株探米国株
英語
エドガーで原本を確認する
FALSE0001477333Q32023--12-31http://fasb.org/us-gaap/2023#AccountingStandardsUpdate201602Member0.02671870.02859130.0052263137500014773332023-01-012023-09-300001477333us-gaap:CommonClassAMember2023-10-19xbrli:shares0001477333us-gaap:CommonClassBMember2023-10-1900014773332023-09-30iso4217:USD00014773332022-12-310001477333us-gaap:CommonClassAMember2022-12-31iso4217:USDxbrli:shares0001477333us-gaap:CommonClassAMember2023-09-300001477333us-gaap:CommonClassBMember2022-12-310001477333us-gaap:CommonClassBMember2023-09-3000014773332023-07-012023-09-3000014773332022-07-012022-09-3000014773332022-01-012022-09-300001477333us-gaap:CommonStockMemberus-gaap:CommonClassAMember2023-06-300001477333us-gaap:CommonStockMemberus-gaap:CommonClassBMember2023-06-300001477333us-gaap:AdditionalPaidInCapitalMember2023-06-300001477333us-gaap:RetainedEarningsMember2023-06-300001477333us-gaap:AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeMember2023-06-3000014773332023-06-300001477333us-gaap:CommonStockMemberus-gaap:CommonClassAMember2023-07-012023-09-300001477333us-gaap:CommonStockMemberus-gaap:CommonClassBMember2023-07-012023-09-300001477333us-gaap:AdditionalPaidInCapitalMember2023-07-012023-09-300001477333us-gaap:RetainedEarningsMember2023-07-012023-09-300001477333us-gaap:AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeMember2023-07-012023-09-300001477333us-gaap:CommonStockMemberus-gaap:CommonClassAMember2023-09-300001477333us-gaap:CommonStockMemberus-gaap:CommonClassBMember2023-09-300001477333us-gaap:AdditionalPaidInCapitalMember2023-09-300001477333us-gaap:RetainedEarningsMember2023-09-300001477333us-gaap:AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeMember2023-09-300001477333us-gaap:CommonStockMemberus-gaap:CommonClassAMember2022-06-300001477333us-gaap:CommonStockMemberus-gaap:CommonClassBMember2022-06-300001477333us-gaap:AdditionalPaidInCapitalMember2022-06-300001477333us-gaap:RetainedEarningsMember2022-06-300001477333us-gaap:AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeMember2022-06-3000014773332022-06-300001477333us-gaap:CommonStockMemberus-gaap:CommonClassAMember2022-07-012022-09-300001477333us-gaap:CommonStockMemberus-gaap:CommonClassBMember2022-07-012022-09-300001477333us-gaap:AdditionalPaidInCapitalMember2022-07-012022-09-300001477333us-gaap:RetainedEarningsMember2022-07-012022-09-300001477333us-gaap:AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeMember2022-07-012022-09-300001477333us-gaap:CommonStockMemberus-gaap:CommonClassAMember2022-09-300001477333us-gaap:CommonStockMemberus-gaap:CommonClassBMember2022-09-300001477333us-gaap:AdditionalPaidInCapitalMember2022-09-300001477333us-gaap:RetainedEarningsMember2022-09-300001477333us-gaap:AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeMember2022-09-3000014773332022-09-300001477333us-gaap:CommonStockMemberus-gaap:CommonClassAMember2022-12-310001477333us-gaap:CommonStockMemberus-gaap:CommonClassBMember2022-12-310001477333us-gaap:AdditionalPaidInCapitalMember2022-12-310001477333us-gaap:RetainedEarningsMember2022-12-310001477333us-gaap:AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeMember2022-12-310001477333us-gaap:CommonStockMemberus-gaap:CommonClassAMember2023-01-012023-09-300001477333us-gaap:CommonStockMemberus-gaap:CommonClassBMember2023-01-012023-09-300001477333us-gaap:AdditionalPaidInCapitalMember2023-01-012023-09-300001477333us-gaap:RetainedEarningsMember2023-01-012023-09-300001477333us-gaap:AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeMember2023-01-012023-09-300001477333us-gaap:CommonStockMemberus-gaap:CommonClassAMember2021-12-310001477333us-gaap:CommonStockMemberus-gaap:CommonClassBMember2021-12-310001477333us-gaap:AdditionalPaidInCapitalMember2021-12-310001477333us-gaap:RetainedEarningsMember2021-12-310001477333us-gaap:AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeMember2021-12-3100014773332021-12-3100014773332021-01-012021-12-310001477333us-gaap:AdditionalPaidInCapitalMembersrt:CumulativeEffectPeriodOfAdoptionAdjustmentMember2021-12-310001477333srt:CumulativeEffectPeriodOfAdoptionAdjustmentMemberus-gaap:RetainedEarningsMember2021-12-310001477333srt:CumulativeEffectPeriodOfAdoptionAdjustmentMember2021-12-310001477333us-gaap:CommonStockMemberus-gaap:CommonClassAMember2022-01-012022-09-300001477333us-gaap:AdditionalPaidInCapitalMember2022-01-012022-09-300001477333us-gaap:CommonStockMemberus-gaap:CommonClassBMember2022-01-012022-09-300001477333us-gaap:RetainedEarningsMember2022-01-012022-09-300001477333us-gaap:AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeMember2022-01-012022-09-300001477333country:US2023-07-012023-09-300001477333us-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerMembercountry:USus-gaap:GeographicConcentrationRiskMember2023-07-012023-09-30xbrli:pure0001477333country:US2022-07-012022-09-300001477333us-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerMembercountry:USus-gaap:GeographicConcentrationRiskMember2022-07-012022-09-300001477333country:US2023-01-012023-09-300001477333us-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerMembercountry:USus-gaap:GeographicConcentrationRiskMember2023-01-012023-09-300001477333country:US2022-01-012022-09-300001477333us-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerMembercountry:USus-gaap:GeographicConcentrationRiskMember2022-01-012022-09-300001477333us-gaap:EMEAMember2023-07-012023-09-300001477333us-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerMemberus-gaap:EMEAMemberus-gaap:GeographicConcentrationRiskMember2023-07-012023-09-300001477333us-gaap:EMEAMember2022-07-012022-09-300001477333us-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerMemberus-gaap:EMEAMemberus-gaap:GeographicConcentrationRiskMember2022-07-012022-09-300001477333us-gaap:EMEAMember2023-01-012023-09-300001477333us-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerMemberus-gaap:EMEAMemberus-gaap:GeographicConcentrationRiskMember2023-01-012023-09-300001477333us-gaap:EMEAMember2022-01-012022-09-300001477333us-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerMemberus-gaap:EMEAMemberus-gaap:GeographicConcentrationRiskMember2022-01-012022-09-300001477333srt:AsiaPacificMember2023-07-012023-09-300001477333srt:AsiaPacificMemberus-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerMemberus-gaap:GeographicConcentrationRiskMember2023-07-012023-09-300001477333srt:AsiaPacificMember2022-07-012022-09-300001477333srt:AsiaPacificMemberus-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerMemberus-gaap:GeographicConcentrationRiskMember2022-07-012022-09-300001477333srt:AsiaPacificMember2023-01-012023-09-300001477333srt:AsiaPacificMemberus-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerMemberus-gaap:GeographicConcentrationRiskMember2023-01-012023-09-300001477333srt:AsiaPacificMember2022-01-012022-09-300001477333srt:AsiaPacificMemberus-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerMemberus-gaap:GeographicConcentrationRiskMember2022-01-012022-09-300001477333cloud:OtherGeographicalRegionsMember2023-07-012023-09-300001477333us-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerMembercloud:OtherGeographicalRegionsMemberus-gaap:GeographicConcentrationRiskMember2023-07-012023-09-300001477333cloud:OtherGeographicalRegionsMember2022-07-012022-09-300001477333us-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerMembercloud:OtherGeographicalRegionsMemberus-gaap:GeographicConcentrationRiskMember2022-07-012022-09-300001477333cloud:OtherGeographicalRegionsMember2023-01-012023-09-300001477333us-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerMembercloud:OtherGeographicalRegionsMemberus-gaap:GeographicConcentrationRiskMember2023-01-012023-09-300001477333cloud:OtherGeographicalRegionsMember2022-01-012022-09-300001477333us-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerMembercloud:OtherGeographicalRegionsMemberus-gaap:GeographicConcentrationRiskMember2022-01-012022-09-300001477333us-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerMemberus-gaap:GeographicConcentrationRiskMember2023-07-012023-09-300001477333us-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerMemberus-gaap:GeographicConcentrationRiskMember2022-07-012022-09-300001477333us-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerMemberus-gaap:GeographicConcentrationRiskMember2023-01-012023-09-300001477333us-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerMemberus-gaap:GeographicConcentrationRiskMember2022-01-012022-09-300001477333us-gaap:SalesChannelThroughIntermediaryMember2023-07-012023-09-300001477333us-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerMemberus-gaap:SalesChannelThroughIntermediaryMembercloud:SalesChannelConcentrationRiskMember2023-07-012023-09-300001477333us-gaap:SalesChannelThroughIntermediaryMember2022-07-012022-09-300001477333us-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerMemberus-gaap:SalesChannelThroughIntermediaryMembercloud:SalesChannelConcentrationRiskMember2022-07-012022-09-300001477333us-gaap:SalesChannelThroughIntermediaryMember2023-01-012023-09-300001477333us-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerMemberus-gaap:SalesChannelThroughIntermediaryMembercloud:SalesChannelConcentrationRiskMember2023-01-012023-09-300001477333us-gaap:SalesChannelThroughIntermediaryMember2022-01-012022-09-300001477333us-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerMemberus-gaap:SalesChannelThroughIntermediaryMembercloud:SalesChannelConcentrationRiskMember2022-01-012022-09-300001477333us-gaap:SalesChannelDirectlyToConsumerMember2023-07-012023-09-300001477333us-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerMembercloud:SalesChannelConcentrationRiskMemberus-gaap:SalesChannelDirectlyToConsumerMember2023-07-012023-09-300001477333us-gaap:SalesChannelDirectlyToConsumerMember2022-07-012022-09-300001477333us-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerMembercloud:SalesChannelConcentrationRiskMemberus-gaap:SalesChannelDirectlyToConsumerMember2022-07-012022-09-300001477333us-gaap:SalesChannelDirectlyToConsumerMember2023-01-012023-09-300001477333us-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerMembercloud:SalesChannelConcentrationRiskMemberus-gaap:SalesChannelDirectlyToConsumerMember2023-01-012023-09-300001477333us-gaap:SalesChannelDirectlyToConsumerMember2022-01-012022-09-300001477333us-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerMembercloud:SalesChannelConcentrationRiskMemberus-gaap:SalesChannelDirectlyToConsumerMember2022-01-012022-09-300001477333us-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerMembercloud:SalesChannelConcentrationRiskMember2023-07-012023-09-300001477333us-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerMembercloud:SalesChannelConcentrationRiskMember2022-07-012022-09-300001477333us-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerMembercloud:SalesChannelConcentrationRiskMember2023-01-012023-09-300001477333us-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerMembercloud:SalesChannelConcentrationRiskMember2022-01-012022-09-3000014773332023-10-012023-09-300001477333us-gaap:CashMember2023-09-300001477333us-gaap:CashAndCashEquivalentsMemberus-gaap:CashMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2023-09-300001477333cloud:DebtSecuritiesAvailableForSaleCurrentMemberus-gaap:CashMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2023-09-300001477333cloud:RestrictedCashMemberus-gaap:CashMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2023-09-300001477333us-gaap:MoneyMarketFundsMemberus-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel1Member2023-09-300001477333us-gaap:MoneyMarketFundsMemberus-gaap:CashAndCashEquivalentsMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMemberus-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel1Member2023-09-300001477333us-gaap:MoneyMarketFundsMembercloud:DebtSecuritiesAvailableForSaleCurrentMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMemberus-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel1Member2023-09-300001477333cloud:RestrictedCashMemberus-gaap:MoneyMarketFundsMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMemberus-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel1Member2023-09-300001477333us-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel2Memberus-gaap:CorporateBondSecuritiesMember2023-09-300001477333us-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel2Memberus-gaap:CashAndCashEquivalentsMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMemberus-gaap:CorporateBondSecuritiesMember2023-09-300001477333us-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel2Membercloud:DebtSecuritiesAvailableForSaleCurrentMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMemberus-gaap:CorporateBondSecuritiesMember2023-09-300001477333cloud:RestrictedCashMemberus-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel2Memberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMemberus-gaap:CorporateBondSecuritiesMember2023-09-300001477333us-gaap:USTreasurySecuritiesMemberus-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel2Member2023-09-300001477333us-gaap:USTreasurySecuritiesMemberus-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel2Memberus-gaap:CashAndCashEquivalentsMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2023-09-300001477333us-gaap:USTreasurySecuritiesMemberus-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel2Membercloud:DebtSecuritiesAvailableForSaleCurrentMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2023-09-300001477333us-gaap:USTreasurySecuritiesMembercloud:RestrictedCashMemberus-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel2Memberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2023-09-300001477333us-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel2Memberus-gaap:USGovernmentAgenciesDebtSecuritiesMember2023-09-300001477333us-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel2Memberus-gaap:CashAndCashEquivalentsMemberus-gaap:USGovernmentAgenciesDebtSecuritiesMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2023-09-300001477333us-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel2Membercloud:DebtSecuritiesAvailableForSaleCurrentMemberus-gaap:USGovernmentAgenciesDebtSecuritiesMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2023-09-300001477333cloud:RestrictedCashMemberus-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel2Memberus-gaap:USGovernmentAgenciesDebtSecuritiesMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2023-09-300001477333us-gaap:CommercialPaperMemberus-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel2Member2023-09-300001477333us-gaap:CommercialPaperMemberus-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel2Memberus-gaap:CashAndCashEquivalentsMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2023-09-300001477333us-gaap:CommercialPaperMemberus-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel2Membercloud:DebtSecuritiesAvailableForSaleCurrentMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2023-09-300001477333us-gaap:CommercialPaperMembercloud:RestrictedCashMemberus-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel2Memberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2023-09-300001477333us-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel2Member2023-09-300001477333us-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel2Memberus-gaap:CashAndCashEquivalentsMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2023-09-300001477333us-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel2Membercloud:DebtSecuritiesAvailableForSaleCurrentMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2023-09-300001477333cloud:RestrictedCashMemberus-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel2Memberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2023-09-300001477333us-gaap:CashAndCashEquivalentsMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2023-09-300001477333cloud:DebtSecuritiesAvailableForSaleCurrentMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2023-09-300001477333cloud:RestrictedCashMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2023-09-300001477333us-gaap:CashMember2022-12-310001477333us-gaap:CashAndCashEquivalentsMemberus-gaap:CashMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2022-12-310001477333cloud:DebtSecuritiesAvailableForSaleCurrentMemberus-gaap:CashMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2022-12-310001477333cloud:RestrictedCashMemberus-gaap:CashMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2022-12-310001477333us-gaap:MoneyMarketFundsMemberus-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel1Member2022-12-310001477333us-gaap:MoneyMarketFundsMemberus-gaap:CashAndCashEquivalentsMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMemberus-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel1Member2022-12-310001477333us-gaap:MoneyMarketFundsMembercloud:DebtSecuritiesAvailableForSaleCurrentMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMemberus-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel1Member2022-12-310001477333cloud:RestrictedCashMemberus-gaap:MoneyMarketFundsMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMemberus-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel1Member2022-12-310001477333us-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel2Memberus-gaap:CorporateBondSecuritiesMember2022-12-310001477333us-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel2Memberus-gaap:CashAndCashEquivalentsMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMemberus-gaap:CorporateBondSecuritiesMember2022-12-310001477333us-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel2Membercloud:DebtSecuritiesAvailableForSaleCurrentMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMemberus-gaap:CorporateBondSecuritiesMember2022-12-310001477333cloud:RestrictedCashMemberus-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel2Memberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMemberus-gaap:CorporateBondSecuritiesMember2022-12-310001477333us-gaap:USTreasurySecuritiesMemberus-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel2Member2022-12-310001477333us-gaap:USTreasurySecuritiesMemberus-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel2Memberus-gaap:CashAndCashEquivalentsMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2022-12-310001477333us-gaap:USTreasurySecuritiesMemberus-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel2Membercloud:DebtSecuritiesAvailableForSaleCurrentMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2022-12-310001477333us-gaap:USTreasurySecuritiesMembercloud:RestrictedCashMemberus-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel2Memberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2022-12-310001477333us-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel2Memberus-gaap:USGovernmentAgenciesDebtSecuritiesMember2022-12-310001477333us-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel2Memberus-gaap:CashAndCashEquivalentsMemberus-gaap:USGovernmentAgenciesDebtSecuritiesMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2022-12-310001477333us-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel2Membercloud:DebtSecuritiesAvailableForSaleCurrentMemberus-gaap:USGovernmentAgenciesDebtSecuritiesMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2022-12-310001477333cloud:RestrictedCashMemberus-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel2Memberus-gaap:USGovernmentAgenciesDebtSecuritiesMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2022-12-310001477333us-gaap:CommercialPaperMemberus-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel2Member2022-12-310001477333us-gaap:CommercialPaperMemberus-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel2Memberus-gaap:CashAndCashEquivalentsMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2022-12-310001477333us-gaap:CommercialPaperMemberus-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel2Membercloud:DebtSecuritiesAvailableForSaleCurrentMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2022-12-310001477333us-gaap:CommercialPaperMembercloud:RestrictedCashMemberus-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel2Memberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2022-12-310001477333us-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel2Member2022-12-310001477333us-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel2Memberus-gaap:CashAndCashEquivalentsMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2022-12-310001477333us-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel2Membercloud:DebtSecuritiesAvailableForSaleCurrentMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2022-12-310001477333cloud:RestrictedCashMemberus-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel2Memberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2022-12-310001477333us-gaap:CashAndCashEquivalentsMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2022-12-310001477333cloud:DebtSecuritiesAvailableForSaleCurrentMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2022-12-310001477333cloud:RestrictedCashMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2022-12-310001477333us-gaap:USGovernmentAgenciesDebtSecuritiesMember2022-12-310001477333us-gaap:MoneyMarketFundsMember2023-09-300001477333us-gaap:MoneyMarketFundsMember2022-12-310001477333us-gaap:ConvertibleDebtMembercloud:SeniorConvertibleNotesDue2026Member2023-09-300001477333us-gaap:TechnologyEquipmentMember2023-09-300001477333us-gaap:TechnologyEquipmentMember2022-12-310001477333us-gaap:ConstructionInProgressMember2023-09-300001477333us-gaap:ConstructionInProgressMember2022-12-310001477333us-gaap:SoftwareDevelopmentMember2023-09-300001477333us-gaap:SoftwareDevelopmentMember2022-12-310001477333us-gaap:OfficeEquipmentMember2023-09-300001477333us-gaap:OfficeEquipmentMember2022-12-310001477333us-gaap:FurnitureAndFixturesMember2023-09-300001477333us-gaap:FurnitureAndFixturesMember2022-12-310001477333us-gaap:SoftwareAndSoftwareDevelopmentCostsMember2023-09-300001477333us-gaap:SoftwareAndSoftwareDevelopmentCostsMember2022-12-310001477333us-gaap:LeaseholdImprovementsMember2023-09-300001477333us-gaap:LeaseholdImprovementsMember2022-12-310001477333us-gaap:RemediationPropertyForSaleAbandonmentOrDisposalMember2023-09-300001477333us-gaap:RemediationPropertyForSaleAbandonmentOrDisposalMember2022-12-310001477333us-gaap:SoftwareAndSoftwareDevelopmentCostsMember2023-07-012023-09-300001477333us-gaap:SoftwareAndSoftwareDevelopmentCostsMember2022-07-012022-09-300001477333us-gaap:SoftwareAndSoftwareDevelopmentCostsMember2023-01-012023-09-300001477333us-gaap:SoftwareAndSoftwareDevelopmentCostsMember2022-01-012022-09-300001477333us-gaap:DevelopedTechnologyRightsMember2023-09-300001477333us-gaap:CustomerRelationshipsMember2023-09-300001477333us-gaap:TradeNamesMember2023-09-300001477333us-gaap:DevelopedTechnologyRightsMember2022-12-310001477333us-gaap:CustomerRelationshipsMember2022-12-310001477333us-gaap:TradeNamesMember2022-12-310001477333cloud:CoLocationAssetLeaseMember2023-09-300001477333us-gaap:ConvertibleDebtMembercloud:SeniorConvertibleNotesDue2026Member2021-08-310001477333us-gaap:ConvertibleDebtMembercloud:SeniorConvertibleNotesDue2026Member2021-08-012021-08-310001477333cloud:CappedCallsMemberus-gaap:ConvertibleDebtMemberus-gaap:LongMembercloud:SeniorConvertibleNotesDue2026Memberus-gaap:CommonClassAMember2021-08-012021-08-310001477333us-gaap:ConvertibleDebtMembercloud:SeniorConvertibleNotesDue2026Membercloud:ScenarioOneMember2021-08-012021-08-31cloud:day0001477333us-gaap:ConvertibleDebtMembercloud:SeniorConvertibleNotesDue2026Membercloud:ScenarioTwoMember2021-08-012021-08-310001477333cloud:CappedCallsMemberus-gaap:ConvertibleDebtMemberus-gaap:LongMembercloud:SeniorConvertibleNotesDue2026Memberus-gaap:CommonClassAMember2021-08-310001477333cloud:SeniorConvertibleNotesDue2025Memberus-gaap:ConvertibleDebtMember2020-05-310001477333cloud:SeniorConvertibleNotesDue2025Membercloud:CappedCallsMemberus-gaap:ConvertibleDebtMemberus-gaap:LongMemberus-gaap:CommonClassAMember2020-05-012020-05-310001477333cloud:SeniorConvertibleNotesDue2025Memberus-gaap:ConvertibleDebtMember2023-09-300001477333cloud:SeniorConvertibleNotesDue2025Memberus-gaap:ConvertibleDebtMember2021-12-310001477333cloud:SeniorConvertibleNotesDue2025Memberus-gaap:ConvertibleDebtMember2021-01-012021-12-310001477333cloud:SeniorConvertibleNotesDue2025Memberus-gaap:ConvertibleDebtMemberus-gaap:CommonClassAMember2021-01-012021-12-310001477333cloud:SeniorConvertibleNotesDue2025Memberus-gaap:ConvertibleDebtMembercloud:CertainHoldersConversionMember2022-01-012022-12-310001477333cloud:SeniorConvertibleNotesDue2025Memberus-gaap:ConvertibleDebtMemberus-gaap:CommonClassAMember2022-01-012022-12-310001477333cloud:SeniorConvertibleNotesDue2025Memberus-gaap:ConvertibleDebtMember2023-06-300001477333cloud:SeniorConvertibleNotesDue2025Memberus-gaap:ConvertibleDebtMember2023-04-012023-06-300001477333cloud:SeniorConvertibleNotesDue2025Memberus-gaap:ConvertibleDebtMembercloud:CertainHoldersConversionMember2023-07-012023-09-300001477333cloud:SeniorConvertibleNotesDue2025Memberus-gaap:ConvertibleDebtMemberus-gaap:CommonClassAMember2023-07-012023-09-300001477333cloud:SeniorConvertibleNotesDue2025Membercloud:CappedCallsMemberus-gaap:ConvertibleDebtMemberus-gaap:LongMemberus-gaap:CommonClassAMember2020-12-012020-12-310001477333cloud:SeniorConvertibleNotesDue2025Membercloud:CappedCallsMemberus-gaap:ConvertibleDebtMemberus-gaap:LongMemberus-gaap:CommonClassAMember2020-12-310001477333cloud:SeniorConvertibleNotesDue2025Memberus-gaap:ConvertibleDebtMember2020-12-012020-12-310001477333us-gaap:ConvertibleDebtMembercloud:SeniorConvertibleNotesDue2026Member2022-12-310001477333cloud:SeniorConvertibleNotesDue2025Memberus-gaap:ConvertibleDebtMember2022-12-310001477333us-gaap:ConvertibleDebtMembercloud:SeniorConvertibleNotesDue2026Member2023-07-012023-09-300001477333cloud:SeniorConvertibleNotesDue2025Memberus-gaap:ConvertibleDebtMember2023-07-012023-09-300001477333us-gaap:ConvertibleDebtMembercloud:SeniorConvertibleNotesDue2026Member2022-07-012022-09-300001477333cloud:SeniorConvertibleNotesDue2025Memberus-gaap:ConvertibleDebtMember2022-07-012022-09-300001477333us-gaap:ConvertibleDebtMembercloud:SeniorConvertibleNotesDue2026Member2023-01-012023-09-300001477333cloud:SeniorConvertibleNotesDue2025Memberus-gaap:ConvertibleDebtMember2023-01-012023-09-300001477333us-gaap:ConvertibleDebtMembercloud:SeniorConvertibleNotesDue2026Member2022-01-012022-09-300001477333cloud:SeniorConvertibleNotesDue2025Memberus-gaap:ConvertibleDebtMember2022-01-012022-09-300001477333cloud:SeniorConvertibleNotesDue2025Memberus-gaap:ConvertibleDebtMember2020-05-012020-05-310001477333cloud:SeniorConvertibleNotesDue2025Memberus-gaap:ConvertibleDebtMembercloud:CertainHoldersConversionMember2020-05-012020-05-31cloud:vote0001477333us-gaap:EmployeeStockOptionMember2023-09-300001477333us-gaap:EmployeeStockOptionMember2022-12-310001477333cloud:EquityIncentivePlan2019Member2023-09-300001477333cloud:EquityIncentivePlan2019Member2022-12-310001477333us-gaap:RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember2023-09-300001477333us-gaap:RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember2022-12-310001477333us-gaap:EmployeeStockMember2023-09-300001477333us-gaap:EmployeeStockMember2022-12-310001477333us-gaap:CommonStockMembercloud:TwoThousandAndTenEquityIncentivePlanMemberus-gaap:EmployeeStockOptionMember2023-01-012023-09-300001477333us-gaap:CommonClassAMembercloud:TwoThousandAndNineteenEquityIncentivePlanMember2023-09-300001477333cloud:ClassAAndClassBCommonStockMembercloud:TwoThousandAndNineteenEquityIncentivePlanMember2023-01-012023-09-300001477333us-gaap:CommonClassAMembercloud:TwoThousandAndTenEquityIncentivePlanMemberus-gaap:EmployeeStockOptionMember2023-09-300001477333cloud:TwoThousandAndTenEquityIncentivePlanMemberus-gaap:CommonClassBMemberus-gaap:EmployeeStockOptionMember2023-09-300001477333us-gaap:CommonClassAMembercloud:TwoThousandAndNineteenEquityIncentivePlanMemberus-gaap:EmployeeStockOptionMember2023-09-300001477333us-gaap:EmployeeStockOptionMember2023-01-012023-09-300001477333cloud:A2010PlanAnd2019PlanMemberus-gaap:EmployeeStockOptionMember2023-09-300001477333cloud:A2010PlanAnd2019PlanMemberus-gaap:EmployeeStockOptionMember2023-01-012023-09-300001477333cloud:OtherPerformanceAwardsMembercloud:OtherKeyEmployeesMember2022-01-012022-12-310001477333srt:ExecutiveOfficerMembercloud:OtherPerformanceAwardsMember2022-01-012022-12-310001477333srt:ExecutiveOfficerMembercloud:OtherPerformanceAwardsMember2022-02-142022-02-140001477333cloud:OtherPerformanceAwardsMembercloud:OtherKeyEmployeesMember2022-02-142022-02-140001477333us-gaap:CommonClassAMembercloud:OtherPerformanceAwardsMember2022-02-142022-02-140001477333us-gaap:CommonClassAMembercloud:OtherPerformanceAwardsMember2022-02-140001477333us-gaap:CommonClassAMembercloud:OtherPerformanceAwardsMember2023-05-012023-05-01cloud:tranche0001477333us-gaap:CommonClassAMembercloud:OtherPerformanceAwardsMembercloud:OtherKeyEmployeesMember2023-01-012023-09-300001477333cloud:OtherPerformanceAwardsMember2023-07-012023-09-300001477333cloud:OtherPerformanceAwardsMember2022-07-012022-09-300001477333cloud:OtherPerformanceAwardsMember2023-01-012023-09-300001477333cloud:OtherPerformanceAwardsMember2022-01-012022-09-300001477333cloud:OtherPerformanceAwardsMember2023-09-300001477333cloud:Area1SecurityIncMemberus-gaap:CommonClassAMemberus-gaap:EmployeeStockOptionMember2022-04-010001477333cloud:Area1SecurityIncMemberus-gaap:EmployeeStockOptionMember2022-04-012022-04-010001477333cloud:Area1SecurityIncMemberus-gaap:EmployeeStockOptionMember2023-01-012023-09-300001477333cloud:Area1SecurityIncMemberus-gaap:EmployeeStockOptionMember2023-07-012023-09-300001477333us-gaap:EmployeeStockOptionMember2022-01-012022-12-310001477333us-gaap:RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember2023-01-012023-09-300001477333us-gaap:RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember2023-07-012023-09-300001477333us-gaap:RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember2022-07-012022-09-300001477333us-gaap:RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember2022-01-012022-09-300001477333us-gaap:EmployeeStockMembercloud:TwoThousandAndNineteenEmployeeStockPurchasePlanMemberus-gaap:CommonClassAMember2019-09-300001477333us-gaap:EmployeeStockMembercloud:TwoThousandAndNineteenEmployeeStockPurchasePlanMembercloud:ClassAAndClassBCommonStockMember2019-09-012019-09-300001477333us-gaap:EmployeeStockMembercloud:TwoThousandAndNineteenEmployeeStockPurchasePlanMember2019-09-012019-09-300001477333us-gaap:EmployeeStockMembercloud:TwoThousandAndNineteenEmployeeStockPurchasePlanMemberus-gaap:CommonClassAMember2019-09-012019-09-300001477333us-gaap:EmployeeStockMembercloud:TwoThousandAndNineteenEmployeeStockPurchasePlanMemberus-gaap:CommonClassAMember2023-01-012023-09-300001477333us-gaap:EmployeeStockMembercloud:TwoThousandAndNineteenEmployeeStockPurchasePlanMemberus-gaap:CommonClassAMember2023-07-012023-09-300001477333us-gaap:EmployeeStockMembercloud:TwoThousandAndNineteenEmployeeStockPurchasePlanMemberus-gaap:CommonClassAMember2022-07-012022-09-300001477333us-gaap:EmployeeStockMembercloud:TwoThousandAndNineteenEmployeeStockPurchasePlanMemberus-gaap:CommonClassAMember2022-01-012022-09-300001477333us-gaap:EmployeeStockMembercloud:TwoThousandAndNineteenEmployeeStockPurchasePlanMember2023-09-300001477333us-gaap:EmployeeStockMembercloud:TwoThousandAndNineteenEmployeeStockPurchasePlanMember2023-01-012023-09-300001477333us-gaap:CostOfSalesMember2023-07-012023-09-300001477333us-gaap:CostOfSalesMember2022-07-012022-09-300001477333us-gaap:CostOfSalesMember2023-01-012023-09-300001477333us-gaap:CostOfSalesMember2022-01-012022-09-300001477333us-gaap:SellingAndMarketingExpenseMember2023-07-012023-09-300001477333us-gaap:SellingAndMarketingExpenseMember2022-07-012022-09-300001477333us-gaap:SellingAndMarketingExpenseMember2023-01-012023-09-300001477333us-gaap:SellingAndMarketingExpenseMember2022-01-012022-09-300001477333us-gaap:ResearchAndDevelopmentExpenseMember2023-07-012023-09-300001477333us-gaap:ResearchAndDevelopmentExpenseMember2022-07-012022-09-300001477333us-gaap:ResearchAndDevelopmentExpenseMember2023-01-012023-09-300001477333us-gaap:ResearchAndDevelopmentExpenseMember2022-01-012022-09-300001477333us-gaap:GeneralAndAdministrativeExpenseMember2023-07-012023-09-300001477333us-gaap:GeneralAndAdministrativeExpenseMember2022-07-012022-09-300001477333us-gaap:GeneralAndAdministrativeExpenseMember2023-01-012023-09-300001477333us-gaap:GeneralAndAdministrativeExpenseMember2022-01-012022-09-300001477333cloud:SeniorConvertibleNotesDue2025Member2023-01-012023-09-300001477333cloud:SeniorConvertibleNotesDue2025Member2022-01-012022-09-300001477333cloud:SeniorConvertibleNotesDue2026Member2023-01-012023-09-300001477333cloud:SeniorConvertibleNotesDue2026Member2022-01-012022-09-300001477333cloud:ShareBasedPaymentArrangementSharesSubjectToRepurchaseMember2023-01-012023-09-300001477333cloud:ShareBasedPaymentArrangementSharesSubjectToRepurchaseMember2022-01-012022-09-300001477333us-gaap:EmployeeStockOptionMember2023-01-012023-09-300001477333us-gaap:EmployeeStockOptionMember2022-01-012022-09-300001477333cloud:RestrictedStockAwardAndRestrictedStockUnitRSUsAwardMember2023-01-012023-09-300001477333cloud:RestrictedStockAwardAndRestrictedStockUnitRSUsAwardMember2022-01-012022-09-300001477333us-gaap:EmployeeStockMember2023-01-012023-09-300001477333us-gaap:EmployeeStockMember2022-01-012022-09-300001477333cloud:Area1SecurityIncMember2022-04-012022-04-010001477333cloud:Area1SecurityIncMembercloud:BusinessCombinationLiabilityPaymentScenarioOneMember2022-04-010001477333cloud:Area1SecurityIncMembercloud:BusinessCombinationLiabilityPaymentScenarioOneMember2022-04-012022-04-010001477333cloud:Area1SecurityIncMembercloud:BusinessCombinationLiabilityPaymentScenarioTwoMember2022-04-010001477333cloud:Area1SecurityIncMember2022-04-010001477333cloud:Area1SecurityIncMemberus-gaap:DevelopedTechnologyRightsMember2022-04-010001477333cloud:Area1SecurityIncMember2022-01-010001477333cloud:Area1SecurityIncMember2022-01-012022-12-310001477333cloud:VectrixIncMember2022-01-142022-01-140001477333cloud:VectrixIncMember2022-01-140001477333us-gaap:DevelopedTechnologyRightsMembercloud:VectrixIncMember2022-01-140001477333cloud:VectrixIncMember2022-01-012022-12-310001477333cloud:ZarazMember2021-10-152021-10-150001477333cloud:ZarazMember2021-01-012021-12-310001477333cloud:ZarazMemberus-gaap:DevelopedTechnologyRightsMember2021-10-150001477333cloud:ZarazMember2021-10-150001477333cloud:ZarazMember2022-01-012022-12-310001477333country:US2023-09-300001477333country:US2022-12-310001477333us-gaap:NonUsMember2023-09-300001477333us-gaap:NonUsMember2022-12-31cloud:segment0001477333cloud:ScottSandellMember2023-07-012023-09-300001477333cloud:ScottSandellMember2023-09-30

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
__________________________________________________
FORM 10-Q
__________________________________________________
(Mark One)
QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the quarterly period ended September 30, 2023
or
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the transition period from                to              
Commission file number: 001-39039
__________________________________________________
Cloudflare, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
__________________________________________________
Delaware

27-0805829
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)

(I.R.S. Employer
Identification Number)
101 Townsend Street
San Francisco, California 94107
(Address of principal executive offices and zip code)
(888) 993-5273
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
__________________________________________________
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of Each Class Trading Symbol Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered
Class A Common Stock, $0.001 par value NET The New York Stock Exchange
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.  Yes ☒  No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒  No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer

Accelerated filer





Non-accelerated filer

Smaller reporting company








Emerging growth company
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☒ As of October 19, 2023, 295,899,712 shares of the registrant's Class A common stock were outstanding and 39,872,115 shares of the registrant's Class B common stock were outstanding.
2

3

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Item 1
Item 2
Item 3
Item 4
Item 1
Item 1A
Item 2
Item 5
Item 6

4

SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which statements involve substantial risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements generally relate to future events or our future financial or operating performance. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements because they contain words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expects,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “could,” “intends,” “target,” “projects,” “contemplates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “potential,” or “continue,” or the negative of these words, or other similar terms or expressions that concern our expectations, strategy, plans, or intentions.
Forward-looking statements contained in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q include, but are not limited to, statements about:
•our ability to retain and upgrade paying customers;
•our ability to attract new paying customers, including large customers, or convert free customers to paying customers;
•our future financial performance, including trends in revenue, costs of revenue, gross profit or gross margin, operating expenses, paying customers, and free cash flow;
•our ability to achieve or maintain profitability and positive cash flow;
•the impact of adverse economic conditions on our customers’ spending ability and the overall demand for our products;
•the consequences we may face resulting from the activities of our customers and the actions we take in response, including associated theories of liability;
•the demand, and our ability to generate demand, for our products or for solutions for security, performance, and reliability in general;
•possible harm caused by significant disruption of service, loss or unauthorized access to customers’ content, or the actual or perceived failure of our products to prevent security incidents;
•our ability to compete successfully in competitive markets;
•our ability to respond to rapid technological changes;
•our ability to continue to innovate and develop new products;
•our expectations and management of future growth;
•the impact of the Hamas-Israel and Russia-Ukraine conflicts, other areas of geopolitical tension around the world, or the worsening of those conflicts or geopolitical tensions, and the related challenging macroeconomic conditions globally, including on our and our customers', vendors', and partners' respective businesses and the markets in which we and our customers, vendors, and partners operate;
•our ability to maintain favorable co-location relationships, Internet service provider (ISP) partnerships, and other interconnection arrangements around the world;
•our ability to offer high-quality customer support;
•our ability to manage our global operations;
•our expectations of and ability to comply with applicable laws around the world;
•our ability to correctly estimate our tax obligations around the world;
•our ability to repay our convertible senior notes when due;
•our ability to attract, integrate, and retain key personnel and other highly qualified personnel;
•our ability to maintain our brand;
•our ability to prevent serious errors or defects across, and to otherwise maintain the uninterrupted operation of, our network;
•our ability to maintain, protect, and enhance our intellectual property; and
•our ability to successfully identify, acquire, and integrate companies and assets.
5

