an inherent risk of product liability as a result of the marketing and sale of Tablo. For example, we may be sued if Tablo or any of its component parts causes, or is perceived to cause, injury or is found to be otherwise unsuitable during manufacturing, marketing or sale. Any such product liability claim may include allegations of defects in manufacturing, defects in design, a failure to warn of dangers inherent in the product, negligence, strict liability or a breach of warranties. In addition, we may be subject to claims against us even if the apparent injury is due to the actions of others or the pre-existing health conditions of the patient. For example, nurses, dialysis technicians, care partners and patients operate Tablo. If these nurses, dialysis technicians, care partners or patients are not properly trained, are negligent or use Tablo incorrectly, the capabilities of Tablo may be diminished or the patient may suffer critical injury. We may also be subject to claims that are caused by the activities of our suppliers, such as those who provide us with components and sub-assemblies, or manufacturers who produce Tablo consoles and cartridges.

If we cannot successfully defend ourselves against product liability claims, we may incur substantial liabilities or be required to limit or halt the marketing and sale of Tablo. Even successful defense would require significant financial and management resources. Regardless of the merits or eventual outcome, liability claims may result in:

• decreased demand for Tablo;

• harm to our reputation;

• costs to defend the related litigation;

• a diversion of management’s time and our resources;

• substantial monetary awards to trial participants or patients;

• loss of revenue; and

• exhaustion of any available insurance and our capital resources.

We believe we have adequate product liability insurance, but it may not prove to be adequate to cover all liabilities that we may incur. Insurance coverage is increasingly expensive. We may not be able to maintain or obtain insurance at a reasonable cost or in an amount adequate to satisfy any liability that may arise. Our insurance policy contains various exclusions, and we may be subject to a product liability claim for which we have no coverage. The potential inability to obtain sufficient product liability insurance at an acceptable cost to protect against product liability claims could prevent or inhibit the marketing and sale of Tablo. We may have to pay any amounts awarded by a court or negotiated in a settlement that exceed our coverage limitations or that are not covered by our insurance, and we may not have, or be able to obtain, sufficient capital to pay such amounts, which would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, any product liability claims brought against us, with or without merit, could increase our product liability insurance rates or prevent us from securing continuing coverage, harm our reputation in the industry, significantly increase our expenses and reduce product sales.

We expect to continue to incur net losses for the next several years and we expect to require substantial additional capital beyond the proceeds from our recent initial public offering to finance our planned operations, which may include future equity and debt financings. This additional capital may not be available to us on acceptable terms or at all. Our failure to obtain additional financing when needed on acceptable terms, or at all, could force us to delay, limit, reduce or eliminate our commercialization, sales and marketing efforts, product development programs or other operations.

Notwithstanding our recent initial public offering (IPO), we may require additional financing to fund working capital and pay our obligations. We may seek to raise any necessary additional capital through a combination of public or private equity offerings or debt financings. There can be no assurance, however, that we will be successful in acquiring additional funding at levels sufficient to fund our operations or on terms favorable to us. If adequate funds are not available on acceptable terms when needed, we may be required to significantly reduce operating expenses, which may negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. If we do raise additional capital through public or private equity or convertible debt offerings, the ownership interest of our existing stockholders will be diluted, and the terms of these securities may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect our stockholders’ rights. If we raise additional capital through debt financing, we may be subject to covenants limiting or restricting our ability to take specific actions, such as incurring additional debt, making capital expenditures or declaring dividends. Additional capital may not be available on reasonable terms, or at all.

We bear the risk of warranty claims on our Tablo system.

We bear the risk of warranty claims on our Tablo system. We may not be successful in claiming recovery under any warranty or indemnity provided to us by our suppliers or vendors in the event of a successful warranty claim against us by a customer or any recovery from such vendor or supplier may not be adequate. In addition, warranty claims brought by our customers related to third-party components may arise after our ability to bring corresponding warranty claims against such suppliers expires, which could result in costs to us.

Performance issues, service interruptions or price increases by our shipping carriers and warehousing providers could adversely affect our business and harm our reputation and ability to provide our services on a timely basis.

Expedited, reliable shipping and secure warehousing are essential to our operations. We rely heavily on providers of transport services for reliable and secure point-to-point transport of our Tablo system to our customers and for tracking of these shipments, and from time to time require warehousing for our products. Should a carrier encounter delivery performance issues such as loss, damage or destruction of any systems, it would be costly to replace such systems in a timely manner and such occurrences may damage our reputation and lead to decreased demand for our Tablo system and increased cost and expense to our business. In addition, any significant increase in shipping or warehousing rates could adversely affect our operating margins and results of operations. Similarly, strikes, severe weather, natural disasters or other service interruptions affecting delivery or warehousing services we use would adversely affect our ability to process orders for our Tablo system on a timely basis.

Cost-containment efforts of our customers, purchasing groups and governmental organizations could have a material adverse effect on our sales and profitability.

In an effort to reduce costs, many hospitals in the United States have become members of GPOs and IDNs. GPOs and IDNs negotiate pricing arrangements with medical device companies and distributors and then offer these negotiated prices to affiliated hospitals and other members. GPOs and IDNs typically award contracts on a category-by-category basis through a competitive bidding process. Bids are generally solicited from multiple providers with the intention of driving down pricing or reducing the number of vendors. Due to the highly competitive nature of the GPO and IDN contracting processes, we may not be able to obtain new, or maintain existing, contract positions with major GPOs and IDNs. Furthermore, the increasing leverage of organized buying groups may reduce market prices for Tablo, thereby reducing our revenue and margins.

While having a contract with a GPO or IDN for a given product category can facilitate sales to members of that GPO or IDN, such contract positions can offer no assurance that any level of sales will be achieved, as sales are typically made pursuant to individual purchase orders. Even when a provider is the sole contracted supplier of a GPO or IDN for a certain product category, members of the GPO or IDN are generally free to purchase from other suppliers. Furthermore, GPO and IDN contracts typically are terminable without cause by the GPO or IDN upon 60 to 90 days’ notice. Accordingly, the members of such groups may choose to purchase alternative products due to the price or quality offered by other companies, which could result in a decline in our revenue.

If we fail to retain sales and marketing personnel and, as we grow, fail to increase our sales and marketing capabilities or develop broad awareness of Tablo in a cost-effective manner, we may not be able to generate revenue growth.

We have limited experience marketing and selling Tablo. We currently rely on our direct sales force to sell Tablo in the United States, and any failure to maintain and grow our direct sales force will negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. The members of our direct sales force are highly trained and possess substantial technical expertise, which we believe is critical in increasing adoption of Tablo. The members of our U.S. sales force are at-will employees. The loss of these personnel to competitors, or otherwise, will negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. If we are unable to retain our direct sales force personnel or replace them with individuals of equivalent technical expertise and qualifications, or if we are unable to successfully instill such technical expertise in replacement personnel, it may negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, our services revenue is dependent in part on our FSEs, and any failure to maintain and grow, or adequately train, our team of FSEs could negatively impact our services revenue.

In order to generate future growth, we plan to continue to expand and leverage our sales and marketing infrastructure to increase the number of clients and clinics that adopt Tablo. Identifying and recruiting qualified sales and marketing personnel and training them on Tablo, on applicable federal and state laws and regulations and on our internal policies and procedures requires significant time, expense and attention. It often takes several months or more before a sales representative is fully trained and productive. Our sales force may subject us to higher fixed costs than those of companies with competing techniques or products that utilize independent third parties, which could place us at a competitive disadvantage. It will negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations if our efforts to expand and train our sales force do not generate a corresponding increase in revenue, and our higher fixed costs may slow our ability to reduce costs in the face of a sudden decline in demand for Tablo. Any failure to hire, develop and retain talented sales personnel, to achieve desired productivity levels in a reasonable period of time or timely reduce fixed costs, could negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Our ability to increase our customer base and achieve broader market acceptance of Tablo will depend to a significant extent on our ability to expand our marketing efforts. We plan to dedicate significant resources to our marketing programs. It will negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations if our marketing efforts and expenditures do not generate a corresponding increase in revenue. In addition, we believe that developing and maintaining broad awareness of Tablo in a cost-effective manner is critical to achieving broad acceptance of Tablo. Promotion activities may not generate patient or physician awareness or increase revenue, and even if they do, any increase in revenue may not offset the costs and expenses we incur in building our brand. If we fail to successfully promote, maintain and protect our brand, we may fail to attract or retain the physician acceptance necessary to realize a sufficient return on our brand building efforts, or to achieve the level of brand awareness that is critical for broad adoption of Tablo.