You should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. We have based the forward-looking statements contained in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q primarily on our current expectations and projections about future events and trends that we believe may affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects. The outcome of the events described in these forward-looking statements is subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors described in the section titled “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Our Risk Factors are not guarantees that no such conditions exist as of the date of this report and should not be interpreted as an affirmative statement that such risks or conditions have not materialized, in whole or in part. Readers are urged to carefully review and consider the various disclosures made in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and in other documents we file from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that disclose risks and uncertainties that may affect our business. Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks and uncertainties emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all risks and uncertainties that could have an impact on the forward-looking statements contained in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. We cannot assure you that the results, events, and circumstances reflected in the forward-looking statements will be achieved or occur, and actual results, events, or circumstances could differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements.
The forward-looking statements made in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q relate only to events as of the date on which the statements are made. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements made in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q or to reflect new information or the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law. We may not actually achieve the plans, intentions, or expectations disclosed in our forward-looking statements, and you should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. Our forward-looking statements do not reflect the potential impact of any future acquisitions, mergers, dispositions, joint ventures, or investments we may make.
In addition, statements that “we believe” and similar statements reflect our beliefs and opinions on the relevant subject. These statements are based upon information available to us as of the date of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and while we believe such information forms a reasonable basis for such statements, such information may be limited or incomplete, and our statements should not be read to indicate that we have conducted an exhaustive inquiry into, or review of, all potentially available relevant information. These statements are inherently uncertain and investors are cautioned not to unduly rely upon these statements.
SELECTED RISKS AFFECTING OUR BUSINESS

Investing in our Class A common stock involves numerous risks, including those set forth below. This summary does not contain all of the information that may be important to you, and you should read this risk factor summary together with the more detailed discussion of risks and uncertainties set forth in Part II, Item 1A. Risk Factors of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Below are summaries of some of these risks, any one of which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects. In that event, the market price of our Class A common stock could decline, and you could lose part or all of your investment. Additional risks and uncertainties that we are unaware of, or that we currently believe are not material, may also become important factors that adversely affect our business. Our Risk Factors are not guarantees that no such conditions exist as of the date of this report and should not be interpreted as an affirmative statement that such risks or conditions have not materialized, in whole or in part.
•We have a history of net losses and may not be able to achieve or sustain profitability in the future.
•We have experienced rapid revenue growth, which may not be indicative of our future performance.
•Adverse economic conditions, including reduced spending on products and solutions for network security, performance, and reliability, may adversely impact our revenue and profitability.
•The Hamas-Israel and Russia-Ukraine conflicts, other areas of geopolitical tension around the world, or the worsening of those conflicts or tensions, and any related challenging macroeconomic conditions globally and in various countries in which we and our customers operate may materially adversely affect our customers, vendors, and partners, and the duration and extent to which these factors may impact our future business and operations, results of operations, financial condition, and cash flows remain uncertain.
•If we are unable to attract new paying and free customers, our future results of operations could be harmed.
•Our business depends on our ability to retain and upgrade paying customers, expand the numbers of products we sell to paying customers, and, to a lesser extent, convert free customers to paying customers, and any decline in renewals, upgrades, expansions, or conversions could adversely affect our future results of operations.
6

•If we are unable to effectively attract, expand, and retain sales to large customers, or we fail to mitigate the additional risks associated with serving large customers, our business, results of operation, and financial condition may suffer.
•Activities of our paying and free customers or the content of their websites or other Internet properties, as well as our response to those activities, could cause us to experience significant adverse political, business, and reputational consequences with customers, employees, suppliers, government entities, and others.
•We face intense and increasing competition, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
•If we do not effectively attract, train, and retain our sales force to be able to sell our existing and new products and product features, we may be unable to add new contracted customers, or increase sales to our existing customers and our business would be adversely affected.
•We rely on our co-founders and other key technical, sales, and management personnel to grow our business, and the loss of one or more key employees or the inability to successfully attract, integrate, and retain qualified senior management and other personnel, or the failure of new members of our management team to successfully lead and scale our business, could harm our business.
•Problems with our internal systems, networks, or data, including actual or perceived breaches or failures, could cause our network or products to be perceived as insecure, underperforming, or unreliable, our customers to lose trust in our network and products, our reputation to be damaged, and our financial results to be negatively impacted.
•If our global network that delivers our products or the core co-location facilities we use to operate our network are damaged, interfered with, or otherwise fail to meet the requirements of our business or local regulations, our ability to provide access to our network and products to our customers and maintain the performance of our network could be negatively impacted, which could cause our business, results of operations and financial condition to suffer.
•Detrimental changes in, or the termination of, any of our co-location relationships, ISP partnerships, or our other interconnection relationships with ISPs could adversely impact our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
•The actual or perceived failure of our products to block malware or prevent a security breach or incident could harm our reputation and adversely impact our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
•Activities of our paying and free customers or the content of their websites and other Internet properties may violate applicable laws and/or our terms of service and could subject us to lawsuits, regulatory enforcement actions, and/or liability in various jurisdictions.
•Our actual or perceived failure to comply with privacy, data protection, information security, and other applicable laws, regulations, and obligations could harm our business.
•Our network presence within China is dependent upon our commercial relationship with JD Cloud, and any detrimental changes in, or the termination of, that relationship could jeopardize our ability to offer an integrated global network that includes China.
•The trading price of our Class A common stock may be volatile, and you could lose all or part of your investment.
•The dual class structure of our common stock has the effect of concentrating voting control with those stockholders who held our capital stock prior to the completion of our initial public offering, and it may depress the trading price of our Class A common stock.
•Repaying and servicing our existing and future debt, including our 2026 Notes (as defined below), may require a significant amount of cash, and we may not have sufficient cash flow from our business to pay our indebtedness.
7

PART I—FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Item 1. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
CLOUDFLARE, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(in thousands, except par value)
(unaudited)
September 30,
2023
December 31,
2022
Assets
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents $ 94,143  $ 204,178 
Available-for-sale securities 1,480,162  1,445,759 
Accounts receivable, net 199,468  148,544 
Contract assets 11,689  8,292 
Restricted cash short-term 1,612  10,555 
Prepaid expenses and other current assets 70,929  70,556 
Total current assets 1,858,003  1,887,884 
Property and equipment, net 309,815  286,600 
Goodwill 148,047  148,047 
Acquired intangible assets, net 17,821  32,483 
Operating lease right-of-use assets 126,407  132,360 
Deferred contract acquisition costs, noncurrent 115,154  93,145 
Restricted cash 1,885  471 
Other noncurrent assets 12,778  6,918 
Total assets $ 2,589,910  $ 2,587,908 
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable $ 40,590  $ 35,607 
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 55,685  66,425 
Accrued compensation 52,190  42,014 
Operating lease liabilities 35,076  33,275 
Liability for early exercise of unvested stock options 134  1,902 
Deferred revenue 294,100  218,647 
Total current liabilities 477,775  397,870 
Convertible senior notes, net 1,282,372  1,436,192 
Operating lease liabilities, noncurrent 101,673  107,624 
Deferred revenue, noncurrent 17,354  11,732 
Other noncurrent liabilities 11,479  10,526 
Total liabilities 1,890,653  1,963,944 
Commitments and contingencies (Note 8)
Stockholders’ Equity
Class A common stock; $0.001 par value; 2,250,000 shares authorized as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022; 295,639 and 286,561 shares issued and outstanding as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively
295  286 
Class B common stock; $0.001 par value; 315,000 shares authorized as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022; 40,027 and 43,525 shares issued and outstanding as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively
40  42 
Additional paid-in capital 1,699,045  1,475,423 
Accumulated deficit (995,975) (839,891)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss (4,148) (11,896)
Total stockholders’ equity 699,257  623,964 
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity $ 2,589,910  $ 2,587,908 
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.
8

CLOUDFLARE, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(in thousands, except per share data)
(unaudited)
Three Months Ended
September 30,
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
2023 2022 2023 2022
Revenue $ 335,603  $ 253,857  $ 934,272  $ 700,541 
Cost of revenue 78,069  61,967  223,722  164,822 
Gross profit 257,534  191,890  710,550  535,719 
Operating expenses:
Sales and marketing 150,214  116,033  433,903  333,712 
Research and development 90,593  76,432  261,742  218,600 
General and administrative 55,939  45,372  157,561  133,919 
Total operating expenses 296,746  237,837  853,206  686,231 
Loss from operations (39,212) (45,947) (142,656) (150,512)
Non-operating income (expense):
Interest income 17,954  3,852  47,977  6,554 
Interest expense (1,138) (1,512) (4,803) (4,109)
Loss on extinguishment of debt —  —  (50,300) — 
Other income (expense), net 115  2,433  (2,269) 2,179 
Total non-operating income (expense), net 16,931  4,773  (9,395) 4,624 
Loss before income taxes (22,281) (41,174) (152,051) (145,888)
Provision for income taxes
1,254  1,372  4,033  1,576 
Net loss $ (23,535) $ (42,546) $ (156,084) $ (147,464)
Net loss per share attributable to common stockholders, basic and diluted
$ (0.07) $ (0.13) $ (0.47) $ (0.45)
Weighted-average shares used in computing net loss per share attributable to common stockholders, basic and diluted
334,666  326,590  332,600  325,457 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.
9

CLOUDFLARE, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE LOSS
(in thousands)
(unaudited)
Three Months Ended
September 30,
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
2023 2022 2023 2022
Net loss $ (23,535) $ (42,546) $ (156,084) $ (147,464)
Other comprehensive income (loss):
Change in unrealized gain (loss) on investments, net of tax
2,161  (1,220) 7,748  (14,653)
Other comprehensive income (loss) 2,161  (1,220) 7,748  (14,653)
Comprehensive loss $ (21,374) $ (43,766) $ (148,336) $ (162,117)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.
10

CLOUDFLARE, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
(in thousands)
(unaudited)

Three Months Ended September 30, 2023
Class A common stock Class B common stock Additional
paid-in
capital
Accumulated
deficit
Accumulated
other
comprehensive
loss
Total
stockholders’
equity
Shares Amount Shares Amount
Balance as of June 30, 2023 291,832  $ 291  41,807  $ 41  $ 1,620,251  $ (972,440) $ (6,309) $ 641,834 
Issuance of common stock upon exercise of stock options 87  677  4,323  —  —  4,325 
Vesting of shares issued upon early exercise of stock options —  —  —  —  559  —  —  559 
Issuance of common stock related to settlement of restricted stock units (RSUs) 763  —  76  (1) —  —  — 
Tax withholding on RSU settlement (32) —  (5) —  (2,260) —  —  (2,260)
Conversion of Class B to Class A common stock 2,528  (2,528) (3) —  —  —  — 
Settlement of common stock in connection with redemption of convertible senior notes 461  —  —  —  46  —  —  46 
Stock-based compensation —  —  —  —  76,127  —  —  76,127 
Net loss —  —  —  —  —  (23,535) —  (23,535)
Other comprehensive loss —  —  —  —  —  —  2,161  2,161 
Balance as of September 30, 2023 295,639  $ 295  40,027  $ 40  $ 1,699,045  $ (995,975) $ (4,148) $ 699,257 




The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.
11

CLOUDFLARE, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
(in thousands)
(unaudited)

Three Months Ended September 30, 2022
Class A common stock Class B common stock Additional
paid-in
capital
Accumulated
deficit
Accumulated
other
comprehensive
loss
Total
stockholders’
equity
Shares Amount Shares Amount
Balance as of June 30, 2022 282,774  $ 282  44,623  $ 43  $ 1,347,671  $ (751,428) $ (16,078) $ 580,490 
Issuance of common stock upon exercise of stock options 54  —  205  2,152  —  —  2,153 
Vesting of shares issued upon early exercise of stock options —  —  —  —  656  —  —  656 
Issuance of common stock related to settlement of RSUs 411  282  —  (1) —  —  — 
Tax withholding on RSU settlement —  —  (9) —  (713) —  —  (713)
Conversion of Class B to Class A common stock 990  —  (990) —  —  —  —  — 
Stock-based compensation —  —  —  —  55,169  —  —  55,169 
Net loss —  —  —  —  —  (42,546) —  (42,546)
Other comprehensive loss —  —  —  —  —  —  (1,220) (1,220)
Balance as of September 30, 2022 284,229  $ 283  44,111  $ 44  $ 1,404,934  $ (793,974) $ (17,298) $ 593,989 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.
12

CLOUDFLARE, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
(in thousands)
(unaudited)

Nine Months Ended September 30, 2023
Class A common stock Class B common stock Additional
paid-in
capital
Accumulated
deficit
Accumulated
other
comprehensive
loss
Total
stockholders’
equity
Shares Amount Shares Amount
Balance as of December 31, 2022 286,561  $ 286  43,525  $ 42  $ 1,475,423  $ (839,891) $ (11,896) $ 623,964 
Issuance of common stock upon exercise of stock options 327  1,957  11,381  —  —  11,384 
Repurchases of unvested common stock (17) —  —  —  —  —  —  — 
Vesting of shares issued upon early exercise of stock options —  —  —  1,729  —  —  1,730 
Issuance of common stock related to settlement of RSUs 2,296  398  (3) —  —  — 
Tax withholding on RSU settlement (73) —  (18) —  (5,643) —  —  (5,643)
Conversion of Class B to Class A common stock 5,835  (5,835) (6) —  —  —  — 
Common stock issued under employee stock purchase plan 249  —  —  —  10,450  —  —  10,450 
Settlement of common stock in connection with redemption of convertible senior notes 461  —  —  —  46  —  —  46 
Stock-based compensation —  —  —  —  205,662  —  —  205,662 
Net loss —  —  —  —  —  (156,084) —  (156,084)
Other comprehensive income —  —  —  —  —  —  7,748  7,748 
Balance as of September 30, 2023 295,639  $ 295  40,027  $ 40  $ 1,699,045  $ (995,975) $ (4,148) $ 699,257 
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.
13

CLOUDFLARE, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
(in thousands)
(unaudited)

Nine Months Ended September 30, 2022
Class A common stock Class B common stock Additional
paid-in
capital
Accumulated
deficit
Accumulated
other
comprehensive
loss
Total
stockholders’
equity
Shares Amount Shares Amount
Balance as of December 31, 2021 277,708  $ 277  45,904  $ 44  $ 1,494,512  $ (680,829) $ (2,645) $ 811,359 
Cumulative effect adjustment from adoption of ASU 2020-06 —  —  —  —  (318,756) 34,319  —  (284,437)
Issuance of common stock in connection with acquisition 522  —  —  65,504  —  —  65,505 
Issuance of restricted stock in connection with acquisition 52  —  —  —  —  —  —  — 
Issuance of common stock upon exercise of stock options 212  —  1,392  8,128  —  —  8,130 
Repurchases of unvested common stock (2) —  —  —  —  —  —  — 
Issuance of common stock related to early exercised stock options —  —  23  —  —  —  —  — 
Vesting of shares issued upon early exercise of stock options —  —  —  2,215  —  —  2,216 
Issuance of common stock related to settlement of RSUs 1,229  870  (2) —  —  — 
Tax withholding on RSU settlement —  —  (23) —  (1,977) —  —  (1,977)
Conversion of Class B to Class A common stock 4,055  (4,055) (4) —  —  —  — 
Common stock issued under employee stock purchase plan 154  —  —  —  8,688  —  —  8,688 
Settlement of common stock in connection with convertible senior notes 299  —  —  —  (201) —  —  (201)
Stock-based compensation —  —  —  —  146,823  —  —  146,823 
Net loss —  —  —  —  —  (147,464) —  (147,464)
Other comprehensive loss —  —  —  —  —  —  (14,653) (14,653)
Balance as of September 30, 2022 284,229  $ 283  44,111  $ 44  $ 1,404,934  $ (793,974) $ (17,298) $ 593,989 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.
14

CLOUDFLARE, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(in thousands)
(unaudited)
Nine Months Ended September 30,
2023 2022
Cash Flows From Operating Activities
Net loss $ (156,084) $ (147,464)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization expense 99,640  72,702 
Non-cash operating lease costs 32,899  26,954 
Amortization of deferred contract acquisition costs 44,757  32,019 
Stock-based compensation expense 199,565  142,545 
Amortization of debt issuance costs 3,529  3,497 
Net accretion of discounts and amortization of premiums on available-for-sale securities
(31,039) 3,666 
Deferred income taxes (588) (1,603)
Provision for bad debt 9,527  3,140 
Loss on extinguishment of debt 50,300  — 
Other 713  575 
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of effect of acquisitions:
Accounts receivable, net (60,451) (32,831)
Contract assets (3,397) (1,132)
Deferred contract acquisition costs (66,766) (48,981)
Prepaid expenses and other current assets (17,115) (7,367)
Other noncurrent assets (1,189) 1,398 
Accounts payable 5,252  685 
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 8,378  (23,643)
Operating lease liabilities (31,096) (31,271)
Deferred revenue 81,075  51,909 
Other noncurrent liabilities 1,055  674 
Net cash provided by operating activities 168,965  45,472 
Cash Flows From Investing Activities
Purchases of property and equipment (83,580) (103,461)
Capitalized internal-use software (16,637) (15,440)
Cash paid for acquisitions, net of cash acquired —  (88,187)
Purchases of available-for-sale securities (1,293,014) (755,097)
Sales of available-for-sale securities 20,248  — 
Maturities of available-for-sale securities 1,288,364  746,420 
Other investing activities 65  25 
Net cash used in investing activities
(84,554) (215,740)
Cash Flows From Financing Activities
Repayments of convertible senior notes (207,649) (16,571)
Proceeds from the exercise of stock options 11,384  8,130 
Proceeds from the early exercise of stock options —  62 
Repurchases of unvested common stock (34) (3)
Proceeds from the issuance of common stock for employee stock purchase plan 10,450  8,687 
Payment of tax withholding obligation on RSU settlement (5,643) (1,977)
Payment of indemnity holdback (10,483) — 
Net cash used in financing activities (201,975) (1,672)
Net decrease in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash
(117,564) (171,940)
Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash, beginning of period 215,204  320,958 
Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash, end of period
$ 97,640  $ 149,018 
Supplemental Disclosure of Cash Flow Information:
Cash paid for interest $ 666  $ 643 
Cash paid for income taxes, net of refunds $ 4,005  $ 1,441 
Cash paid for operating lease liabilities $ 30,296  $ 25,371 
Supplemental Disclosure of Non-cash Investing and Financing Activities:
Stock-based compensation capitalized for software development $ 5,642  $ 3,881 
Accounts payable and accrued expenses related to property and equipment additions
$ 18,809  $ 28,436 
Vesting of early exercised stock options $ 1,730  $ 2,216 
Indemnity holdback consideration associated with business combinations $ —  $ 10,485 
Issuance of common stock related to an acquisition $ —  $ 65,504 
Operating lease right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for operating lease liabilities $ 22,304  $ 25,783 
Maturity of marketable securities in other current assets
$ 26,300  $ — 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.
15

CLOUDFLARE, INC.
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(unaudited)
Note 1. Organization and Basis of Presentation
Organization and Description of Business
Cloudflare, Inc. (the Company, Cloudflare, we, us, or our) is a global cloud services provider that delivers a broad range of services to businesses of all sizes and in all geographies, making them more secure, enhancing the performance of their business-critical applications, and eliminating the cost and complexity of managing individual network hardware. Cloudflare’s network serves as a scalable, easy-to-use, unified control plane to deliver security, performance, and reliability across on-premises, hybrid, cloud, and software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications. The Company was incorporated in Delaware in July 2009. The Company is headquartered in San Francisco, California.
Basis of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation
The accompanying interim condensed consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (U.S. GAAP) and applicable regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) regarding interim financial reporting, and include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The Company’s fiscal year ends on December 31.
Certain information and note disclosures normally included in the financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP have been condensed or omitted pursuant to the applicable required disclosures and regulations of the SEC. Therefore, these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and the related notes thereto included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022.
Unaudited Interim Condensed Consolidated Financial Information
The accompanying interim condensed consolidated balance sheet as of September 30, 2023, the condensed consolidated statements of operations and of comprehensive loss for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, the condensed consolidated statements of cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, the condensed consolidated statements of stockholders’ equity for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, and the related footnote disclosures are unaudited. These unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. In management’s opinion, the unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements include all adjustments necessary to state fairly the Company’s financial position as of September 30, 2023, its results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, and its cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022. The results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 are not necessarily indicative of the results expected for the full year ending December 31, 2023 or any future period. The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and the related notes thereto included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported and disclosed in the condensed consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes to the condensed consolidated financial statements. Such estimates include, but are not limited to, allowance for doubtful accounts, deferred contract acquisitions costs, the period of benefit generated from the Company’s deferred contract acquisition costs, the capitalization and estimated useful life of internal-use software, valuation of acquired intangible assets, the assessment of recoverability of intangible assets and their estimated useful lives, useful lives of property and equipment, the determination of the incremental borrowing rate used for operating lease liabilities, the valuation and recognition of stock-based compensation awards, uncertain tax positions, and the recognition and measurement of current and deferred income tax assets and liabilities. Management bases these estimates and assumptions on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable.
16

Due in part to the Russia-Ukraine conflict and other macroeconomic and geopolitical conditions, there is ongoing uncertainty and significant disruption in the global economy and financial markets. The Company is not aware of any specific event or circumstance that would require an update to its estimates or assumptions or a revision of the carrying value of its assets or liabilities as of November 2, 2023, the date of issuance of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. These estimates and assumptions may change in the future, however, as new events occur and additional information is obtained. Actual results could differ materially from these estimates.
Note 2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Significant Accounting Policies
The Company's significant accounting policies are discussed in the "Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Note 2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022. There have been no significant changes to these policies that have had a material impact on the Company's condensed consolidated financial statements and related notes, except as noted below.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements
There have been no recently adopted accounting pronouncements since the filing of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 that may have a material impact on the Company's condensed consolidated financial statements.
Note 3. Revenue
Disaggregation of Revenue
Subscription and support revenue is recognized over time and accounted for substantially all of the Company’s revenue for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022.
The following table summarizes the revenue by region based on the billing address of customers who have contracted to use the Company’s global network and products:
Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
2023 2022 2023 2022
(dollars in thousands)
Amount Percentage
of Revenue
Amount Percentage
of Revenue
Amount Percentage
of Revenue
Amount Percentage
of Revenue
United States $ 175,519  52  % $ 135,280  53  % $ 490,129  53  % $ 370,889  53  %
Europe, Middle East, and Africa
92,705  28  % 68,149  27  % 255,382  27  % 185,088  26  %
Asia Pacific 42,960  13  % 33,801  13  % 122,577  13  % 96,481  14  %
Other 24,419  % 16,627  % 66,184  % 48,083  %
Total $ 335,603  100  % $ 253,857  100  % $ 934,272  100  % $ 700,541  100  %
17

The following table summarizes the revenue from contracts by type of customer:
Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
2023 2022 2023 2022
(dollars in thousands)
Amount Percentage
of Revenue
Amount Percentage
of Revenue
Amount Percentage
of Revenue
Amount Percentage
of Revenue
Channel partners
$ 52,340  16  % $ 32,634  13  % $ 140,491  15  % $ 85,923  12  %
Direct customers
283,263  84  % 221,223  87  % 793,781  85  % 614,618  88  %
Total $ 335,603  100  % $ 253,857  100  % $ 934,272  100  % $ 700,541  100  %
Contract Balances
Contract liabilities consist of deferred revenue and include payments received in advance of performance under the contract. Such amounts are recognized as revenue over the contractual period. For the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company recognized revenue of $204.1 million and $110.4 million, respectively, that was included in the corresponding contract liability balance at the beginning of the periods presented.
The Company receives payments from customers based upon contractual billing schedules; accounts receivable are recorded when the right to consideration becomes unconditional. Standard payment terms are due upon receipt. Contract assets include amounts related to the Company’s contractual right to consideration for both completed and partially completed performance obligations that have not been invoiced.
The following table summarizes the activity of the deferred contract acquisition costs:
Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
2023 2022 2023 2022
(in thousands)
Beginning balance $ 107,482  $ 80,706  $ 93,145  $ 70,320 
Capitalization of contract acquisition costs
23,418  18,377  66,766  48,981 
Amortization of deferred contract acquisition costs
(15,746) (11,801) (44,757) (32,019)
Ending balance $ 115,154  $ 87,282  $ 115,154  $ 87,282 
The Company did not recognize any impairment losses of deferred contract acquisition costs during the periods presented.
Remaining Performance Obligations
As of September 30, 2023, the aggregate amount of the transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations was $1,083.0 million. As of September 30, 2023, the Company expected to recognize 75% of its remaining performance obligations as revenue over the next 12 months with the remainder recognized thereafter.
Note 4. Fair Value Measurements
Fair value is defined as the exchange price that would be received from sale of an asset or paid to transfer a liability in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date.
Assets and liabilities measured at fair value are classified into the following categories:
•Level I: Observable inputs are unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities;
•Level II: Observable inputs are quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets or inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the assets or liabilities, either directly or indirectly through market corroboration, for substantially the full term of the financial instruments; and
18

•Level III: Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities. These inputs are based on the Company’s own assumptions used to measure assets and liabilities at fair value and require significant management judgment or estimation.
The Company's cash equivalents and restricted cash are comprised of highly liquid money market funds. The Company classifies money market funds within Level I of the fair value hierarchy because they are valued based on quoted market prices in active markets. The Company classifies its investments, which are comprised of U.S. treasury securities, U.S. government agency securities, commercial paper, and corporate bonds, within Level II of the fair value hierarchy because the fair value of these securities is priced by using inputs based on non-binding market consensus prices that are primarily corroborated by observable market data or quoted market prices for similar instruments. The Company recognizes transfers between levels within the fair value hierarchy, if any, at the end of each period. There were no transfers between levels during the periods presented.
The following table summarizes the Company’s cash and available-for-sale securities’ amortized cost, unrealized gains (losses), and fair value by significant investment category reported as cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash short-term, restricted cash, or available-for-sale securities as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022.
(in thousands)         Reported as:
September 30, 2023 Amortized
Cost
Unrealized
Gain
Unrealized
(Loss)
Fair Value Cash &
Cash
Equivalents
Available-for-sale securities Restricted
Cash (Current and Non-Current)
Cash $ 78,765  $ —  $ —  $ 78,765  $ 75,268  $ —  $ 3,497 
Level I:
Money market funds
3,951  —  —  3,951  3,951  —  — 
Level II:
Corporate bonds
250,434  (1,275) 249,166  —  249,166  — 
U.S. treasury securities
998,771  (2,539) 996,239  —  996,239  — 
U.S. government agency securities
84,029  —  (270) 83,759  —  83,759  — 
Commercial paper
165,924  —  (2) 165,922  14,924  150,998  — 
Subtotal
1,499,158  14  (4,086) 1,495,086  14,924  1,480,162  — 
Total assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis
$ 1,581,874  $ 14  $ (4,086) $ 1,577,802  $ 94,143  $ 1,480,162  $ 3,497 
19

(in thousands) Reported as:
December 31, 2022 Amortized
Cost
Unrealized
Gain
Unrealized
(Loss)
Fair
Value
Cash &
Cash
Equivalents
Available-for-sale securities Restricted
Cash (Current and Non-Current)
Cash
Cash $ 87,719  $ —  $ —  $ 87,719  $ 77,164  $ —  $ 10,555 
Level I:
Money market funds
125,450  —  —  125,450  124,979  —  471 
Level II:
Corporate bonds
258,617  46  (2,621) 256,042  2,035  254,007  — 
U.S. treasury securities
818,379  20  (9,233) 809,166  —  809,166  — 
U.S. government agency securities
25,283  —  (31) 25,252  —  25,252  — 
Commercial paper
357,334  —  —  357,334  —  357,334  — 
Subtotal
1,459,613  66  (11,885) 1,447,794  2,035  1,445,759  — 
Total assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis
$ 1,672,782  $ 66  $ (11,885) $ 1,660,963  $ 204,178  $ 1,445,759  $ 11,026 
Included in prepaid expenses and other current assets on the December 31, 2022 consolidated balance sheet is $37.5 million of proceeds receivable resulting from maturities of U.S. government agency securities that were initiated on December 31, 2022 and settled on January 3, 2023.
As of September 30, 2023, the Company had $3.5 million in total restricted cash mainly related to irrevocable standby letters of credit and bank guarantees that are required under lease agreements.
The aggregate fair value of the Company’s money market funds approximated amortized cost and, as such, there were no unrealized gains or losses on money market funds as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022. Realized gains and losses, net of tax, were not material for any of the periods presented.
The amortized cost of available-for-sale investments with maturities less than one year was $1,247.6 million and $1,251.6 million as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively. The amortized cost of available-for-sale investments with maturities greater than one year was $236.7 million and $205.9 million as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively.
As of September 30, 2023, net unrealized loss on investments was $4.1 million and was included in accumulated other comprehensive income on the condensed consolidated balance sheet. As of December 31, 2022, net unrealized loss on investments was $11.9 million and was included in accumulated other comprehensive income on the condensed consolidated balance sheet. The unrealized gains and losses on available-for-sale investments are related to U.S. treasury securities, U.S. government agency securities, commercial paper, and corporate bonds. The Company determined any unrealized losses to be temporary. Factors considered in determining whether a loss is temporary include the financial condition and near-term prospects of the investee, the extent of the loss related to the credit of the issuer, the expected cash flows from the security, the Company’s intent to sell the security, and whether or not the Company will be required to sell the security before the recovery of its amortized cost. As of September 30, 2023, the Company's investment portfolio consisted of investment grade securities with an average credit rating of AA+.
The Company carries the 2026 Notes (as defined below) issued in August 2021 at face value less the unamortized issuance costs on its condensed consolidated balance sheets and presents that fair value for disclosure purposes only. As of September 30, 2023, the fair value of the 2026 Notes was $1,101.5 million. The fair value of the 2026 Notes, which are classified as Level II financial instruments, was determined based on the quoted bid prices of the 2026 Notes in an over-the-counter market on the last trading day of the reporting period. For further details on the 2026 Notes, refer to Note 7 to these condensed consolidated financial statements.
20

The Company classifies financial instruments in Level III of the fair value hierarchy when there is reliance on at least one significant unobservable input to the valuation model. In addition to these unobservable inputs, the valuation models for Level III financial instruments typically also rely on a number of inputs that are readily observable, either directly or indirectly. The Company’s assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement in its entirety requires management to make judgments and consider factors specific to the asset or liability. There were no financial instruments classified as Level III of the fair value hierarchy as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022.
Note 5. Balance Sheet Components
Accounts Receivable, Net
As of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the Company’s allowance for doubtful accounts was $4.5 million and $3.1 million, respectively. Provision for bad debt for the three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 was $3.5 million and $1.1 million, respectively, and for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 was $9.5 million and $3.1 million, respectively. Write-off of uncollectible accounts receivable for the three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 was $4.4 million and $1.5 million, respectively, and for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 was $8.1 million and $3.3 million, respectively.
Property and Equipment, Net
Property and equipment, net consisted of the following:
September 30, 2023 December 31, 2022
(in thousands)
Property and equipment:
Servers—network infrastructure $ 315,712  $ 239,828 
Construction in progress 39,597  72,827 
Capitalized internal-use software 110,786  88,541 
Office and computer equipment 38,694  30,577 
Office furniture 10,328  6,547 
Software 6,376  5,962 
Leasehold improvements 42,835  20,392 
Asset retirement obligation 826  827 
Gross property and equipment 565,154  465,501 
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization (255,339) (178,901)
Total property and equipment, net $ 309,815  $ 286,600 
Depreciation and amortization expense on property and equipment for the three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 was $29.0 million and $21.9 million, respectively, and for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 was $83.2 million and $60.8 million, respectively. This includes amortization expense for capitalized internal-use software which totaled $5.4 million and $5.1 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively, and $16.1 million and $14.7 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
Goodwill
As of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the Company's goodwill was $148.0 million. No goodwill impairments were recorded during the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022.
Acquired Intangible Assets, Net
21

Acquired intangible assets, net consisted of the following:
September 30, 2023
Gross Carrying
Amount
Accumulated
Amortization
Net Book
Value
(in thousands)
Developed technology $ 40,100  $ 32,129  $ 7,971 
Trade name 1,700  1,275  425 
Customer relationships 11,600  2,175  9,425 
Total acquired intangible assets, net $ 53,400  $ 35,579  $ 17,821 
December 31, 2022
Gross Carrying
Amount
Accumulated
Amortization
Net Book
Value
(in thousands)
Developed technology $ 40,100  $ 19,191  $ 20,909 
Trade name 1,700  638  1,062 
Customer relationships 11,600  1,088  10,512 
Total acquired intangible assets, net $ 53,400  $ 20,917  $ 32,483 
Amortization of acquired intangible assets was $4.9 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, and $14.7 million and $10.3 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
As of September 30, 2023, the estimated future amortization expense of acquired intangible assets was as follows:
Estimated
Amortization
(in thousands)
Year ending December 31,
2023 (remaining three months) $ 4,740 
2024 5,468 
2025 1,450 
2026 1,450 
2027 1,450 
Thereafter 3,263 
Total $ 17,821 
Note 6. Leases
The Company's lease portfolio consists of real estate and co-location agreements in the United States and internationally. The real estate leases include leases for office space and have remaining lease terms of up to 7.8 years. Certain of these leases contain options that allow the Company to extend or terminate the lease agreement. The Company's co-location leases have remaining lease terms of up to 8.3 years. All of the Company's leases are classified as operating leases.
The components of lease cost related to the Company's operating leases included in the condensed consolidated statements of operations were as follows:
Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
2023 2022 2023 2022
(in thousands)
Operating lease cost $ 10,974  $ 8,848  $ 32,899  $ 26,954 
Total lease cost $ 10,974  $ 8,848  $ 32,899  $ 26,954 
22

Variable lease cost and short-term lease cost for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and September 30, 2022 were not material.
As of September 30, 2023, the Company had $40.9 million of total undiscounted future payments under operating leases that have not yet commenced, which were not included on the condensed consolidated balance sheets. These operating leases will commence between October 2023 and July 2026 and have an average lease term of 3.5 years.
As of September 30, 2023, the weighted-average remaining term of the Company’s operating leases was 4.9 years and the weighted-average discount rate used to measure the present value of the operating lease liabilities was 4.5%.
Maturities of the operating lease liabilities as of September 30, 2023 are as follows:
September 30, 2023
(in thousands)
2023 (remaining three months) $ 10,422 
2024 37,234 
2025 29,690 
2026 25,906 
2027 21,865 
Thereafter 27,306 
Total lease payments $ 152,423 
Less: Imputed interest $ (15,674)
Total operating lease liabilities $ 136,749 
Note 7. Debt
2026 Convertible Senior Notes
In August 2021, the Company issued $1,293.8 million aggregate principal amount of 0% Convertible Senior Notes due 2026 (the 2026 Notes). The total proceeds from the issuance of the 2026 Notes, net of initial purchaser discounts and commissions and debt issuance costs, were $1,274.0 million.
The 2026 Notes are senior unsecured obligations of the Company and will mature on August 15, 2026, unless earlier redeemed, repurchased, or converted, and are governed by the terms of the Indenture dated August 13, 2021 (the 2026 Indenture). The 2026 Notes are 0% convertible senior notes and therefore do not bear regular cash interest.
The 2026 Notes are convertible at an initial conversion rate of 5.2263 shares of the Company's Class A common stock per $1,000 principal amount of the 2026 Notes, which is equivalent to an initial conversion price of approximately $191.34 per share, subject to adjustment upon the occurrence of specified events in accordance with the terms of the 2026 Indenture. The 2026 Notes may be converted at any time on or after May 15, 2026 until the close of business on the second scheduled trading day immediately preceding the maturity date.
Holders of the 2026 Notes may convert all or any portion of their 2026 Notes at their option at any time prior to the close of business on the business day immediately preceding May 15, 2026, only under the following circumstances:
(1) during any calendar quarter (and only during such calendar quarter), if the last reported sale price of the Company's Class A common stock for at least 20 trading days (whether or not consecutive) during a period of 30 consecutive trading days ending on, and including, the last trading day of the immediately preceding calendar quarter is greater than or equal to 130% of the conversion price on each applicable trading day;
(2) during the five business day period after any five consecutive trading day period in which the trading price per $1,000 principal amount of the 2026 Notes for each trading day of the measurement period was less than 98% of the product of the last reported sale price of the Company's Class A common stock and the conversion rate on each such trading day; (3) if the Company calls such 2026 Notes for redemption, at any time prior to the close of business on the second scheduled trading day immediately preceding the redemption date; or
23