Litigation and other legal proceedings may adversely affect our business.

From time to time we may become involved in legal proceedings relating to patent and other intellectual property matters, product liability claims, employee claims, tort or contract claims, federal regulatory investigations, securities class action and other legal proceedings or investigations, which could have an adverse impact on our reputation, business and financial condition and divert the attention of our management from the operation of our business. Litigation is inherently unpredictable and can result in excessive or unanticipated verdicts and/or injunctive relief that affect how we operate our business. We could incur judgments or enter into settlements of claims for monetary damages or for agreements to change the way we operate our business, or both. There may be an increase in the scope of these matters or there may be additional lawsuits, claims, proceedings or investigations in the future, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Adverse publicity about regulatory or legal action against us could damage our reputation and brand image, undermine our customers’ confidence and reduce long-term demand for Tablo, even if the regulatory or legal action is unfounded or not material to our operations.

We may seek strategic alliances, joint ventures or collaborations, or enter into licensing or partnership arrangements in the future and may not be successful in doing so, and even if we are, we may not realize the benefits or costs of such relationships.

We may form or seek strategic alliances, create joint ventures or collaborations or enter into licensing or partnership arrangements with third parties that we believe will compliment or augment our sales and marketing efforts with respect to Tablo. We may not be successful in our efforts to establish such collaborations for Tablo. Any of these relationships may require us to incur non-recurring and other charges, increase our near and long-term expenditures, issue securities that dilute our existing stockholders or disrupt our management and business. In addition, we face significant competition in seeking appropriate strategic partners and the negotiation process is time-consuming and complex. Moreover, we may not be successful in our efforts to establish a strategic alliance or other alternative arrangements for Tablo. We cannot be certain that, following a strategic alliance or similar arrangement, we will achieve the revenue or specific net income that justifies such transaction. In addition, any potential future collaborations may be terminable by our collaborators, and we may not be able to adequately protect our rights under these agreements. Any termination of collaborations we enter into in the future, or delays in entering into new strategic partnership agreements could delay our sales and marketing efforts, which would harm our business prospects, financial condition and results of operations.

Our future growth may depend, in part, on our ability to penetrate foreign markets, where we would be subject to additional regulatory burdens and other risks and uncertainties.

While we currently do not market or sell Tablo outside of the United States, our future profitability may depend, in part, on our ability to sell Tablo in foreign markets. We are not permitted to market or promote Tablo before we receive regulatory approval from the applicable regulatory authority in that foreign market, and we may never receive such regulatory approval for Tablo. To obtain separate regulatory approvals in other countries we may be required to comply with numerous and varying regulatory requirements of such countries regarding the safety and efficacy of Tablo and governing, among other things, clinical trials and commercial sales, pricing and distribution of our product, and we cannot predict success in these jurisdictions. If we obtain approval of Tablo and sell Tablo in foreign markets, we would be subject to additional risks and uncertainties in those markets.

Our ability to utilize our net operating loss carryforwards and research and development credit may be limited.

As of December 31, 2020, we had U.S. federal and state net operating loss (NOL) carryforwards of approximately $301.3 million and $174.0 million, respectively. If not utilized, our U.S. federal NOLs generated in taxable years beginning before 2018 will begin to expire in 2024 and our state NOLs in conforming states generated in taxable years beginning before 2018 have begun to expire in 2020. Deductibility of U.S. federal NOLs generated in taxable years beginning after 2017 and used in taxable years beginning after 2020 are limited to 80% of our taxable income before the deduction of such NOLs. As of December 31, 2020, we also had U.S. federal and state research and development credits of approximately $5.8 million and $4.3 million, respectively. Our U.S. federal research and development credits begin to expire in 2030. State research and development credits do not expire. Under Sections 382 and 383 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code) a corporation that undergoes an ownership change, generally defined as a greater than 50% change by value in its equity ownership over a three-year period, is subject to limitations on its ability to utilize its pre-change net operating losses and its research and development credit carryforwards to offset future taxable income. Our existing NOLs and research and development credit carryforwards may be subject to limitations arising from previous ownership changes, and if we undergo an ownership change, our ability to utilize NOLs and research and development credit carryforwards could be further limited by Sections 382 and 383 of the Code. Similar rules may apply under state tax laws. In addition, our ability to deduct net interest expense may be limited if we have insufficient taxable income for the year during which the interest is incurred, and any future carryovers of such disallowed interest would be subject to the limitation rules similar to those applicable to NOLs and other attributes. Future changes in our stock ownership, some of which might be beyond our control, could result in an ownership change under Section 382 of the Code. For these reasons, in the event we experience a change of control, we may not be able to utilize a material portion of the existing NOLs, research and development credit carryforwards or future disallowed interest expense carryovers, even if we attain profitability. Any limitation on using NOLs could adversely impact operating results and result in our retaining less cash after payment of U.S. federal and state income taxes.

The terms of our credit agreement require us to meet certain operating and financial covenants and place restrictions on our operating and financial flexibility. If we raise additional capital through debt financing, the terms of any new debt could further restrict our ability to operate our business.

We entered into a senior secured term loan facility with Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) in July 2020 (the SVB Loan and Security Agreement) which provides for a $30.0 million term loan (the SVB Term Loan). The loan is secured by substantially all of our assets, including all of the capital stock held by us, if any, (subject to a 65% limitation on pledges of capital stock of foreign subsidiaries), subject to certain exceptions (including an exception regarding intellectual property). The SVB Loan and Security Agreement contains a number of restrictive covenants, and the terms may restrict our current and future operations, particularly our ability to respond to certain changes in our business or industry or take future actions. See the section titled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Liquidity and Capital Resources—Debt Obligations.”

The SVB Loan and Security Agreement contains customary representations and warranties and affirmative covenants and also contains certain restrictive covenants, including, among others, limitations on: the incurrence of additional debt, liens on property, acquisitions and investments, loans and guarantees, mergers, consolidations, liquidations and dissolutions, asset sales, dividends and other payments in respect of our capital stock, prepayments of certain debt, transactions with affiliates and changes to our type of business, management of the business, control of the business or business locations. The SVB Loan and Security Agreement does not include any financial covenants but does require us to maintain cash collateral in a deposit account at SVB in an amount equal to or greater than the outstanding principal balance of the SVB Term Loan. The SVB Loan and Security Agreement also contains customary events of default. If we fail to comply with such covenants, payments or other terms of the SVB Loan and Security Agreement, our lender could declare an event of default, which would give it the right to declare all borrowings outstanding, together with accrued and unpaid interest and fees, to be immediately due and payable. In addition, our lender would have the right to proceed against the assets we provided as collateral pursuant to the SVB Loan and Security Agreement. If the debt under SVB Loan and Security Agreement was accelerated, we may not have sufficient cash or be able to sell sufficient assets to repay this debt, which would harm our business and financial condition.

Risks Related to Governmental Regulation

We are subject to a post-market surveillance order issued by the FDA for our Tablo System. If the FDA determines that our Tablo System does not perform as anticipated in the home use setting, or if the FDA identifies new concerns related to the safety and effectiveness of the device, we may need to make changes to or recall or withdraw the Tablo System from the field, which could harm our business.

The FDA has notified us that the Tablo System is subject to a mandatory post-market surveillance order under Section 522 of the Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA). Section 522 of the FDCA authorizes the FDA to require a manufacturer to conduct post-market surveillance for devices that meet certain criteria. Relevant here, the FDA determined that the Tablo is a device where its failure would be reasonably likely to have serious adverse health consequences, and that it is intended to be a life-sustaining or life-supporting device used outside a device user facility.

The FDA issued this 522 order to address (i) whether there are use-related safety concerns when the Tablo System is used by the new user population in the home environment unsupervised by a trained healthcare professional; (ii) whether the safety profile in this new user population and home environment requires us to provide changes to the device design, labeling, and/or training and, if so, what labeling and training are necessary to support user understanding and adherence to minimize use-related safety concerns, adverse events, or complaints when the Tablo System is used at home; and (iii) what adverse events and complaints are observed when the Tablo System is used at home unsupervised by a trained healthcare professional.

To address these issues, the FDA has required that we conduct a human factors study, as well as conduct a detailed analysis of adverse events and complaints from home users. With respect to the post-market surveillance issues, the FDA has ordered collection of prospective data on use in the home environment to assess adverse events and human factors.

In response to the 522 order, we submitted a simulated human factors test protocol to the agency that was largely based on simulated use human factors validation testing. In late 2020, the FDA requested additional information and notified us that we will need to conduct a new human factors study encompassing both summative and real-world data to meet the requirements of the 522 Order. We responded to the FDA’s requests for additional information in January 2021 and in March 2021, the FDA approved our 522 study protocol. We will conduct the study in accordance with the FDA approved protocol. Once we are able to complete our study, a final report will be provided to the FDA. Should the FDA decide that use of the Tablo System in the home environment identifies new concerns related to the safety and effectiveness of the product, or if the FDA determines that the requirements of the 522 order are otherwise unmet, we may be required to make changes to our Tablo System for which we may need to submit new marketing authorization applications and obtain clearance, we may need to withdraw or recall the Tablo System from the market, and may be subject to other enforcement action, which could harm our business.

Changes to the reimbursement rates for dialysis treatments and measures to reduce healthcare costs may adversely impact our business.

Our customers depend upon reimbursement by government and commercial insurance payors for dialysis services using our products. With a vast majority of U.S. patients with ESRD covered by Medicare, the Medicare reimbursement rate is an important factor in a customer’s decision to use Tablo and limits the prices we may charge for our products. For patients with Medicare coverage, all payments for renal dialysis services are currently made under a single bundled payment rate which provides a fixed payment rate to encompass virtually all goods and services provided during the dialysis treatment. The bundled payment rate is also adjusted for certain patient characteristics, a geographic wage index, and other factors. The ESRD PPS is subject to rebasing, which can have a positive financial effect, or a negative one if the government fails to rebase in a manner that adequately addresses the costs borne by dialysis facilities.

Current Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) rules limit the number of hemodialysis treatments paid for by Medicare Part B to three times a week, unless there is medical justification provided by the dialysis facility based on information from the patient’s physician for additional treatments. To the extent that over three treatments per week are prescribed for Tablo patients and Medicare contractors determine they will not pay for additional treatments, adoption of the Tablo System could be impaired. As there is not a uniform national standard for what constitutes medical justification, a clinic’s decision as to how much it is willing to spend on home dialysis equipment and services will be at least partly dependent on the number of weekly treatments prescribed for home dialysis, and if greater than three, the level of confidence the center has in the predictability of receiving reimbursement from Medicare for additional treatments per week based on submitted claims for medical justification.

Although most ESRD patients are currently covered by traditional Medicare, beginning January 1, 2021, when changes from the 21st Century Cures Act entered into effect, more dialysis patients were eligible to enroll in Medicare Advantage managed care plans. While Medicare Advantage plans must provide at least the same level of coverage for Medicare beneficiaries as traditional Medicare, reimbursement to dialysis facilities will depend on each Medicare Advantage plan’s contracts and network agreements with each dialysis facility. There is uncertainty as to how many or which newly eligible ESRD patients will seek to enroll in Medicare Advantage plans and how quickly enrollment would occur, and whether coverage and reimbursement is more favorable than Medicare Part B will vary by plan.

Many ESRD patients have Medicaid coverage that is supplemental to Medicare coverage, and some ESRD patients may have Medicaid as their primary coverage. Because Medicaid is a state-administered program, Medicaid reimbursement for dialysis services varies by state. Changes in state Medicaid or other non-Medicare government-based programs or payment rates could have an adverse effect on our customers’ business.

Finally, some patients may have coverage through private insurance, for example through a marketplace plan set up under the Affordable Care Act or through an employer or union group health plan. Private insurance reimbursement is generally higher than government reimbursement, but it varies by sponsor and plan. Commercial payment rates are negotiated between our customers and insurers or other third-party administrators, and commercial payors may also exert downward pressure on payment rates for dialysis services.

Any reduction in reimbursement rates for dialysis treatments may adversely affect our customers’ businesses and cause them to enact cost reduction measures that may include reducing the scope of their home hemodialysis programs, which could result in reduced demand for our product or additional pricing pressures.

Healthcare reform measures could hinder or prevent the commercial success of Tablo.

In the United States, there have been, and we expect there will continue to be, a number of legislative and regulatory changes to the healthcare system that may harm our future revenues and profitability and the demand for Tablo. Federal and state lawmakers regularly propose and, at times, enact legislation that would result in significant changes to the healthcare system, some of which are intended to contain or reduce the costs of medical products and services. Current and future legislative proposals to further reform healthcare or reduce healthcare costs may limit coverage of and/or lower reimbursement for the procedures associated with the use of Tablo. The cost containment measures that payors and providers are instituting and the effect of any healthcare reform initiative implemented in the future could impact our revenue from the sale of Tablo.

By way of example, in the United States, the Affordable Care Act substantially changed the way healthcare is financed by both governmental and private insurers, and significantly impacts our industry. The Affordable Care Act contains a number of provisions, including those governing enrollment in federal healthcare programs, reimbursement changes and fraud and abuse measures, all of which will impact existing government healthcare programs and have resulted in the development of new programs.

There have been legislative modifications and judicial challenges with respect to certain aspects of the Affordable Care Act. For example, Congress eliminated the tax penalty, starting January 1, 2019, for not complying with the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate to carry health insurance. The Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020, Pub. L. No. 116-94, signed into law December 20, 2019, fully repealed the Affordable Care Act’s “Cadillac Tax” on certain high cost employer-sponsored insurance plans, the annual fee imposed on certain health insurance providers based on market share (repeal effective in 2021), and the medical device excise tax on non-exempt medical devices. Currently, the U.S. Supreme Court is considering whether the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate, post-repeal of its associated tax penalty, is unconstitutional, and, if so, whether the remaining provisions of the Affordable Care Act are inseverable from the mandate; a ruling could produce any of a number of results, including invalidation of the Affordable Care Act in its entirety based on a finding of inseverability, and is expected by mid-2021. It is unclear how this decision, and other efforts to challenge, repeal, replace, or otherwise modify, or alter the implementation or interpretation of the Affordable Care Act will affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

In addition, other legislative changes have been proposed and adopted since the Affordable Care Act was enacted. For example, the Budget Control Act of 2011, among other things, included reductions to Medicare payments to providers of 2% per fiscal year, which went into effect on April 1, 2013 and, due to subsequent legislative amendments to the statute, will remain in effect through 2030 unless additional Congressional action is taken, with the exception of a temporary suspension of the 2% cut in Medicare payments from May 1, 2020 through March 31, 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, among other things, reduced CMS payments to several types of providers, including hospitals, and increased the statute of limitations period for the government to recover Medicare overpayments to providers from three to five years.

Moreover, other legislative and executive actions have encouraged the development of new payment and care models for ESRD patients. For example, an executive order signed in July 2019 directed the Secretary of HHS to develop, among other things, Medicare payment models designed to identify and treat at-risk populations earlier in disease development, and in connection with the executive order, HHS announced a goal of having 80% of new ESRD patients in 2025 either receive dialysis at home or receive a transplant. CMS subsequently published a final rule on September 29, 2020, among other things, to implement the ETC Model. The ETC Model is a mandatory payment model that adjusts certain Medicare payments to selected ESRD facilities, nephrologists, and other clinicians managing beneficiaries with ESRD starting January 1, 2021 and continuing through June 30, 2027. Specifically, the ETC Model will adjust ESRD facilities’ treatment base rates under the ESRD Prospective Payment System and managing clinicians’ monthly Medicare capitation payments to incentivize greater use of home dialysis and kidney transplants. CMS is also preparing to implement the Kidney Care Choices Model, a voluntary Medicare payment model with four distinct payment options designed to help providers reduce costs and improve quality of care for patients with late-stage chronic kidney disease and ESRD, to delay the need for dialysis, and to encourage kidney transplantation. Finally, the BETTER Kidney Care Act was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives (H.R. 8254) and the U.S. Senate (S. 4574) on September 15, 2020. Similar legislation has not been introduced in the new Congress to date. However, if enacted, the BETTER Kidney Care Act would require HHS to establish a voluntary integrated care demonstration program for Medicare beneficiaries with ESRD. Changes to the models of patient care, including an increased focus on treatments earlier in disease progression, may adversely affect our customers’ businesses and potentially decrease the demand for our product or result in additional pricing pressures. Further, with home dialysis as a growing trend in the industry and issuance of the executive order and the ETC Model final rule, a failure to implement our expansion into home dialysis could have a material adverse impact on our business.