(4) upon the occurrence of specified corporate events.
None of the circumstances described in the paragraphs above were met during the quarter ended September 30, 2023.
Refer to Note 7 to the consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8 of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 for further information on the 2026 Notes.
2026 Capped Call Transactions
In connection with the offering of the 2026 Notes, the Company entered into privately-negotiated capped call option transactions (the 2026 Capped Calls) with certain financial institution counterparties. The 2026 Capped Calls each have an initial strike price of approximately $191.34 per share of the Company's Class A common stock, subject to certain adjustments, which corresponds to the initial conversion price of the 2026 Notes. The 2026 Capped Calls each have an initial cap price of approximately $250.94 per share, subject to certain adjustments. As of September 30, 2023, the terms of the 2026 Capped Calls have not been adjusted.
The 2026 Capped Calls are recorded in stockholders' equity and are not accounted for as derivatives. The premium paid for the purchase of the 2026 Capped Calls of $86.3 million was recorded as a reduction to additional paid-in capital on the condensed consolidated balance sheets.
Refer to Note 7 to the consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8 of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 for further information on the 2026 Capped Calls.
2025 Convertible Senior Notes
In May 2020, the Company issued $575.0 million aggregate principal amount of 0.75% Convertible Senior Notes due 2025 (the 2025 Notes, and together with the 2026 Notes, the Notes). The 2025 Notes were senior unsecured obligations of the Company, with interest payable semi-annually in arrears, at a rate of 0.75% per year. The 2025 Notes were convertible at an initial conversion rate of 26.7187 shares of the Company's Class A common stock per $1,000 principal amount of the 2025 Notes, which was equivalent to an initial conversion price of approximately $37.43 per share, subject to adjustment upon the occurrence of specified events in accordance with the terms of the Indenture dated May 15, 2020 (the 2025 Indenture). After the closing of the transactions described below, no 2025 Notes were outstanding as of September 30, 2023.
During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, the Company exchanged approximately $400.0 million aggregate principal amount of the 2025 Notes (the 2025 Notes Exchange) for an aggregate of $400.7 million in cash (including accrued interest) and approximately 7.6 million shares of the Company’s Class A common stock (the Exchange Shares) for aggregate consideration of approximately $1,321.0 million. As a result, the Company recorded a debt extinguishment loss of $72.2 million, representing the difference between the fair value of the liability component of $355.3 million and the carrying value of the 2025 Notes Exchange of $283.1 million at the closing date. The fair value of the liability component was calculated by using an effective interest rate of 4.08%, which was determined by measuring the fair value of similar debt instruments that did not have an associated convertible feature and adjusted to reflect the term of the remaining 2025 Notes. The aggregate consideration of $1,321.0 million was allocated between the fair value of the liability component of $355.3 million and the reacquisition of the equity component of $965.7 million, which was recorded as a reduction to additional paid-in capital and offset by the additional paid-in capital for the Exchange Shares issued.
During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, the Company settled conversions of approximately $16.6 million aggregate principal amount of the 2025 Notes. The Company elected to settle the conversions in a combination of cash equal to the principal amount of the 2025 Notes converted and the issuance of approximately 0.3 million shares of the Company's Class A common stock for the remainder of the conversion value in excess of the aggregate principal amount converted. The difference between the settlement consideration and the carrying value of the 2025 Notes converted was recorded to additional paid-in-capital on the Company's condensed consolidated balance sheets.
During the three months ended June 30, 2023, the Company repurchased $123.0 million principal amount of the 2025 Notes (the 2025 Notes Repurchases) for approximately $172.7 million in cash, including approximately $0.5 million of accrued interest. The 2025 Notes Repurchases resulted in a $50.3 million loss on extinguishment of debt, of which $1.1 million consisted of unamortized debt issuance costs.
24

During the three months ended September 30, 2023, the Company settled conversions of approximately $35.4 million aggregate principal amount of the 2025 Notes. These conversions were exercised by the holders of the 2025 Notes in connection with the Company's issuance of a redemption notice. Pursuant to the terms of the 2025 Indenture, the conversion rate then in effect was 28.5913 shares of the Company's Class A common stock per $1,000 principal amount of the 2025 Notes, inclusive of 1.8726 additional shares added to the initial conversion rate. The Company elected to settle the conversions in a combination of cash equal to the principal amount of the 2025 Notes converted and the issuance of approximately 0.5 million shares of the Company's Class A common stock for the remainder of the conversion value in excess of the aggregate principal amount converted. The difference between the settlement consideration and the carrying value of the 2025 Notes converted was recorded to additional paid-in-capital on the Company's condensed consolidated balance sheets. As a result of this transaction, no 2025 Notes were outstanding as of September 30, 2023.
2025 Capped Call Transactions
In connection with the offering of the 2025 Notes, the Company entered into privately-negotiated capped call option transactions (the 2025 Capped Calls) with certain financial institution counterparties. The 2025 Capped Calls each have an initial strike price of approximately $37.43 per share of the Company's Class A common stock, subject to certain adjustments, which corresponds to the initial conversion price of the 2025 Notes. The 2025 Capped Calls each have an initial cap price of $57.58 per share, subject to certain adjustments. As of September 30, 2023, the terms of the 2025 Capped Calls have not been adjusted and no 2025 Capped Calls were exercised or terminated in connection with the 2025 Notes Exchange, the 2025 Notes Repurchases, or any of the conversions of the 2025 Notes.
The 2025 Capped Calls are recorded in stockholders' equity and are not accounted for as derivatives. The premium paid for the purchase of the 2025 Capped Calls of $67.3 million was recorded as a reduction to additional paid-in capital on the condensed consolidated balance sheets.
Refer to Note 7 to the consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8 of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 for further information on the 2025 Capped Calls.
The net carrying amounts of the Notes were as follows:
September 30, 2023 December 31, 2022
2026 Notes 2025 Notes 2026 Notes 2025 Notes
(in thousands)
Principal $ 1,293,750  $ —  $ 1,293,750  $ 158,429 
Unamortized debt issuance costs (11,378) —  (14,348) (1,639)
Carrying amount, net $ 1,282,372  $ —  $ 1,279,402  $ 156,790 
The following tables set forth total interest expense recognized related to the Notes:
Three Months Ended September 30,
2023 2022
2026 Notes 2025 Notes 2026 Notes 2025 Notes
(in thousands)
Coupon interest expense $ —  $ 12  $ —  $ 297 
Amortization of debt issuance costs 989  70  990  175 
Total $ 989  $ 82  $ 990  $ 472 
Nine Months Ended September 30,
2023 2022
2026 Notes 2025 Notes 2026 Notes 2025 Notes
(in thousands)
Coupon interest expense $ —  $ 477  $ —  $ 904 
Amortization of debt issuance costs 2,970  559  2,969  528 
Total $ 2,970  $ 1,036  $ 2,969  $ 1,432 
25

Note 8. Commitments and Contingencies
Purchase Commitments
Open purchase commitments are for the purchase of goods and services under non-cancelable contracts. They are not recorded as liabilities on the condensed consolidated balance sheet as of September 30, 2023 as the Company has not yet received the related goods and services. Refer to the table below for purchase commitments under non-cancelable contracts with various vendors as of September 30, 2023.
Bandwidth & Co-location Commitments
The Company enters into long-term non-cancelable agreements with providers in various countries to purchase capacity, such as bandwidth and co-location space, for the Company’s global network. Bandwidth and co-location costs for paying customers are recorded as cost of revenue in the condensed consolidated statements of operations and as sales and marketing expense in the condensed consolidated statements of operations for free customers. Such costs totaled $34.0 million and $30.8 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively, and $104.7 million and $84.5 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Refer to the table below for long-term bandwidth and co-location commitments under non-cancelable contracts with various networks and Internet service providers as of September 30, 2023. For the lease components of co-location agreements, refer to Note 6 to these condensed consolidated financial statements.
Payments Due by Period as of September 30, 2023
Total 2023 (remaining three months) 2024 2025 2026 2027 Thereafter
(in thousands)
Non-cancelable:
Open purchase agreements(1)
$ 83,895  $ 7,468  $ 22,386  $ 42,093  $ 5,476  $ 2,495  $ 3,977 
Bandwidth and other co-location related commitments(2)
110,093  12,769  42,272  23,221  14,960  11,555  5,316 
Total $ 193,988  $ 20,237  $ 64,658  $ 65,314  $ 20,436  $ 14,050  $ 9,293 
(1)Open purchase commitments are for the purchase of goods and services under non-cancelable contracts. They were not recorded as liabilities on the condensed consolidated balance sheet as of September 30, 2023 as the Company had not yet received the related goods and services.
(2)Long-term commitments for bandwidth usage and other co-location related commitments with various networks and Internet service providers. The costs for services not yet received were not recorded as liabilities on the condensed consolidated balance sheet as of September 30, 2023.
Legal Matters
From time to time the Company is a party to various legal proceedings that arise in the ordinary course of business. In addition, third parties may from time to time assert claims against the Company in the form of letters and other communications. Management currently believes that there is no pending or threatened legal proceeding to which the Company is a party that is likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements. However, the results of legal proceedings are inherently unpredictable and if an unfavorable ruling were to occur in any of the legal proceedings there exists the possibility of a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position, results of operations, and cash flows. The Company accrues for legal proceedings that it considers probable and for which the loss can be reasonably estimated. The Company also discloses material contingencies when it believes a loss is not probable but reasonably possible. Legal costs incurred and expected to be incurred related to litigation matters are expensed as incurred.
The Company’s network and associated products are subject to various restrictions under U.S. export control and sanctions laws and regulations, including the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and various economic and trade sanctions regulations administered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Controls (OFAC). The U.S. export control laws and U.S. economic sanctions laws include restrictions or prohibitions on the sale or supply of certain products and services to U.S. embargoed or sanctioned countries, governments, persons and entities and also require authorization for the export of certain encryption items.
26

In addition, various countries regulate the import of certain encryption technology, including through import permitting and licensing requirements and have enacted or could enact laws that could limit the Company’s ability to distribute its products through its network.
Although the Company takes precautions to prevent its network and associated products from being accessed or used in violation of such laws, the Company may have inadvertently allowed its network and associated products to be accessed or used by some customers in apparent violation of U.S. economic sanctions laws, including by users in embargoed or sanctioned countries, and the Company may have exported or allowed the download of certain software prior to making required filings with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security. As a result, the Company has submitted to OFAC and to the Bureau of Industry and Security a voluntary self-disclosure concerning potential violations, and the Company has submitted a voluntary self-disclosure to the Census Bureau regarding potential violations of the Foreign Trade Regulations related to some incorrect electronic export information statements to the U.S. government for certain hardware exports, which were authorized. The voluntary self-disclosure to the Census Bureau was completed with no penalties in November 2019, and the voluntary self-disclosure to the Bureau of Industry and Security was completed with no penalties in June 2020. The voluntary self-disclosure to OFAC remains under review. If the Company is found to be in violation of U.S. economic sanctions or export control laws, it could result in substantial fines and penalties for the Company and for the individuals working for the Company. The Company may also be adversely affected through other penalties, reputational harm, loss of access to certain markets or otherwise. No loss has been recognized in the consolidated financial statements for this loss contingency as it is not probable a loss has been incurred and the range of a possible loss is not yet estimable.
Guarantees and Indemnifications
If the Company's services do not meet certain service level commitments, its contracted customers and certain of its pay-as-you-go customers are entitled to receive service credits, and in certain cases, refunds, each representing a form of variable consideration. To date, the Company has not incurred any material costs as a result of such commitments.
The Company’s arrangements generally include certain provisions for indemnifying customers against liabilities if its products or services infringe a third-party’s intellectual property rights. It is not possible to determine the maximum potential amount under these indemnification obligations due to the limited history of prior indemnification claims and the unique facts and circumstances involved in each particular agreement. To date, the Company has not incurred any material costs as a result of such obligations and has not accrued any liabilities related to such obligations in the condensed consolidated financial statements.
The Company has also agreed to indemnify its directors, executive officers, and certain other employees for costs associated with any fees, expenses, judgments, fines, and settlement amounts incurred by them in any action or proceeding to which any of them are, or are threatened to be, made a party by reason of their service as a director or officer. The Company maintains director and officer insurance coverage that would generally enable it to recover a portion of any future amounts paid. The Company also may be subject to indemnification obligations by law with respect to the actions of its employees under certain circumstances and in certain jurisdictions.
27

Note 9. Common Stock
The Company’s amended and restated certificate of incorporation authorizes the issuance of Class A common stock and Class B common stock. The holder of each share of Class A common stock is entitled to one vote per share, while the holder of each share of Class B common stock is entitled to 10 votes per share. As of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the Company was authorized to issue 2,250,000,000 shares of Class A common stock and 315,000,000 shares of Class B common stock, each with a par value of $0.001 per share. There were 295,639,262 and 286,560,947 shares of Class A common stock issued and outstanding as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively. The number of shares of Class B common stock issued and outstanding was 40,026,686 and 43,524,514, as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively.
Holders of the Company’s Class A common stock and Class B common stock are entitled to dividends when, as and if, declared by the Company’s Board of Directors, subject to the rights of the holders of all classes of stock outstanding having priority rights to dividends. Any dividends paid to the holders of the Class A common stock and Class B common stock will be paid on a pro rata basis. As of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the Company had not declared any dividends. The rights of the holders of Class A and Class B common stock are identical, except with respect to voting and conversion. Shares of the Company's Class B common stock are convertible into an equivalent number of shares of the Company's Class A common stock and generally convert into shares of the Company's Class A common stock upon cessation of employment or transfer, except for certain transfers described in the Company's amended and restated certificate of incorporation. Class A common stock and Class B common stock are referred to, collectively, as common stock throughout the notes to these condensed consolidated financial statements, unless otherwise indicated.
Common Stock Reserved for Future Issuance
Shares of common stock reserved for future issuance, on an as-if converted basis, are as follows:
September 30, 2023 December 31, 2022
(in thousands)
2025 Notes —  5,503 
2026 Notes 10,311  10,311 
Stock options issued and outstanding 13,248  15,886 
Remaining shares available for issuance under the 2019 Plan 57,863  44,693 
Outstanding and unsettled RSUs 10,680  10,196 
Shares available for issuance under the Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) 14,042  10,990 
Total shares of common stock reserved 106,144  97,579 
Note 10. Stock-based Compensation
Equity Incentive Plans
In 2010, the Company's Board of Directors adopted and stockholders approved the 2010 Equity Incentive Plan (2010 Plan). The 2010 Plan is a broad-based retention program and is intended to attract and retain talented employees, directors, and non-employee consultants. The 2010 Plan provides for the granting of stock options, restricted stock, RSUs, and stock appreciation rights to employees, directors, and consultants. Incentive stock options may be granted only to employees. All other awards under the 2010 Plan, including non-qualified stock options, may be granted to employees, directors, and consultants. Except for qualifying assumptions and substitutions of options, the exercise price of an incentive stock option and non-qualified stock option shall not be less than 100% of the fair market value of such shares on the date of grant. Prior to the Company's IPO, stock-based awards forfeited, canceled, or repurchased generally were returned to the pool of shares of common stock available for issuance under the 2010 Plan. In connection with the IPO, the 2010 Plan was terminated effective immediately prior to the effectiveness of the 2019 Equity Incentive Plan (2019 Plan) and the Company ceased granting any additional awards under the 2010 Plan. All outstanding awards under the 2010 Plan at the time of the termination of the 2010 Plan remain subject to the terms of the 2010 Plan, and any shares underlying stock options that expire or terminate or are forfeited or repurchased by the Company under the 2010 Plan will be automatically transferred to the 2019 Plan.
28

In 2019, the Company's Board of Directors adopted and stockholders approved the 2019 Plan, which became effective one business day prior to the effective date of the Company's registration statement on Form S-1 for the IPO. The 2019 Plan provides for the granting of stock options, restricted stock, RSUs, stock appreciation rights, performance shares, performance stock units, and performance awards for the Company's Class A common stock to the Company's employees, directors, and consultants. Except as otherwise indicated below, the maximum number of shares of Class A common stock that may be issued under the 2019 Plan will not exceed 66,661,953 shares of the Company's Class A common stock, which is the sum of (1) 29,335,000 new shares, plus (2) an additional number of shares of Class A common stock not to exceed 37,326,953, consisting of the total number of shares of Class A or Class B common stock subject to outstanding awards granted under the 2010 Plan that, on or after the 2019 Plan became effective, are canceled, expire, or otherwise terminate prior to exercise or settlement; are repurchased by the Company because of the failure to vest; or are forfeited, tendered to, or withheld by the Company (or not issued) to satisfy a tax withholding obligation or the payment of an exercise price, if any, as such shares become available from time to time. Stock-based awards under the 2019 Plan that expire or are forfeited, canceled, or repurchased generally are returned to the pool of shares of Class A common stock available for issuance under the 2019 Plan. In addition, the number of shares of the Company's Class A common stock reserved for issuance under the 2019 Plan will automatically increase on January 1 of each calendar year, starting on January 1, 2021 through January 1, 2029, in an amount equal to the least of (i) 29,335,000 shares, (ii) 5% of the total number of shares of Class A and Class B common stock outstanding on December 31 of the fiscal year before the date of each automatic increase, or (iii) a lesser number of shares determined by the compensation committee of the Company's Board of Directors prior to the applicable January 1.
Stock Options
Under the 2010 Plan and 2019 Plan, at exercise, stock option awards entitle the holder to receive one share of Class B or Class A common stock, in the case of the 2010 Plan, or one share of Class A common stock, in the case of the 2019 Plan. The stock options granted under the 2010 Plan and the 2019 Plan generally vest over a four-year period subject to remaining continuously employed and expire no more than 10 years from the date of grant.
As of September 30, 2023, there was $212.7 million of unrecognized stock-based compensation expense related to unvested stock options that is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 4.4 years.
During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, the Company granted to certain executive officers and other key employees 10-year stock options with market conditions that vest and becomes exercisable only if the Company achieves certain stock price milestones and the employee continues to provide service to the Company through the applicable vesting dates (the Performance Options). The Performance Options were granted under the 2019 Plan and consist of 10-year options to purchase an aggregate of 5,575,000 shares of the Company’s Class A common stock.
In April 2023, the Company's compensation committee and Board of Directors approved amendments to the Performance Options, effective as of May 1, 2023. These amendments reduced the exercise price per share of the Performance Options to the fair market value per share of the Company's Class A common stock on the effective date of the amendment, and modified the structure of the Performance Options to contain a total of nine separate tranches with added stock price milestones. These amendments resulted in an additional stock-based compensation expense of approximately $25.8 million to be recognized over a weighted-average requisite service period.
During the nine months ended September 30, 2023, the Company granted to new key employees the Performance Options to purchase an aggregate of 960,000 shares of the Company’s Class A common stock.
The Company recognizes stock-based compensation expense for the Performance Options based on the grant date fair value and using a graded attribution method over the weighted-average requisite service period. The total stock-based compensation expense for the Performance Options for the three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 were $12.8 million and $14.2 million, respectively, and for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 were $27.1 million and $26.8 million, respectively. As of September 30, 2023, there was $202.4 million of unrecognized stock-based compensation expense related to the Performance Options that is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 4.6 years.
In connection with the acquisition of Area 1 Security, Inc. (Area 1), each unvested option to purchase shares of Area 1’s common stock held by Area 1 employees who have joined the Company were assumed and converted into stock option awards to purchase the Company's Class A common stock (the Assumed Area 1 Stock Options).
29

The Assumed Area 1 Stock Options are subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the Area 1 stock incentive plan and consist of options to purchase an aggregate of 156,770 shares of the Company’s Class A common stock. The Assumed Area 1 Stock Options are generally subject to annual vesting on a ratable basis over the three years from the Area 1 acquisition date, in each case subject to remaining continuously employed by the Company or any of its subsidiaries.
The total stock-based compensation expense for the Assumed Area 1 Stock Options for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 were not material.
As of September 30, 2023, there was $5.9 million of unrecognized stock-based compensation expense related to the Assumed Area 1 Stock Options that is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 1.5 years.
For further details on the Area 1 acquisition, refer to Note 13 to these condensed consolidated financial statements.
Early Exercises of Stock Options
The 2010 Plan allows for the early exercise of stock options for certain individuals as determined by the Company’s Board of Directors. Shares of common stock issued upon early exercises of unvested options are not deemed, for accounting purposes, to be issued until those shares vest according to their respective vesting schedules and accordingly, the consideration received for early exercises is initially recorded as a liability and reclassified to common stock and additional paid-in capital as the underlying awards vest. Stock options that are early exercised are subject to a repurchase option that allows the Company to repurchase within six months of an individual’s termination for any reason, including death and disability (or in the case of shares issued upon exercise of an option after termination, within six months of the date of exercise), any unvested shares of such individual for a repurchase price equal to the amount previously paid by the individual for such unvested shares. As of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the Company had $0.1 million and $1.9 million, respectively, recorded in liability for early exercise of unvested stock options, and the related number of unvested shares subject to repurchase was 48,752 and 899,691, respectively.
Restricted Stock Units
RSUs granted under the 2010 Plan generally vest upon the satisfaction of both a service-based vesting condition and a performance vesting condition, as defined below, occurring before these RSUs expire. RSUs granted under the 2019 Plan generally vest upon the satisfaction of a service-based vesting condition. The service-based vesting condition for employees under both the 2010 Plan and the 2019 Plan is typically satisfied over a four-year period, subject to remaining continuously employed. The performance vesting condition under the 2010 Plan was deemed satisfied upon the effective date of the Company's registration statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC in connection with the IPO.
The total stock-based compensation expense for RSUs for the three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 was $57.4 million and $33.7 million, respectively, and for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 was $156.8 and $95.6 million, respectively. As of September 30, 2023, the total unrecognized stock-based compensation expense related to unvested RSUs was $601.3 million that is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 2.9 years.
2019 Employee Stock Purchase Plan
In September 2019, the Company's Board of Directors adopted and stockholders approved the ESPP, which became effective one business day prior to the effective date of the Company's registration statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC in connection with the IPO. A total of 5,870,000 shares of Class A common stock were initially reserved for sale under the ESPP. The number of shares of Class A common stock reserved for issuance includes an annual increase on the first day of each fiscal year, beginning on January 1, 2021, by the least of (1) 5,870,000 shares of Class A common stock, (2) 1% of the total number of shares of Class A and Class B common stock outstanding on December 31 of the fiscal year before the date of each automatic increase; or (3) such lesser amount as the compensation committee of the Company's Board of Directors may determine prior to the applicable January 1.
30

Generally, all regular employees, including executive officers, employed by the Company or by any of its designated subsidiaries, except for those holding 5% or more of the total combined voting power or value of all classes of common stock, may participate in the ESPP and may contribute, normally through payroll deductions, up to 10% of their eligible compensation for the purchase of Class A common stock under the ESPP. Unless otherwise determined by the compensation committee of the Board of Directors, Class A common stock will be purchased for the accounts of employees participating in the ESPP at a price per share that is the lesser of (1) 85% of the fair market value of a share of the Company's Class A common stock on the first date of an offering period, or (2) 85% of the fair market value of a share of the Company's Class A common stock on the date of purchase.
The ESPP generally provides for six-month offering periods beginning on the first day of trading on or after November 15 and May 15 of each year and terminating on the last trading day before May 15 and November 15, approximately six months later, with identical purchase periods. Current employees cannot sell the shares of Class A common stock purchased under the ESPP until the day after the one-year anniversary of the purchase date of such shares, except for the withholding or sale of shares by the Company to meet any applicable tax withholding obligations. No employee may purchase (i) during each purchase period more than 1,500 shares of Class A common stock and (ii) shares under the ESPP at a rate in excess of $25,000 worth of the Company's Class A common stock based on the fair market value per share of the Company's Class A common stock at the beginning of an offering for each calendar year such purchase right is outstanding.
248,738 and 153,974 shares of Class A common stock were purchased under the ESPP during the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively. As of September 30, 2023, the total unrecognized stock-based compensation expense related to the ESPP was $1.1 million and is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 0.1 years.
Stock-based Compensation Expense
The following table sets forth the total stock-based compensation expense included in the Company’s condensed consolidated statements of operations:
Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
2023 2022 2023 2022
(in thousands)
Cost of revenue $ 2,272  $ 2,046  $ 6,002  $ 5,012 
Sales and marketing 20,160  11,266  54,994  32,401 
Research and development 34,556  28,984  96,944  74,472 
General and administrative 16,784  11,469  41,625  30,660 
Total stock-based compensation expense $ 73,772  $ 53,765  $ 199,565  $ 142,545 

31

Note 11. Net Loss per Share Attributable to Common Stockholders
The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders:
Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
2023 2022 2023 2022
Class A Class B Class A Class B Class A Class B Class A Class B
(in thousands, except per share data)
Net loss attributable to common stockholders
$ (20,671) $ (2,864) $ (36,934) $ (5,612) $ (136,584) $ (19,500) $ (127,825) $ (19,639)
Weighted-average shares used in computing net loss per share attributable to common stockholders, basic and diluted
293,940  40,726  283,509  43,081  291,047  41,553  282,114  43,343 
Net loss per share attributable to common stockholders, basic and diluted
$ (0.07) $ (0.07) $ (0.13) $ (0.13) $ (0.47) $ (0.47) $ (0.45) $ (0.45)
Since the Company was in a loss position for all periods presented, basic net loss per share is the same as diluted net loss per share as the inclusion of all potential common shares outstanding would have been antidilutive. The potential shares of common stock that were excluded from the computation of diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders for the periods presented because including them would have been antidilutive are as follows:
September 30,
2023 2022
(in thousands)
2025 Notes —  4,233 
2026 Notes 6,762  6,761 
Shares subject to repurchase 49  1,171 
Unexercised stock options 13,248  16,635 
Unvested restricted stock and RSUs 10,733  7,682 
Shares issuable pursuant to the ESPP 224  184 
Total 31,016  36,666 
Note 12. Income Taxes
The computation of the provision for (benefit from) income taxes for interim periods is determined by applying the estimated annual effective tax rate to year-to-date earnings from recurring operations and adjusting for discrete tax items recorded in the period. The Company's ability to estimate the geographic mix of earnings is impacted by the relatively high-growth nature of the business, fluctuations of business operations by country, and implementation of tax planning strategies.
The Company recorded income tax expense of $1.3 million and $1.4 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively, and income tax expense of $4.0 million and $1.6 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

The income tax expense of $1.3 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023 was primarily related to withholding taxes in the United States and income tax expense from profitable foreign jurisdictions.
32


The income tax expense of $1.4 million for the three months ended September 30, 2022 was primarily related to withholding taxes in the United States and income tax expense from profitable foreign jurisdictions.

The income tax expense of $4.0 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 was primarily related to withholding taxes in the United States and income tax expense from profitable foreign jurisdictions.

The income tax expense of $1.6 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 was primarily related to withholding taxes in the United States and income tax expense from profitable foreign jurisdictions, offset by the partial release of the U.S. valuation allowance in connection with acquisitions.
In determining the need for a valuation allowance, the Company weighs both positive and negative evidence in the various jurisdictions in which it operates to determine whether it is more likely than not that its deferred tax assets are realizable. A full valuation allowance has been established in the United States and United Kingdom. and no deferred tax assets and related tax benefits have been recognized in the consolidated financial statements. There is no valuation allowance associated with any other foreign jurisdictions.
Note 13. Business Combinations
Area 1
On April 1, 2022, the Company acquired all of the outstanding shares of Area 1, a company that has developed cloud-native email security technology, for a total purchase consideration of $156.6 million. The total purchase consideration included (i) acquisition-date cash payments of $82.6 million, net of $2.5 million of cash acquired, (ii) $63.5 million in shares of the Company’s Class A common stock, (iii) a cash holdback of $9.3 million, which the Company retained for up to 12 months and was then payable to the previous owners of Area 1, subject to offset by the Company for any of the previous owners’ indemnification obligations in connection with the acquisition, and (iv) a separate cash holdback of $1.1 million. The cash holdback of $9.3 million and $1.1 million were subsequently paid to the previous owners of Area 1 as of the nine months ended September 30, 2023. Concurrent with the closing of the acquisition, the Company made a cash payment of $4.1 million to repay Area 1’s debt, which was part of the acquisition-date cash payments included in the purchase consideration.
In connection with the acquisition, the Company entered into compensation arrangements for stock-based and cash awards with a value totaling $15.9 million. Of the total stock-based and cash awards, $1.4 million cash awards were recognized as compensation expense on the acquisition date. Refer to Note 10 to these condensed consolidated financial statements for further details on the share-based awards.
The transaction-related costs for the acquisition were not material and were included in general and administrative expenses during the nine months ended September 30, 2022. The fair values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed on the acquisition date are summarized as follows (in thousands):
Accounts receivable, net $ 1,634 
Prepaids and other current assets 953 
Acquired Intangible Assets 43,300 
Goodwill 119,743 
Total assets acquired 165,630 
Accounts Payable (254)
Accrued expense and other current liabilities (595)
Deferred revenue (5,736)
Deferred revenue, noncurrent (1,213)
Other noncurrent liabilities (1,267)
Total purchase price $ 156,565 
The acquired assets and assumed liabilities were recorded at their estimated fair values, except for deferred revenue which was recorded under ASC 606 in accordance with the early adoption of ASU 2021-08 Business Combinations (Topic 805), Accounting for Contract Assets and Contract Liabilities from Contracts with Customers effective January 1, 2022.
33

The excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the net assets acquired was allocated to goodwill, none of which is expected to be deductible for tax purposes. Goodwill is primarily attributable to the assembled workforce as well as the anticipated synergies from the integration of Area 1’s technology with the Company's technology. An immaterial purchase accounting adjustment to revise purchase consideration and goodwill was made during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022.
This acquisition did not have a material impact on the Company’s reported revenue or net loss amounts for any period presented; therefore, historical and pro forma disclosures have not been presented.
Vectrix
On January 14, 2022, the Company acquired all of the outstanding shares of Vectrix Security, Inc. (Vectrix), a company that has developed an online security technology that gives users the ability to scan and monitor SaaS applications for security issues, for a total purchase consideration of $7.6 million. The total purchase consideration included (i) acquisition-date cash payments of $4.3 million, net of $0.8 million of cash acquired, (ii) $2.0 million in shares of the Company’s Class A common stock, and (iii) a cash holdback of $1.3 million, which the Company retained for up to 18 months and was then payable to the previous owners of Vectrix, subject to offset by the Company for any of the previous owners’ indemnification obligations in connection with the acquisition. The cash holdback of $1.3 million was subsequently paid to the previous owners of Vectrix during the nine months ended September 30, 2023. Concurrent with the closing of the acquisition, the Company made a cash payment of $2.0 million to cancel and settle Vectrix’s other existing equity-related agreements, which was part of the acquisition-date cash payments included in the purchase consideration.
In connection with the acquisition, the Company entered into compensation arrangements for stock-based and cash awards with a value totaling $8.0 million, of which $2.6 million was recognized as compensation expense on the acquisition date. Additional compensation expense during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and September 30, 2022 were not material. The remaining compensation amount is not material and will be recognized through the year ended December 31, 2026.
The transaction-related costs for the acquisition were not material and are included in general and administrative expenses in the condensed consolidated statement of operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2022.
The fair values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed on the acquisition date are summarized as follows (in thousands):
Developed technology $ 3,100 
Goodwill 4,962 
Total assets acquired 8,062 
Accounts Payable (20)
Other noncurrent liabilities (430)
Total purchase price $ 7,612 
The acquired assets and assumed liabilities were recorded at their estimated fair values. The estimated useful life for the acquired developed technology is two years. The excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the net assets acquired was allocated to goodwill, none of which is expected to be deductible for tax purposes. Goodwill is primarily attributable to the assembled workforce as well as the anticipated synergies from the integration of Vectrix's technology with the Company's technology. An immaterial purchase accounting adjustment to revise purchase consideration and goodwill was made during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022.
This acquisition did not have a material impact on the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements; therefore, historical and pro forma disclosures have not been presented.
Zaraz
On October 15, 2021, the Company acquired all of the outstanding shares of Zaraz Inc. (Zaraz), a remote-first company, that has developed a server-side rendering technology, for a total purchase consideration of $7.2 million. The total purchase consideration included (i) acquisition-date cash payments of $5.6 million, net of $0.8 million of cash acquired, and (ii) $1.6 million in shares of the Company’s Class A common stock. Concurrent with the closing of the acquisition, the Company made a cash payment of $1.1 million to cancel and settle Zaraz’s existing equity arrangements, which was part of the acquisition-date cash payments included in the purchase consideration.
34

In connection with the acquisition, the Company entered into compensation arrangements for stock-based and cash awards with a value totaling $6.5 million, of which $0.5 million was recorded as compensation expense during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021. Additional compensation expense during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and September 30, 2022 were not material. The remaining compensation amount is not material and will be recognized through the year ended December 31, 2024.
The fair values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed on the acquisition date are summarized as follows (in thousands):
Developed technology $ 1,400 
Goodwill 6,176 
Total assets acquired 7,576 
Accrued compensation (82)
Other noncurrent liabilities (322)
Total purchase price $ 7,172 
The acquired assets and assumed liabilities were recorded at their estimated fair values. The estimated useful life for the acquired developed technology is two years. The excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the net assets acquired was allocated to goodwill, none of which is expected to be deductible for tax purposes. Goodwill is primarily attributable to the assembled workforce as well as the anticipated synergies from the integration of Zaraz's technology with the Company's technology. An immaterial purchase accounting adjustment to revise purchase consideration and goodwill was made during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022.
This acquisition did not have a material impact on the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements; therefore, historical and pro forma disclosures have not been presented.
Note 14. Segment and Geographic Information
The Company’s chief operating decision maker (CODM) is its CEO, President and COO, and CFO. Collectively, the CODM reviews financial information presented on a consolidated basis for purposes of allocating resources and evaluating financial performance. The Company has no segment managers who are held accountable by the CODM for operations, operating results, and planning for levels or components below the consolidated unit level. Accordingly, the Company has determined it has a single operating segment.
Refer to Note 3 to these condensed consolidated financial statements for revenue by geography.
The Company’s property and equipment, net, by geographic area were as follows:
  September 30, 2023 December 31, 2022
 
  (in thousands)
United States $ 192,194  $ 184,753 
Rest of the world 117,621  101,847 
Total property and equipment, net $ 309,815  $ 286,600 
No single country other than the United States accounted for more than 10% of total property and equipment, net as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022.
35

Item 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our condensed consolidated financial statements and related notes appearing elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. In addition to historical financial information, the following discussion contains forward-looking statements that are based upon current plans, expectations, and beliefs that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including those factors discussed in the section titled “Risk Factors” and in other parts of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Our fiscal year end is December 31.
Overview
Cloudflare’s mission is to help build a better Internet. We have built a global network that delivers a broad range of services to businesses of all sizes and in all geographies—making them more secure, enhancing the performance of their business-critical applications, and eliminating the cost and complexity of managing individual network hardware. Our network serves as a scalable, easy-to-use, unified control plane to deliver security, performance, and reliability across their on-premises, hybrid, cloud, and software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications.
Our Business Model
Our business model benefits from our ability to serve the needs of all customers ranging from individual developers to the largest enterprises, in a cost-effective manner. Our products are easy to deploy and allow for rapid and efficient onboarding of new customers and expansion of our relationships with our existing customers over time. Given the large customer base we have and the immense amount of Internet traffic that we manage, we are able to negotiate mutually beneficial agreements with Internet service providers (ISPs) that allow us to place our equipment directly in their data centers, which drives down our bandwidth and co-location expenses. This symbiotic relationship that we have with ISPs and the efficiency of our serverless network architecture allows us to introduce new products on our network at low marginal cost.
We generate revenue primarily from sales to our customers of subscriptions to access our network and products. We offer a variety of plans to our free and paying customers depending on their required features and functionality.
•Contracted customers. Our contracted customers, which consist of customers that enter into contracts for our Enterprise subscription plan, have contracts that typically range from one to three years and are typically billed on a monthly basis. Our agreements with contracted customers are tailored and priced to meet their varying needs and requirements. Enterprise subscription plan agreements for our contracted customers generally include a fixed subscription fee and a smaller variable fee portion for overages based on usage or per seat.
•Pay-as-you-go customers. For our pay-as-you-go customers, we offer the ability to purchase our products through our website. We make our pay-as-you-go product solutions available in several configurations. For customers securing and accelerating their Internet properties using our external-facing infrastructure products, we offer Pro and Business subscription plans through our website per registered domain, and it is common for customers to purchase subscriptions to cover multiple Internet properties (e.g., domains, websites, application programming interfaces (APIs), and mobile applications). Our Pro plan provides basic functionality to improve the security, performance, and reliability of applications, such as enhanced web application firewall and image and mobile optimization. Our Business plan includes additional functionality often required by larger organizations, including service level agreements of up to 100% uptime, dynamic content acceleration, and enhanced customer support. Our pay-as-you-go customers may pay upfront for an annual Pro or Business plan. Pay-as-you-go customers can subscribe to more than one solution and purchase add-on products and network functionality we offer to meet their more advanced needs. Our pay-as-you-go customers typically pay with a credit card on a monthly basis for add-on products. For pay-as-you-go or contracted customers who need a scalable zero trust solution to secure users and internal resources using our Cloudflare One products, we make these products available on a per seat basis. In addition, for developers building serverless applications, we offer our Cloudflare Workers to these customers on a usage-based plan that is metered by requests and execution time.
Key elements of our business model include:
36