The continuing efforts of the government, insurance companies, managed care organizations and other payors of healthcare services to contain or reduce costs of healthcare may harm our ability to set a price that we believe is fair for Tablo, our ability to generate revenue and achieve or maintain profitability, and the availability of capital.

We believe that there will continue to be proposals and other actions by legislators and other policymakers at both the federal and state levels, and by regulators and third-party payors to reduce costs and/or expand individual healthcare coverage. Changes to federal and state legislatures and executive offices following the November 2020 elections could result in further healthcare policy changes. The Biden administration has taken several executive actions that signal changes in policy from the prior administration. On January 20, 2021, the Biden administration directed all federal departments and agencies to consider taking steps to withdraw or delay certain regulations and guidance issued by the Trump administration that had not become effective as of January 20, 2021 to permit the Biden administration to review such actions for questions of fact, law, and policy. And, on January 28, 2021, President Biden issued the “Executive Order on Strengthening Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act,” among other things revoking certain executive orders of the previous administration, stating that it is the current administration’s policy “to protect and strengthen Medicaid and the ACA and to make high-quality healthcare accessible and affordable for every American,” and directing heads of relevant executive departments and agencies immediately to review agency actions to determine whether any such actions are inconsistent with this policy. We cannot predict what other healthcare policies will ultimately be proposed or implemented at the federal or state level or the effect of any future legislation or regulation in the United States on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Future changes in healthcare policy could increase our costs and subject us to additional legislative and regulatory requirements that may interrupt commercialization of our current and future solutions, decrease our revenue and impact sales of and pricing for our current and future products.

We must comply with anti-kickback, fraud and abuse, false claims, transparency, and other healthcare laws and regulations.

Our current and future operations are subject to various federal and state healthcare laws and regulations. These laws affect our sales, marketing and other promotional activities by limiting the kinds of financial arrangements, including sales programs, we may have with dialysis providers, hospitals, physicians or other potential purchasers or users, including patients, of medical devices and services. They also impose additional administrative and compliance burdens on us. In particular, these laws influence, among other things, how we structure our sales and rental offerings, including discount practices, customer support, education and training programs and physician consulting and other service arrangements. These laws include but are not limited to:

If our operations are found to be in violation of any of these laws or any other governmental regulations that may apply to us, we may be subject to significant civil, criminal and administrative penalties, damages, fines, imprisonment, exclusion from government funded healthcare programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, additional oversight and reporting requirements and the curtailment or restructuring of our operations. Moreover, any investigation into our practices could cause adverse publicity and require a costly and time-consuming response.

Tablo and our operations are subject to extensive government regulation and oversight in the United States. If we fail to obtain or maintain necessary regulatory approvals for Tablo and related products, or if approvals or clearances for future products are delayed or not issued, it will negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Tablo is a medical device subject to extensive regulation in the United States and elsewhere, including by the FDA and its foreign counterparts. Government regulations specific to medical devices are wide ranging and govern, among other things:

• product design, development, manufacture, and release;

• product safety and efficacy;

• premarketing clearance or approval;

• service operations;

• record keeping;

• product marketing, promotion and advertising, sales and distribution;

• post-market approval studies; and

• product import and export.

The FDA classifies medical devices into one of three classes on the basis of the intended use of the device, the risk associated with the use of the device for that indication, as determined by the FDA, and on the controls deemed by the FDA to be necessary to reasonably ensure their safety and effectiveness.

Class I includes devices with the lowest risk to the patient and are those for which safety and effectiveness can be assured by adherence to the FDA’s General Controls for medical devices, which include compliance with the applicable portions of the QSR facility registration and product listing, reporting of adverse medical events, and truthful and non-misleading labeling, advertising, and promotional materials. Class II devices are subject to the FDA’s General Controls, and special controls as deemed necessary by the FDA to ensure the safety and effectiveness of the device. These special controls can include performance standards, post-market surveillance, patient registries and FDA guidance documents.

While most Class I devices are exempt from the premarket notification requirement, manufacturers of most Class II devices are required to submit to the FDA a premarket notification under Section 510(k) of the FDCA requesting permission to commercially distribute the device. The FDA’s permission to commercially distribute a device subject to a 510(k) premarket notification is generally known as 510(k) clearance. Devices deemed by the FDA to pose the greatest risks, such as life sustaining, life supporting or some implantable devices, or devices that have a new intended use, or use advanced technology that is not substantially equivalent to that of a legally marketed device, are placed in Class III, requiring approval of a PMA application. Some pre-amendment devices are unclassified but are subject to FDA’s premarket notification and clearance process in order to be commercially distributed. Our currently marketed product is a Class II device subject to 510(k) clearance.

Before a new medical device, or a new intended use of, claim for, or significant modification to an existing device, can be marketed in the United States, a company must first submit an application for and receive either 510(k) clearance pursuant to a premarket notification submitted under Section 510(k) of the FDCA, de-novo classification, or PMA approval from the FDA, unless an exemption applies. The 510(k), de-novo or PMA processes can be expensive, lengthy and unpredictable. The FDA’s 510(k) clearance process usually takes from three to 12 months but can last longer. The process of obtaining a PMA approval is much more costly and uncertain than the 510(k) clearance process and generally takes from one to three years, or even longer, from the time the application is filed with the FDA. In addition, a PMA approval generally requires the performance of one or more clinical trials. Despite the time, effort and cost, a device may not be approved or cleared by the FDA. Any delay or failure to obtain necessary regulatory clearances or approvals could harm our business. Furthermore, even if we are granted regulatory clearances or approvals, they may include significant limitations on the indicated uses for the device, which may limit the market for the device.

We have obtained 510(k) clearances to market Tablo for use in patients with acute and/or chronic renal failure, with or without ultrafiltration, in the settings of an acute or chronic care facility and the home. However, Tablo is not cleared by the FDA for CRRT.

The FDA or other regulators could delay, limit, or deny clearance or approval of a device for many reasons, including:

The regulations to which we are subject are complex and have tended to become more stringent over time. Regulatory changes could result in restrictions on our ability to carry on or expand our operations, higher than anticipated costs or lower than anticipated sales. The FDA enforces these regulatory requirements through, among other means, periodic unannounced inspections. We do not know whether we will be found compliant in connection with any future regulatory inspections. Moreover, the FDA and state authorities have broad enforcement powers. Our failure to comply with applicable regulatory requirements could result in enforcement action by any such agency, which may include any of the following sanctions:

• repair, replacement, refunds, recall or seizure of Tablo;

• operating restrictions, partial suspension or total shutdown of production;

• criminal prosecution.

If any of these events were to occur, it would negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our future success depends on our ability to develop, receive regulatory clearance or approval for, and introduce new products that will be accepted by the market in a timely manner. There is no guarantee that the FDA will grant 510(k) clearance or PMA approval of our future products on a timely basis, if at all, and failure to obtain necessary clearances or approvals for our future products would adversely affect our ability to grow our business.

It is important to our business that we build a pipeline of product offerings that address limitations of current dialysis products. As such, our success will depend in part on our ability to develop and introduce new products. However, we may not be able to successfully develop and obtain regulatory clearance or approval for product enhancements, or new products for any number of reasons, including due to the cost associated with certain regulatory approval requirements, or these products may not be accepted by physicians or users.

The success of any new product offering or enhancement to an existing product will depend on a number of factors, including our ability to, among others:

• identify and anticipate physician and patient needs properly;

• develop and introduce new products or product enhancements in a timely manner;

• avoid infringing upon the intellectual property rights of third parties;

• provide adequate training to potential users of Tablo.

If we do not develop new products or product enhancements in time to meet market demand or if there is insufficient demand for these products or enhancements, or if our competitors introduce enhanced or new products with functionalities that are superior to ours, our results of operations will suffer.

Some of our future products will require FDA clearance of a 510(k). Other products may require the approval of a PMA. In addition, some of our future products may require clinical trials to support regulatory approval and we may not successfully complete these clinical trials. The FDA may not approve or clear these products for the indications that are necessary or desirable for successful commercialization. Indeed, the FDA may refuse our requests for 510(k) clearance or PMA approval of new products. Failure to receive clearance or approval for our new products would have an adverse effect on our ability to expand our business.

Modifications to our marketed products may require new 510(k) clearances or approval of PMA supplements, or may require us to cease marketing or recall the modified products until clearances or approvals are obtained.

Modifications to Tablo and associated consumables may require new regulatory approvals or clearances, including 510(k) clearances or approval of PMA supplements, or require us to recall or cease marketing the modified systems until these clearances or approvals are obtained. The FDA requires device manufacturers to initially make and document a determination of whether or not a modification requires a new approval, supplement or clearance. A manufacturer may determine that a modification could not significantly affect safety or efficacy and does not represent a major change in its intended use, so that no new 510(k) clearance is necessary. However, the FDA can review a manufacturer’s decision and may disagree. The FDA may also on its own initiative determine that a new clearance or approval is required. We have made modifications to Tablo in the past and may make additional modifications in the future that we believe do not or will not require additional clearances or approvals. If the FDA disagrees and requires new clearances or approvals for the modifications, we may be required to recall and to stop marketing Tablo as modified, which could require us to redesign Tablo and/or seek new marketing authorizations and harm our operating results. In these circumstances, we may be subject to significant enforcement actions.

If a manufacturer determines that a modification to an FDA-cleared device could significantly affect its safety or effectiveness or would constitute a major change in its intended use, then the manufacturer must file for a new 510(k) clearance or possibly a new PMA or approval of a PMA supplement. Where we determine that modifications to Tablo require a new 510(k) clearance or PMA approval, we may not be able to obtain those additional clearances or approvals for the modifications or additional indications in a timely manner, or at all. Obtaining clearances and approvals can be a time-consuming process, and delays in obtaining required future clearances or approvals would adversely affect our ability to introduce new or enhanced products in a timely manner, which in turn would harm our future growth.

For example, we are establishing a second source manufacturing site in Tijuana, Mexico for the production of Tablo cartridges in partnership with our contract manufacturer, Providien. We were required to submit a new 510(k) clearance application for Tablo cartridges manufactured at this new facility, which we submitted in March 2021. If we do not receive this 510(k) clearance from the FDA in a timely manner, or at all, we will be unable to begin shipping Tablo cartridges produced at the new facility on our planned timeline, or at all. As a result, we would be required to continue relying exclusively on our existing contract manufacturer or execute other contingency plans to meet our supply needs, which could limit our supply capacity and ability to meet customer demand, increase production costs, and adversely impact our business, result of operations and future growth.

If we or our suppliers fail to comply with ongoing FDA or other foreign regulatory authority requirements, or if we experience unanticipated problems with our products, these products could be subject to restrictions or withdrawal from the market.

Even though we have obtained 510(k) clearance for Tablo, it and any other product for which we obtain clearance or approval, and the manufacturing processes, post-market surveillance, post-approval clinical data and promotional activities for such product, will be subject to continued regulatory review, oversight, requirements, and periodic inspections by the FDA and other domestic and foreign regulatory bodies. In particular, we and our suppliers are required to comply with FDA’s QSR and other regulations enforced outside the United States which cover the manufacture of our products and the methods and documentation of the design, testing, production, control, quality assurance, labeling, packaging, storage and shipping of medical devices. Regulatory bodies, such as the FDA, enforce the QSR and other regulations through periodic inspections. The failure by us or one of our suppliers to comply with applicable statutes and regulations administered by the FDA and other regulatory bodies, or the failure to timely and adequately respond to any adverse inspectional observations or product safety issues, could result in, among other things, any of the following enforcement actions:

• unanticipated expenditures to address or defend such actions

• customer notifications for repair, replacement, refunds;

• recall, detention or seizure of our products;

• operating restrictions or partial suspension or total shutdown of production;

• operating restrictions;

• refusal to grant export approval for our products; or

• criminal prosecution.

If any of these actions were to occur it would harm our reputation and cause our product sales and profitability to suffer and may prevent us from generating revenue. Furthermore, our key component suppliers may not currently be or may not continue to be in compliance with all applicable regulatory requirements which could result in our failure to produce our products on a timely basis and in the required quantities, if at all.

In addition, we are required to conduct costly post-market testing and surveillance to monitor the safety or effectiveness of our products, and we must comply with medical device reporting requirements, including the reporting of adverse events and malfunctions related to our products. For example, the FDA has issued to us a post-market surveillance order under Section 522 of the FDCA which requires that we conduct a human factors study, as well as conduct a detailed analysis of adverse events and complaints from home users. Later discovery of previously unknown problems with our products, including unanticipated adverse events or adverse events of unanticipated severity or frequency, manufacturing problems, or failure to comply with regulatory requirements such as QSR, may result in changes to labeling, restrictions on such products or manufacturing processes, withdrawal of the products from the market, voluntary or mandatory recalls, a requirement to repair, replace or refund the cost of any medical device we manufacture or distribute, fines, suspension of regulatory approvals, product seizures, injunctions or the imposition of civil or criminal penalties which would adversely affect our business, operating results and prospects.

Our products may cause or contribute to adverse medical events or be subject to failures or malfunctions that we are required to report to the FDA, and if we fail to do so, we would be subject to sanctions that could harm our reputation, business, financial condition and results of operations. The discovery of serious safety issues with our products, or a recall of our products either voluntarily or at the direction of the FDA or another governmental authority, could have a negative impact on us.

We are subject to the FDA’s medical device reporting regulations and similar foreign regulations, which require us to report to the FDA when we receive or become aware of information that reasonably suggests that one or more of our products may have caused or contributed to a death or serious injury or malfunctioned in a way that, if the malfunction were to recur, it could cause or contribute to a death or serious injury. The timing of our obligation to report is triggered by the date we become aware of the adverse event as well as the nature of the event. We may fail to report adverse events of which we become aware within the prescribed timeframe. We may also fail to recognize that we have become aware of a reportable adverse event, especially if it is not reported to us as an adverse event or if it is an adverse event that is unexpected or removed in time from the use of the product. If we fail to comply with our reporting obligations, the FDA could take action, including warning letters, untitled letters, administrative actions, criminal prosecution, imposition of civil monetary penalties, revocation of our device clearance or approval, seizure of our products or delay in clearance or approval of future products.

The FDA and foreign regulatory bodies have the authority to require the recall of commercialized products in the event of material deficiencies or defects in design or manufacture of a product or in the event that a product poses an unacceptable risk to health. The FDA’s authority to require a recall must be based on a finding that there is reasonable probability that the device could cause serious injury or death. We may also choose to voluntarily recall a product if any material deficiency is found. A government-mandated or voluntary recall by us could occur as a result of an unacceptable risk to health, component failures, malfunctions, manufacturing defects, labeling or design deficiencies, packaging defects or other deficiencies or failures to comply with applicable regulations. Product defects or other errors may occur in the future.

Depending on the corrective action we take to redress a product’s deficiencies or defects, the FDA may require, or we may decide, that we will need to obtain new clearances or approvals for the device before we may market or distribute the corrected device. Seeking such clearances or approvals may delay our ability to replace the recalled devices in a timely manner. Moreover, if we do not adequately address problems associated with our devices, we may face additional regulatory enforcement action, including FDA warning letters, product seizure, injunctions, administrative penalties or civil or criminal fines.

Companies are required to maintain certain records of recalls and corrections, even if they are not reportable to the FDA. We may initiate voluntary withdrawals or corrections for our products in the future that we determine do not require notification of the FDA. If the FDA disagrees with our determinations, it could require us to report those actions as recalls and we may be subject to enforcement action. A future recall announcement could harm our reputation with customers, potentially lead to product liability claims against us and negatively affect our sales. Any corrective action, whether voluntary or involuntary, as well as defending ourselves in a lawsuit, will require the dedication of our time and capital, will distract management from operating our business and may harm our reputation and financial results.