•Significant investment in ongoing product development. We invest significantly in research and development. Our focus on research and development allows us to continually enhance the capabilities and functionality of our global network with new products and product features that are innovative and powerful and can be quickly adopted by our customers and helps us grow our customer base, which allows us to serve a greater portion of the world's Internet traffic. That in turn provides us with greater knowledge and insight into the challenges that Internet users face every day.
•Investments in our network for growth. We believe that the size, sophistication, and distributed nature of our network provide us with a significant competitive advantage. We intend to continue to make substantial investments in network infrastructure to support the growth of our business. As we invest in our network, we believe the service that we can provide our customers and the insight and knowledge that we can gain will continue to grow.
•Efficient go-to-market model. We have built an efficient go-to market model that reflects the flexibility and ease of use our products offer to our customers around the world. This has enabled us to acquire new customers as well as to expand within our existing customer base in a rapid, cost-effective manner. In particular, we have invested heavily in our contracted customer sales efforts.
◦New customer acquisition. We believe that anyone that relies on the Internet to deliver products, services, or content or to operate its business can be a Cloudflare customer. As such, we are focused on driving an increased number of customers onto our network and products to support our long-term growth. We continue to invest to build our direct sales force, increase brand awareness, leverage and expand channel partners, and improve the sophistication of our sales operations for contracted customers, particularly large customers. Additionally, through our pay-as-you-go offering, a customer can subscribe to one of our many plans and begin using our network quickly, with minimal technical skill and no professional services. This has allowed us to acquire a large portion of our paying customers very rapidly and at significantly lower customer acquisition costs than our other product offerings.
◦Expansion of our existing customers. We believe that our network enables a large opportunity for growth within our existing customer base given the breadth of products we offer on our infrastructure platform. Our relationships with customers often start with servicing a portion of their overall needs and expand over time as they realize the significant value we deliver. Once a customer has adopted one product on our network, it can easily add additional products. As we add more products and functionality to our network, we see opportunities to drive upsell as customers seek to consolidate onto one infrastructure platform to meet all of their security, performance, and reliability network requirements. We also intend to continue to invest in market awareness of our new products to improve growth within our existing customers.
◦International reach. Our global network, with a presence in more than 300 cities and over 120 countries worldwide, has helped to foster our strong international growth. International markets represented 48% and 47% of our revenue in the three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively, and we intend to continue to invest in our international growth as a strategy to expand our customer base around the world.
•Free customer base. Free customers are an important part of our business. These customers are typically individual developers, early-stage startups, hobbyists, and other users and, like our pay-as-you-go customers, sign up for our service through our website. Our free customers create scale, serve as efficient brand marketing, and help us attract developers, customers, and potential employees. These free customers expose us to diverse traffic, threats, and problems, often allowing us to see potential security, performance, and reliability issues at the earliest stage. This knowledge allows us to improve our products and deliver more effective solutions to our paying customers. In addition, the added scale and diversity of this traffic makes us valuable to a diverse set of global ISPs, improving the breadth and economic terms of our interconnections, bandwidth costs, and co-location expenses. Finally, the enthusiastic engagement of our free customer base represents a "virtual quality assurance" function that allows us to maintain a high rate of product innovation, while ensuring our products are extensively tested in real world environments before they are deployed to our paying customers.
Opportunities, Challenges, and Risks
We believe that the growth of our business and our future success are dependent upon many factors, including growing our paying customer base, particularly large customers, expanding our relationships with existing paying customers, developing and successfully launching new products and features, expanding into additional market segments, expanding our base of free customers, and developing and maintaining favorable peering and co-location relationships.
37

Each of these factors presents significant opportunities for us, but also poses material challenges and risks that we must successfully address in order to grow our business and improve our operating results. We expect that addressing these challenges and risks will increase our operating expenses significantly over the next several years. The timing of our future profitability, if we achieve profitability at all, will depend upon many variables, including the success of our growth strategies and the timing and size of investments and expenditures that we choose to undertake, as well as market growth and other factors that are not within our control. In addition, we must comply with complex, uncertain, and evolving laws, rules, and regulatory requirements across federal, state, and international jurisdictions. If we fail to successfully address these challenges, risks, and variables, our business, operating results, financial condition, and prospects may be adversely affected.
Impact of Macroeconomic Developments
We are closely monitoring macroeconomic developments and global events, such as the Hamas-Israel and the Russia-Ukraine conflicts and other areas of geopolitical tension around the world, and how they may adversely impact our and our customers’ businesses. Weak economic conditions or significant uncertainty regarding the stability of financial markets related to stock market volatility, inflation, recession, changes in tariffs, trade agreements or governmental fiscal, monetary and tax policies, among others, could adversely impact our and our customers’ business, financial condition and operating results. In addition, general tightening in the credit market, lower levels of liquidity, increases in rates of default and bankruptcy, and significant volatility in equity and fixed-income markets could all negatively impact our customers’ purchasing decisions. Starting in the first half of 2022, potentially as a result of these various macroeconomic impacts on our customers, we periodically have experienced lengthening of the average sales cycle for certain types of customers and sales (including sales to new customers and expansion sales to existing customers), slowdowns in our pipeline of potential new customers and in the rate of converting sales pipeline opportunities into new sales, increase in average days sales outstanding, higher levels of churn in our paying customer base (which is when any of our paying customers cease to be a paying customer for any reason, including any pay-as-you-go customer converting to a free subscription plan), and lengthening of the timing of payment from some of our customers, all of which may have contributed to a slowdown in our revenue growth over that period (including with respect to new customers). We believe significant macroeconomic uncertainty could persist for the remainder of 2023 and through 2024. As a result, we expect that some or all of the negative trends described in this paragraph may emerge or recur during future quarters.
To the extent challenging macroeconomic conditions persist, we may experience additional adverse effects on our business, financial condition, or results of operations in future periods. These effects could include, among others, reduction or increased delays in purchasing decisions by existing and potential new paying customers, additional lengthening of the sales cycle for some of our existing and potential new paying customers, potential customer requests for concessions (including in terms of payment amounts and/or timing and earlier or additional termination rights), potential losses of paying customers as a result of economic distress or bankruptcy (particularly among our small and medium paying customer base), potential reductions in new non-U.S. customers and expansion of sales to existing non-U.S. paying customers as a result of our products, which are substantially all sold in U.S. dollars, becoming relatively more expensive for such customers due to the higher value of the U.S. dollar relative to other currencies, and increased costs for employee compensation and equipment purchases resulting from continued inflationary cost pressures.
For further discussion of the challenges and risks we confront related to macroeconomic conditions and geopolitical tension around the world, please refer to Part II, Item 1A “Risk Factors” of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
38

Non-GAAP Financial Measures and Key Business Metrics
We review a number of financial and operating metrics, including the following non-GAAP financial measures and key metrics to evaluate our business, measure our performance, identify trends affecting our business, formulate business plans, and make strategic decisions.
Three Months Ended
September 30,
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
2023 2022 2023 2022
(dollars in thousands)
Gross profit
$ 257,534  $ 191,890  $ 710,550  $ 535,719 
Gross margin
77  % 76  % 76  % 76  %
Loss from operations
$ (39,212) $ (45,947) $ (142,656) $ (150,512)
Non-GAAP income from operations
$ 42,533  $ 14,830  $ 82,203  $ 18,860 
Operating margin
(12) % (18) % (15) % (21) %
Non-GAAP operating margin
13  % % % %
Net cash provided by operating activities
$ 68,100  $ 42,688 $ 168,965  $ 45,472
Net cash used in investing activities
$ (100,229) $ (48,887) $ (84,554) $ (215,740)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities
$ (34,610) $ 1,439 $ (201,975) $ (1,672)
Free cash flow
$ 34,875  $ (4,614) $ 68,748  $ (73,429)
Net cash provided by operating activities (as a percentage of revenue)
20  % 17  % 18  % %
Free cash flow margin
10  % (2) % % (10) %
Paying customers(1)
182,027  156,000 
Paying customers (> $100,000 Annualized Revenue)(1)
2,558  1,908 
(1)Key business metrics are derived on a quarterly basis. Refer to Key Business Metrics section below for further detail.
The following table summarizes the revenue by region based on the billing address of customers who use the Company’s products:
Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
2023 2022 2023 2022
(dollars in thousands)
Amount Percentage
of Revenue
Amount Percentage
of Revenue
Amount Percentage
of Revenue
Amount Percentage
of Revenue
United States $ 175,519  52  % $ 135,280  53  % $ 490,129  53  % $ 370,889  53  %
Europe, Middle East, and Africa
92,705  28  % 68,149  27  % 255,382  27  % 185,088  26  %
Asia Pacific 42,960  13  % 33,801  13  % 122,577  13  % 96,481  14  %
Other 24,419  % 16,627  % 66,184  % 48,083  %
Total $ 335,603  100  % $ 253,857  100  % $ 934,272  100  % $ 700,541  100  %
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
In addition to our results determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (U.S. GAAP), we believe the following non-GAAP measures are useful in evaluating our operating performance. We use the following non-GAAP financial information to evaluate our ongoing operations and for internal planning and forecasting purposes. We believe that non-GAAP financial information, when taken collectively, may be helpful to investors because it provides consistency and comparability with past financial performance. However, non-GAAP financial information is presented for supplemental informational purposes only, has limitations as an analytical tool, and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for financial information presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. In particular, free cash flow is not a substitute for cash provided by (used in) operating activities.
39

Additionally, the utility of free cash flow as a measure of our liquidity is further limited as it does not represent the total increase or decrease in our cash balance for a given period. In addition, other companies, including companies in our industry, may calculate similarly-titled non-GAAP measures differently or may use other measures to evaluate their performance, all of which could reduce the usefulness of our non-GAAP financial measures as tools for comparison. A reconciliation is provided below for each non-GAAP financial measure to the most directly comparable financial measure stated in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Investors are encouraged to review the related U.S. GAAP financial measures and the reconciliation of these non-GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable U.S. GAAP financial measures, and not to rely on any single financial measure to evaluate our business.
Non-GAAP Income (Loss) from Operations and Non-GAAP Operating Margin
We define non-GAAP income (loss) from operations and non-GAAP operating margin as U.S. GAAP income (loss) from operations and U.S. GAAP operating margin, respectively, excluding stock-based compensation expense and its related employer payroll taxes, amortization of acquired intangible assets, and acquisition-related and other expenses. We exclude stock-based compensation expense, which is a non-cash expense, from certain of our non-GAAP financial measures because we believe that excluding this item provides meaningful supplemental information regarding operational performance. We exclude employer payroll tax expenses related to stock-based compensation, which is a cash expense, from certain of our non-GAAP financial measures, because such expenses are dependent upon the price of our Class A common stock and other factors that are beyond our control and do not correlate to the operation of our business. We exclude amortization of acquired intangible assets, which is a non-cash expense, related to business combinations from certain of our non-GAAP financial measures because such expenses are related to business combinations and have no direct correlation to the operation of our business. We exclude acquisition-related and other expenses from certain of our non-GAAP financial measures because such expenses are related to business combinations and have no direct correlation to the operation of our business. Acquisition-related and other expenses can be cash or non-cash expenses incurred in connection with the acquisition, and include third-party transaction costs and compensation expense for key acquired personnel.
Three Months Ended
September 30,
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
2023 2022 2023 2022
(dollars in thousands)
Loss from operations $ (39,212) $ (45,947) $ (142,656) $ (150,512)
Add:
Stock-based compensation expense and related employer payroll taxes
76,857  55,888  210,196  155,142 
Amortization of acquired intangible assets 4,888  4,889  14,663  10,283 
Acquisition-related and other expenses —  —  —  3,947 
Non-GAAP income from operations
$ 42,533  $ 14,830  $ 82,203  $ 18,860 
Operating margin (12) % (18) % (15) % (21) %
Non-GAAP operating margin (non-GAAP income from operations as a percentage of revenue)
13  % % % %
Free Cash Flow and Free Cash Flow Margin
Free cash flow is a non-GAAP financial measure that we calculate as net cash provided by (used in) operating activities less cash used for purchases of property and equipment and capitalized internal-use software. Free cash flow margin is calculated as free cash flow divided by revenue. We believe that free cash flow and free cash flow margin are useful indicators of liquidity that provide information to management and investors about the amount of cash generated from our operations that, after the investments in property and equipment and capitalized internal-use software, can be used for strategic initiatives, including investing in our business, and strengthening our financial position. We believe that historical and future trends in free cash flow and free cash flow margin, even if negative, provide useful information about the amount of cash generated (or consumed) by our operating activities that is available (or not available) to be used for strategic initiatives. For example, if free cash flow is negative, we may need to access cash reserves or other sources of capital to invest in strategic initiatives. One limitation of free cash flow and free cash flow margin is that they do not reflect our future contractual commitments. Additionally, free cash flow does not represent the total increase or decrease in our cash balance for a given period.
40

Three Months Ended
September 30,
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
2023 2022 2023 2022
(dollars in thousands)
Net cash provided by operating activities
$ 68,100  $ 42,688  $ 168,965  $ 45,472 
Less: Purchases of property and equipment
(27,291) (41,896) (83,580) (103,461)
Less: Capitalized internal-use software
(5,934) (5,406) (16,637) (15,440)
Free cash flow
$ 34,875  $ (4,614) $ 68,748  $ (73,429)
Net cash used in investing activities
$ (100,229) $ (48,887) $ (84,554) $ (215,740)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities
$ (34,610) $ 1,439  $ (201,975) $ (1,672)
Net cash provided by operating activities (as a percentage of revenue)
20  % 17  % 18  % %
Less: Purchases of property and equipment (as a percentage of revenue)
(8) % (17) % (9) % (14) %
Less: Capitalized internal-use software (as a percentage of revenue)
(2) % (2) % (2) % (2) %
Free cash flow margin
10  % (2) % % (10) %
Key Business Metrics
In addition to our results determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP and the non-GAAP measures discussed above, we also review the key business metrics discussed below to assist us in evaluating our business, measuring performance, identifying trends, formulating business plans, and making strategic decisions. There are a number of limitations associated with the use of key business metrics as analytical tools, however, and we do not rely upon any single key business metric to evaluate our business. In addition, other companies, including companies in our industry, may calculate similarly-titled business metrics differently or may use other measures to evaluate their performance, all of which could reduce the usefulness of these business metrics as tools for comparison to such companies.
Paying Customers
We believe our ability to grow the number of paying customers on our network provides a key indicator of growth of our business and our future business opportunities. We define a paying customer at the end of the quarter as a person or entity who has generated revenue and has an active contract with us or one of our partners during such quarter, excluding (i) customers that were not acquired through ordinary sales channels, (ii) customers using only our registrar product, and (iii) customers using our consumer applications, such as 1.1.1.1 and WARP, which agreements and customers together represent an insignificant amount of our revenue. An entity is defined as a company, a government institution, a non-profit organization, or a distinct business unit of a large company. An active contract is defined as a customer relationship for which we have provided services during the quarter. The number of paying customers was 182,027 and 156,000 as of September 30, 2023 and September 30, 2022, respectively.
Paying Customers (> $100,000 Annualized Revenue)
While we continue to grow customers across all sizes, over time, our large customers have contributed an increasing share of our revenue. We view the number of customers with Annualized Revenue greater than $100,000 as indicative of our penetration within large enterprise accounts. To measure Annualized Revenue at the end of a quarter, we take the sum of revenue for each customer in the quarter and multiply that amount by four. For example, if we signed a new customer that generated $1,800 of revenue in a quarter, that customer would account for $7,200 of Annualized Revenue for that year. Our Annualized Revenue calculation excludes (i) agreements that were not entered into through ordinary sales channels, (ii) revenue generated from customers using only our registrar product, and (iii) customers using our consumer applications, such as 1.1.1.1 and WARP, which agreements and customers together represent an insignificant amount of our revenue. Our Annualized Revenue metric also includes any usage charges by a customer during a period, which represents a small portion of our total revenue and may not be recurring. As a result, Annualized Revenue may be higher than actual revenue over the course of the year.
41

The number of paying customers with Annualized Revenue greater than $100,000 was 2,558 and 1,908 as of September 30, 2023 and September 30, 2022, respectively.
Dollar-Based Net Retention Rate
Our ability to maintain long-term revenue growth and achieve profitability is dependent on our ability to retain and grow revenue generated from our existing paying customers. We believe that we will achieve these objectives by continuing to focus on customer loyalty and adding additional products and functionality to our network. Our dollar-based net retention rate is a key way we measure our performance in these areas. Dollar-based net retention measures our ability to retain and expand recurring revenue from existing customers. To calculate dollar-based net retention for a quarter, we compare the Annualized Revenue from paying customers four quarters prior to the Annualized Revenue from the same set of customers in the most recent quarter. Our dollar-based net retention includes expansion and is net of contraction and attrition, but excludes Annualized Revenue from new customers in the current period. Our dollar-based net retention excludes the benefit of free customers that upgrade to a paid subscription between the prior and current periods, even though this is an important source of incremental growth. We believe this provides a more meaningful representation of our ability to add incremental business from existing paying customers as they renew and expand their contracts. Our dollar-based net retention rates for the three months ended September 30, 2023 and September 30, 2022 were 116% and 124%, respectively.
Components of Our Results of Operations
Revenue
We generate revenue primarily from sales to our customers of subscriptions to access our network and products, together with related support services. Arrangements with customers generally do not provide the customer with the right to take possession at any time of our software operating our global network. Instead, customers are granted continuous access to our network and products over the contractual period. A time-elapsed output method is used to measure progress because we transfer control evenly over the contractual period. Accordingly, the fixed consideration related to subscription and support revenue is generally recognized on a straight-line basis over the contract term beginning on the date that the service is made available to the customer. Usage-based consideration is primarily related to fees charged for our customer’s use of excess bandwidth when accessing our network in a given period and is recognized as revenue in the period in which the usage occurs.
The typical subscription and support term for our contracted customers is one year and subscription and support term lengths range from one to three years. Most of our contracts with contracted customers are non-cancelable over the contractual term. Customers may have the right to terminate their contracts for cause if we fail to perform in accordance with the contractual terms. For our pay-as-you-go customers, subscription and support term contracts are typically monthly.
Cost of Revenue
Cost of revenue consists primarily of expenses that are directly related to providing our service to our paying customers. These expenses include expenses related to operating in co-location facilities, network and bandwidth costs, depreciation of our equipment located in co-location facilities, certificate authority services costs for paying customers, related overhead costs, the amortization of our capitalized internal-use software, and the amortization of acquired developed technologies. Cost of revenue also includes employee-related costs, including salaries, bonuses, benefits, and stock-based compensation for employees whose primary responsibilities relate to supporting our paying customers. Other costs included in cost of revenue include credit card fees related to processing customer transactions and allocated overhead costs.
As our customers expand and increase the use of our global network and products driven by additional applications and connected devices, we expect that our cost of revenue will increase due to higher network and bandwidth costs and expenses related to operating in additional co-location facilities. However, we expect to continue to benefit from economies of scale as our customers increase the use of our global network and products. We intend to continue to invest additional resources in our global network and products and our customer support organizations as we grow our business. The level and timing of investment in these areas could affect our cost of revenue in the future.
Gross Profit and Gross Margin
42

Gross profit is revenue less cost of revenue and gross margin is gross profit as a percentage of revenue. Our gross profit and gross margin have and are expected to continue to fluctuate from period to period due to the timing of acquisition of new customers and our renewals with existing customers, expenses related to operating in co-location facilities and network and bandwidth costs to operate and expand our global network, and amortization of costs associated with capitalized internal-use software. We expect our gross profit to increase in absolute dollars and our gross margin to remain consistent over the long term, although our gross margin could fluctuate from period to period depending on the interplay of all of these factors.
Operating Expenses
Sales and Marketing
Sales and marketing expenses consist primarily of employee-related costs, including salaries, benefits, and stock-based compensation expense, sales commissions that are recognized as expenses over the period of benefit, marketing programs, certificate authority services costs for free customers, travel-related expenses, bandwidth and co-location costs for free customers, and allocated overhead costs. Sales commissions earned by our sales force and the associated payroll taxes that are direct and incremental to the acquisition of channel partner and direct customer contracts are deferred and amortized over an estimated period of benefit of three years for the initial acquisition of a contract and over the contractual term of the renewals for renewal contracts. We plan to continue to invest in sales and marketing to grow our customer base and increase our brand awareness, including marketing efforts to continue to drive our pay-as-you-go business model. As a result, we expect our sales and marketing expenses to increase in absolute dollars for the foreseeable future. However, we expect our sales and marketing expenses to decrease as a percentage of our revenue over the long term, although our sales and marketing expenses may fluctuate as a percentage of our revenue from period to period due to the timing and extent of these expenses.
Research and Development
Research and development costs consist primarily of employee-related costs, including salaries, benefits, and stock-based compensation expense, consulting costs, depreciation of equipment used in research and development, and allocated overhead costs. Research and development costs support our efforts to add new features to our existing offerings and to ensure the security, performance, and reliability of our global network. We expect our research and development expenses to increase in absolute dollars for the foreseeable future as we continue to invest in research and development efforts to enhance the functionality of our global network and products. We expect our research and development expenses to decrease as a percentage of our revenue over the long term, although our research and development expenses may fluctuate as a percentage of our revenue from period to period due to the timing and extent of these expenses.
General and Administrative
General and administrative expenses consist primarily of employee-related costs, including salaries, benefits, and stock-based compensation expense for our finance, legal, human resources, and other administrative personnel, professional fees for external legal services, accounting, and other consulting services, bad debt expense, and allocated overhead costs. We expect our general and administrative expenses to continue to increase in absolute dollars for the foreseeable future to support our growth as well as due to additional costs associated with legal, accounting, compliance, insurance, investor relations, and other costs as a result of operating as a public company. However, we expect our general and administrative expenses to decrease as a percentage of our revenue over the long term, although our general and administrative expenses may fluctuate as a percentage of our revenue from period to period due to the timing and extent of these expenses.
Non-Operating Income (Expense)
Interest Income
Interest income consists primarily of interest earned on our cash, cash equivalents, and our investment holdings.
Interest Expense
43

Interest expense consists primarily of contractual interest expense and amortization of the debt issuance costs on our 0.75% Convertible Senior Notes due 2025 (the 2025 Notes) and 0% Convertible Senior Notes due 2026 (the 2026 Notes, and together with the 2025 Notes, the Notes).
Loss on Extinguishment of Debt
Loss on extinguishment of debt consists of loss recognized from open market transactions to repurchase approximately $123.0 million in aggregate principal amount of the 2025 Notes for an aggregate of $172.7 million in cash (including accrued interest) (the 2025 Notes Repurchases). Refer to Note 7 to the condensed consolidated financial statements in Part 1, Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for further detail.
Other Income (Expense), Net
Other income (expense), net consists primarily of gain on sale of property and equipment and foreign currency transaction gains and losses.
Provision for (Benefit from) Income Taxes

Provision for (benefit from) income taxes consists primarily of income taxes in certain foreign jurisdictions in which we conduct business, as well as state income taxes in the United States. We have a full valuation allowance on our U.S. federal, U.S. state, and U.K. deferred tax assets as we have concluded that it is more likely than not that the deferred tax assets will not be realized.

Results of Operations
The following tables set forth our condensed consolidated results of operations for the periods presented in dollars and as a percentage of our revenue for those periods:
Three Months Ended
September 30,
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
2023 2022 2023 2022
(dollars in thousands)
Revenue $ 335,603  $ 253,857  $ 934,272  $ 700,541 
Cost of revenue(1)
78,069  61,967  223,722  164,822 
Gross profit 257,534  191,890  710,550  535,719 
Operating expenses:
Sales and marketing(1)
150,214  116,033  433,903  333,712 
Research and development(1)
90,593  76,432  261,742  218,600 
General and administrative(1)
55,939  45,372  157,561  133,919 
Total operating expenses 296,746  237,837  853,206  686,231 
Loss from operations (39,212) (45,947) (142,656) (150,512)
Non-operating income (expense):
Interest income 17,954  3,852  47,977  6,554 
Interest expense (1,138) (1,512) (4,803) (4,109)
Loss on extinguishment of debt —  —  (50,300) — 
Other income (expense), net 115  2,433  (2,269) 2,179 
Total non-operating income (expense), net 16,931  4,773  (9,395) 4,624 
Loss before income taxes (22,281) (41,174) (152,051) (145,888)
Provision for income taxes
1,254  1,372  4,033  1,576 
Net loss $ (23,535) $ (42,546) $ (156,084) $ (147,464)
_______________
44

(1) Includes stock-based compensation expense as follows:
Three Months Ended
September 30,
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
2023 2022 2023 2022
(dollars in thousands)
Cost of revenue $ 2,272  $ 2,046  $ 6,002  $ 5,012 
Sales and marketing 20,160  11,266  54,994  32,401 
Research and development 34,556  28,984  96,944  74,472 
General and administrative 16,784  11,469  41,625  30,660 
Total stock-based compensation expense $ 73,772  $ 53,765  $ 199,565  $ 142,545 

Three Months Ended
September 30,
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
2023 2022 2023 2022
Percentage of Revenue Data:
Revenue
100  % 100  % 100  % 100  %
Cost of revenue 23  24  24  24 
Gross margin
77  76  76  76 
Operating expenses:
Sales and marketing 45  46  46  47 
Research and development 27  30  28  31 
General and administrative 17  18  17  19 
Total operating expenses
89  94  91  97 
Loss from operations
(12) (18) (15) (21)
Non-operating income (expense):
Interest income
Interest expense —  (1) (1) (1)
Loss on extinguishment of debt —  —  (5) — 
Other income (expense), net —  —  — 
Total non-operating income (expense), net
(1) — 
Loss before income taxes
(7) (16) (16) (21)
Provision for income taxes
—  — 
Net loss
(7) % (17) % (17) % (21) %
Comparison of Three and Nine Months Ended September 30, 2023 and 2022
Revenue
Three Months Ended
September 30,
Change Nine Months Ended
September 30,
Change
2023 2022 $ % 2023 2022 $ %
(dollars in thousands)
Revenue $ 335,603  $ 253,857  $ 81,746  32  % $ 934,272  $ 700,541  $ 233,731  33  %
Revenue increased by $81.7 million, or 32%, for the three months ended September 30, 2023, compared to the three months ended September 30, 2022. The increase in revenue was primarily due to the addition of new paying customers, as our number of paying customers increased by 17% for the three months ended September 30, 2023 compared to the three months ended September 30, 2022, as well as the expansion within our existing paying customers, which was reflected by our dollar-based net retention rate of 116% for the three months ended September 30, 2023.
45

Revenue increased by $233.7 million, or 33%, for the nine months ended September 30, 2023, compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2022. The increase in revenue was primarily due to the addition of new paying customers, as our number of paying customers increased by 17% as of September 30, 2023 compared to the prior period ended September 30, 2022, as well as the expansion within our existing paying customers, which was reflected by our dollar-based net retention rate of 116% for the three months ended September 30, 2023.
Cost of Revenue and Gross Margin
Three Months Ended
September 30,
Change Nine Months Ended
September 30,
Change
2023 2022 $ % 2023 2022 $ %
(dollars in thousands)
Cost of revenue $ 78,069  $ 61,967  $ 16,102  26  % $ 223,722  $ 164,822  $ 58,900  36  %
Gross margin 77  % 76  % 76  % 76  %
Cost of revenue increased by $16.1 million, or 26%, for the three months ended September 30, 2023 compared to the three months ended September 30, 2022. The increase in the cost of revenue was primarily due to an increase of $4.3 million in expenses related to operating in co-location facilities and network and bandwidth costs for operating our global network for our expanded customer base, as well as increased capacity to support our growth, an increase of $4.1 million of third-party technology services costs, registry fees, and payment processing fees, an increase of $4.0 million in depreciation expense related to purchases of equipment located in co-location facilities, and an increase of $2.9 million in employee-related costs.
Gross margin did not significantly fluctuate during the three months ended September 30, 2023 as compared to the three months ended September 30, 2022.
Cost of revenue increased by $58.9 million, or 36%, for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2022. The increase in the cost of revenue was primarily due to an increase of $21.0 million in expenses related to operating in co-location facilities and network and bandwidth costs for operating our global network for our expanded customer base, as well as increased capacity to support our growth, an increase of $14.4 million in depreciation expense related to purchases of equipment located in co-location facilities, an increase of $10.5 million of third-party technology services costs, registry fees, and payment processing fees, an increase of $5.8 million in employee-related costs, and an increase of $5.3 million of amortization expense of acquired developed technology and capitalized internal-use software.
Gross margin did not significantly fluctuate during the nine months ended September 30, 2023 as compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2022.
Operating Expenses
Sales and Marketing
Three Months Ended
September 30,
Change Nine Months Ended
September 30,
Change
2023 2022 $ % 2023 2022 $ %
(dollars in thousands)
Sales and marketing $ 150,214  $ 116,033  $ 34,181  29  % $ 433,903  $ 333,712  $ 100,191  30  %
Sales and marketing expenses increased by $34.2 million, or 29%, for the three months ended September 30, 2023 compared to the three months ended September 30, 2022. The increase was primarily driven by $20.8 million in increased employee-related costs due to a 15% increase in headcount in our sales and marketing organization, including an increase of $9.3 million in stock-based compensation expense.
46

The remainder of the increase was primarily due to an increase of $4.3 million in co-location and bandwidth expenses for free customers, an increase of $4.1 million in expenses for marketing programs due to investments in brand awareness advertising, third-party industry events, and digital performance marketing, and an increase of $2.5 million in travel-related expenses.
Sales and marketing expenses increased by $100.2 million, or 30%, for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2022. The increase was primarily driven by $69.7 million in increased employee-related costs due to a 15% increase in headcount in our sales and marketing organization, including an increase of $22.8 million in stock-based compensation expense. The remainder of the increase was primarily due to an increase of $10.4 million in expenses for marketing programs due to investments in brand awareness advertising, third-party industry events, and digital performance marketing, an increase of $7.2 million in co-location and bandwidth expenses for free customers, an increase of $5.1 million in travel-related expenses, an increase of $2.8 million in allocated overhead costs, and an increase of $2.0 million in software subscription costs, cloud computing services, and payment processing fees.
Research and Development
Three Months Ended
September 30,
Change Nine Months Ended
September 30,
Change
2023 2022 $ % 2023 2022 $ %
(dollars in thousands)
Research and development
$ 90,593  $ 76,432  $ 14,161  19  % $ 261,742  $ 218,600  $ 43,142  20  %
Research and development expenses increased by $14.2 million, or 19%, for the three months ended September 30, 2023 compared to the three months ended September 30, 2022. The increase was primarily driven by $12.3 million in increased employee-related costs due to a 6% increase in headcount in our research and development organization, including an increase of $6.4 million in stock-based compensation expense.
Research and development expenses increased by $43.1 million, or 20%, for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2022. The increase was primarily driven by $42.0 million in increased employee-related costs due to a 6% increase in headcount in our research and development organization, including an increase of $24.0 million in stock-based compensation expense.
General and Administrative
Three Months Ended
September 30,
Change Nine Months Ended
September 30,
Change
2023 2022 $ % 2023 2022 $ %
(dollars in thousands)
General and administrative
$ 55,939  $ 45,372  $ 10,567  23  % $ 157,561  $ 133,919  $ 23,642  18  %
General and administrative expenses increased by $10.6 million, or 23%, for the three months ended September 30, 2023 compared to the three months ended September 30, 2022. The increase was primarily driven by $7.6 million in increased employee-related costs due to a 8% increase in headcount in our general and administrative organization, including an increase of $5.6 million in stock-based compensation expense.
General and administrative expenses increased by $23.6 million, or 18%, for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2022. The increase was primarily driven by $20.0 million in increased employee-related costs due to a 8% increase in headcount in our general and administrative organization, including an increase of $12.9 million in stock-based compensation expense.
47

Non-Operating Income (Expense)
Interest Income
Three Months Ended
September 30,
Change Nine Months Ended
September 30,
Change
2023 2022 $ % 2023 2022 $ %
(dollars in thousands)
Interest income $ 17,954  $ 3,852  $ 14,102  * $ 47,977  $ 6,554  $ 41,423  *
______________
* Not meaningful
Interest income increased by $14.1 million and $41.4 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, respectively, compared to the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022, respectively. The increase was primarily driven by an increase in interest rates.
Interest Expense
Three Months Ended
September 30,
Change Nine Months Ended
September 30,
Change
2023 2022 $ % 2023 2022 $ %
(dollars in thousands)
Interest expense $ (1,138) $ (1,512) $ 374  (25) % $ (4,803) $ (4,109) $ (694) 17  %
Interest expense did not significantly fluctuate during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, as compared to the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022.
Loss on Extinguishment of Debt
Three Months Ended
September 30,
Change Nine Months Ended
September 30,
Change
2023 2022 $ % 2023 2022 $ %
(dollars in thousands)
Loss on extinguishment of debt $ —  $ —  $ —  * $ (50,300) $ —  $ (50,300) *
______________
* Not meaningful
Loss on extinguishment of debt increased by $50.3 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2023, compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2022. The increase was driven by the loss on extinguishment of debt we recognized in connection with the 2025 Notes Repurchases. Refer to Note 7 to the condensed consolidated financial statements in Part 1, Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
Other Income (Expense), net
Three Months Ended
September 30,
Change Nine Months Ended
September 30,
Change
2023 2022 $ % 2023 2022 $ %
(dollars in thousands)
Other income (expense), net
$ 115  $ 2,433  $ (2,318) * $ (2,269) $ 2,179  $ (4,448) *
______________
* Not meaningful
Other income (expense), net did not significantly fluctuate for the three months ended September 30, 2023 compared to the three months ended September 30, 2022.
48

Other income (expense), net decreased by $4.4 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2022. The decrease was primarily driven by changes in foreign currency exchange rates.
Provision for Income Taxes
Three Months Ended
September 30,
Change Nine Months Ended
September 30,
Change
2023 2022 $ % 2023 2022 $ %
(dollars in thousands)
Provision for income taxes
$ 1,254  $ 1,372  $ (118) * $ 4,033  $ 1,576  $ 2,457  *
_______________
* Not meaningful

The net change in income taxes for the three months ended September 30, 2023 compared to the three months ended September 30, 2022 is $0.1 million. The income tax expense of $1.3 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023 was primarily related to withholding taxes in the United States and income tax expense from profitable foreign jurisdictions. The income tax expense of $1.4 million for the three months ended September 30, 2022 was primarily related to withholding taxes in the United States and income tax expense from profitable foreign jurisdictions.
The net change in income taxes for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2022 is $2.5 million. The income tax expense of $4.0 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 was primarily related to withholding taxes in the United States and income tax expense from profitable foreign jurisdictions. The income tax expense of $1.6 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 was primarily related to withholding taxes in the United States and income tax expense from profitable foreign jurisdictions, offset by the partial release of the U.S. valuation allowance in connection with acquisitions.

49

Liquidity and Capital Resources
Since our inception, we have financed our operations primarily through net proceeds from the sale of our equity and debt securities, as well as payments received from customers using our global network and products, and we expect to continue to finance our operations using the same sources for the foreseeable future. In May 2020, we issued $575.0 million aggregate principal amount of the 2025 Notes in a private offering to qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A promulgated under the Securities Act, from which we received total proceeds, net of initial purchaser discounts and commissions and debt issuance costs, of $562.5 million. In August 2021, we issued $1,293.8 million aggregate principal amount of the 2026 Notes in a private offering to qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A promulgated under the Securities Act, from which we received total proceeds, net of initial purchaser discounts and commissions and debt issuance costs of $1,274.0 million. Concurrently with the completion of the offering of the 2026 Notes, we also entered into privately-negotiated exchange agreements with certain holders of the 2025 Notes to exchange approximately $400 million in aggregate principal amount of the 2025 Notes for an aggregate of $400.7 million in cash (including accrued interest) and approximately 7.6 million shares of our Class A common stock. During the three months ended June 30, 2023, we repurchased approximately $123.0 million in aggregate principal amount of the 2025 Notes for $172.7 million in cash (including accrued interest). During the three months ended September 30, 2023, we settled conversions of the remaining $35.4 million aggregated principal amount outstanding of the 2025 Notes in a combination of $35.4 million cash and approximately 0.5 million shares of our Class A common stock.
As of September 30, 2023, we had cash and cash equivalents of $94.1 million, including $23.9 million held by our foreign subsidiaries. Our cash and cash equivalents primarily consist of cash and highly liquid money market funds. We also had available-for-sale securities of $1,480.2 million consisting of U.S. treasury securities, commercial paper, and corporate bonds. As of September 30, 2023, our investment portfolio consisted of investment grade securities with an average credit rating of AA+. We have generated significant operating losses from our operations as reflected in our accumulated deficit of $996.0 million as of September 30, 2023. We expect to continue to incur operating losses and cash flow that may fluctuate between positive and negative for the foreseeable future due to the investments we intend to make in our business, and as a result we may require additional capital resources to execute on our strategic initiatives to grow our business.
We believe that our existing cash, cash equivalents, and available-for-sale securities will be sufficient to meet our working capital and capital expenditure needs for at least the next 12 months. For the period beyond the next 12 months, we believe we will be able to meet our working capital and capital expenditure needs from our existing cash, cash equivalents, and available-for-sale-securities, the cash flows from our operating activities and, if necessary, proceeds from potential equity or debt financings. Our assessments of the period of time through which our existing financial resources will be adequate to support our operations and our expected sources of capital for the future operation of our business after such period of time are forward-looking statements and involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could vary as a result of, and our near- and long-term future capital requirements will depend on, many factors, including our growth rate, subscription renewal activity, the timing and extent of spending to support our infrastructure and research and development efforts, the expansion of sales and marketing activities, the timing of new introductions of products or features, the continuing market adoption of our global network and products, and the impact of macroeconomic conditions to our and our customers', vendors', and partners' businesses. We may in the future enter into arrangements to acquire or invest in complementary businesses, services and technologies, including intellectual property rights, and such acquisitions and investments could increase our need for additional capital. We have based our estimates on assumptions that may prove to be wrong, and we could use our available capital resources sooner than we currently expect. Additionally, some of the factors that may influence our operations are not within our control, such as general economic conditions. We may be required to seek additional equity or debt financing from time to time in the future. In the event that additional financing is required from outside sources, we may not be able to raise it on terms acceptable to us or at all. If we are unable to raise additional capital when desired, or if we cannot expand our operations or otherwise capitalize on our business opportunities because we lack sufficient capital, our business, operating results, and financial condition would be adversely affected.
As of September 30, 2023, our material cash requirements include contractual obligations from the 2026 Notes, purchase commitments and lease obligations. Refer to Notes 6, 7, and 8 to the condensed consolidated financial statements in Part I, Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for more information regarding these material cash requirements.
50

In addition to the contractual obligations described above, as of September 30, 2023, we had $3.5 million recognized as total restricted cash on our condensed consolidated balance sheets which mainly related to irrevocable standby letters of credit and bank guarantees required under lease agreements.
Cash Flows
The following table summarizes our cash flows for the periods presented:
  Nine Months Ended September 30,
  2023 2022
  (in thousands)
Net cash provided by operating activities $ 168,965  $ 45,472 
Net cash used in investing activities
$ (84,554) $ (215,740)
Net cash used in financing activities $ (201,975) $ (1,672)
Operating Activities
Net cash provided by operating activities during the nine months ended September 30, 2023 was $169.0 million, which resulted from a net loss of $156.1 million, adjusted for non-cash charges of $409.3 million and net cash outflow of $84.3 million from changes in operating assets and liabilities. Non-cash charges primarily consisted of $199.6 million for stock-based compensation expense, $99.6 million for depreciation and amortization expense, $50.3 million for loss on extinguishment of debt, $44.8 million for amortization of deferred contract acquisition costs, $32.9 million for non-cash operating lease costs, $9.5 million for provision of bad debt, and $3.5 million for amortization of convertible note issuance costs, which were partially offset by $31.0 million for net accretion of discounts. The net cash outflow from changes in operating assets and liabilities were primarily the result of a $66.8 million increase in deferred contract acquisition costs due to the addition of new customers, a $60.5 million increase in accounts receivable, net, which increased due to our growing customer base and timing of collections from our customers, $31.1 million in payments related to operating lease liabilities, a $17.1 million increase in prepaid expenses and other current assets related to operating activities, and a $3.4 million increase in contract assets, which were partially offset by a $81.1 million increase in deferred revenue, a $8.4 million increase in accrued expenses and other current liabilities related to operating activities and a $5.3 million increase in accounts payable related to operating activities.
Net cash provided by operating activities during the nine months ended September 30, 2022 was $45.5 million, which resulted from a net loss of $147.5 million, adjusted for non-cash charges of $283.5 million and net cash outflow of $90.6 million from changes in operating assets and liabilities. Non-cash charges primarily consisted of $142.5 million for stock-based compensation expense, $72.7 million for depreciation and amortization expense, $32.0 million for amortization of deferred contract acquisition costs, $27.0 million for non-cash operating lease costs, $3.7 million for net accretion of discounts and amortization of premiums on available-for-sale securities, $3.5 million for amortization of convertible note issuance costs and $3.1 million for provision of bad debt, which were partially offset by $1.6 million for deferred income taxes. The net cash outflow from changes in operating assets and liabilities were primarily the result of a $49.0 million increase in deferred contract acquisition costs due to the addition of new customers, a $32.8 million increase in accounts receivable, net, which increased due to our growing customer base and timing of collections from our customers, a $31.3 million decrease in operating lease liabilities, a $23.6 million decrease in accrued expenses and other current liabilities, a $7.4 million increase in prepaid expenses and other assets, and a $1.1 million increase in contract assets, which were partially offset by a $51.9 million increase in deferred revenue and a $1.4 million increase in other noncurrent assets.
Investing Activities
Net cash used in investing activities during the nine months ended September 30, 2023 of $84.6 million resulted primarily from the purchases of available-for-sale securities of $1,293.0 million, capital expenditures of $83.6 million, and capitalization of internal-use software development costs of $16.6 million, which were partially offset by the maturities of available-for-sale securities of $1,288.4 million and the sales of available-for-sale securities of $20.2 million.
Net cash used in investing activities during the nine months ended September 30, 2022 of $215.7 million resulted primarily from the purchases of available-for-sale securities of $755.1 million, capital expenditures of $103.5 million, cash paid for acquisitions, net of cash acquired of $88.2 million, and capitalization of internal-use software development costs of $15.4 million, which was partially offset by the maturities of available-for-sale securities of $746.4 million.
51

Financing Activities
Net cash used in financing activities of $202.0 million during the nine months ended September 30, 2023 was primarily due to $207.6 million of repayments of the 2025 Notes, $10.5 million of payments of indemnity holdback, and $5.6 million of payments of tax withholding on RSU settlements, which were partially offset by $11.4 million of proceeds from the exercise of vested stock options and $10.5 million of proceeds from the issuance of Class A common stock under the 2019 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP).
Net cash used in financing activities of $1.7 million during the nine months ended September 30, 2022 was primarily due to $16.6 million of repayments of the 2025 Notes, and $2.0 million payment of tax withholding on RSU settlements, which were partially offset by $8.7 million proceeds from the issuance of Class A common stock under the ESPP, and $8.2 million of proceeds from the exercise of vested and unvested stock options.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
As of September 30, 2023, we did not have any relationships with unconsolidated organizations or financial partnerships, such as structured finance or special purpose entities, which would have been established for the purpose of facilitating off-balance sheet arrangements or other contractually narrow or limited purposes.
Critical Accounting Estimates
Our condensed consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The preparation of these condensed consolidated financial statements requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue and expenses, and related disclosures. Such estimates include, but are not limited to, allowance for doubtful accounts, deferred contract acquisitions costs, the period of benefit generated from the deferred contract acquisition costs, the capitalization and estimated useful life of internal-use software, valuation of acquired intangible assets, the assessment of recoverability of intangible assets and their estimated useful lives, useful lives of property and equipment, the determination of the incremental borrowing rate used for operating lease liabilities, the valuation and recognition of stock-based compensation awards, uncertain tax positions, and the recognition and measurement of current and deferred income tax assets and liabilities. None of these estimates are critical accounting estimates for the preparation of our consolidated financial statements. Our estimates are based on historical experience and various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances, and we evaluate our estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis. Due in part to the Hamas-Israel and Russia-Ukraine conflicts, and other geopolitical and macroeconomic conditions, there is ongoing uncertainty and significant disruption in the global economy and financial markets. We are not aware of any specific event or circumstance that would require an update to our estimates or assumptions or a revision of the carrying value of assets or liabilities as of November 2, 2023, the date of issuance of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. These estimates and assumptions may change in the future, however, as new events occur and additional information is obtained. Our actual results could differ from these estimates.
Our significant accounting policies are discussed in Note 2 to our consolidated financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022. There have been no significant changes to these policies for the nine months ended September 30, 2023.
Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements
Refer to Note 2 to the condensed consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for more information regarding recently issued accounting pronouncements.
Item 3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
We have operations in the United States and internationally, and we are exposed to market risk in the ordinary course of our business.
52

Interest Rate Risk
In August 2021, we issued $1,293.8 million in aggregate principal amount of the 2026 Notes. The 2026 Notes do not have regularly scheduled interest payments; therefore, we do not have economic interest rate exposure on the 2026 Notes. We carry the 2026 Notes at face value less the unamortized issuance costs on our condensed consolidated balance sheets. Generally, the fair market value of the 2026 Notes will increase as interest rates decline and decrease as interest rates rise. In addition, the fair market value of the 2026 Notes fluctuates when the market price of our Class A common stock fluctuates.
In May 2020, we issued $575.0 million in aggregate principal amount of the 2025 Notes. In August 2021, we entered into privately-negotiated exchange agreements with certain holders of the 2025 Notes to exchange approximately $400 million in aggregate principal amount of the 2025 Notes for an aggregate of $400.7 million in cash (including accrued interest) and approximately 7.6 million shares of our Class A common stock. During the three months ended June 30, 2023, we repurchased approximately $123.0 million in aggregate principal amount of the 2025 Notes for $172.7 million in cash (including accrued interest of $0.5 million). During the three months ended September 30, 2023, we paid approximately $35.4 million in cash and delivered approximately 0.5 million shares of our Class A common stock to settle the conversion of approximately $35.4 million aggregate principal amount of the 2025 Notes. Subsequent to the conversion, none of the 2025 Notes remain outstanding.
As of September 30, 2023, we had cash and cash equivalents of $94.1 million and available-for-sale securities of $1,480.2 million. The carrying amount of our cash equivalents approximates fair value, due to the short maturities of these instruments. The primary objectives of our investment activities are the preservation of capital, the fulfillment of liquidity needs, and the fiduciary control of cash and investments. Our available-for-sale securities are held for capital preservation purposes. We do not enter into investments for trading or speculative purposes.
Our cash equivalents and our investment portfolio are subject to market risk due to fluctuations in interest rates. Our future investment income may fall short of our expectations due to changes in interest rates or we may suffer losses in principal if we are forced to sell securities that decline in market value due to changes in interest rates. However, because we classify our securities as “available-for-sale,” no gains or losses are recognized due to changes in interest rates unless such securities are sold prior to maturity or declines in fair value are determined to be other-than-temporary.
A sensitivity analysis performed on our investment portfolio indicated that a hypothetical 1% increase or decrease in interest rates would have resulted in a decrease of $7.7 million or an increase of $7.7 million in the market value of our investments in available-for-sale securities as of September 30, 2023.
Foreign Currency Risk
The functional currency of our foreign subsidiaries is the U.S. dollar and our results of operations and cash flows are subject to fluctuations due to changes in foreign currency exchange rates relative to the U.S. dollar. The majority of our revenue is denominated in U.S. dollars. Our expenses are generally denominated in the currencies of the countries in which our operations are located and are subject to fluctuations due to changes in foreign currency exchange rates, particularly changes in the British Pound, Euro, and Singapore Dollar. As exchange rates may fluctuate significantly between periods, revenue and operating expenses, when converted into U.S. dollars, may also experience significant fluctuations between periods. During the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, a hypothetical 10% change in foreign currency exchange rates applicable to our business would not have had a material impact on our condensed consolidated financial statements. To date, we have not had a formal hedging program with respect to foreign currency, but we may do so in the future if our exposure to foreign currency should become more significant.
Inflation Risk
We do not believe that inflation has had a material effect on our business, results of operations, or financial condition. Nonetheless, if our costs in connection with the operation of our business were to become subject to significant inflationary pressures, we may not be able to fully offset such higher costs through price increases. Our inability or failure to do so could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Item 4. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
53

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Our disclosure controls and procedures are designed to ensure that information we are required to disclose in reports that we file or submit under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act) is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified in SEC rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Our management, with the participation and supervision of our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer, have evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act) as of the end of the period covered by this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Based on such evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that as of such date, our disclosure controls and procedures were, in design and operation, effective at a reasonable assurance level.
Changes in Internal Controls Over Financial Reporting
There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting identified in connection with the evaluation required by Rule 13a-15(d) and 15d-15(d) of the Exchange Act that occurred during the period covered by this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
Inherent Limitations on the Effectiveness of Controls
The effectiveness of any system of internal control over financial reporting, including ours, is subject to inherent limitations, including the exercise of judgment in designing, implementing, operating, and evaluating the controls and procedures, and the inability to eliminate misconduct completely. Accordingly, in designing and evaluating the disclosure controls and procedures, management recognizes that any system of internal control over financial reporting, including ours, no matter how well designed and operated, can only provide reasonable, not absolute assurance of achieving the desired control objectives. In addition, the design of disclosure controls and procedures must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints and that management is required to apply its judgment in evaluating the benefits of possible controls and procedures relative to their costs. Moreover, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate. We intend to continue to monitor and upgrade our internal controls as necessary or appropriate for our business but cannot assure you that such improvements will be sufficient to provide us with effective internal control over financial reporting.
54

PART II - OTHER INFORMATION

Item 1. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
From time to time we are subject to legal proceedings and claims arising in the ordinary course of business. We are not presently a party to any legal proceeding that we believe is likely to have a material impact on our business, results of operations, or financial condition.
Future litigation may be necessary, among other things, to defend ourselves or our customers by determining the scope, enforceability, and validity of third-party proprietary rights or to establish our proprietary rights. The results of any litigation cannot be predicted with certainty, particularly in the areas of unsettled and evolving law in which we operate, and an unfavorable resolution in any legal proceedings could materially affect our future business, results of operations, or financial condition. Regardless of the outcome, litigation can have an adverse impact on us because of defense and settlement costs, diversion of management resources, and other factors. For additional information, see "Risk Factors - Activities of our paying and free customers or the content of their websites and other Internet properties may violate applicable laws and/or our terms of service and could subject us to lawsuits, regulatory enforcement actions, and/or liability in various jurisdictions" and "We are currently, and may be in the future, party to intellectual property rights claims and other litigation matters that, if resolved adversely, could have a material impact on our business, results of operations, or financial condition" and Note 8 to the condensed consolidated financial statements included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
Item 1A. RISK FACTORS

Our business involves significant risks, some of which are described below. You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described below, together with all of the other information in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, including the section titled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and our condensed consolidated financial statements and related notes. Any of the following risks could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, or prospects, and could cause the trading price of our Class A common stock to decline. Our business, results of operations, financial condition, or prospects could also be harmed by risks and uncertainties that are not presently known to us or that we currently believe are not material. In that event, the market price of our Class A common stock could decline, and you could lose part or all of your investment. Our Risk Factors are not guarantees that no such conditions exist as of the date of this report and should not be interpreted as an affirmative statement that such risks or conditions have not materialized, in whole or in part.
Risks Related to Our Business and Our Industry
We have a history of net losses and may not be able to achieve or sustain profitability in the future.
We have incurred net losses in all periods since we began operations and we may not achieve or maintain profitability in the future. We experienced net losses of $23.5 million and $42.5 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively, and $156.1 million and $147.5 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively, and as of September 30, 2023, we had an accumulated deficit of $996.0 million. Because the markets for our products are rapidly evolving, it is difficult for us to predict our future results of operations. We expect our operating expenses to increase over the next several years as we continue to hire additional personnel, expand our operations and infrastructure both domestically and internationally, and continue to develop our products. If we fail to increase our revenue to offset the increases in our operating expenses, we may not achieve or sustain profitability in the future.
We have experienced rapid revenue growth, which may not be indicative of our future performance.
We have experienced rapid revenue growth in recent periods, with revenue of $335.6 million and $253.9 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively, and $934.3 million and $700.5 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively. However, our rate of revenue growth has slowed in recent periods and may continue to slow in future periods. You should not consider our recent growth in revenue as indicative of our future performance. In particular, our revenue growth rates may continue to slow or decline in the future and may not be sufficient to achieve and sustain profitability, as we also expect our costs to increase in future periods.
55

We believe that historical comparisons of our revenue may not be meaningful and should not be relied upon as an indication of future performance. Accordingly, you should not rely on our revenue and other growth for any prior quarter or year as an indication of our future revenue or revenue growth.
Our historical rapid growth and fluctuations in our growth rate more recently may also make it difficult to evaluate our future prospects. Our ability to forecast our future results of operations is subject to a number of uncertainties, including our ability to effectively plan for and model future growth. If we fail to achieve the necessary level of efficiency in our organization as it grows, or if we are not able to accurately forecast future growth, our business, results of operations, and financial condition could be harmed.
Adverse economic conditions, including reduced spending on products and solutions for network security, performance, and reliability, may adversely impact our revenue and profitability.
Our operations and financial performance depend in part on worldwide economic conditions and the impact these conditions have on levels of spending on products and solutions for network security, performance, and reliability. Our business depends on the overall demand for these products and on the economic health and general willingness of our current and prospective customers to purchase our products.
The United States, Europe, and the United Kingdom have experienced historically high levels of inflation over approximately the past two years. Although inflation levels have recently decreased in the United States and Eurozone, the U.S. Federal Reserve, the European Central Bank, and the Bank of England have raised, and may continue to raise, interest rates and implement fiscal policy interventions. Even if these interventions lower inflation, they may also reduce economic growth rates, create a recession, and result in other similar or unexpected effects. For example, the decrease in values of government-issued securities resulting from higher interest rates played a significant role in the failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank during the first quarter of 2023, the circumstances resulting in the UBS takeover of Credit Suisse during the second quarter of 2023, and generalized uncertainty confronting a number of other financial institutions.
Downturns in economic conditions - including inflation, rising interest rates, reductions in business confidence and activity, the curtailment of government or corporate spending, volatile financial markets, the actual or perceived failure or financial difficulties of additional financial institutions, ongoing supply chain disruptions, and reduced demand for products and services across a variety of industries - have in the past and may in the future affect our business and our current and prospective customers and their industries adversely. For example, during an economic downturn, our current and prospective customers may suffer from reduced operating budgets. Some of our paying customers may view a subscription to our products as a discretionary purchase and may reduce their discretionary spending on our products or reduce or cut their budget to otherwise expand their subscriptions to our products. Moreover, our competitors may respond to market conditions by lowering prices and attempting to lure away our customers.
Further, the sales cycle for new customers of our technology and services could lengthen in the future as a result of challenging macroeconomic conditions, resulting in a potentially longer delay between increasing operating expenses and the generation of corresponding revenue, if any. For example, potentially as a result of these various macroeconomic impacts on our customers, since the first half of 2022, we periodically have experienced lengthening of the average sales cycles for certain types of customers and sales, slowdowns in our pipeline of potential new customers and in the rate of converting sales pipeline opportunities into new sales, increases in average days sales outstanding, higher levels of churn in our paying customer base (which is when any of our paying customers cease to be a paying customer for any reason, including any pay-as-you-go customer converting to a free subscription plan), and lengthening of the timing of payment from some of our customers, all of which may have contributed to a slowdown in our revenue growth over that period (including with respect to new customers). We may also experience increases in new and existing customers requesting concessions in terms of payment amounts and/or timing and earlier or additional termination rights in the future as the challenging macroeconomic conditions continue or worsen.
We continue to monitor economic conditions to assess possible implications to our business and to take appropriate actions in an effort to mitigate the adverse consequences of uncertainty or negative trends. However, there can be no assurances that initiatives we undertake will be sufficient or successful. If there is an economic downturn that affects our current and prospective customers, or if we are unable to address and mitigate the risks associated with any of the foregoing, our business, results of operations and financial condition could be adversely affected.
56

The Hamas-Israel and Russia-Ukraine conflicts, other areas of geopolitical tension around the world, or the worsening of those conflicts or tensions, and any related challenging macroeconomic conditions globally and in various countries in which we and our customers operate may materially adversely affect our customers, vendors, and partners, and the duration and extent to which these factors may impact our future business and operations, results of operations, financial condition, and cash flows remain uncertain.
The Hamas-Israel and Russia-Ukraine conflicts, or other areas of geopolitical tension around the world, or any worsening of those conflicts or geopolitical tensions, and any related challenging macroeconomic conditions globally, could decrease the spending of our existing and potential new customers, adversely affect demand for our products, cause one or more of our customers, vendors, and partners to file for bankruptcy protection or go out of business, cause one or more of our customers to fail to renew, terminate, or seek to renegotiate their contracts with us, affect the ability of our sales team to travel to potential customers, impact expected spending from existing and potential new customers, and negatively impact collections of accounts receivable, all of which could adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Any of the negative impacts of the Hamas-Israel and Russia-Ukraine conflicts, other areas of geopolitical tension around the world, or any worsening of those conflicts or geopolitical tensions, and any related challenging macroeconomic conditions, may have a material adverse effect on our business and operations, results of operations, financial condition, and cash flows. Any of these negative impacts, alone or in combination with others, also could exacerbate many of the other risk factors discussed in this Part II, Item 1A “Risk Factors” of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, including volatility in the trading prices of our Class A common stock. The full extent to which these factors will negatively affect our business and operations, results of operations, financial condition, and cash flows will depend on future developments that are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including the scope, severity, and duration of the Hamas-Israel and Russia-Ukraine conflicts, other areas of geopolitical tension around the world, and any economic downturns and the actions taken by governmental authorities and other third parties in response.
If we are unable to attract new paying and free customers, our future results of operations could be harmed.
The success of our business principally depends on our ability to attract new paying and free customers. To do so, we must persuade decision makers at potential customers that our products offer significant advantages over those of our competitors. Other factors, many of which are out of our control, may now or in the future impact our ability to add new paying and free customers, including:
•potential customers’ commitments to existing equipment or vendors;
•potential customers’ greater familiarity and/or comfort with on-premises, appliance-based products and concerns about potential risks associated with using cloud-based solutions;
•actual or perceived switching costs;
•our failure to develop new products and features, and to adapt to technological developments, that our potential customers' demand, including potential large customers;
•the failure of our new or existing products and features to perform in the manner demanded or expected by potential customers and our existing customers, particularly large customers;
•delays in the general availability release of products and features after we have announced their development or beta availability;
•our failure to generate demand for our products through effective marketing efforts related to our business and products;
•our failure to obtain additional, or maintain existing, government or industry security certifications for our network and products, such as the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) moderate authorization that we achieved in 2022;
•negative media, industry, or financial analyst commentary regarding our products and our network and the identities and activities of some of our paying and free customers;
57

•the adoption of new, or amendment of existing, laws, rules, or regulations that negatively impact the utility of, or increase the risk of using, cloud-based solutions generally or our network and products specifically, including changes in new or modified laws and regulations relating to privacy, data protection, and information security;
•our failure to effectively recruit, expand, develop, retain, and motivate our sales and marketing personnel;
•our failure to develop or expand relationships with existing channel partners or to attract new channel partners;
•our failure to help or provide support to our customers, particularly large customers, in order to successfully deploy and use our products in a manner required by them, their industry, or applicable regulators;
•our failure to educate our customers about our network and products;
•the perceived risk, commencement, or outcome of litigation;
•deteriorating general economic conditions, including inflation, rising interest rates, and the actual or perceived failure or financial difficulties of financial institutions; and
•impacts of the Hamas-Israel and Russia-Ukraine conflicts or other areas of geopolitical tension around the world, or any worsening of those conflicts or geopolitical tensions.
We believe that the importance of brand recognition for attracting new customers will increase as we introduce new products and continue to expand into new markets. However, the promotion of our brand may require substantial expenditures. We have invested, and expect to continue to invest, substantial resources to increase our brand awareness, both generally and in specific geographies and to specific customer groups. There can be no assurance that our brand development strategies and investment of resources will enhance recognition of our brand or lead to an increased customer base.
If our efforts to attract new paying customers are not successful, our revenue and rate of revenue growth may decline, we may not achieve profitability, and our future results of operations could be materially harmed. If our efforts to attract new free customers are not successful, the benefits to our network and product development cycles from our strategy of providing a free subscription plan will be diminished.
Our business depends on our ability to retain and upgrade paying customers, expand the number of products we sell to paying customers, and, to a lesser extent, convert free customers to paying customers, and any decline in renewals, upgrades, expansions, or conversions could adversely affect our future results of operations.
Our business is subscription-based and it is important for our business and financial results that our paying customers renew their subscriptions for our products when existing contract terms expire. Our pay-as-you-go customers pay with a credit card on a monthly basis and can terminate their subscriptions, or switch to less expensive subscription plans, at will with little advance notice. Because pay-as-you-go customers that subscribe to our basic subscription plans are an important source of revenue, this ease of termination could cause our results of operations to fluctuate significantly from quarter to quarter. Our contracted customers, which consist of customers that sign up for our Enterprise plan, enter into longer term agreements typically ranging from one to three years, and they generally have no obligation to renew their subscriptions for our products after the expiration of their contractual period and are allowed to cancel their subscriptions in the case of our uncured material breach of the agreement. Some contracted customers also have agreements that allow them to terminate the agreement without cause upon little or no advance written notice, or upon our failure to meet certain service level commitments, or to obtain and maintain industry security certifications within a specified time frame. Should certain of our contracted customers, especially our large customers, terminate their agreements, or reduce their expenditures, with us, our financial condition and results of operations may materially suffer. In addition, as we continue to increase our number of large customers, and the amount of revenue we receive from large customers, this risk may increase.
Due to our varied customer base and short average subscription periods, it is difficult to accurately predict our long-term customer retention rate. Our customer retention may decline or fluctuate as a result of a number of factors, including our customers’ satisfaction with the security, performance, and reliability of our products and our global network, our development and general availability release of new products and features and adaptation to technological developments, our prices and subscription plans, our ability to provide adequate customer support or otherwise address customer concerns with our products, our customers’ budgetary restrictions (including reductions in spending as a result of uncertain economic conditions or overall industry uncertainty), mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and business partnerships and relationships involving our customers, failure or bankruptcy of our customers, the perception that competitive products provide better or less expensive options, negative public perception of us or our free and paying customers, concerns about new or amended laws, rules, or regulations that increase the risk of using cloud-based solutions or our network and products specifically, and deteriorating general economic conditions.
58

Our future financial performance also depends in part on our ability to continue to upgrade paying customers to higher-tier subscriptions, expand the number of products we sell to paying customers, and, to a lesser extent, to convert free customers into paying customers. Conversely, our paying customers may convert to lower-cost or free plans or reduce the number of products they purchase from us if they do not see the marginal value in paying for our higher-cost plans or for our specific products, or due to challenging macroeconomic conditions and/or reduced operating budgets, thereby impacting our ability to increase revenue. For example, during the second and third quarters of 2022, we experienced a higher level of churn in our paying customer base (which is when any of our paying customers cease to be a paying customer for any reason, including any pay-as-you-go customer converting to a free subscription plan). Moreover, our free customers have no obligation to transition to paying customers at any point. In order to expand our commercial relationship with our customers, existing paying and free customers must decide that the incremental cost associated with such an upgrade in their subscription plans, the purchase of additional, or the expanded use of their currently used, products is justified by the additional functionality they would gain. For example, some of our paying customers may decide that our Enterprise plan offerings do not provide sufficient incremental value to upgrade from our pay-as-you-go offering or to continue any such previously chosen upgrade. Our customers’ decisions whether to upgrade their subscription, purchase additional, or expand current usage, of our products or to continue any such previously chosen upgrade or purchased products are driven by a number of factors, including customer satisfaction with the security, performance, and reliability of our network and products, customer security and networking issues and requirements, general economic conditions, and customer reaction to the price for additional products. If our efforts to expand our relationship with our existing paying and free customers are not successful, our financial condition and results of operations may materially suffer.
If we are unable to effectively attract, expand, and retain sales to large customers, or we fail to mitigate the additional risks associated with serving large customers, our business, results of operation, and financial condition may suffer.
Our growth strategy is dependent, in large part, upon attracting, expanding, and retaining sales to large customers. For our definition of “large customers,” see Part I, Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations. Attracting, expanding, and retaining sales to large customers involve risks that may not be present, or that are present to a lesser extent, with sales to smaller customers, including:
•competition from companies that traditionally target larger enterprises and that may have pre-existing relationships or purchase commitments from such larger enterprise customers, including companies that seek to bundle sales of their new or existing products that are competitive to our products, or that may have more experienced sales personnel or greater budgetary resources available or committed to such larger enterprise customers;
•longer evaluation periods, more detailed evaluations, and more cumbersome contract negotiation and approval processes, including potential requirements for such purchasing decisions to be approved by senior executives of such companies;
•increased purchasing power and leverage in negotiating pricing terms and other contractual arrangements with us;
•requirements for more technically complex configurations, integrations, deployments, or features;
•greater customer support or assistance with migrating their systems from another vendor to our network and products;
•more stringent requirements in terms of the security, performance, and reliability of our products and our network and our support and compliance obligations related to our products;
•increased usage of our global network that may require us to incur greater network infrastructure expenditures; and
59

•longer sales cycles and the associated risk that substantial time and resources may be spent on a potential customer that elects not to purchase, expand, or continue to purchase our products.
Historically, the implementation period to start using, or expanding the use of, our products has been short, with most customers under our pay-as-you-go plans implementing usage of our products within a matter of minutes and our sales cycle for customers under our Enterprise plan lasted less than one quarter. Since the first half of 2022, however, we have experienced periodic lengthening of our average sales cycle for our new and existing large customers, and the lengthening of our sales cycle to our large customers could continue in the future to the extent that macroeconomic conditions further deteriorate. In addition, as our sales force continues to target an increasing number of large customers for new and expanded product sales, these larger enterprises often undertake a more significant evaluation and negotiation processes than we have experienced in the past, which could further lengthen our sales cycle materially.
In addition, our sales efforts typically involve educating our prospective large customers about the uses, benefits, and value proposition of our network and products. Our sales force develops relationships directly with our customers and our channel partners through account penetration, account coordination, sales, and overall market development. Potential large customers often view the subscription to our products, including any expansion of those subscriptions, as a significant strategic decision and, as a result, in some cases require considerable time to evaluate, test, and qualify our network and products prior to entering into or expanding a relationship with us. As a result, we spend substantial time and resources on our sales efforts without any assurance that our efforts will produce a sale. Subscriptions to our products, including expanded subscriptions, often are subject to budget constraints, multiple approvals, and unanticipated administrative, processing, and other delays. In addition, some of our subscription agreements with our large customers may have more favorable early termination rights, greater usage-based pricing than is the case with our customary subscription-based agreements with our contracted customers and our pay-as-you-go customers, or generate lower margins than other contracted customers. As a result, it is difficult to predict whether or when a sale to a prospective large customer will be completed, how much incremental revenue or gross profit will result from such sales over the duration of the agreement, and when revenue from a subscription will be recognized or will cease.
Further, our ability to improve our sales of products to large customers is dependent on us continuing to attract and retain sales personnel with experience in selling to larger enterprises. Also, because security breaches or a network outage with respect to larger, high-profile enterprises are likely to be heavily publicized, there is increased liability and reputational risks associated with serving these customers if we experience a security breach or network outage. We also believe that large customers may be more likely than our smaller customers to terminate or reduce their usage of our products in such circumstances.
Once we begin selling to a large customer or expand our sales to a large customer, if we fail to retain the large customer or to retain the same amount of sales to the large customer, then the adverse impact on our result of operations and financial conditions could be significant during any specific quarter and could also result in potentially greater and unexpected variability in our results of operations and financial condition from quarter to quarter.
Activities of our paying and free customers or the content of their websites or other Internet properties, as well as our response to those activities, could cause us to experience significant adverse political, business, and reputational consequences with customers, employees, suppliers, government entities, and others.
Activities of our paying and free customers or the content of their websites and other Internet properties could cause us to experience significant adverse political, business, and reputational consequences with customers, employees, suppliers, government entities, and other third parties. Even if we comply with legal obligations to remove or disable customer content, we may maintain relationships with customers that others find hostile, offensive, or inappropriate. For example, we experienced significant negative publicity in connection with the use of our network by The Daily Stormer, a neo-Nazi, white supremacist website, around the time of the 2017 protests in Charlottesville, Virginia. We also received negative publicity in connection with the use of our network by 8chan, a forum website that served as inspiration for the 2019 attacks in El Paso, Texas and Christchurch, New Zealand. In 2022, we received negative publicity in connection with the use of our network by Kiwi Farms, a forum website tied to harassment campaigns and direct threats toward individuals. We are aware of some potential customers that have indicated their decision to not subscribe to our products was impacted, at least in part, by the actions or potential actions of certain of our paying and free customers.
60

We may also experience other adverse political, business and reputational consequences with prospective and current customers, employees, suppliers, and others related to the activities of our paying and free customers, especially if such hostile, offensive, or inappropriate use is highly publicized.
Conversely, actions we take in response to the activities of our paying and free customers, up to and including banning them from using our products, may harm our brand and reputation. Following the events in Charlottesville, Virginia, we terminated the account of The Daily Stormer. Similarly, following the events in El Paso, Texas, we terminated the account of 8chan, and following escalating, direct threats towards individuals in September 2022, we blocked access to Kiwi Farms content through our infrastructure. We received significant adverse feedback for these decisions from those concerned about our ability to pass judgment on our customers and the users of our network and products, or to censor them by limiting their access to our products, and we are aware of potential customers who decided not to subscribe to our products because of this.
Although offering a free plan for certain of our products is an important part of our business strategy, we may not be able to realize all of the expected benefits of this strategy and the costs and other detriments associated with our free plan could outweigh the benefits we receive from our free customers.
We have historically offered a free plan for certain of our products. We believe that this strategy is valuable to us and it is an important part of our overall business strategy. However, to the extent that we do not achieve the expected benefits of this strategy, our business may be adversely affected by the costs and detriments of making certain of our products available on a free basis. While we do not receive any revenue from our free customers, we bear incremental expenses and other liabilities as a result of our free customers’ continuing free use of our network and certain of our products. Adverse political, business, and reputational consequences associated with Internet properties we serve that are perceived as hostile, offensive, or inappropriate may also be disproportionately common among our free customers. The vast majority of our customers do not pay for our products. In addition, a substantial majority of our free customers historically have not converted to paying customers and we expect this will continue in the future.
We face intense and increasing competition, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
The markets for our network and products are intensely competitive and characterized by rapid changes in technology, customer requirements, industry standards, and frequent introductions of new, and improvements of, existing products. Our broad portfolio of products exposes us to competition from a large number of competitors in a number of different markets, including companies and their product and services offerings in, among others, virtual private networks, internal and external firewalls, web security (including web application firewalls and content filtering), distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) prevention, intrusion detection and prevention, application delivery controls, content delivery networks, domain name systems, email security vendors, advanced threat prevention, and wide area network (WAN) technology.
Our competitors provide both on-premises, appliance-based solutions, and cloud-based services that have functionality similar to our network and products. We expect competition to increase as other established and emerging companies and start-ups enter the markets for products and solutions for security, performance, and reliability, in particular with respect to cloud-based solutions, as customer requirements evolve and as new products, services, and technologies are introduced. If we are unable to anticipate or effectively react to these competitive challenges, our competitive position could weaken, and we could experience a decline in revenue or our growth rate that could materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations.
Our potential competitors include large companies with substantial infrastructure, such as global telecommunications services provider partners and public cloud providers. These companies could choose to enter the markets for products and solutions for security, performance, and reliability, including by acquiring existing companies, developing their own internal solutions, or establishing cooperative relationships with businesses that may allow them to offer more comprehensive solutions or to offer solutions for lower prices or to adapt more quickly than us to new technologies and customer needs. As our business continues to grow and we increase our market share for various products and services, these larger companies may increase their focus on us as a competitor and the actions they undertake to compete with our business and products. Additionally, if an increasing portion of web content is housed on another company’s network or portions of the Internet are otherwise privatized, it could reduce the demand for our products and increase competitive pressure on us. These competitive pressures in our markets or our failure to compete effectively may result in price reductions, fewer subscriptions, reduced revenue and gross margin, increased net losses, and loss of market share.
61