Our products must be manufactured in accordance with federal and state regulations, and we could be forced to recall our devices or terminate production if we fail to comply with these regulations.

The methods used in, and the facilities used for, the manufacture of our products must comply with the FDA’s QSR, which is a complex regulatory scheme that covers the procedures and documentation of the design, testing, production, process controls, quality assurance, labeling, packaging, handling, storage, distribution, installation, servicing and shipping of medical devices. Furthermore, we are required to verify that our suppliers maintain facilities, procedures and operations that comply with our quality standards and applicable regulatory requirements. The FDA enforces the QSR through periodic announced or unannounced inspections of medical device manufacturing facilities, which may include the facilities of subcontractors. Our products are also subject to similar state regulations and various laws and regulations of foreign countries governing manufacturing.

Our third-party manufacturers may not take the necessary steps to comply with applicable regulations, which could cause delays in the delivery of our products. In addition, failure to comply with applicable FDA requirements or later discovery of previously unknown problems with our products or manufacturing processes could result in, among other things: warning letters or untitled letters; fines, injunctions or civil penalties; suspension or withdrawal of approvals; seizures or recalls of our products; total or partial suspension of production or distribution; administrative or judicially imposed sanctions; the FDA’s refusal to grant pending or future clearances or approvals for our products; clinical holds; refusal to permit the import or export of our products; and criminal prosecution of us, our suppliers, or our employees.

Any of these actions could significantly and negatively affect supply of our products. If any of these events occurs, our reputation could be harmed, we could be exposed to product liability claims and we could lose customers and experience reduced sales and increased costs.

Our products, such as Tablo, may in the future be subject to product recalls that could harm our reputation, business and financial results.

Medical devices can experience performance problems in the field that require review and possible corrective action. The occurrence of component failures, manufacturing errors, software errors, design defects or labeling inadequacies affecting a medical device could lead to a government-mandated or voluntary recall by the device manufacturer, in particular when such deficiencies may endanger health. The FDA requires that certain classifications of recalls be reported to the FDA within 10 working days after the recall is initiated. Companies are required to maintain certain records of recalls, even if they are not reportable to the FDA. We may initiate voluntary recalls involving Tablo in the future that we determine do not require notification of the FDA. If the FDA disagrees with our determinations, they could require us to report those actions as recalls. Product recalls may divert management attention and financial resources, expose us to product liability or other claims, harm our reputation with customers and adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We may be subject to regulatory or enforcement actions if we engage in improper marketing or promotion of Tablo.

Our educational and promotional activities and training methods must comply with FDA and other applicable laws, including the prohibition of the promotion of a medical device for a use that has not been cleared or approved by the FDA. Use of a device outside of its cleared or approved indications is known as “off-label” use. Physicians may use Tablo off-label in their professional medical judgment, as the FDA does not restrict or regulate a physician’s choice of treatment within the practice of medicine. However, if the FDA determines that our educational and promotional activities or training constitutes promotion of an off-label use, it could request that we modify our training or promotional materials or subject us to regulatory or enforcement actions, including the issuance of warning letters, untitled letters, fines, penalties, injunctions, or seizures, any of which could have an adverse impact on our reputation and financial results.

It is also possible that other federal, state or foreign enforcement authorities might take action if they consider our educational and promotional activities or training methods to constitute promotion of an off-label use, which could result in significant fines or penalties under other statutory authorities, such as laws prohibiting false claims for reimbursement. In that event, our reputation could be damaged, and adoption of the products could be impaired. Although our policy is to refrain from statements that could be considered off-label promotion of Tablo, the FDA or another regulatory agency could disagree and conclude that we have engaged in off-label promotion. It is also possible that other federal, state or foreign enforcement authorities might take action, including, but not limited to, through a whistleblower action under the FCA, if they consider our business activities constitute promotion of an off-label use, which could result in significant penalties, including, but not limited to, criminal, civil or administrative penalties, treble damages, fines, disgorgement, exclusion from participation in government healthcare programs, additional reporting requirements and oversight if we become subject to a corporate integrity agreement or similar agreement to resolve allegations of non-compliance with these laws, and the curtailment or restructuring of our operations. In addition, the off-label use of Tablo may increase the risk of product liability claims. Product liability claims are expensive to defend and could divert our management’s attention, result in substantial damage awards against us, and harm our reputation.

Legislative or regulatory reforms may make it more difficult and costly for us to obtain regulatory clearance or approval of any future products and to manufacture, market and distribute our products after clearance or approval is obtained.

From time to time, legislation is drafted and introduced in Congress that could significantly change the statutory provisions governing the regulatory approval, manufacture and marketing of regulated products or the reimbursement thereof. In addition, the FDA may change its clearance and approval policies, adopt additional regulations or revise existing regulations, or take other actions, which may prevent or delay approval or clearance of our future products under development or impact our ability to modify our currently cleared products on a timely basis. Any new regulations or revisions or reinterpretations of existing regulations may impose additional costs or lengthen review times of planned or future products. It is impossible to predict whether legislative changes will be enacted or FDA regulations, guidance or interpretations changed, and what the impact of such changes, if any, may be.

FDA regulations and guidance are often revised or reinterpreted by the FDA in ways that may significantly affect our business and our products. Any new statutes, regulations or revisions or reinterpretations of existing regulations may impose additional costs or lengthen review times of any future products or make it more difficult to obtain clearance or approval for, manufacture, market or distribute our products. We cannot determine what effect changes in regulations, statutes, legal interpretation or policies, when and if promulgated, enacted or adopted may have on our business in the future. Such changes could, among other things, require: additional testing prior to obtaining clearance or approval; changes to manufacturing methods; recall, replacement or discontinuance of our products; or additional record keeping.

The FDA’s and other regulatory authorities’ policies may change and additional government regulations may be promulgated that could prevent, limit or delay regulatory clearance or approval of our product candidates. We cannot predict the likelihood, nature or extent of government regulation that may arise from future legislation or administrative action, either in the United States or abroad. For example, the recent change in administration may impact our business and industry. Namely, the Trump administration took several executive actions, including the issuance of a number of Executive Orders, that could impose significant burdens on, or otherwise materially delay, the FDA’s ability to engage in routine oversight activities such as implementing statutes through rulemaking, issuance of guidance, and review and approval of marketing applications. It is difficult to predict whether or how these executive actions will be implemented, or whether they will be rescinded or replaced under the current Biden administration. The policies and priorities of a new administration are unknown and could materially impact the regulation governing our products.

Any change in the laws or regulations that govern the clearance and approval processes relating to our current, planned and future products could make it more difficult and costly to obtain clearance or approval for new products or to produce, market and distribute existing products. Significant delays in receiving clearance or approval or the failure to receive clearance or approval for any new products would have an adverse effect on our ability to expand our business. If we are slow or unable to adapt to changes in existing requirements or the adoption of new requirements or policies, or if we are not able to maintain regulatory compliance, we may lose any marketing clearance that we may have obtained and we may not achieve or sustain profitability.

Clinical trials may be necessary to support future product submissions to the FDA. The clinical trial process is lengthy and expensive with uncertain outcomes, and often requires the enrollment of large numbers of patients, and suitable patients may be difficult to identify and recruit. Delays or failures in our clinical trials will prevent us from commercializing any modified or new products and will adversely affect our business, operating results and prospects.

Initiating and completing clinical trials necessary to support any future PMAs, and additional safety and efficacy data beyond that typically required for a 510(k) clearance, for our possible future product candidates, will be time-consuming and expensive and the outcome uncertain. Moreover, the results of early clinical trials are not necessarily predictive of future results, and any product we advance into clinical trials may not have favorable results in later clinical trials. The results of preclinical studies and clinical trials of our products conducted to date and ongoing or future studies and trials of our current, planned or future products may not be predictive of the results of later clinical trials, and interim results of a clinical trial do not necessarily predict final results. Our interpretation of data and results from our clinical trials do not ensure that we will achieve similar results in future clinical trials. In addition, preclinical and clinical data are often susceptible to various interpretations and analyses, and many companies that have believed their products performed satisfactorily in preclinical studies and earlier clinical trials have nonetheless failed to replicate results in later clinical trials. Products in later stages of clinical trials may fail to show the desired safety and efficacy despite having progressed through nonclinical studies and earlier clinical trials. Failure can occur at any stage of clinical testing. Our clinical studies may produce negative or inconclusive results, and we may decide, or regulators may require us, to conduct additional clinical and non-clinical testing in addition to those we have planned.