Our current competitors include a number of different types of companies, including:
•on-premises network hardware vendors (such as Cisco Systems, F5 Networks, Check Point Software Technologies, Skyhigh Security, Imperva, Palo Alto Networks, Fortinet, Juniper Networks, Riverbed Technology, and Broadcom);
•point solution vendors, which provide cloud-based products and services to address a single use case or challenge, in various categories including cloud security vendors (such as Zscaler, Cisco Systems through Cisco Umbrella, Menlo Security, Netskope, and Palo Alto Networks through Prisma Access and Prisma SASE), content delivery network (CDN) vendors (such as Akamai Technologies, Fastly, and Edgio), domain name system (DNS) services vendors (such as Oracle through DYN, Vercara, and Cisco Systems through Cisco Umbrella), email security vendors (such as Mimecast and Proofpoint), and cloud SD-WAN vendors; and
•traditional public cloud vendors (such as Amazon through Amazon Web Services, Alphabet through Google Cloud Platform, Microsoft through Azure, and Alibaba through Alibaba Cloud).
Many of our existing and potential competitors have or could have substantial competitive advantages including, among others:
•greater name recognition;
•longer operating histories;
•larger customer bases;
•larger sales and marketing budgets and capital resources;
•broader distribution and established relationships with channel partners and customers;
•greater customer support resources;
•greater resources to make acquisitions and enter into strategic partnerships;
•lower labor and research and development costs;
•more mature products and services developed for large customers;
•larger and more mature intellectual property rights portfolios;
•control of significant technologies, standards, or networks, including operating systems, with which our products must interoperate;
•higher or more difficult to obtain security certifications than we possess; and
•substantially greater financial, technical, and other resources.
In addition, some of our larger competitors have substantially broader and more diverse product and services offerings, which may allow them to leverage existing commercial relationships, incorporate functionality into existing products, sell products and services with which we compete at zero or negative margins, offer fee waivers and reductions or other economic and non-economic concessions, bundle products and solutions, maintain closed technology platforms, or render our products unable to interoperate with such platforms. If they were to engage in predatory competitive practices, it could harm our existing product offerings or prevent us from creating viable products in other segments of the markets in which we participate. If our competitors are able to exploit their advantages or are able to persuade our customers or potential customers that their products are superior to ours, we may not be able to compete effectively and our business, financial condition, and results of operations may be materially affected.
If we do not effectively attract, train, and retain our sales force to be able to sell our existing and new products and product features, we may be unable to add new contracted customers, or increase sales to our existing customers and our business would be adversely affected.
A majority of our revenue in the nine months ended September 30, 2023 was from contracted customers that were acquired through our inside and field sales teams, and we expect our sales teams to continue generating the majority of our revenue for the foreseeable future.
62

As a result, our financial condition and results of operations are dependent to a significant degree on our ability to effectively attract, train, and retain qualified sales personnel, including senior sales leaders, and the ability of our dedicated sales personnel to acquire new contracted customers and expand our relationships with our existing contracted customers. Our sales representatives typically engage in direct interaction with our prospective contracted customers. Increasing our customer base and achieving broader market acceptance of our network and products will depend, to a significant extent, on our ability to expand and further invest in our sales and marketing operations and activities. There is significant competition for sales personnel with the advanced sales skills and technical knowledge we need. We believe that selling subscriptions to our products requires particularly talented sales personnel that understand a very wide array of highly technical topics, including significant portions of global networking, Internet, enterprise and identity security, and application development for both on-premises and cloud requirements. In addition, as we continue to develop and sell newer types of products and product features, such as our Cloudflare One suite of solutions and our developer suite of products, we will need our sales personnel to be proficient in selling both these newer products and features and our overall broader suite of products to our existing and potential customers. If we are unable to effectively attract, train, and retain qualified sales personnel, particularly as our lines of products and product features expand, our business, results of operations, and financial condition will be adversely impacted.
Our ability to achieve significant growth in revenue in the future also will depend, in large part, on our success in recruiting, training, and retaining sufficient numbers of these talented sales personnel in both the United States and international markets. In addition, our ability to effectively recruit and retain qualified sales personnel outside the United States is reduced if we do not have a local subsidiary and office in that country or, if we do have such a subsidiary and office, we will experience increased costs in operating in that country. Furthermore, hiring sales personnel in new countries, or expanding our existing presence in the countries in which we currently operate, requires upfront and ongoing expenditures that we may not recover if the sales personnel fail to achieve full productivity or that may be recovered on a more delayed basis than expected.
As we continue to focus on revenue growth, we are seeking to increase our rate of hiring sales personnel and any delays in making these incremental sales hires could have an adverse impact on our ability to increase revenue, particularly with respect to our sales to contracted customers. In addition, if we fail to effectively train and integrate new hires, such as our President of Revenue and Chief Marketing Officer who we hired in the fourth quarter of 2022, it could negatively impact the existing sales and marketing personnel and their productivity, relationships with our customers, our ability to generate a pipeline of new customers, and our ability to increase revenue.
New sales hires require significant training and may take significant time before they achieve full productivity. As a result, our new sales hires and planned sales hires may not become as productive as we would like or as quickly as we expect, and we may be unable to hire or retain sufficient numbers of qualified individuals. In addition, due to our rapid growth, a large percentage of our sales team is new to our company and inexperienced in selling subscriptions to our products, and therefore these personnel may be less effective than our more seasoned employees. For example, beginning in late 2022 and continuing through the end of the first quarter of 2023, we experienced a reduction in average productivity among our sales personnel, which we believe was due in part to new sales hires not becoming as productive as we expected and exacerbated by worsening macroeconomic conditions. While we continue to address productivity and focus on hiring, training, and retaining successful sales personnel, these efforts may take longer than anticipated, which may negatively impact our ability to achieve our targeted revenue growth.
In addition, experienced sales personnel are particularly sought after in our industry and we believe our company's recent growth and increased profile may result in increased efforts by other companies to hire our sales personnel. As a result, we may have to expend significant resources to retain our most productive sales employees. Even with considerable effort, we may be unsuccessful at retaining our experienced sales employees, which would adversely impact our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
We cannot predict whether, or when or to what extent, our sales will increase as we expand our sales force or how long it will take for sales personnel to become productive. If we are unable to hire, train, and retain a sufficient number of effective sales personnel, or the sales personnel we hire are not successful in obtaining new customers or increasing sales to our existing customer base, our business and future growth prospects will be materially and adversely affected.
63

If we fail to effectively manage our growth, we may be unable to execute our business plan, maintain high-quality levels of customer support, ensure the reliability and security of our network, adequately address competitive challenges, or maintain our corporate culture, and our business, financial condition, and results of operations would be harmed.
We have experienced, and may in the future experience, periods of rapid growth. For example, our headcount grew from 3,181 employees as of September 30, 2022 to 3,529 employees as of September 30, 2023. We also have expanded the locations where we have employees to a number of new locations around the world during the past several years. The number of customers, users, and requests on our network also has increased rapidly in recent years. While we expect to continue to expand our operations, network, and products significantly in the future, both domestically and internationally, our growth may not be sustainable. Our growth has placed, and future growth will continue to place, a significant strain on our management and our administrative, operational, and financial infrastructure. Our success will depend in part on our ability to manage this growth effectively, which will require that we continue to improve our administrative, operational, financial, and management systems and controls by, among other things:
•effectively attracting, training, and integrating a large number of new employees, particularly members of our sales, marketing, engineering, and management teams;
•effectively managing a rapidly increasing number of employees in a growing number of countries around the world, particularly in circumstances when employees are working completely remotely;
•ensuring the integrity and security of our network and IT infrastructure throughout the world;
•maintaining our corporate culture, which we believe fosters innovation, teamwork, and an emphasis on customer-focused results and contributes to our cost-effective business model;
•successfully acquiring and integrating companies and assets to improve, expand, and diversify our business and products through strategic acquisitions, investments, and partnerships;
•further improving our key business applications, processes, and IT infrastructure, including our network co-location facilities, to support our current and anticipated business needs;
•enhancing our information and communication systems to ensure that our employees and offices around the world are well coordinated and can effectively communicate with each other and our growing base of channel partners, customers, and users;
•maintaining high levels of customer support; and
•appropriately documenting and testing our IT systems and business processes.
Managing our growth will require significant capital expenditures and allocation of valuable management and employee resources. If we fail to manage our expected growth, the uninterrupted and secure operation of our network and products and key business systems, our corporate culture, our compliance with the rules and regulations applicable to our operations, the quality of our products, and our ability to compete could suffer. Any failure to preserve our culture also could further harm our ability to retain and recruit personnel, innovate and create new products, operate effectively, and execute on our business strategy.
Our quarterly results may fluctuate significantly and may not fully reflect the underlying performance of our business.
Our quarterly results of operations, including our revenue, gross margin, operating margin, profitability, cash flow from operations, deferred revenue, and backlog, may vary significantly in the future and period-to-period comparisons of our results of operations may not be meaningful. Accordingly, the results of any one quarter should not be relied upon as an indication of future performance. Our quarterly results of operations may fluctuate as a result of a variety of factors, many of which are outside of our control, and as a result, may not fully reflect the underlying performance of our business. Fluctuation in quarterly results may negatively impact the trading price of our Class A common stock. Factors that may cause fluctuations in our quarterly results of operations include:
•our ability to attract new paying customers, especially large customers, and, to a lesser extent, convert free customers to paying customers;
•our ability to retain and upgrade paying customers and expand the number of products sold to paying customers, especially our large customers;
64

•the timing of expenses and recognition of revenue;
•the amount and timing of operating expenses related to the maintenance and expansion of our business, operations, and infrastructure, as well as entry into operating and capital leases and co-location, interconnection, and similar agreements related to the expansion of our network;
•the timing of expenses related to acquisitions;
•any large indemnification payments to our customers or other third parties;
•changes in our pricing policies or those of our competitors;
•the timing and success of new products, product features and service introductions by us or our competitors;
•network outages or actual or perceived security breaches or incidents;
•our involvement in litigation or regulatory enforcement efforts, or the threat thereof;
•changes in the competitive dynamics of our industry, including consolidation among competitors and the emergence of new competitors;
•increases in length of the sales cycle for our contracted customers, particularly as the relative proportion of our revenue from large customers increases and as the sizes of our large customers increase;
•changes in laws and regulations that impact our business; and
•general political, regulatory, economic, market, and social conditions, including inflation, rising interest rates, actual or perceived failure or financial difficulties of financial institutions, other adverse changes in global and regional macroeconomic conditions, and other impacts of the Hamas-Israel and Russia-Ukraine conflicts, or other areas of geopolitical tension around the world, or any worsening of those conflicts or geopolitical tensions.
We rely on our co-founders and other key technical, sales, and management personnel to grow our business, and the loss of one or more key employees or the inability to successfully attract, integrate, and retain qualified senior management and other personnel, or the failure of new members of our management team to successfully lead and scale our business, could harm our business.
Our future success is substantially dependent on our ability to attract, integrate, retain, and motivate the members of our management team and other key employees throughout our organization. In particular, we are highly dependent on the services of our co-founders, Matthew Prince, our Chief Executive Officer, and Michelle Zatlyn, our President and Chief Operating Officer. We rely on our leadership team in the areas of operations, security, marketing, sales, support, research and development, and general and administrative functions, and on individual contributors on our research and development team. Although we have entered into employment offer letters with our key personnel, these agreements have no specific duration and constitute at-will employment. We also do not maintain key person life insurance policies on any of our employees.
From time to time, there may be changes in our management team as a result of the hiring, departure or realignment of our senior management and other key personnel, and such changes may impact our business. Additionally, as our business grows in scale and complexity, other changes to our management team may be necessary. For example, during 2022 and 2023 thus far, we have hired several new members of our senior management team, including our Chief Marketing Officer; President of Revenue; Senior Vice President, Engineering; Chief Security Officer; and Senior Vice President, Chief People Officer. Any significant leadership change or senior management transition, such as these, involves inherent risks and any failure to ensure timely and suitable replacements and smooth transitions could hinder our strategic planning, business execution, and future performance. In particular, these or any future leadership transitions may result in a loss of personnel with deep institutional or technical knowledge and changes in business strategy or objectives and have the potential to disrupt our operations and relationships with existing employees and customers due to added costs, operational inefficiencies, changes in strategy, decreased employee morale and productivity, and increased turnover. We must successfully integrate our new leadership team members within our organization to achieve our operating objectives. If we lose one or more of our senior management or other key employees and are unable to find adequate replacements, or if we fail to successfully attract, integrate, retain and motivate members of our senior management team and key employees, our business could be harmed.
65

To execute our growth plan, we must also attract and retain large numbers of highly qualified personnel in a number of job markets globally. In particular, it is critical for us to attract and retain sales and engineering talent in our fast growing industry. Competition for these personnel in the San Francisco Bay Area, where our headquarters is located, and in Lisbon, London, Singapore, Austin, Texas, and other locations where we employ personnel, is intense, especially for experienced sales professionals and for engineers experienced in designing and developing cloud applications. We have from time to time experienced, and we may continue to experience, difficulty in hiring and retaining employees with appropriate qualifications or level of experience. For example, we have experienced, and may continue to experience, difficulty recruiting, hiring, and retaining sales personnel with the appropriate level of experience and knowledge necessary to effectively sell our products to large customers. Additionally, in recent years, recruiting, hiring, and retaining employees with expertise in the cybersecurity industry has become increasingly difficult as the demand for cybersecurity professionals has increased as a result of high-profile cybersecurity attacks on global corporations and governments. Many of the companies with which we compete for experienced personnel have greater resources than we have and may provide higher levels of compensation or more attractive benefits. We may need to increase our existing compensation levels in response to competition, rising inflation, or labor shortages, which may increase our operating costs and reduce our margins. In addition, job candidates and existing employees often consider the value of the equity awards they receive in connection with their employment. Volatility or lack of performance in our stock price has in the past, and may in the future, affect our ability to attract and retain our key employees or require us to increase the number of shares that we include in employee equity awards, which has and may continue to affect our outstanding share count, cause dilution to existing shareholders, and increase our stock-based compensation expense. In addition, upon vesting of equity awards, many of our employees have acquired or may soon acquire a substantial amount of personal wealth. This may make it more difficult for us to retain and motivate these employees, and this wealth could affect their decision about whether or not they continue to work for us. Any failure to successfully attract, integrate, or retain qualified personnel to fulfill our current or future needs could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
We believe our long-term value as a company will be greater if we focus on growth, which may negatively impact our profitability.
A significant part of our business strategy is to focus on long-term growth and to reinvest our cash flow from operations into our business, including the expansion of our global network, the development of new products and features, the expansion of our global workforce, and the potential acquisition of complementary businesses. For example, we increased our operating expenses to $296.7 million from $237.8 million in the three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively, and increased our operating expenses to $853.2 million from $686.2 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively. In the three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, our net loss decreased to $23.5 million from $42.5 million, respectively, and in the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, our net loss increased to $156.1 million from $147.5 million, respectively. As a result, we may continue to operate at a loss or our profitability may be lower than it would be if our strategy were to maximize short-term profitability. Significant expenditures on sales and marketing efforts, and expenditures on growing our network and expanding our research and development and portfolio of products, each of which we intend to continue to invest in, may not ultimately grow our business or cause long-term profitability. If we are ultimately unable to achieve or improve profitability at the level or during the time frame anticipated by industry or financial analysts and our stockholders, our stock price may decline.
If we are not able to maintain and promote our brand, our business and results of operations may be adversely affected.
We believe that maintaining and enhancing our reputation as a provider of products with the highest levels of security, performance, and reliability is critical to our relationship with our existing customers and our ability to attract new customers. The successful promotion of our brand will depend on a number of factors, including the reliability of our network on which we provide our products and the record of security, performance, and reliability of our products; the timing of releases of our products and related features after the public announcement of such expected products and features; our marketing efforts; our ability to continue to develop high-quality features and products for our network; and our ability to successfully differentiate our products from competitive products and services. Our brand promotion activities may not be successful or yield increased revenue.
Independent industry and financial analysts often provide reviews of our products, as well as those of our competitors. Perception of our offerings in the marketplace may be significantly influenced by these expert reviews.
66

In addition, the difficulty or inability of us to periodically provide certain types of financial information about our business and products requested by industry analysts could adversely impact these analysts’ reviews of our products. If reviews of our products are negative, or less positive than those of our competitors’, our brand may be adversely affected. The performance of our channel partners also may affect our brand and reputation, particularly if customers do not have a positive experience with our channel partners. The promotion of our brand requires us to make substantial expenditures, and we anticipate that the expenditures will increase as our markets become more competitive and we expand into new markets and products. Expenditures intended to maintain and enhance our brand may not be cost-effective or effective at all. If we do not successfully maintain and enhance our brand, we may have reduced pricing power relative to our competitors, we could lose customers, or we could fail to attract potential new customers or expand sales to our existing customers, all of which could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
We have limited experience with some of our pricing models, particularly for our newer products and solutions as well as bundled sales of our products and solutions, and we may not accurately predict the long-term rate of paying customer adoption or renewal, or the impact these will have on our revenue or results of operations.
We generate revenue primarily from subscriptions to our products. We offer subscription plans that provide varying degrees of functionality, and also offer separate subscriptions to various add-on products and network functionality. We have limited experience with respect to determining the optimal prices and pricing models for some of our newer subscription plans and products as well as bundled sales of our products and solutions. As the markets for our products mature, as we enter into newer product markets for our business, as we shift the way in which we sell our products and solutions, or as new competitors introduce new products or services that compete with ours, we may be unable to attract new customers or retain existing customers at the same price or based on the same pricing model as we have used historically. Moreover, our increasing focus on larger customers may lead to greater price concessions in the future or have a more significant impact period to period on our revenue and results of operations. As a result, in the future we may be required to reduce our prices, which could adversely affect our revenue, gross margin, profitability, financial condition, and cash flow.
We also have limited experience in determining which products and functionality to offer as part of our subscription plans, which to offer as add-on products, and which related products to sell in bundles. Our limited experience in determining the optimal manner in which to bundle and price our various products and functionalities could reduce our ability to capture the value delivered by our offerings, which could adversely impact our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Our growth depends, in part, on the success of our strategic relationships with third parties, and if we fail to continue to expand, grow, and retain these relationships then our business, results of operations, and financial condition may be adversely impacted.
To grow our business, we anticipate that we will continue to depend on relationships with third parties, such as value-added channel partners, referral partners, systems integrators, global platform providers, telecommunications companies, and managed security service providers. Developing, expanding, and retaining these strategic relationships has played, and will continue to play, an increasingly greater role in our sales efforts, especially with our large customers. However, identifying these types of strategic partners, negotiating and documenting our business and contractual relationships with them, maintaining application programming interfaces (APIs) that some of our strategic partners use to interact with our business, and monitoring the actions of our partners and their relationships with our end customers, each require significant time and resources. While in some cases our contractual arrangements with our strategic partners have terms of one year or longer, in many cases these arrangements are short-term in nature and can be terminated on 90 days advance notice. Our competitors also may be effective in providing incentives to third parties to favor their products or services over subscriptions to our products. In addition, acquisitions of such partners by our competitors could result in a decrease in the number of our current and potential customers, as these partners may no longer facilitate the adoption of our applications by potential customers or may seek to terminate their relationships with us. Further, some of our partners are or may become competitive with certain of our products and may elect to no longer integrate with our network and products. If we are unsuccessful in establishing, expanding, or maintaining our relationships with these third parties, our ability to compete in the marketplace or to grow our revenue could be impaired, and our business, results of operations, and financial condition may suffer. Even if we are successful, we cannot assure you that these relationships will result in increased customer usage of our products by, or increased revenue from, our paying customers and large customers.
67

Our ability to maintain customer satisfaction depends in part on the quality of our customer support. Failure to maintain high-quality customer support could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operation, and financial condition.
We believe that the successful adoption and usage of our network and products requires a high level of support and engagement for many of our customers, particularly our large customers. In order to deliver appropriate customer support and engagement, we must successfully assist our customers in deploying and continuing to use our network and products, migrating from their existing vendors, resolving performance issues, addressing interoperability challenges with the customers’ existing IT infrastructure, and responding to security threats and cyber attacks and performance and reliability problems that may arise from time to time. The IT architecture of our contracted customers, particularly the larger organizations, is very complex and may require high levels of focused technical support to effectively migrate from each customer's existing vendors and to utilize our network and products. Because our network and products are designed to be highly configurable and to rapidly implement customers’ reconfigurations, customer errors in configuring our network and products can result in significant disruption to our customers. Our support organization faces additional challenges associated with large customers in highly regulated industries, as well as our international operations, including those associated with delivering support, training, and documentation in languages other than English. Increased demand for customer support, without corresponding increases in revenue, could increase our costs and adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
We also rely on channel partners in order to provide migration assistance and frontline support to some of our customers, including in regions where we do not have a significant physical presence or the customers primarily speak languages other than English. If our channel partners do not provide assistance and support to the satisfaction of our customers, we may lose these customers, such customers may reduce their usage of our products, or we may be required to hire additional personnel and to invest in additional resources in order to provide an adequate level of assistance and support, generally at a higher cost than that associated with our channel partners. There can be no assurance that we will be able to hire sufficient support personnel as and when needed, particularly if our sales exceed our internal forecasts. To the extent that we are unsuccessful in hiring, training, and retaining adequate support resources, our ability to provide high-quality and timely support to our customers will be negatively impacted, and our customers’ satisfaction with our network and products could be adversely affected. Any failure to maintain high-quality customer support, or a market perception that we do not maintain high-quality customer support, could adversely affect our reputation, business, results of operations, and financial condition, particularly with respect to our large customers.
Our business depends, in part, on sales to the United States and foreign government organizations, which are subject to a number of challenges and risks.
We derive a portion of our revenue from contracts with government organizations, and we believe the success and growth of our business will in part depend on adding additional public sector customers. However, demand from government organizations is often unpredictable, and we cannot assure you that we will be able to maintain or grow our revenue from the public sector. Sales to government entities are subject to substantial additional risks that are not present in sales to other customers, including:
•selling to government agencies can be more highly competitive, expensive, and time-consuming than sales to other customers, often requiring significant upfront time and expense without any assurance that such efforts will generate a sale;
•U.S., European, or other government certification and audit requirements potentially applicable to our network, including FedRAMP in the United States, are often difficult and costly to obtain and maintain, and failure to do so will restrict our ability to sell to government customers in the applicable jurisdictions;
•government demand, payment for, and continued usage of, our products may be impacted by public sector budgetary cycles, funding authorizations, or government shutdowns;
•governments routinely investigate and audit government contractors’ administrative processes and any unfavorable audit could result in fines, civil or criminal liability, further investigations, damage to our reputation, and debarment from further government business;
68

•governments often require contract terms that differ from our standard customer arrangements, including terms that can lead to those customers obtaining broader rights in our products than would be expected under a standard commercial contract and terms that can allow for early termination;
•governments may require us to partner with companies based in the governments’ jurisdictions in order for us to sell any of our products to those governments, which could result in a loss of revenue we otherwise would receive for such sales; and
•governments may demand better pricing terms and public disclosure of such pricing terms, which may harm our ability to negotiate pricing terms with our non-government customers.
In addition, we must comply with laws and regulations relating to the formation, administration, and performance of contracts with the public sector, including U.S. federal, state, and local governmental organizations, as well as foreign governmental organizations, which affect how we and our channel partners do business with governmental agencies. Selling our products to the U.S. government, whether directly or through channel partners, also subjects us to certain regulatory and contractual requirements, including expanded compliance obligations under the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FARs). Failure to comply with these laws, regulations, and requirements by either us or our channel partners could subject us to investigations, fines, and other penalties, which could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition. For example, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the General Services Administration (GSA) have in the past pursued claims against and financial settlements with vendors under the False Claims Act and other statutes related to pricing and discount practices and compliance with certain provisions of GSA contracts for sales to the federal government. The DOJ and GSA continue to actively pursue such claims. Violations of certain regulatory and contractual requirements could also result in us being suspended or debarred from future government contracting. Any of these outcomes could have a material adverse effect on our revenue, results of operations, and financial condition. Any inability to address these risks and challenges could reduce the commercial benefit to us or otherwise preclude us from selling subscriptions to our products to government organizations.
We rely on third-party software for certain essential financial and operational services, and a failure or disruption in these services could materially and adversely affect our ability to manage our business effectively.
We rely on third-party software to provide many essential financial and operational services to support our business, including NetSuite, Salesforce, Atlassian, Stripe, and Workday among others. Many of these vendors are less established and have shorter operating histories than traditional software vendors. Moreover, these vendors provide their services to us via a cloud-based model instead of software that is installed on our premises. As a result, we depend upon these vendors to provide us with services that are always available and are free of errors or defects that could cause disruptions in our business processes. Any failure by these vendors to do so, or any disruption in our ability to access the Internet, would materially and adversely affect our ability to manage our operations.
Our business is exposed to risks associated with credit card and other online payment processing methods.
Many of our customers pay for our service using a variety of different payment methods, including credit and debit cards, prepaid cards, direct debit, and online payment applications and wallets. We rely on internal systems as well as those of third parties to process payments. Acceptance and processing of these payment methods are subject to certain rules and regulations and require payment of interchange and other fees. To the extent there are increases in payment processing fees, material changes in the payment ecosystem, such as large re-issuances of payment cards, delays in receiving payments from payment processors, changes to rules or regulations concerning payment processing, loss of payment partners, and/or disruptions or failures in our payment processing systems or payment products, including products we use to update payment information, our revenue, operating expenses, and results of operation could be adversely impacted. In addition, from time to time, we encounter fraudulent use of payment methods, which could impact our results of operations and if not adequately controlled and managed could create negative consumer perceptions of our service. If we are unable to maintain our chargeback rate at acceptable levels, card networks may impose fines and our card approval rate may be impacted. If we fail to comply with the rules or requirements applicable to processing payments, or if our data security systems are breached, compromised, or otherwise unable to detect or prevent fraudulent activity, we may be liable for card issuing banks’ costs, subject to fines and higher transaction fees, and lose our ability to accept certain payments from our customers.
69

The termination of our ability to process payments using any major payment method our business, results of operations, and financial condition could be harmed.
Because we recognize revenue from subscriptions for our products over the term of the subscription, downturns or upturns in new business may not be immediately reflected in our results of operations and may be difficult to discern.
We generally recognize revenue from customers ratably over the term of their subscription, which in the case of our contracted customers typically range from one to three years and in the case of our pay-as-you-go customers is typically monthly. Consequently, any increase or decline in new sales or renewals to these customers in any one period may not be immediately reflected in our revenue for that period. Any such change, however, may affect our revenue in future periods. Accordingly, the effect of downturns or upturns in new sales and potential changes in our rate of renewals may not be fully reflected in our results of operations until future periods. We may also be unable to reduce our cost structure in line with a significant deterioration in sales or renewals. Our subscription model also makes it difficult for us to rapidly increase our revenue through additional sales in any period, as revenue from new customers must be recognized over the applicable subscription term.
By contrast, a significant majority of our costs are expensed as incurred, which occurs as soon as a customer starts using our network and products. As a result, an increase in customers could result in our recognition of more costs than revenue in the earlier portion of the subscription term. We may not attain sufficient revenue to maintain positive cash flow from operations or achieve profitability in any given period.
If our estimates, assumptions, or judgments relating to our critical accounting policies prove to be incorrect or financial reporting standards or interpretations change, our results of operations could be adversely affected.
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (U.S. GAAP) requires our management to make estimates, assumptions, and judgments that affect the amounts reported and disclosed in our condensed consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. We base our estimates and assumptions on historical experience and on various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. The results of these estimates and assumptions form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets, liabilities, and equity, and the amount of revenue and expenses that are not readily apparent from other sources. Significant estimates, assumptions, and judgments used in preparing our condensed consolidated financial statements include those related to allowance for doubtful accounts, deferred contract acquisitions costs, the period of benefit generated from our deferred contract acquisition costs, the capitalization and estimated useful life of internal-use software, valuation of acquired intangible assets, the assessment of recoverability of intangible assets and their estimated useful lives, useful lives of property and equipment, the determination of the incremental borrowing rate used for operating lease liabilities, the valuation and recognition of stock-based compensation expense, uncertain tax positions, and the recognition and measurement of current and deferred income tax assets and liabilities. Due to geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainties, including but not limited to the ongoing conflicts between Hamas and Israel and between Russia and Ukraine, and other areas of geopolitical tension around the world, inflationary pressures, and changes in interest rates, there is ongoing uncertainty and significant disruption in the global economy and financial markets. We are not aware of any specific event or circumstance that would require an update to our estimates or assumptions or a revision of the carrying value of assets or liabilities as of November 2, 2023, the date of issuance of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. These estimates and assumptions may change in the future, however, as new events occur and additional information is obtained. Our results of operations may be adversely affected if our assumptions change or if actual circumstances differ from those in our assumptions, which could cause our results of operations to fall below the expectations of industry or financial analysts and investors, resulting in a decline in the trading price of our Class A common stock.
Additionally, we regularly monitor our compliance with applicable financial reporting standards and review new pronouncements and drafts thereof that are relevant to us. As a result of new standards, or changes to existing standards, and changes in their interpretation, we might be required to change our accounting policies, alter our operational policies and implement new or enhance existing systems so that they reflect new or amended financial reporting standards, or we may be required to restate our published financial statements. Such changes to existing standards or changes in their interpretation may have an adverse effect on our reputation, business, financial condition, and profit and loss, or cause an adverse deviation from our revenue and operating profit and loss target, which may negatively impact our results of operations.
70

Future acquisitions, strategic investments, partnerships, or alliances could be difficult to identify and integrate, divert the attention of key management personnel, disrupt our business, dilute stockholder value, and adversely affect our results of operations, financial condition, and prospects.
Part of our business strategy is to make acquisitions of other companies, products, and technologies. To date, our acquisitions typically have consisted of companies that have developed technology that is complementary to our business but have small numbers of employees and little, if any, customers and revenue. We have limited experience in making acquisitions and integrating acquired businesses into our company, particularly companies with large numbers of employees and customers. However, we expect the number of acquisitions that we undertake to increase and some of the businesses we acquire will have significantly larger numbers of employees and customers and more global operations. For example, in April 2022, we acquired Area 1 Security, Inc., a company that has developed cloud-native email security technology and has a significantly greater number of employees and customers than our prior acquisitions.
In addition, we may not be able to find suitable acquisition candidates and we may not be able to complete acquisitions on favorable terms, if at all. If we identify companies that we would like to buy, we may also face antitrust, competition, and other regulatory scrutiny that may limit our ability to complete such acquisitions. If we do complete acquisitions, we may not ultimately strengthen our competitive position or achieve our goals, and any acquisitions we complete could be viewed negatively by customers, developers, or investors. In addition, we may not be able to integrate acquired businesses successfully or effectively manage the combined company following an acquisition. If we fail to successfully integrate our acquisitions, or integrate and retain the people or technologies associated with those acquisitions, into our company, the results of operations of the combined company could be adversely affected. Any integration process will require significant time and resources, require significant attention from management, and disrupt the ordinary functioning of our business, and we may not be able to manage the process successfully, which could adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition. We also frequently provide significant incentives for key employees of acquired companies to remain as our employees after the completion of the acquisition in order to facilitate integration and allow us to achieve the benefits we expect from the acquisition, but these incentives may not prove to be successful in retaining those new key employees. In addition, we may not successfully evaluate or utilize the acquired technology and accurately forecast the financial impact of an acquisition transaction, including accounting charges.
In order to expand our network and product offerings, we also may enter into relationships with other businesses, which could involve joint ventures, preferred or exclusive licenses, additional channels of distribution, or investments in other companies. Negotiating these transactions can be time-consuming, difficult, and costly, and our ability to close these transactions may be subject to third-party approvals, such as government regulatory approvals, which are beyond our control. Consequently, we cannot assure you that these transactions, once undertaken and announced, will close or will lead to commercial benefit for us.
In connection with the foregoing strategic transactions, we may:
•issue additional equity securities that would dilute our stockholders;
•use cash that we may need in the future to operate our business;
•incur debt on terms unfavorable to us or that we are unable to repay;
•incur large charges or substantial actual or contingent liabilities associated with acquired businesses;
•encounter difficulties integrating diverse business cultures and retaining employees and customers of acquired companies; and
•become subject to adverse tax consequences, substantial depreciation, or deferred compensation charges.
These challenges related to acquisitions or other strategic transactions could adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition, and prospects.
Certain of our key business metrics could prove to be inaccurate, and any real or perceived inaccuracies may harm our reputation and negatively affect our business.
71

We rely on assumptions and estimates to calculate certain of our key business metrics, such as dollar-based net retention rate. We regularly review and may adjust our processes for calculating our key business metrics to improve their accuracy. Our key business metrics may differ from estimates published by third parties or from similarly titled metrics of our competitors due to differences in methodology or we may discover inaccuracies in our process for calculating such metrics. For example, during the quarter ended March 31, 2022, we experienced a system error that caused the calculation of our paying customers for such quarter to be overstated by 5,925 pay-as-you-go customers. If investors or analysts do not perceive our key business metrics to be accurate representations of our business, or if we discover material inaccuracies in our key business metrics, our reputation, business, results of operations, and financial condition would be harmed.
We may need additional capital, and we cannot be certain that additional financing will be available on favorable terms, or at all.
Historically, we have financed our operations primarily through the sale of our equity and equity-linked securities as well as payments received from customers using our global cloud network and products. For example, we received substantial proceeds from the issuance and sale of our Class A common stock in our IPO and in the issuances and sales of our 0.75% Convertible Senior Notes due 2025 (the 2025 Notes) and 0% Convertible Senior Notes due 2026 (the 2026 Notes, and together with the 2025 Notes, the Notes). Although we currently anticipate that our existing cash, cash equivalents, and available-for-sale securities, and cash flow from operations will be sufficient to meet our working capital and capital expenditure needs for at least the next 12 months, we may require additional financing. We evaluate financing opportunities from time to time, and our ability to obtain financing will depend, among other things, on our development efforts, business plans, and operating performance, and the condition of the capital markets at the time we seek financing. We cannot assure you that additional financing will be available to us on favorable terms when required, or at all. For example, volatility in equity capital markets has adversely affected and may continue to adversely affect market prices of our shares of Class A common stock. This may materially and adversely affect our ability to fund our business through the sale of our equity and equity-linked securities if such funding were to become necessary. If we raise additional funds through the issuance of equity, equity-linked or debt securities, those securities may have rights, preferences or privileges senior to the rights of our Class A common stock, and, in the case of equity or equity-linked securities, our stockholders may experience dilution.

Risks Related to Our Network and Products
We may not be able to respond to rapid technological changes or develop new products and product features that are attractive to, and that contain all of the capabilities required by, our current and prospective future customers, especially large customers.
The industry in which we compete is characterized by rapid technological change, including frequent introductions of new products and services, evolving industry standards, changing regulations, and the development of novel cyber attacks by hostile parties, as well as changing customer needs, requirements, and preferences. Our need for continuous innovation is driven not only by competitive forces within our industry but also by our need to out-innovate the highly motivated third parties seeking to breach or compromise our network and those of our customers for economic, political, military, or other purposes.
Our ability to attract new customers and retain, and increase, revenue from existing customers will depend in significant part on our ability to anticipate and respond effectively to these forces on a timely basis and continue to introduce enhancements to our network and existing products and develop new products that have the features, and that function with the security, performance, and reliability capabilities, demanded by our customers, especially our large customers. If new technologies or advancements in technologies emerge that deliver competitive products and services at lower prices, more efficiently, more conveniently, more securely or reliably, or are higher performing, these technologies or advancements could render our network and existing products less attractive to our current and prospective future customers, or obsolete. For example, artificial intelligence and machine learning may change the way our industry identifies and responds to cyber threats, and businesses that are slow to adopt or fail to adopt these new technologies may face a competitive disadvantage. The development of novel attacks or exploits by criminal or malicious elements or hostile state actors also could render our network and existing products less effective or obsolete. If we are unable to develop new products and enhance our existing products so that they have the features and capabilities required by existing and potential new customers, especially large customers, our business, results of operations, and financial condition will be materially and adversely affected.
72

The success of our business also depends on our continued investment in our research and development organization to increase the integrity, reliability, availability, and scalability of our products. We may experience difficulties with development, design, or marketing of such enhancements to our network and products that could delay or prevent their development, introduction, or implementation. For example, in the past we have announced the development of new products and features or the release of new products or features for beta testing and the timing for the general release of the product or feature has been substantially later than we initially expected. We also have in the past experienced delays in the planned expansion of our network and in our internally planned or publicly announced release dates of new products and new features and capabilities, and there can be no assurance that planned expansions of our network will occur on schedule and that new products, features, or capabilities will be released according to schedule or, when released, will function fully as expected. Any such delays could result in adverse publicity or brand reputation, loss of revenue or market acceptance, or claims by customers brought against us, all of which could have a material and adverse effect on our reputation, business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Problems with our internal systems, networks, or data, including actual or perceived breaches or failures, could cause our network or products to be perceived as insecure, underperforming, or unreliable, our customers to lose trust in our network and products, our reputation to be damaged, and our financial results to be negatively impacted.
We face security threats from malicious third parties that could obtain unauthorized access to our internal systems, networks, and data, including the equipment at our network and core co-location facilities. It is virtually impossible for us to entirely mitigate the risk of these security threats and the security, performance, and reliability of our network and products may be disrupted by third parties, including nation-states, competitors, hackers, disgruntled employees, former employees, or contractors. We also face the possibility of security threats from other sources, such as employee or contractor errors (such as errors in utilizing artificial intelligence or machine learning in our products or in the operation of our business) or malfeasance. For example, hostile third parties, including nation-states, may seek to bribe, extort, or otherwise manipulate our employees or contractors to compromise our network and products. In addition, as our business grows and we employ more employees and engage more contractors in more countries around the world, our ability to supervise the actions of our employees and contractors will decrease and the risk of an employee or contractor error or act of malfeasance will increase. These security threats from third parties are also likely to increase as the numbers, sizes, and types of customers using our network and products increases, particularly those customers that are involved in particularly sensitive industries or activities, such as banking and finance companies and governmental entities or in relation to elections in the United States or elsewhere.

While we have implemented security measures internally and have integrated security measures into our network and products, these measures may not function as expected and may not detect or prevent all unauthorized activity, prevent all security breaches or incidents, mitigate all security breaches or incidents, or protect against all attacks or incidents. For example, we have experienced multiple social engineering attacks where third parties have attempted, and in limited cases succeeded, in breaching our network perimeter security. While these attacks did not effectively get beyond our network perimeter security and we have not suffered any material consequences as a result of these breaches, we cannot be certain that future breaches will be avoided or, if future breaches are successful, that we will not experience material detrimental impacts, particularly if those breaches involve third party access to decrypted or other sensitive data. In addition, there is risk that the vendors we use may be attacked and the controls we have in place are bypassed and our data accessed as a result. For example, one of the IT tools our employees used internally until the first quarter of 2023 was the subject of a large security incident in December 2022, which resulted in unauthorized parties stealing large amounts of the IT tools' customers’ data, including our data. We are not aware of any of our systems having been compromised as a result of this security incident due to additional required authorization and authentication events we have in place, particularly when accessing sensitive systems and resources, and we have since changed to using a new IT tool internally. We cannot be certain that compromises of our systems will not happen in the future as a result of this incident or other similar incidents with third party vendors that we use to help secure our internal systems.
The global network that we use to provide our products to our customers is made up of equipment at co-location facilities located in more than 300 cities and over 120 countries worldwide and we expect to continue to increase the size of our network in the future.
73

As we grow the size and scope of our network, the number of our employees and third party contractors that have access to our equipment at these facilities will continue to increase, which will also increase the risk of potential errors or malfeasance such as potential equipment theft or potential attempts to interfere with, or intercept, network and customer data that is held in, or flows through, this equipment. In addition, local government officials may attempt to, or successfully take control of, our equipment in an attempt to interfere with our services or intercept data. Because the equipment in our network co-location facilities is designed to run all of our products, any insertion of ransomware or other malicious code on, unauthorized access to, or other security breach or incident with respect to, any of this equipment at any of these locations around the world could potentially impact all of our products running on this equipment around the world. We may also experience security breaches and other incidents that may remain undetected for an extended period and, therefore, may have a greater impact on our products and the networks and systems used in our business, the proprietary and other confidential data contained on our network or otherwise stored or processed in our operations, and ultimately our business. We expect to incur significant costs in our efforts to detect and prevent security breaches and other security-related incidents, and we may face increased costs in the event of an actual or perceived security breach or other security-related incident. Our internal systems are exposed to the same cybersecurity risks and consequences of a breach as the systems of our customers and other enterprises, any of which could have an adverse effect on our business or reputation. These cybersecurity risks pose a particularly significant risk to a business like ours that is focused on providing highly secure products to customers. With the increase in remote work that began with the COVID-19 pandemic, we and our customers face increased risks to the security of infrastructure and data, and we cannot guarantee that our security measures will prevent security breaches or incidents. We also may face increased costs relating to maintaining and securing our infrastructure and data that we maintain and otherwise process.
There can be no assurance that any security measures that we or our third-party service providers have implemented or that are included in the equipment and related third-party software that we use to operate our global network will be effective against current or future security threats. We also cannot guarantee that our systems and networks or those of our third-party service providers or the equipment and related third-party software that we use to operate our global network have not been breached or otherwise compromised, or that they and any software in our or their supply chains do not contain bugs, vulnerabilities, or compromised code that could result in a breach of or disruption to our systems and networks or the systems and networks of third parties that support us and our services. Unauthorized access to, other security breaches of, or security incidents affecting, systems, networks, equipment, and data used in our business, including those of our vendors, contractors, or those with which we have strategic relationships, even if not resulting in an actual or perceived introduction of ransomware, malware, or other malicious code or other actual or perceived breach of our customers’ networks, systems, or data, could result in the loss, compromise, corruption or other unavailability of data, disruptions to our and our customers' products, systems, networks, and operations, loss of business, reputational damage adversely affecting customer or investor confidence, regulatory investigations and orders, litigation, indemnity obligations, damages for contract breach, penalties for violation of applicable laws or regulations, significant costs for remediation, and other liabilities.
Additionally, even in the absence of malicious actions, our network and products may experience errors, failures, vulnerabilities, or bugs that cause our products not to perform as intended and the likelihood of these problems may increase as we continue to expand the number and complexity of our products and related features, through artificial intelligence or otherwise, that we offer to our customers through our global network. For example, from time to time we are subject to “route leaks” that involve the accidental or, less commonly, illegitimate advertisement of prefixes, or blocks of IP addresses, which propagate across networks such as ours and can lead to incorrect routing of traffic across our network, taking traffic offline, or in extreme cases, potential interception of customers’ traffic by attackers. For example, in June 2019, a route leak spread by a major telecommunications services provider caused significant disruption to our traffic and that of many other providers. Although events like this are outside our control, they could materially harm our reputation and diminish the confidence of our current and potential customers in our network and products. In addition, deployment of our network and products into other computing environments may expose these errors, failures, vulnerabilities, or bugs in our products. In addition, any such errors, failures, vulnerabilities, or bugs may not be found until after they are deployed to our customers and may create the perception that our network and products are insecure, underperforming, or unreliable. For example, we have experienced a limited number of network outages over the past five years due to a variety of causes.
While the June 2019 route leak and the network outages did not have a material impact on our results of operations or financial condition, any similar events that may occur in the future may have a material adverse impact on our results of operations or financial condition. In addition, in the event network outages or similar events occur, these events can require additional capital expenditures to lessen the chance that similar events will occur in the future.
74

We also provide frequent updates and enhancements to our network and products, which increase the possibility of errors. Our quality assurance procedures and efforts to report, track, and monitor issues with our network may not be sufficient to ensure we detect any such defects in a timely manner. For example, in February 2017, a bug in our software code that processes computer information requests was identified. Instead of the requested data, in certain circumstances this bug, which became known as “Cloudbleed,” caused our servers to output data that was not requested. The erroneous data output by our system included, but was not limited to, a portion of our customers’ secure data. There can be no assurance that our software code is or will remain free from actual or perceived errors, failures, vulnerabilities, or bugs, or that we will accurately route or process all requests and traffic on our network. Given the trillions of Internet requests that route through our network on a monthly basis and the large array of Internet properties (e.g., domains, websites, APIs, and mobile applications) we service, the impact of any such error, failure, vulnerability, or bug can be large in terms of absolute numbers of affected requests and customers.
Actual or perceived problems with our network or systems, or those of our vendors, contractors, or those with which we have strategic relationships, could result in actual or perceived breaches of our or our customers’ networks and systems or data. Actual or perceived breaches or other security incidents from these or other causes could lead to claims and litigation, indemnity obligations, regulatory audits, proceedings, and investigations and significant legal fees, significant costs for remediation, the expenditure of significant financial resources in efforts to analyze, correct, eliminate, remediate, or work around errors or defects, to address and eliminate vulnerabilities, and to address any applicable legal or contractual obligations relating to any actual or perceived security breach or incident. They also could damage our relationships with our existing customers and have a negative impact on our ability to attract and retain new customers. Because our business is focused on providing secure and high performing network services to our customers, we believe that our products and the networks and systems we use in our business could be targets for hackers and others, and that an actual or perceived breach of, or security incident affecting, our networks, systems, or data, could be especially detrimental to our reputation, customer and channel partner confidence in our solution, and our business. Additionally, our products are designed to operate without interruption, including up to a 100% uptime guarantee for our Business and Enterprise plans. If a breach or security incident were to impact the availability of our network and products, our business, results of operations, and financial condition, as well as our reputation, could be adversely affected.
Any cybersecurity insurance that we carry may be insufficient to cover all liabilities incurred by us in connection with any privacy or cybersecurity incidents or may not cover the kinds of incidents for which we submit claims. For example, insurers may consider cyber attacks by a nation-state as an “act of war” and any associated damages as uninsured. We also cannot be certain that our insurance coverage will be adequate for data handling or data security liabilities actually incurred, that insurance will continue to be available to us on economically reasonable terms, or at all, or that any insurer will not deny coverage as to any future claim. The successful assertion of one or more large claims against us that exceed available insurance coverage, or the occurrence of changes in our insurance policies, including premium increases or the imposition of large deductible or co-insurance requirements, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition, as well as our reputation.
If our global network that delivers our products or the core co-location facilities we use to operate our network are damaged, interfered with, or otherwise fail to meet the requirements of our business or local regulations, our ability to provide access to our network and products to our customers and maintain the performance of our network could be negatively impacted, which could cause our business, results of operations and financial condition to suffer.
As of September 30, 2023, we hosted our global network and served our customers from co-location and Internet Service Provider (ISP) partner facilities located in more than 300 cities and over 120 countries worldwide. In addition to these global facilities, much of the infrastructure for our global network and for our business and operations is maintained through a core co-location facility located in the U.S. Pacific Northwest, a second core co-location facility located in Luxembourg that provides certain redundancy to the U.S. core facility, and through a limited number of other U.S. co-location facilities that provide limited subsets of our network support. While we have electronic and, to a lesser extent, physical access to the components and infrastructure of our network and co-location facilities that are hosted by third parties - including ISP-partner facilities - we do not control the operation of these third-party facilities. Consequently, we may be subject to service disruptions as well as failures to provide adequate support for reasons that are outside of our direct control. All of our co-location and ISP-partner facilities and network infrastructure are vulnerable to damage or interruption from a variety of sources including earthquakes; weather events; floods; fires; power loss; system failures; computer viruses; physical or electronic break-ins; human error; malfeasance; or interference, including by disgruntled employees, former employees, or contractors; terrorism; and other catastrophic events.
75

For example, we have experienced a route leak and a limited number of network outages involving our core and network co-location facilities over the past five years due to a variety of causes. Co-location facilities housing our network infrastructure may also be subject to local governmental or other administrative actions, changes to legal or permitting requirements, labor disputes, and litigation to stop, limit, or delay operations. Despite precautions taken at these facilities, such as disaster recovery and business continuity arrangements, the occurrence of a natural disaster or an act of terrorism, a decision to close the co-location facilities without adequate notice, interference with, or sabotage of, our equipment at these facilities, or other unanticipated problems at these facilities could result in interruptions or delays in the availability of our network and products, impede our ability to scale our operations, or have other adverse impacts upon our business, results of operations, and financial condition. In addition, errors or defects in our customers’ software can result in unexpected and unintentional upward spikes in their usage of our products and network, and those spikes can cause strains on, and adversely affect the availability and functioning of, our co-location facilities and our network.
As we have expanded our global network, for efficiency reasons we have increased the amount of automation that is used to update and maintain our network. While we believe this increased automation generally makes our network more reliable and robust, if portions of this automation were to fail then the impact could apply to all or substantially all of our co-location facilities, instead of the more localized impact if we were not using automation. In addition, the components of our global network are interrelated, such that disruptions or outages affecting one or more of our network co-location facilities may increase the strain on other components of our network. Concurrent disruptions or outages at one or more of our network co-location facilities may lead to a cascading effect in which heightened strain on our network causes further disruptions or outages, particularly within the regions where the disruptions and outages occur. In addition, the failure of any of our core co-location facilities for any significant period of time, particularly our U.S. core co-location facility, could place a significant strain upon the ongoing operation of our business, as we have only limited redundant functionality for these facilities. Such a failure of a core co-location facility could degrade and slow down our network, reduce the functionality of our products for our customers, impact our ability to bill our customers, and otherwise materially and adversely impact our business, reputation, and results of operations.
If our customers’ or partners’ access to our network and products is interrupted or delayed for any reason, our business could suffer.
Any interruption or delay in our customers’ or partners’ access to our network and products will negatively impact our customers. Our customers depend on the continuous availability of our network for the delivery and use of our products, and our products are designed to operate without interruption, including up to 100% uptime guarantee for our Business and Enterprise plans. If all or a portion of our network were to fail, our customers and partners could lose access to their internal network and/or the Internet as a whole until such disruption is resolved or they deploy disaster recovery options that allow them to bypass our network. The adverse effects of any network interruptions on our reputation and financial condition may be heightened due to the nature of our business and our customers’ expectation of continuous and uninterrupted Internet access and low tolerance for interruptions of any duration. In addition, because some of our customers’ most critical applications are protected by our products and network and these customers may not be using other providers for similar services, the adverse effect of network disruptions to these customers could be particularly severe. The impact of an interruption in access to our network and products could also impact the ability to run our own business because we use a number of our products in the operation of our business.
While we do not consider them to have been material, we have experienced a limited number of network outages over the past five years, and we may in the future experience network disruptions and other performance problems, in each case due to a variety of factors. The following factors, many of which are beyond our control, can affect the delivery, performance, and availability of our network and products:
•the development, maintenance, and functioning of the infrastructure of the Internet as a whole;
•the performance and availability of third-party telecommunications services with the necessary speed, data capacity, and security for providing reliable Internet access and services;
•decisions by the owners and operators of the co-location and ISP-partner facilities where our network infrastructure is deployed or by global telecommunications service provider partners who provide us with network bandwidth to terminate our contracts, discontinue services to us, shut down operations or facilities, increase prices, change service levels, limit bandwidth, declare bankruptcy, breach their contracts with us, or prioritize the traffic of other parties;
76

•the occurrence of earthquakes, floods, weather events, fires, power loss, system failures, physical or electronic break-ins, acts of war or terrorism (including the ongoing conflicts between Hamas and Israel and between Russia and Ukraine or potential consequence of geopolitical tensions in other areas of the world), human error or interference (including by disgruntled employees, former employees, or contractors), and other catastrophic events;
•cyber attacks targeted at us, facilities where our network infrastructure is located, our global telecommunications service provider partners, or the infrastructure of the Internet;
•errors, defects, or performance problems in the deployment, maintenance, and expansion of our network and products, including the software we use to operate our network and products and provide our related products to our customers;
•our customers’ or partners’ improper deployment or configuration of our customers' access to our network and products;
•the maintenance of the APIs in our systems that our partners use to interact with us;
•the failure of our redundancy systems, in the event of a service disruption at one of the facilities hosting our network infrastructure, to redistribute load to other components of our network; and
•the failure of our disaster recovery and business continuity arrangements.
The occurrence of any of these factors, or our inability to efficiently and cost-effectively fix such errors or other problems that may be identified, could damage our reputation, negatively impact our relationship with our customers, or otherwise materially harm our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Abuse, misuse, or other unauthorized use of our internal network, including network services tools, could cause significant harm to our business and reputation.
Our employees and contractors use our internal network to support the operation of our global network and products for our customers. In addition, in order to provide real-time support to our customers, we have created internal network services tools that are used by our employees and contractors to diagnose and correct customer security, performance, and reliability issues. If any of our employees or contractors were to intentionally abuse our internal network, including these tools, by interfering with or altering our customers’ Internet properties or systems, our customers could be significantly harmed. Similarly, our customers could be harmed if government personnel in any countries in which our employees operate were to pressure our employees, including through the threat of potential prosecution or imprisonment, to use our internal network, including these tools, to access customer data or interfere with or alter our customers' Internet properties or systems. Our employees’ inadvertent misuse of our internal network, including these tools, could similarly harm our customers. For example, third parties have in the past attempted to induce our employees to use their administrative access to reveal, remove, or disable our customers’ information and content, including by submitting fraudulent law enforcement requests, copyright takedown requests, or other content-based complaints. Any such improper disclosure or removal could significantly and adversely impact our business and reputation. While our internal network and tools have been developed only for authorized use by our employees and contractors, any unauthorized use of, or access to, our internal network by, or release of network service tools to, third parties would represent a significant vulnerability in our products. Accordingly, any abuse or misuse of our internal network and services tools could significantly harm our business and reputation. If it became necessary to further restrict the availability or use of our internal network and services tools by our employees and customers in response to any abuse or misuse, our ability to deliver high-quality and timely customer support could be harmed.
Detrimental changes in, or the termination of, any of our co-location relationships, ISP partnerships, or our other interconnection relationships with ISPs could adversely impact our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Our relationships with ISP partners and other vendors that provide co-location services for our network infrastructure and the pricing and other material contract terms we have with these vendors are important for the maintenance, development, and expansion of our global network.
77

If any of our co-location agreements were to expire or the pricing and other material terms of these agreements were to worsen, our business, results of operations, and financial condition would be adversely affected unless we were able to find a substitute vendor for the impacted facility on comparable or better terms. Moreover, a significant number of our important co-location agreements are with a single company and if our arrangements with this company were to change in a manner adverse to us, we could face difficulty in maintaining or growing our network on commercially viable terms. In addition, as part of our arrangements with some of our ISP partners, the ISP partner has agreed to host our equipment for free or at a discount to the partner’s customary rate. There can be no assurances that these ISP partners will continue to provide these types of favorable equipment hosting arrangements in the future.
The efficient and effective operation of our network also relies upon a series of mutually beneficial arrangements with other Internet infrastructure companies. These arrangements are often referred to as “peering” or “interconnection” agreements, and allow us and our ISP partners to reduce bandwidth costs related to operating our respective networks. If the underlying competitive, business, or operational incentives supporting these arrangements were to change, we or our partners might terminate these agreements or allow them to expire. Many of our peering or interconnection agreements have a term of three years or less, after which such agreements auto-renew on an annual basis. Changes to the underlying incentive structure of peering arrangements may result from parties seeking to take advantage of an essential position or enter into exclusive arrangements, changes to U.S. or international laws, regulations, or policies, increasing competition between us and these Internet infrastructure providers, or changes in the norms governing the relationships among Internet infrastructure providers. Without favorable peering arrangements, we would incur significantly increased costs to continue to provide our products at their current levels and such increased costs could adversely impact our business, results of operations, and financial condition. In addition, to the extent that additional countries begin to regulate peering with outside networks, our costs may increase and our business and results of operations could be adversely impacted.
If our network and products do not interoperate with our customers’ internal networks and infrastructure or with third-party products, websites, or services, our network may become less competitive and our results of operations may be harmed.
Our network and products must interoperate with our customers’ existing internal networks and infrastructure. These complex internal systems are developed, delivered, and maintained by the customer and a myriad of vendors and service providers. As a result, the components of our customers’ infrastructure have different specifications, rapidly evolve, utilize multiple protocol standards, include multiple versions and generations of products, and may be highly customized. We must be able to interoperate and provide products to customers with highly complex and customized internal networks, which requires careful planning and execution between our customers, our customer support teams and, in some cases, our channel partners. Further, when new or updated elements of our customers’ infrastructure or new technology or industry standards or protocols are introduced, we may have to update or enhance our network to allow us to continue to provide our products to customers. Our competitors or other vendors may refuse to work with us to allow their products to interoperate with our network and products, which could make it difficult for our network and products to function properly in customer internal networks and infrastructures that include these third-party products.
We may not deliver or maintain interoperability quickly or cost-effectively, or at all. These efforts require capital investment and engineering resources. If we fail to maintain compatibility of our network and products with our customers’ internal networks and infrastructures, our customers may not be able to fully utilize our network and products, and we may, among other consequences, lose or fail to increase our market share and number of customers and experience reduced demand for our products, which would materially harm our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Because we provide some of our products through a reverse-proxy, which is a network arrangement in which Internet user requests initially are directed to our network’s servers rather than those of our customers, the source of some traffic may be difficult to ascertain. When they cannot identify the source of the traffic, some governments, third-party products, websites, or services may block our traffic or blacklist our IP addresses. If our customers experience significant instances of traffic blockages, they will experience reduced functionality or other inefficiencies, which would reduce customer satisfaction with our network and products and likelihood of renewal of their use of our products.
78

We rely on a limited number of suppliers for certain components of the equipment we use to operate our network and any disruption in the availability of these components could delay our ability to expand or increase the capacity of our global network or replace defective equipment.
We rely on a limited number of suppliers for several components of the equipment we use to operate our network and provide products to our customers. Our reliance on these suppliers exposes us to risks, including reduced control over production costs and constraints based on the then current availability, terms, and pricing of these components. For example, we generally rely on a limited number of suppliers for the servers that we use in our network and we ordinarily purchase these components on a purchase-order basis, without any long-term contracts guaranteeing supply. While the network equipment and servers we purchase generally are commodity equipment and we believe an alternative supply source for servers on substantially similar terms could be identified quickly, our business could be adversely affected until those efforts are completed. In addition, the technology equipment industry has experienced component shortages and delivery delays in the past, and we may experience shortages or delays, including as a result of natural disasters, increased demand in the industry, or our suppliers lacking sufficient rights to supply the components in all jurisdictions in which we have co-location facilities that support our global network. For example, during 2021 and continuing through the first quarter of 2022, a global shortage of CPUs, RAM, SSDs, and other electronics resulted in supply constraints for a number of electronics firms, including manufacturers of servers. This global shortage disrupted, and other shortages or similar supply constraints in the future may disrupt, some of our expected purchases of network equipment and servers. If our supply of certain components is disrupted or delayed, there can be no assurance that additional supplies or components can serve as adequate replacements for the existing components or that supplies will be available on terms that are favorable to us, if at all. Any disruption or delay in the supply of our hardware components may delay the opening of new co-location facilities, limit capacity expansion or replacement of defective or obsolete equipment at existing co-location facilities, or cause other constraints on our operations that could damage our customer relationships.
The actual or perceived failure of our products to block malware or prevent a security breach or incident could harm our reputation and adversely impact our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Our security products are designed to reduce the threat to our customers posed by malware and other Internet security threats. Our security products may fail to detect or prevent malware or security breaches or incidents for any number of reasons. Even where our security products perform as intended, the performance of our security products can be negatively impacted by our failure to enhance, expand, or update our network and products; improper classification of websites by our employees, automated systems, and partners which identify and track malicious websites; improper deployment or configuration of our products; the development, maintenance, and functioning of the infrastructure of the internet as a whole; and many other factors. For example, during August and September of 2023, an unknown threat actor exploited a vulnerability in the standard HTTP/2 protocol critical to the function of the Internet and websites. This threat actor worked to generate a series of the largest-scale DDoS attacks against our network that we have recorded to date. While our systems were able to mitigate the overwhelming majority of incoming attacks, the volume overloaded some components in our network and impacted several customers’ performance, all of which were quickly resolved. During the process of mitigating these attacks, our team developed new technology to stop these types of attacks and further improve our own mitigations for this and other future attacks. Although the impact of the attacks did not have a material impact on our reputation or results of operations or financial condition, other future attacks like these may materially and adversely impact our reputation, results of operations or financial condition if we cannot effectively stop or mitigate the attacks and otherwise suffer performance issues or downtime that exceeds the service level commitments under our agreements and terms of service with our paying customers.
Companies are increasingly subject to a wide variety of attacks on their networks and systems, including traditional computer hackers; malicious code, such as viruses and worms; DDoS attacks; sophisticated attacks conducted or sponsored by nation-states; advanced persistent threat intrusions; ransomware; phishing attacks and other forms of social engineering; employee, vendor, or contractor errors or malfeasance; and theft or misuse of intellectual property or business or personal data, including by disgruntled employees, former employees, or contractors. External events, like the ongoing conflicts between Hamas and Israel and between Russia and Ukraine and other areas of geopolitical tension around the world and elections in the U.S. and elsewhere, can increase the likelihood of attacks. No security solution, including our products, can address all possible security threats or block all methods of penetrating a network or otherwise perpetrating a security incident. Accordingly, our security products may be unable to detect or prevent a threat until after our customers are impacted. As our products are adopted by an increasing number of enterprises and by increasingly larger enterprises, it is possible that the individuals and organizations behind cyber threats will focus on identifying ways to circumvent or defeat our security products.
79

If our network is targeted by attacks specifically designed to disrupt it, it could create the perception that our security products are not capable of providing adequate security. As a provider of security products, any perceived lack of security to our network or any of our products could erode our customers’ and potential customers’ trust in our network and products. Moreover, a high-profile security breach of, or security incident impacting, another cloud services provider could cause our customers and potential customers to lose trust in cloud solutions generally, and cloud-based products like ours in particular. Any such loss of trust could materially and adversely impact our ability to retain existing customers or attract new customers.
Our customers must rely on complex network and security infrastructures, which include products and services from multiple vendors in addition to us, to secure their networks. If any of our customers becomes infected with malware, or experiences a security breach or incident, they could be disappointed with our products, regardless of whether our security products are intended to block the attack or would have blocked the attack if the customer had properly configured our products or their network, or taken other steps within their control. For example, in April 2017, we published details of a web cache deception attack method that exploits the misconfiguration of websites to circumvent reverse-proxy systems such as ours. While the vulnerability associated with this attack method relates to misconfiguration of websites outside of our control, a customer experiencing a security event related to this vulnerability may nevertheless blame us or become dissatisfied with our products as a result. Additionally, if any enterprises that are publicly known to use our network and products are the subject of a cyber attack that becomes publicized, this could harm our reputation and our current or potential customers may look to our competitors for alternatives to our network and products. Customers subject to cyber attack also may seek to hold us legally liable for any loss or lack of access to sensitive data or highly valued assets that results from such an attack. Although our customer agreements provide significant limitations on our potential liability to our customers for such claims and we do not believe current legal theories would hold a service provider like us liable for such customers’ losses, potential adverse future changes in laws applicable to such claims could result in significant liabilities for us.
From time to time, industry or financial analysts and research firms test our network and related security products against other security products. Our products may fail to detect or prevent threats in any particular test for a number of reasons, including misconfiguration. To the extent potential customers, industry or financial analysts, or testing firms believe that the occurrence of a failure to detect or prevent any particular threat is a flaw or indicates that our products do not provide significant value or provide less value than competitive solutions, our reputation and business could be materially harmed.
Any real or perceived flaws in our network, or any actual or perceived security breaches of, or security incidents impacting, our customers, could result in:
•a loss of existing or potential customers or channel partners;
•delayed or lost sales and harm to our financial condition and results of operations;
•a delay in attaining, or the failure to attain, market acceptance of our products;
•the expenditure of significant financial resources in efforts to analyze, correct, eliminate, remediate, or work around errors or defects, to address and eliminate vulnerabilities, and to address any applicable legal or contractual obligations relating to any actual or perceived security breach or incident;
•negative publicity and damage to our reputation and brand; and
•legal claims and demands (including for stolen assets or information, repair of system damages, and compensation to customers and business partners), litigation, regulatory audits, proceedings or investigations, and other liability.
Any of the above results could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
We may choose to make public disclosures in press releases, on our website and blog, through social media, and in other ways about our network, systems, products, and technology, which may include negative events, when we are not otherwise required by applicable law and those disclosures could materially and adversely impact our business, reputation, and results of operations.
80

In the past we have been, and in the future we expect to be, transparent about our network, systems, products, and technology with our customers and the public in general. We believe that being rigorously and promptly transparent is an essential part of maintaining trust with our customers. At times, this transparency may result in us publicly disclosing information, including negative events, about our network, systems, products, and technology in circumstances where we may not be required to do so by applicable law. If and when we choose to make these types of non-legally required public disclosures, we may suffer reputational damage, loss of existing and potential new customers, litigation, indemnity obligations, damages for contract breach, penalties for violation of applicable laws or regulations, significant costs for remediation, and other liabilities that could materially and adversely impact our business, reputation, and results of operations.
We provide service level commitments under our Enterprise subscription plan customer contracts and our Business subscription plan terms of service. If we fail to meet these contractual commitments, we could be obligated to provide credits for future service or allow customers to terminate their subscriptions and our business could suffer.
Our Enterprise subscription plan agreements and our Business subscription plan terms of service typically provide for service level commitments, which contain specifications regarding the availability and performance of our network. In particular, our Enterprise subscription plan and our Business subscription plan terms of service include up to a 100% uptime guarantee. Any failure of or disruption to our infrastructure could adversely impact the security, performance, and reliability of our network and products for our customers. If we are unable to meet our stated service level commitments or if we suffer extended periods of poor performance or unavailability of our network and products, these customers could seek to bring claims against us or terminate their agreements with us and, in the case of our contracted customers, we may be contractually obligated to provide affected customers with service credits that they may apply against future subscription fees otherwise owed to us, and, in certain cases, refunds of pre-paid and other fees. For example, a route leak and a limited number of network outages during the past five years triggered certain of these types of obligations. Although the impact of the route leak and these outages did not have a material impact on our results of operations or financial condition, other future events like these may materially and adversely impact our results of operations or financial condition. Our revenue, other results of operations, and financial condition could be harmed if we suffer performance issues or downtime that exceeds the service level commitments under our agreements and terms of service with our paying customers.
If our products do not obtain and maintain market acceptance, our ability to grow our business and our results of operations may be adversely affected.
Our products are still evolving and it is difficult to predict customer demand and adoption rates for our product offerings. We believe that our network and cloud-based products represent a major shift from traditional solutions. Many of our potential customers, particularly large enterprises and government entities, face barriers to adopting our offerings because of their prior investment in, and the familiarity of their IT personnel with, on-premises, appliance-based solutions or other providers of cloud-based solutions. As a result, our sales process often involves extensive efforts to educate our customers about our products, particularly as we continue to pursue customer relationships with large organizations. Our customers also expect us to meet voluntary validations or adhere to industry standards and require our policies and practices to be evaluated by an independent third-party assessor. Although we currently have certain certifications and reports such as SOC2 Type 2, PCI DSS, ISO 27001, ISO 27701, and ISO 27018, C5, EU Code of Conduct, and FedRAMP moderate authorization, we may not be successful in continuing to maintain those certifications or in obtaining other certifications. In addition, sales to government entities and other large enterprises may in particular be conditioned upon adherence to PSPC, ISMAP, IRAP, or DoD IL4 compliance in Canada, Japan, Australia, and the United States, and we do not currently have these certifications. The costs of obtaining and maintaining certification pursuant to any of these standards are significant, and any failure to obtain and maintain such certifications for our network and products could reduce demand for them, which would harm our business, results of operations, and financial condition. To the extent our competitors have, and we do not have, these certifications, we may lose the opportunity to obtain subscriptions from certain potential paying customers.
Despite our efforts, we can provide no assurance that our cloud-based products will obtain market acceptance or that competing products or services based on other cloud-based and/or on-premises technologies will not achieve market acceptance. If we fail to achieve market acceptance of our products or are unable to keep pace with industry changes or obtain necessary product certifications, our ability to grow our business, results of operations, and financial condition will be materially and adversely affected.
81

In connection with our Web3 suite of products and our potential future participation in various Web3 protocol governance activities, we expect to hold certain types of cryptocurrency and similar types of digital assets that may be subject to unique regulatory and accounting risks, volatile market prices, and risks of loss, which could harm our business and reputation.
The regulatory status of digital assets is subject to significant change. Some or all of these assets are subject to significant regulatory restrictions and have even been prohibited or effectively prohibited in some countries. If we fail to comply with regulations or prohibitions applicable to us based on these types of digital assets, we could face regulatory or other enforcement actions and potential fines and other consequences.
The prices of digital assets have been and may continue to be highly volatile, including as a result of various associated risks, uncertainties and events. The prevalence of such assets is a relatively recent trend, and their long-term adoption by investors, consumers, and businesses remains uncertain. For example, the bankruptcy of FTX Trading Ltd. in November 2022 undermined investor confidence in cryptocurrencies resulting in a decline in the price of cryptocurrency and similar types of digital assets. Moreover, digital assets' lack of a physical form, their reliance on technology for their creation, existence, and transactional validation, and their decentralization may subject their integrity to the threat of malicious attacks and technological obsolescence. In addition, if the market value of the digital assets we hold increases significantly relative to the purchase prices, we could be deemed an "investment company" for purposes of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and may be required to institute burdensome compliance requirements, restricting our activities in a way that could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Moreover, digital assets are currently considered indefinite-lived intangible assets under applicable accounting rules, meaning that any decrease in their fair values below our carrying values for such assets at any time subsequent to their acquisition will require us to recognize impairment charges, whereas we may make no upward revisions for any market price increases until a sale, which may adversely affect our operating results in any period in which such impairment occurs. There is no guarantee that future changes in U.S. GAAP will not require us to change the way we account for digital assets held by us.
Further, digital assets have been, and may in the future be, subject to security breaches, cyber attacks, or other malicious activities, including unauthorized access and theft, as well as human errors or computer malfunctions that may result in the loss or destruction of private keys needed to access such assets. While we expect to implement appropriate security measures with respect to any future digital assets holdings, those measures may not function as expected and may not detect or prevent all unauthorized activity, prevent all security breaches or incidents, mitigate all security breaches or incidents, or protect against all attacks or incidents. If such threats are realized or the measures or controls that we create or implement to secure such assets fail, it could result in a partial or total misappropriation or loss of such digital assets.
Risks Related to Legal, Tax, and Regulatory Matters
Activities of our paying and free customers or the content of their websites and other Internet properties may violate applicable laws and/or our terms of service and could subject us to lawsuits, regulatory enforcement actions, and/or liability in various jurisdictions.
Through our network, we provide a wide variety of products that enable our customers and our customers’ users to exchange information, conduct business, and engage in various online activities both domestically and internationally. Our customers and our customers’ users may use our network and products in violation of applicable law or in violation of our terms of service or the customer’s own policies. The existing laws relating to the liability of providers of online products and services for activities of their users are highly unsettled and in flux both within the United States and internationally. We are currently, and in the future may be, subject to lawsuits and/or liability arising from the conduct of our customers and our customers’ users. Additionally, the conduct of our customers and our customers’ users may subject us to regulatory enforcement actions and/or liability. We are a defendant in lawsuits, both in the United States and abroad, seeking injunctive relief and/or damages against us based on content that is made available through our customers’ websites and other Internet properties. A number of these lawsuits involve copyright infringement claims, and courts in Italy and Germany have at times directed us to take action by removing access to content of certain websites and other Internet properties on our network. There can be no assurance that we will not face similar litigation in the future or that we will prevail in any litigation we are facing or may face.
82

An adverse decision in one or more of these lawsuits could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Several U.S. federal statutes may apply to us with respect to various activities of our customers, including the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), which provides recourse for owners of copyrighted material who believe their rights under U.S. copyright law have been infringed on the Internet; and section 230, enacted in the Communications Decency Act (CDA), which addresses blocking and screening of content on the Internet. Although these and other similar legal provisions provide limited protections from liability for service providers like us, those protections may not be interpreted in a way that applies to us, may be amended or removed in the future, or may not provide us with complete protection from liability claims. If we are found not to be protected by the safe harbor provisions of the DMCA, CDA or other similar laws, or if we are deemed subject to laws in other countries that may not have the same protections or that may impose more onerous obligations on us, we may owe substantial damages and our brand, reputation, and financial results may be harmed.
Policies and laws in this area remain highly dynamic, and we may face additional theories of intermediary liability in various jurisdictions. Many policymakers in the United States have called for a re-examination of CDA section 230 and copyright law. The EU has agreed on the Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act to update the rules governing digital services like ours, including replacing the eCommerce Directive, which is the EU’s current framework for online services, and imposing additional legal requirements on certain service providers. In addition, in 2019, the EU approved a Copyright Directive that will impose additional obligations on service providers and failure to comply could give rise to significant liability. Other laws and pending legislation at the EU level (terrorist content, child sexual abuse materials) and in the United Kingdom (online harms), Australia (online harms), and India (Digital India Act), as well as other new laws like them, may also expose Internet companies like us to significant liability. We may incur additional costs to comply with these new laws, which may have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Current and future litigation subjects us to claims for very large potential damages based on a significant number of online occurrences under statutory or other damage theories. Such claims may result in liability that exceeds our ability to pay or our insurance coverage. Even if claims against us are ultimately unsuccessful, defending against such claims will increase our legal expenses and divert management’s attention from the operation of our business, which could materially and adversely impact our business and results of operations.
Our policies regarding user privacy could cause us to experience adverse business and reputational consequences with customers, employees, suppliers, government entities, and other third parties.
As a company, we strive to protect our customers’ privacy consistent with applicable law. Consequently, we generally do not provide personal information about our customers or their users without legal process. In accordance with our contractual commitments to our customers, we may need to challenge legal process requesting disclosure of personal information where such requests are inconsistent with applicable data protection laws. In addition, from time to time, government entities may seek or demand our assistance with obtaining information about our customers or their users or could request that we modify our network and products in a manner to permit access or monitoring. In light of our privacy commitments, we may legally challenge certain law enforcement requests, such as requests to provide a feed of content transiting our network, to obtain encryption keys, or to modify or weaken encryption. We also may face complaints from individuals who assert we have provided their information improperly to law enforcement or in response to third-party abuse complaints, despite policies we have in place to protect that information. To the extent that we do not provide assistance to or comply with requests from government entities or challenge those requests publicly or in court, we may experience adverse political, business, and reputational consequences. We may also face such adverse political, business, and reputational consequences to the extent that we provide, or are perceived as providing, assistance to government entities that exceeds our legal obligations. For example, we periodically receive requests for information purportedly originating from law enforcement agencies or pursuant to legal process, but which are fraudulent or improper attempts to cause us to reveal customer information. Any such disclosure could significantly and adversely impact our business and reputation.
We publish a transparency report on a semi-annual basis to provide details of law enforcement and government requests we receive. Our transparency report also includes a list of certain actions we have not taken in response to law enforcement requests. If we are ever required by law enforcement to take one or more of the actions covered by those disclosures, then we would have to remove the applicable disclosures from our transparency report. Both the publishing of our transparency report and, conversely, the potential narrowing of the list of actions we have not taken in response to law enforcement requests could damage our business and reputation.
83