The initiation and completion of any of clinical studies may be prevented, delayed, or halted for numerous reasons. We may experience delays in our ongoing clinical trials for a number of reasons, which could adversely affect the costs, timing or successful completion of our clinical trials, including related to the following:

• the cost of clinical trials may be greater than we anticipate;

• we may be unable to recruit a sufficient number of clinical trial sites;

Any of these occurrences may significantly harm our business, financial condition and prospects. In addition, many of the factors that cause, or lead to, a delay in the commencement or completion of clinical trials may also ultimately lead to the denial of regulatory approval of our product candidates.

Clinical trials must be conducted in accordance with the laws and regulations of the FDA and other applicable regulatory authorities’ legal requirements, regulations or guidelines, and are subject to oversight by these governmental agencies and IRBs at the medical institutions where the clinical trials are conducted. Conducting successful clinical studies will require the enrollment of large numbers of patients, and suitable patients may be difficult to identify and recruit. Patient enrollment in clinical trials and completion of patient participation and follow-up depends on many factors, including the size of the patient population, the nature of the trial protocol, the attractiveness of, or the discomforts and risks associated with, the treatments received by enrolled subjects, the availability of appropriate clinical trial investigators, support staff, and proximity of patients to clinical sites and able to comply with the eligibility and exclusion criteria for participation in the clinical trial and patient compliance. For example, patients may be discouraged from enrolling in our clinical trials if the trial protocol requires them to undergo extensive post-treatment procedures or follow-up to assess the safety and effectiveness of our products or if they determine that the treatments received under the trial protocols are not attractive or involve unacceptable risks or discomforts.

We depend on our collaborators and on medical institutions and CROs to conduct our clinical trials in compliance with good clinical practice (GCP) requirements. To the extent our collaborators or the CROs fail to enroll participants for our clinical trials, fail to conduct the study to GCP standards or are delayed for a significant time in the execution of trials, including achieving full enrollment, we may be affected by increased costs, program delays or both. In addition, clinical trials that are conducted in countries outside the United States may subject us to further delays and expenses as a result of increased shipment costs, additional regulatory requirements and the engagement of non-U.S. CROs, as well as expose us to risks associated with clinical investigators who are unknown to the FDA, and different standards of diagnosis, screening and medical care.

Development of sufficient and appropriate clinical protocols to demonstrate safety and efficacy are required and we may not adequately develop such protocols to support clearance and approval. Further, the FDA may require us to submit data on a greater number of patients than we originally anticipated and/or for a longer follow-up period or change the data collection requirements or data analysis applicable to our clinical trials. Delays in patient enrollment or failure of patients to continue to participate in a clinical trial may cause an increase in costs and delays in the approval and attempted commercialization of our products or result in the failure of the clinical trial. In addition, despite considerable time and expense invested in our clinical trials, the FDA may not consider our data adequate to demonstrate safety and efficacy. Such increased costs and delays or failures could adversely affect our business, operating results and prospects.

If the third parties on which we rely to conduct our clinical trials and to assist us with pre-clinical development do not perform as required or expected, we may not be able to obtain regulatory clearance or approval for or commercialize our products.

We may not have the ability to independently conduct our pre-clinical and clinical trials for our future products and we may need to rely on third parties, such as CROs, medical institutions, clinical investigators and contract laboratories to conduct such trials. We would depend on our collaborators and on medical institutions and CROs to conduct our clinical trials in compliance with GCP requirements, and other regulatory requirements. To the extent our collaborators or the CROs fail to enroll participants for our clinical trials, fail to conduct the study to GCP standards or are delayed for a significant time in the execution of trials, including achieving full enrollment, including on account of the outbreak of infectious disease, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, or otherwise, we may be affected by increased costs, program delays or both, any resulting data may be unreliable or unusable for regulatory purposes, and we may be subject to enforcement action.

If these third parties do not successfully carry out their contractual duties or regulatory obligations or meet expected deadlines, if these third parties need to be replaced, or if the quality or accuracy of the data they obtain is compromised due to the failure to adhere to our clinical protocols or regulatory requirements or for other reasons, our pre-clinical development activities or clinical trials may be extended, delayed, suspended or terminated, and we may not be able to obtain regulatory approval for, or successfully commercialize, our products on a timely basis, if at all, and our business, operating results and prospects may be adversely affected.

The results of our clinical trials may not support our product candidate claims or may result in the discovery of adverse side effects.

We cannot be certain that the results of our future clinical trials will support our future product claims or that the FDA will agree with our conclusions regarding them. Success in pre-clinical studies and early clinical trials does not ensure that later clinical trials will be successful, and we cannot be sure that the later trials will replicate the results of prior trials and pre-clinical studies. The clinical trial process may fail to demonstrate that our product candidates are safe and effective for the proposed indicated uses, which could cause us to abandon a product candidate and may delay development of others. Any delay or termination of our clinical trials will delay the filing of our product submissions and, ultimately, our ability to commercialize our product candidates and generate revenues. It is also possible that patients enrolled in clinical trials will experience adverse side effects that are not currently part of the future product’s profile.

Changes in funding or disruptions at the FDA and other government agencies caused by funding shortages or global health concerns could hinder their ability to hire and retain key leadership and other personnel, or otherwise prevent new or modified products from being developed, approved or commercialized in a timely manner or at all, or otherwise prevent those agencies from performing normal business functions on which the operation of our business may rely, which could negatively impact our business.

The ability of the FDA to review and approve new products can be affected by a variety of factors, including government budget and funding levels, ability to hire and retain key personnel and accept the payment of user fees, and statutory, regulatory, and policy changes, and other events that may otherwise affect the FDA’s ability to perform routine functions. Average review times at the agency have fluctuated in recent years as a result. In addition, government funding of other government agencies on which our operations may rely, including those that fund research and development activities is subject to the political process, which is inherently fluid and unpredictable.

Disruptions at the FDA and other agencies may also slow the time necessary for new product applications to be reviewed and/or approved by necessary government agencies, which would adversely affect our business. For example, in recent years, including for 35 days beginning on December 22, 2018, the U.S. government shut down several times and certain regulatory agencies, including the FDA, had to furlough critical employees and stop critical activities. Separately, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, on March 10, 2020 the FDA announced its intention to postpone most inspections of foreign manufacturing facilities. On March 18, 2020, the FDA announced its intention to temporarily postpone routine surveillance inspections of domestic manufacturing facilities and provided guidance regarding the conduct of clinical trials. In May 2020, the FDA announced that it will continue to postpone domestic and foreign routine surveillance inspections due to COVID-19. While the FDA indicated that it will consider alternative methods for inspections and could exercise discretion on a case-by-case basis to approve products based on a desk review, if a prolonged government shutdown occurs, or if global health concerns continue to prevent the FDA or other regulatory authorities from conducting their regular inspections, reviews, or other regulatory activities, it could significantly impact the ability of the FDA to timely review and process our regulatory submissions, which could have a material adverse effect on our business.

Our use, disclosure, and other processing of personally identifiable information, including health information, is subject to HIPAA and other federal, state, and data privacy and security regulations, and our failure to comply with those regulations or to adequately secure the information we hold could result in significant liability or reputational harm and, in turn, a material adverse effect on our client base, member base and revenue.

Numerous state and federal laws and regulations govern the collection, dissemination, use, privacy, confidentiality, security, availability, integrity, and other processing of PHI and PII. These laws and regulations include HIPAA. HIPAA establishes a set of national privacy and security standards for the protection of PHI (as defined in HIPAA) by health plans, healthcare clearinghouses and certain healthcare providers, referred to as covered entities, and the business associates with whom such covered entities contract for services. We are a business associate under HIPAA and we execute business associate agreements with our clients.

HIPAA requires covered entities and business associates, such as us, to develop and maintain policies with respect to the protection, use and disclosure of electronic PHI, including the adoption of administrative, physical and technical safeguards to protect such information, and certain notification requirements in the event of a data breach.

Violations of HIPAA may result in significant civil and criminal penalties. HIPAA also authorizes state attorneys general to file suit on behalf of their residents. Courts may award damages, costs and attorneys’ fees related to violations of HIPAA in such cases. While HIPAA does not create a private right of action allowing individuals to sue us in civil court for violations of HIPAA, its standards have been used as the basis for duty of care in state civil suits such as those for negligence or recklessness in the misuse or breach of PHI. OCR has recently increased its enforcement efforts on compliance with HIPAA, including the security regulations (Security Rule), bringing actions against entities which have failed to implement security measures sufficient to reduce risks to electronic protected health information or to conduct an accurate and thorough risk analysis, among other violations. HIPAA enforcement actions may lead to monetary penalties and costly and burdensome corrective action plans. We are also required to report known breaches of PHI consistent with applicable breach reporting requirements set forth in applicable laws and regulations.

In addition, HIPAA mandates that the Secretary of HHS conduct periodic compliance audits of HIPAA covered entities and business associates. With regard to business associates, those audits assess the business associate’s compliance with the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules. Such audits are conducted randomly and after an entity experiences a breach affecting more than 500 individuals’ data. Undergoing an audit can be costly, can result in fines or onerous obligations, and can damage a business associate’s reputation.

Finally, on December 10, 2020, OCR issued a proposed rule aimed at reducing regulatory burdens that may exist in discouraging coordination of care, including creating an exception to the minimum necessary standard for healthcare coordination, among other changes. While a final rule has not yet been issued, if adopted, these proposed changes may require us to update our HIPAA policies and procedures to comply with the new requirements.

In addition to HIPAA, numerous other federal and state laws and regulations protect the confidentiality, privacy, availability, integrity and security of PHI and other types of PII. Some of these laws and regulations may be preempted by HIPAA with respect to PHI, or may exclude PHI from their scope but impose obligations with regard to PII that is not PHI, and in some cases, can impose additional obligations with regard to PHI. These laws and regulations are often uncertain, contradictory, and subject to changed or differing interpretations, and we expect new laws, rules and regulations regarding privacy, data protection, and information security to be proposed and enacted in the future. For example, the CCPA, became effective on January 1, 2020. The CCPA gives California residents expanded rights to access and delete their personal information, opt out of certain personal information sharing and receive detailed information about how their personal information is used by requiring covered companies to provide new disclosures to California consumers (as that term is broadly defined) and provide such consumers new ways to opt-out of certain sales of personal information. The CCPA provides for civil penalties for violations, as well as a private right of action for data breaches that is expected to increase data breach litigation. Although the law includes limited exceptions, including for PHI maintained by a covered entity or business associate, it may regulate or impact our processing of personal information depending on the context, and the CCPA may increase our compliance costs and potential liability. Additionally, our machine learning and data analytics offerings may be subject to laws and evolving regulations regarding the use of artificial intelligence, controlling for data bias, and antidiscrimination.

Other states, including Nevada, have passed data protection laws, or are considering passing legislation, similar to CCPA. These laws would impose organizational requirements and grant individual rights that are comparable to those established in the CCPA. Additionally, a new ballot initiative, the CPRA, recently passed in California. The CPRA will impose additional data protection obligations on companies doing business in California, including additional consumer rights processes, limitations on data uses, new audit requirements for higher risk data, and opt outs for certain uses of sensitive data. It will also create a new California data protection agency authorized to issue substantive regulations and could result in increased privacy and information security enforcement. The majority of the provisions will go into effect on January 1, 2023, and additional compliance investment and potential business process changes may be required.

This complex, dynamic legal landscape regarding privacy, data protection, data analytics and information security creates significant compliance issues for us and our clients and potentially exposes us to additional expense, adverse publicity and liability. While we have implemented data privacy and security measures in an effort to comply with applicable laws and regulations relating to privacy and data protection, some PHI and other PII or confidential information is transmitted to us by third parties, who may not implement adequate security and privacy measures, and it is possible that laws, rules and regulations relating to privacy, data protection, or information security may be interpreted and applied in a manner that is inconsistent with our practices or those of third parties who transmit PHI and other PII or confidential information to us. If we or these third parties are found to have violated such laws, rules or regulations, it could result in government-imposed fines, orders requiring that we or these third parties change our or their practices, or criminal charges, which could adversely affect our business. Complying with these various laws and regulations could cause us to incur substantial costs or require us to change our business practices, systems and compliance procedures in a manner adverse to our business.

We regularly monitor, defend against and respond to attacks to our networks and other information security incidents. Despite our information security efforts, our facilities, systems, and data, as well as those of our third-party service providers, may be vulnerable to privacy and information security incidents such as data breaches, viruses or other malicious code, coordinated attacks, data loss, phishing attacks, ransomware, denial of service attacks, or other security or IT incidents caused by threat actors, technological vulnerabilities or human error. If we, or any of our vendors that support our IT or have access to our data, fail to comply with laws requiring the protection of personal information, or fail to safeguard and defend personal information or other critical data assets or IT systems, we may be subject to regulatory enforcement and fines as well as private civil actions. We may be required to expend significant resources in the response, containment, mitigation of cybersecurity incidents as well as in defense against claims that our information security was unreasonable or otherwise violated applicable laws or contractual obligations.

Our employees, collaborators, independent contractors and consultants may engage in misconduct or other improper activities, including noncompliance with regulatory standards and requirements.

We are exposed to the risk that our employees, collaborators, independent contractors and consultants may engage in fraudulent or other illegal activity with respect to our business. Misconduct by these persons could include intentional, reckless and/or negligent conduct or unauthorized activity that violates:

• manufacturing standards;

• federal and state healthcare fraud and abuse laws and regulations; or

In particular, sales, marketing and business arrangements in the healthcare industry are subject to extensive laws and regulations intended to prevent fraud, kickbacks, self-dealing and other abusive practices. These laws and regulations may restrict or prohibit a wide range of pricing, discounting, marketing and promotion, sales commission, customer incentive programs and other business arrangements. Misconduct by these parties could also involve individually identifiable information, including, without limitation, the improper use of information obtained in the course of clinical trials, which could result in regulatory sanctions and serious harm to our reputation. Any incidents or any other conduct that leads to an employee, contractor, or other agent, or our company, receiving an FDA debarment or exclusion by OIG could result in penalties, a loss of business from third parties, and severe reputational harm.

It is not always possible to identify and deter misconduct by our employees and other agents, and the precautions we take to detect and prevent this activity may not be effective in controlling unknown or unmanaged risks or losses or in protecting us from governmental investigations or other actions or lawsuits stemming from a failure to be in compliance with such laws or regulations. If any such actions are instituted against us, and we are not successful in defending ourselves or asserting our rights, those actions could have a significant impact on our business, including the imposition of civil, criminal and administrative penalties, treble damages, monetary fines, disgorgement, imprisonment, possible exclusion from participation in Medicare, Medicaid and other federal healthcare programs, contractual damages, reputational harm, diminished profits and future earnings, additional reporting requirements and oversight if we become subject to a corporate integrity agreement or similar agreement to resolve allegations of non-compliance with these laws, and curtailment of our operations.

We must comply with environmental and occupational safety laws.

Our research and development programs as well as our manufacturing operations involve the controlled use of hazardous materials. Accordingly, we are subject to federal, state and local laws, as well as the laws of foreign countries, governing the use, handling and disposal of these materials. In the event of an accident or failure to comply with environmental or occupational safety laws, we could be held liable for resulting damages, and any such liability could exceed our insurance coverage and may accordingly adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.

Risks Related to our Intellectual Property

We have to protect our intellectual property.

Our commercial success will depend in part in our ability to obtain and maintain patent and other intellectual property protection in the United States and other countries with respect to our technology. We rely on patent protection, as well as a combination of copyright, trade secret and trademark laws, to protect our proprietary technology and prevent others from duplicating Tablo. However, these means may afford only limited protection and may not prevent our competitors from duplicating Tablo, prevent our competitors from gaining access to our proprietary information and technology, or permit us to gain or maintain a competitive advantage.

OM US Equity

OM · 10-K · period ended 2020-12-31

Item 1A. Risk Factors.

OM US Equity☆

OM · 10-K · period ended 2020-12-31

Item 1A. Risk Factors.

OM US Equity