Our business could be adversely impacted by changes in Internet access for our customers as a result of competitive behavior or laws specifically governing the Internet.
Our network performance and reliability depends on the quality of our customers’ access to the Internet. Certain features of our network require significant bandwidth and fidelity to work effectively. Internet access is frequently provided by companies that have significant market power that could take actions that degrade, disrupt, or increase the cost of user access to our network, which would negatively impact our business. We could incur greater operating expenses and our customer acquisition and retention could be negatively impacted if other network operators:
•implement usage-based pricing;
•discount pricing for competitive products;
•otherwise materially change their pricing rates or schemes;
•charge us to deliver our traffic at certain levels or at all;
•throttle traffic based on its source or type;
•implement bandwidth caps or other usage restrictions; or
•otherwise try to monetize or control access to their networks.
In addition, there are various laws and regulations that could impede the growth of the Internet or online services, and new laws and regulations may be adopted in the future. These laws and regulations could involve interconnection and network management; taxation; tariffs; privacy; data protection; information security; content; copyrights; distribution; electronic contracts and other communications; consumer protection; and requirements for the characteristics and quality of services, any of which could decrease the demand for, or the usage of, our products. Legislators and regulators may make legal and regulatory changes, or interpret and apply existing laws, in ways that require us to incur substantial costs, expose us to unanticipated civil or criminal liability, or cause us to change our business practices. If these changes are implemented, it could have an adverse and negative impact on our business. In addition, we may be banned from providing our products in certain countries, which would prevent our ability to grow our business in such markets and would also have a detrimental impact on the performance and scope of our network. Russia, for example, announced their intent to block designated virtual private networks in December 2021, and has included one of our products, Cloudflare WARP, to its list of banned services. These changes or increased costs could materially harm our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Failure to comply with laws and regulations applicable to our business could subject us to fines and penalties and could also cause us to lose customers or otherwise harm our business.
Our business is subject to regulation by various federal, state, local, and non-U.S. governmental agencies, including agencies responsible for monitoring and enforcing compliance with various legal obligations, such as privacy, data protection, and information security laws and regulations, intellectual property laws, telecommunications laws and regulations, employment and labor laws, workplace safety, environmental laws, consumer protection laws, anti-bribery laws, governmental trade sanctions laws, import and export controls, anti-corruption and anti-bribery laws, federal securities laws, and tax laws and regulations. In addition, emerging tools and technologies we may utilize in providing our products and solutions, like artificial intelligence and machine learning, may also become subject to regulation under new laws or new applications of existing laws. In certain jurisdictions, some or all of these regulatory requirements may be more stringent than in the United States.
In addition, many countries are considering expanding or have expanded regulatory requirements for services such as ours, with potential requirements such as collection and verification of customer data, limitations on the use of non-personal data, cybersecurity incident reporting obligations, expanded registration requirements, or requirements to have personnel in the country. The rapid expansion of proposed regulations, as well as possible conflicting requirements, may make it challenging for us to identify and comply with all new global regulations that may apply to our services.
84

These laws and regulations impose added costs on our business. Actual or perceived noncompliance with applicable regulations or requirements could subject us to:
•investigations, enforcement actions, and sanctions;
•mandatory changes to our network and products;
•disgorgement of profits, fines, and damages;
•civil and criminal penalties or injunctions;
•claims for damages by our customers or channel partners;
•termination of contracts;
•loss of intellectual property rights; and
•temporary or permanent debarment from sales to government organizations.
If any governmental sanctions are imposed, or if we do not prevail in any possible civil or criminal litigation, our business, results of operations, and financial condition could be adversely affected. In addition, responding to any action will likely result in a significant diversion of our management’s attention and resources and an increase in professional fees. Enforcement actions and sanctions could materially harm our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Additionally, companies in the technology industry have recently experienced increased regulatory scrutiny. The rapid growth of our business and the products that we offer may also result in increased regulatory scrutiny of our company in particular. Any reviews by regulatory agencies or legislatures may result in substantial regulatory fines, changes to our business practices, and other penalties, which could negatively affect our business and results of operations. Changes in social, political, and regulatory conditions or in laws and policies governing a wide range of topics may cause us to change our business practices. Further, our expansion into a variety of new fields also could raise a number of new regulatory issues. These factors could negatively affect our business and results of operations in material ways.
Our actual or perceived failure to comply with privacy, data protection, information security, and other applicable laws, regulations, and obligations could harm our business.
We receive, store, use, and otherwise process personal information and other information relating to individuals. There are numerous federal, state, local, and international laws and regulations regarding privacy, data protection, information security, and the storing, sharing, use, processing, transfer, disclosure, and protection of personal information and other content, the scope of which are changing, subject to differing interpretations, and may be inconsistent among jurisdictions, or conflict with other rules. Not only is the number of data protection laws rising globally and within the United States, but existing laws and regulations are evolving. Together, this legislative framework may result in ever-increasing regulatory and public scrutiny and escalating levels of enforcement and sanctions. For example, the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) imposes stringent data protection requirements and provides for penalties for noncompliance of up to the greater of €20 million or four percent of worldwide annual revenues. In addition, the GDPR and the data protection laws of a number of other jurisdictions such as Japan, China, and South Korea, prohibit cross-border data transfers unless certain contractual and other conditions are met. This requires us to incur substantial costs and engage in additional contract negotiations with some of our customers and vendors to ensure the conditions established by these data protection regulations are met.
Some countries are also considering or have enacted legislation and/or certification schemes requiring local storage and processing of data, or other sovereignty-oriented requirements, that could increase the cost and complexity of delivering our services. For example, the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity’s draft version of the European Cybersecurity Certification Scheme for Cloud Services, would require EU data sovereignty for companies seeking to obtain the highest certification level.
In addition, the interpretation of existing privacy, data protection, and information security laws and regulations by governmental entities and the courts may change significantly over time in a manner that can have a significantly adverse impact on both our business and our customers’ businesses. For example, in July 2020, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in the "Schrems II" case invalidated the U.S.-EU Privacy Shield that was widely used by us and other companies to allow for the lawful transfer of personal data of European Economic Area (EEA) residents to the United States for processing under the GDPR and placed additional requirements on the use of the EU Standard Contractual Clauses (EU SCCs) as a mechanism for transferring EEA personal data to the United States.
85

We incurred substantial costs and needed to engage in additional contract negotiations with some of our customers and vendors in connection with updated EU SCCs and the United Kingdom addendum to the EU SCCs or other appropriate contractual provisions that we sought to put in place with our customers and vendors.
In July 2023, the European Commission adopted an adequacy decision for the new EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework, which is designed to address the concerns raised in the Schrems II case. However, the European Commission’s adequacy decision regarding this framework will be subject to future reviews and may be subject to suspension, amendment, repeal, or limitations to its scope by the European Commission. While this new framework may serve as a means for cloud service providers like our company to freely transfer EU personal data to the United States, many aspects of this new framework remain uncertain. It already is subject to legal challenge, and some customers and vendors are unwilling to rely on the new framework due to this uncertainty. In addition, last year, the European Data Protection Board issued its 2022 Coordinated Enforcement Action on the use of cloud-based services by the public sector, in which it expressed concerns that EU public sector entities may not be able to use U.S.-based cloud service providers consistently with GDPR due to their concerns about the ability of U.S. government agencies to access EU personal data.
Whether as a result of this or otherwise, we may continue to see more findings from privacy regulators around the world against cloud service providers relating to cross-border personal data transfers, and may find it necessary or appropriate to modify our policies and practices to address any such findings or other legislative developments relating to cross-border personal data transfers. Implementing any new guidance from applicable regulatory authorities and otherwise responding to or addressing developments relating to cross-border personal data transfers may result in substantial costs, require changes to our policies and business practices, require us to engage in additional contractual negotiations, limit our ability to provide certain products in certain jurisdictions, limit our ability to provide certain products to certain customers, or materially adversely affect our business and operating results.
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom's data protection legislation is substantially consistent with the GDPR, and the UK has adopted an extension to the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework, but it remains to be seen how data transfers to and from the United Kingdom will be regulated and enforced in the longer term. To the extent future United Kingdom data protection requirements diverge significantly from the GDPR, they may result in substantial costs, require changes to our business practices, limit our ability to provide certain products in certain jurisdictions, limit our ability to provide certain products to certain customers, or materially adversely affect our business and operating results.
We also expect that there will continue to be new, and amendments to existing, laws, regulations, and industry standards concerning privacy, data protection, and information security proposed and enacted in the United States and various individual U.S. states. In the United States, various federal laws and regulations already apply to the collection, processing, disclosure and security of certain types of data, including the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act. In addition, there are also a number of recently enacted or proposed U.S. federal and state privacy and data protection bills in Congress and state legislatures across the country.
We are also subject to the terms of our privacy policies and contractual obligations to third parties related to privacy, data protection, and information security. We strive to comply with applicable laws, regulations, policies, and other legal obligations relating to privacy, data protection, and information security to the extent possible. However, the regulatory framework for privacy and data protection worldwide is evolving rapidly, and it is possible that these or other actual or alleged obligations may be interpreted and applied in a manner that is inconsistent from one jurisdiction to another and may conflict with other rules or our practices. As data protection compliance complexity grows, we may be required to incur substantial costs to adapt our policies and business practices as well as engage in additional contractual negotiations.
Any failure or perceived failure by us to comply with our privacy policies, our privacy-related obligations to customers or other third parties, applicable laws or regulations, or any of our other legal obligations relating to privacy, data protection, or information security may result in governmental investigations or enforcement actions, litigation, claims, or public statements against us by consumer advocacy groups or others and could result in significant liability or cause our customers to lose trust in us, which could cause them to cease or reduce use of our products and otherwise have an adverse effect on our reputation and business. Furthermore, the costs of compliance with, and other burdens imposed by, the laws, regulations, and policies that are applicable to the businesses of our customers may limit the adoption and use of, and reduce the overall demand for, our products.
86

Additionally, if third parties we work with, such as sub-processors, vendors, or developers, violate applicable laws or regulations, contractual obligations, or our policies—or if it is perceived that such violations have occurred—such actual or perceived violations may also have an adverse effect on our business. Further, any significant change to applicable laws, regulations, or industry practices regarding the collection, use, retention, security, disclosure, or other processing of users’ content, or regarding the manner in which the express or implied consent of users for the collection, use, retention, disclosure, or other processing of such content is obtained, could increase our costs and require us to modify our network, products, and features, possibly in a material manner, which we may be unable to complete, and may limit our ability to store and process customer data or develop new products and features.
We are subject to anti-corruption, anti-bribery, and similar laws, and noncompliance with such laws can subject us to criminal penalties or significant fines and harm our business and reputation.
We are subject to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, the UK Bribery Act 2010, and other anti-corruption, anti-bribery, anti-money laundering, and similar laws in the United States and other countries in which we conduct activities. Anti-corruption and anti-bribery laws, which have been enforced aggressively and are interpreted broadly, prohibit companies and their employees and agents from promising, authorizing, making, or offering improper payments or other benefits to government officials and others in the public sector. We leverage third parties, including channel partners, to sell subscriptions to our products, host many of our co-location facilities for our network, and conduct our business in the United States and abroad. We and these third parties may have direct or indirect interactions with officials and employees of government agencies or state-owned or affiliated entities and we may be held liable for the corrupt or other illegal activities of our business partners and intermediaries, our employees, representatives, contractors, channel partners and agents, even if we do not explicitly authorize such activities. Further, some of our international sales activity occurs, and some of our network infrastructure is located, in parts of the world that are recognized as having a greater potential for business practices that violate anti-corruption, anti-bribery, or similar laws.
We cannot assure you that all of our employees and agents, including our channel partners, have complied with, or in the future will comply with, our policies and applicable law. As we continue to increase our international sales and business and expand our network globally, our risks under these laws may increase. The investigation of possible violations of these laws, including internal investigations and compliance reviews that we may conduct from time to time, could have a material adverse effect on our business. Actual or perceived noncompliance with these laws could subject us to investigations, severe criminal or civil sanctions, settlements, prosecution, loss of export privileges, suspension or debarment from U.S. government contracts and other contracts, other enforcement actions, the appointment of a monitor, disgorgement of profits, significant fines, damages, other civil and criminal penalties or injunctions, whistleblower complaints, adverse media coverage and other consequences. Other internal and government investigations, regulatory proceedings, or litigation, including private litigation filed by our stockholders, may also follow as a consequence. Any investigations, actions, or sanctions could materially harm our reputation, business, results of operations, and financial condition. Further, the promulgation of new anti-corruption and anti-bribery laws, rules or regulations or new interpretations of current anti-corruption and anti-bribery laws, rules or regulations could impact the way we do business in other countries, including requiring us to change certain aspects of our business to ensure compliance, which could reduce revenue, increase costs, or subject us to additional liabilities.
We may face fines, penalties, or other costs, either directly or vicariously, if any of our partners, resellers, contractors, vendors or other third parties fail to adhere to their compliance obligations under our policies and applicable law.
We use a number of partners, resellers, contractors, vendors and other third parties to perform services or act on our behalf in areas like sales, network infrastructure, administration, research, and marketing. It may be the case that one or more of those third parties fail to adhere to our policies or violate applicable federal, state, local, and international laws, including but not limited to, those related to corruption, bribery, economic sanctions, and export/import controls. Despite the significant challenges in asserting and maintaining control and compliance by these third parties, we may be held fully liable for third parties’ actions as fully as if they were a direct employee of ours. Such liabilities may create harm to our reputation, inhibit our plans for expansion, or lead to extensive liability either to private parties or government regulators, which could adversely impact our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
87

We may have exposure to greater than anticipated income tax liabilities in the United States and in foreign jurisdictions, requiring us to exercise judgment in determining the applicability of certain tax laws, and this could subject us to potentially adverse tax consequences and adversely impact our results of operations.
We operate in a number of tax jurisdictions globally, including in the United States at the federal, state, and local levels, and in many other countries, and plan to continue to expand the scale of our operations in the future. As a result, we are subject to income tax in the United States and a number of other jurisdictions. Our domestic and international income tax liabilities are subject to various jurisdictional rules regarding the timing and allocation of revenue and expenses. Significant judgment is required in determining our worldwide provision for income taxes. In the ordinary course of our global business, there are many intercompany transactions and calculations where the ultimate tax determination is uncertain. Our effective income tax rate may be impacted by changes in the mix of earnings in countries with differing statutory tax rates, changes in non-deductible expenses, changes in excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation, changes in the valuation of deferred tax assets and liabilities and our ability to utilize them, the applicability of withholding taxes, and effects from acquisitions.
Our provision for income taxes could also be impacted by changes in accounting principles, changes in U.S. federal, state, or international tax laws, regulations or rates, or changes in taxing jurisdictions’ administrative interpretations, decisions, policies, and positions. For example, the United States enacted the Inflation Reduction Act in August 2022, which, among other provisions, implements a 15% corporate alternative minimum tax on adjusted financial statement income, effective in taxable years beginning after December 31, 2022, and a 1% excise tax on share repurchases, effective for repurchases made after December 31, 2022, which could include transactions with respect to capped call transactions such as those we entered into in 2020 and 2021. Additionally, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development has published proposals related to a number of issues, including a long-term, multilateral proposal on the taxation of the digital economy, and a global minimum tax. A number of other jurisdictions are also considering enacting, or have enacted, similar digital tax regimes aimed at capturing tax revenue on digital services more immediately. Any of the foregoing changes could have an adverse impact on our results of operations, cash flows, and financial condition.
From time to time, we may be subject to income tax audits. While we believe our tax estimates are reasonable and that we have complied with all applicable tax laws, there can be no assurance that a governing tax authority will not have a different interpretation of the law and assess us with additional taxes, including with respect to intercompany transfer pricing. We cannot ensure that the final determination of tax audits or tax disputes will not be different from what is reflected in our historical income tax provisions and accruals and that the outcomes from these continuous examinations will not have an adverse effect on our results of operations.
Our results of operations may be harmed if we are required to collect sales and use, value-added, or similar taxes for our products in jurisdictions where we have not historically done so.
We are subject to non-income-based taxes, such as payroll, sales, use, value-added, property, and goods and services taxes, in both the United States and various foreign jurisdictions. Sales and use, value-added, goods and services, and similar tax laws and rates vary greatly by jurisdiction. Our customers can be located in one jurisdiction, utilize our network and products through our network equipment in a different jurisdiction, and pay us from an account located in a third jurisdiction. This divergence, along with the jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction variance in tax laws, causes significant uncertainty in the tax treatment of our business. There is further uncertainty as to what constitutes sufficient physical presence or nexus for a national, state, or local jurisdiction to levy taxes, fees, and surcharges for sales made over the Internet, and there is also uncertainty as to whether our characterization of our network and products as not taxable in certain jurisdictions will be accepted by national, state, and local taxing authorities. In determining our tax filing obligations, management has made judgments regarding whether our activities in a jurisdiction rise to the level of taxability. These judgments may prove inaccurate, and one or more states or countries may seek to impose additional sales, use, or other tax collection obligations on us, including for past sales by us. We currently face, and in the future may continue to face, non-income tax audits. In the event of an adverse outcome in those audits, our liability for these taxes could exceed our estimates as state and other tax authorities could assert that we are obligated to collect additional amounts as taxes from our customers and remit those taxes to those authorities. A successful assertion by a state, country, or other jurisdiction that we should have been or should be collecting additional sales, use, or other taxes on our network and products could, among other things, result in substantial tax liabilities for past sales, create significant administrative burdens for us, discourage customers from purchasing our network and products, or otherwise harm our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
88

Our ability to use our net operating loss carryforwards and certain other tax attributes may be limited.
Under certain circumstances, our income tax obligations may be reduced as a result of our net operating loss carryforwards and other tax attributes. As of December 31, 2022, we had net operating loss carryforwards for U.S. federal income tax purposes of $1,338.5 million that will begin to expire in 2029, net operating loss carryforwards for state income tax purposes of $757.4 million that will begin to expire in 2025, and net operating loss carryforwards for U.K. income tax purposes of $178.5 million that can be carried forward indefinitely. Also as of December 31, 2022, we had federal research and development tax credit carryforwards of $49.7 million that will begin to expire in 2029 and state research and development tax credit carryforwards of $25.9 million that will begin to expire in 2039.
Utilization of our net operating loss carryforwards and other tax attributes, such as research and development tax credits, may be subject to annual limitations, or could be subject to other limitations on utilization or benefit due to the ownership change limitations provided by Sections 382 and 383 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code), and other similar provisions. Under Sections 382 and 383 of the Code, if a corporation undergoes an “ownership change,” the corporation’s ability to use its pre-change net operating loss carryforwards and other pre-change attributes, such as research tax credits, to offset its post-change income may be limited. In general, an “ownership change” will occur if there is a cumulative change in our ownership by “5-percent shareholders” that exceeds 50 percentage points over a rolling three-year period. Similar rules may apply under state tax laws. We may have experienced various ownership changes in the past, and we may experience ownership changes in the future as a result of subsequent changes in our stock ownership, some of which may be outside our control.
Net operating loss carryforwards and other tax assets could expire before utilization and could be subject to limitations, which could harm our business, revenue, and financial results. It is also possible that federal, state, and non-U.S. tax authorities will enact additional legislation limiting our ability to use our carryforwards, some of which may adversely impact our business.
If we are deemed an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act), applicable restrictions could make it impractical for us to continue our business as contemplated and could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Under the 1940 Act, a company generally will be deemed to be an “investment company” if (1) it is, or holds itself out as being, engaged primarily, or proposes to engage primarily, in the business of investing, reinvesting or trading in securities or (2) it engages, or proposes to engage, in the business of investing, reinvesting, owning, holding or trading in securities and it owns or proposes to acquire investment securities having a value exceeding 40% of the value of its total assets (exclusive of U.S. government securities and cash items) on an unconsolidated basis. We do not believe that we are an “investment company” under the 1940 Act.
We have historically qualified for an exemption from registration under the 1940 Act for “research and development companies” as defined in Rule 3a-8 promulgated under the 1940 Act. To provide clarity on our investment company status in the longer term, we applied for and, in April 2023, received an order from the SEC stating that we are primarily engaged in a business other than that of investing, reinvesting, owning, holding or trading in securities, and therefore not an investment company, subject to compliance with certain conditions. Notwithstanding the exemptive order, we believe that we have never been an investment company because, among other reasons, we are primarily engaged in the business of a global cloud services provider.
We intend to operate our business as described in the exemptive order; however, it is possible that our business will change in the future. If the SEC were to find that the circumstances that gave rise to the issuance of the exemptive order no longer exist, the SEC may revoke the exemptive order. If the exemptive order were revoked or we are unable otherwise to rely on the exemptive order or another applicable exemption, we may be required to institute burdensome requirements to comply with the 1940 Act, which may restrict our activities in a way that could adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

Risks Related to International Operations
89

Our international operations expose us to significant risks, and failure to manage those risks could materially and adversely impact our business and results of operations.
Historically, we have derived a significant portion of our revenue from outside the United States. We derived 48% and 47% of our revenue from our international customers for the three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively, and 47% of our revenue from our international customers for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022. We are continuing to adapt to and develop strategies to address international markets and our growth strategy includes expansion into geographies around the world, but there is no guarantee that such efforts will be successful. In addition, our global network includes co-location facilities located in more than 300 cities and over 120 countries worldwide as of September 30, 2023. We expect that our international sales and network activities will continue to grow in the future, as we continue to pursue opportunities in international markets and further grow our network around the world. These international operations will require significant management attention and financial resources and are subject to substantial risks, including:
•geopolitical, economic, and social uncertainties, including the potential nationalization of key peering partners by foreign governments or political unrest that affects our ability to continue to work with particular peering partners, potential terrorist activities, military conflict or war, trade policies and sanctions, and the unknown impact of regional or global health crises, or epidemic or pandemic diseases, such as the COVID-19 pandemic;
•changes in a specific country’s or region’s political or economic conditions;
•unexpected costs for the localization of our products, including translation into foreign languages and adaptation for local practices, certifications, and legal and regulatory requirements;
•greater difficulty in enforcing contracts and accounts receivable collection, and longer collection periods;
•reduced or uncertain protection for intellectual property rights in some countries;
•requirements to open local offices or otherwise maintain a local presence in some countries;
•greater risk of unexpected changes in regulatory practices, tariffs, and tax laws and treaties, including with respect to our business in China;
•increased risk to our local employees of government pressure, including potential threats of prosecution or imprisonment, in connection with enforcement of local legal and regulatory requirements;
•greater risk of a failure of foreign employees and channel partners to comply with both U.S. and foreign laws, including antitrust regulations, anti-bribery laws, export and import control laws, and any applicable trade regulations ensuring fair trade practices;
•heightened security risks associated with our co-location facilities and related equipment in high-risk countries and the software code and systems access shared with our service providers located in such countries, including in the Hong Kong region as a result of the National Security Law passed in June 2020;
•greater security and oversight risks associated with third-party contractors that we use to install and maintain our hardware in co-location facilities in foreign countries and the limited background checks and screening that we can perform on such service providers;
•laws and regulations related to privacy, data protection, security requirements, data localization, or content restriction that could pose risks to our intellectual property, increase the cost of doing business in a country, subject us to greater risks of claims and enforcement actions by regulators or others, subject us and our current and potential customers to burdensome requirements, increase the chance that current and potential customers may be unable to use our products or may be required to lessen or alter how they use our products, or create other disadvantages to our business or negative impacts on our results of operations;
•increased expenses incurred in establishing and maintaining office space and equipment for our international operations;
•greater difficulty in identifying, attracting, and retaining local qualified personnel and the costs and expenses associated with such activities;
•differing employment practices and labor relations issues, which may make expansion or contraction of our workforce, or changes in the terms of employment, in such countries more costly and time-consuming and subject us to a greater risk of disputes or litigation;
90

•increased regulatory requirements and litigation risk related to the presence of our physical infrastructure in countries around the world;
•difficulties in managing and staffing international offices and increased travel, infrastructure, and legal compliance costs associated with operating multiple international locations; and
•fluctuations in exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and foreign currencies in markets where we do business, particularly the United Kingdom, the European Union, and Singapore where we have large offices or a large number of employees and pay employees in local currency.
The expansion of our existing international operations and entry into additional international markets will require significant management attention and financial resources. Our failure to successfully manage our international operations and the associated risks could limit the future growth of our business. In particular, we are exposed to risks in China, which amounts to a significant part of both our short-term and long-term revenue growth plans. Our Chinese operations are substantially dependent on our relationship with JD Cloud and due to economic and political challenges in servicing the Chinese market, the loss of this arrangement could have a significant adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
Geopolitical events, including the ongoing conflicts between Hamas and Israel and between Russia and Ukraine or other areas of geopolitical tension around the world, or any worsening of those conflicts or geopolitical tensions, may increase the likelihood of certain of these risks materializing or heighten their impact on us in affected regions. In addition, heightened use of trade restrictions and sanctions, including tariffs or prohibitions on technology transfers to achieve diplomatic ends could impact our ability to conduct our business as planned.
As discussed in greater detail above in our risk factor titled "Our actual or perceived failure to comply with privacy, data protection, information security, and other applicable laws, regulations, and obligations could harm our business," recent changes in privacy and data protection laws in a number of countries and supranational organizations have created uncertainty around the requirements related to transfers of personal data between jurisdictions, including transfers to the United States. As a result of this uncertainty, our current and potential customers in certain regions may be concerned about whether they are able to transfer personal data to the United States in connection with the usage of our global network and products. If these concerns result in our current and potential customers in those regions reducing their usage of our products, then our results of operations could be adversely impacted. Further, we anticipate needing to identify different transfer mechanisms and/or change our use of certain standard contractual clauses in order to lawfully transfer certain personal data from those regions to the United States. This could result in substantial costs, require changes to our policies and business practices, require us to engage in additional contractual obligations, limit our ability to provide certain products in certain jurisdictions, or materially adversely affect our business and operating results.
We are exposed to fluctuations in currency exchange rates, which could negatively affect our results of operations.
Substantially all of our sales contracts are denominated in U.S. dollars and, therefore, substantially all of our revenue is not subject to foreign currency risk. However, a strengthening of the U.S. dollar has increased and may continue to increase the real cost of our products to our customers outside of the United States, which could reduce demand for our products or cause us to discount our products, which could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.
As our international operations expand, an increasing portion of our operating expenses is incurred outside the United States and is denominated in foreign currencies, such as the British Pound, Euro, and Singapore Dollar. In addition, in the future we may begin to generally allow customers in some countries outside the United States to pay us for our products in the currencies of those countries. Accordingly, our revenue and operating expenses may be increasingly subject to fluctuations due to changes in foreign currency exchange rates. As we continue to expand our international operations, we may become more exposed to foreign currency risk or remeasurement risk. If we become more exposed to currency fluctuations and are not able to successfully hedge against the risks associated with currency fluctuations, our results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.
Our business could be adversely impacted by the decision of foreign governments, Internet service providers, or others, to block transmission from Cloudflare IP addresses or domains in order to enforce certain Internet content blocking efforts.
91

Some of our security products involve making origin IP addresses and other operational assets of our customers more difficult for cyber attackers to target. The evolving design of our network and products may create challenges for various organizations, including governments, that seek to block certain content based on IP address “block lists” or other mechanisms. This problem is exacerbated by the fact that a single Cloudflare IP address may be used for a number of Internet properties, and the Cloudflare IP used for any one Internet property may change over time. This means that efforts by ISPs to block a single domain name may end up blocking a number of other domains or content. If these challenges become too difficult for those organizations to overcome, they could make the decision to block content in an overbroad manner or block completely websites and other Internet properties that are using our network and/or transmitted using known Cloudflare IP addresses. Some of these blocking efforts would be out of our control once they have been put in place and may limit our ability to provide our products on a fully global basis, which could reduce demand for our products among current or potential customers that are focused on the impacted regions or could otherwise adversely impact our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Our network presence within China is dependent upon our commercial relationship with JD Cloud, and any detrimental changes in, or the termination of, that relationship could jeopardize our ability to offer an integrated global network that includes China.
We believe our offering of an integrated global network that includes facilities in China is important to our existing and potential future customers. Our ability to continue to offer an integrated network presence that includes China currently is dependent on our commercial relationship with JD Cloud. Regulation of Internet infrastructure and traffic by the Chinese government creates challenges to the peering of Chinese and non-Chinese networks. We have a strategic agreement with JD Cloud to provide solutions that accommodate the requirements imposed by Chinese regulations through JD Cloud's development and operation of facilities in China that are included as part of our network. Our original agreement with JD Cloud was announced in 2020 and was set to expire in April 2023. A new agreement, extending the relationship, was executed in April 2023 and will expire in March 2026. The new agreement contains economic terms that are less favorable to us than the terms of the original agreement. Consistent with the original agreement, our new agreement with JD Cloud is subject to earlier termination by either party under certain circumstances such as the other party’s material breach and can be terminated by JD Cloud under certain circumstances if necessary Chinese governmental approvals are revoked or become limited or impaired or if public law or regulatory action by the Chinese or U.S. government expressly prohibits or materially restricts the collaboration contemplated by the agreement. The risk of such an early termination event may have increased during the current environment of economic trade negotiations and tensions between the Chinese and U.S. governments.
Our customers that use our network presence in China through our JD Cloud commercial relationship are subject to Chinese laws and regulations of Internet infrastructure, traffic, and content. Under our agreement with JD Cloud, in some circumstances, these customers’ use of our Chinese network presence can be terminated if they violate these laws and regulations. The removal of our customers from our Chinese network presence could result in these customers deciding to terminate their overall relationship with us. In addition, any adverse publicity associated with the removal of some or all of our customers from our Chinese network presence as a result of the application of Chinese laws and regulations could cause us to experience adverse reputational and business consequences.
If our commercial relationship with JD Cloud is terminated, identifying an alternative solution in China could be difficult, time-consuming, and expensive. Even if an alternative solution is identified, we cannot be certain that the economic terms or performance of any such alternative arrangement will be comparable to our existing relationship with JD Cloud, which could materially negatively impact our financial results and customer satisfaction with such alternative arrangement. A lack of network presence in China would represent a significant loss of utility to many of our customers and could materially harm our business, financial condition, or results of operations.
We are subject to governmental trade sanctions laws, and export and import controls, that could impair our ability to compete in international markets and subject us to liability if we are not in full compliance with applicable laws.
Our business activities are subject to various economic and trade sanctions regulations administered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and U.S. export control and similar foreign laws and regulations, including the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Export Administration Regulations (EAR). We incorporate encryption technology into certain of our products, and the encryption products and the underlying technology may be exported outside the United States only with the required export authorizations, including by license, a license exception, or other appropriate government authorizations, including the filing of classification requests or self-classification reports.
92

Further, the U.S. economic sanctions laws and export control laws include restrictions or prohibitions on the sale or supply of most products and services to U.S. embargoed or sanctioned countries, governments, persons, and entities. Even though we take precautions and have implemented policies and practices to assist in compliance, there is a risk that we may not be in full compliance with these laws.
In 2019, we learned that we may have failed to comply with certain U.S. export-related filing and reporting requirements and may have submitted incorrect information to the U.S. government in connection with certain hardware exports. Upon learning of these potential violations and associated export control requirements, we promptly initiated a voluntary internal review and are taking remedial measures to prevent similar export control anomalies from occurring in the future. In May 2019, we submitted an initial voluntary self-disclosure to the Bureau of Industry and Security regarding potential violations of EAR and a voluntary self-disclosure to the Census Bureau regarding potential violations of the Foreign Trade Regulations. In July 2019, we filed the full and complete voluntary self-disclosures. The voluntary self-disclosure to the Census Bureau was completed with no penalties in November 2019. The voluntary self-disclosure to the Bureau of Industry and Security was completed with no penalties in June 2020.
In May 2019, we submitted an initial voluntary self-disclosure to OFAC related to our non-compliance with certain economic and trade sanctions programs, and we filed the full and complete voluntary self-disclosure to OFAC in July 2019. Specifically, we identified that our products were used by, or for the benefit of, certain individuals and entities included in OFAC’s Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List, including entities identified in OFAC’s counter-terrorism and counter-narcotics trafficking sanctions programs and individuals or entities affiliated with governments currently subject to comprehensive U.S. sanctions or located in regions subject to comprehensive sanctions. A small number of these parties made payments to us in connection with their use of our products. The voluntary self-disclosure, which we may supplement as appropriate, remains under an ongoing review by OFAC.
Although we have implemented, and are working to implement additional controls and screening tools designed to prevent similar activity from occurring in the future, there is no guarantee that we will not inadvertently provide our products to additional individuals, entities, or governments prohibited by U.S. sanctions in the future.
Additionally, we currently provide products to certain OFAC-sanctioned regions based upon general licenses issued by OFAC to engage in such activity. We continue to review the OFAC sanctions and our practices to verify compliance.
These efforts related to export controls and OFAC sanctions could result in negative consequences for us, including costs related to government investigations, financial penalties and harm to our reputation. The impact on us related to these matters could be substantial.
In addition, various countries regulate the import of certain technologies and have enacted or could enact laws that could limit our ability to provide our products and operate our network or could limit our customers’ ability to access or use our network and products in those countries.
If we are found to have violated the U.S. or foreign laws and regulations, we and certain of our employees could be subject to civil or criminal penalties, including the possible loss of export privileges and fines. We may be materially and adversely affected through penalties, reputational harm, loss of access to certain markets, loss of customers, or otherwise. Obtaining the necessary authorizations, including any required license, for a particular transaction may be time-consuming, is not guaranteed, and may result in the delay or loss of sales opportunities. In addition, changes in our network, products, or screening process, or changes in export, sanctions, and import laws, could delay the introduction and sale of subscriptions to our products in international markets, prevent customers in certain countries from accessing our network and products or, in some cases, prevent the provision of our network and products to certain countries, governments, persons, or entities altogether. Any decrease in our ability to sell our products could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

Risks Related to Intellectual Property
We are currently, and may be in the future, party to intellectual property rights claims and other litigation matters that, if resolved adversely, could have a material impact on our business, results of operations, or financial condition.
93

We own a large number of patents, copyrights, trademarks, domain names, and trade secrets and, from time to time, are subject to litigation based on allegations of infringement, misappropriation, or other violations of intellectual property or other rights. As we face increasing competition and gain an increasingly high profile, the possibility of intellectual property rights claims, commercial claims, and other assertions against us grows. In addition, a number of companies in our industry hold a large number of patents and also protect their copyright, trade secret, trademark, and other intellectual property rights, and companies in the networking and security industry frequently enter into litigation based on allegations of patent infringement or other violations of intellectual property rights. We have in the past been, are currently, and may from time to time in the future become, a party to litigation and disputes related to intellectual property, our business practices, and our products. For example, we are a defendant in lawsuits, both in the United States and abroad, seeking injunctive relief and/or damages against us based on claims of alleged patent infringement and claims of alleged copyright infringement through content on our customers’ websites. We may also be subject to governmental and other regulatory investigations from time to time. The costs of supporting litigation and dispute resolution proceedings are considerable, and there can be no assurances that a favorable outcome will be obtained. Disputes, whether or not favorably resolved, also may generate negative publicity and damage our reputation. We may need to settle litigation and disputes on terms that are unfavorable to us, or we may be subject to an unfavorable judgment that may not be reversible upon appeal. The terms of any settlement or judgment may require us to cease some or all of our operations or pay substantial amounts to the other party. With respect to any intellectual property rights claim, we may have to seek a license to continue practices found to be in violation of third-party rights, which may not be available on reasonable terms and may significantly increase our operating expenses. A license to continue such practices may not be available to us at all, and we may be required to develop alternative non-infringing technology or practices or discontinue the practices. The development of alternative, non-infringing technology or practices could require significant effort and expense. Our business, results of operations, and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected as a result.
Indemnity provisions in various agreements potentially expose us to substantial liability for intellectual property infringement and other losses.
Our agreements with certain of our customers or other third parties may include indemnification or other provisions under which we agree to indemnify or otherwise be liable to them for losses suffered or incurred as a result of claims of intellectual property infringement, damages caused by us to property or persons, or other liabilities relating to or arising from the use of our network and products or other acts or omissions. The term of these contractual provisions often survives termination or expiration of the applicable agreement. We have in the past been sued on the basis of alleged violation of intellectual property rights in the form of patents and trade secrets. Although we were successful in defending the claims to date, as we continue to grow, the possibility of these and other intellectual property rights claims against us may increase. For any intellectual property rights indemnification claim against us or our customers, we may incur significant legal expenses and have to pay damages, pay license fees and/or stop using technology found to be in violation of the third party’s rights. Large indemnity payments could harm our business, results of operations, and financial condition. We may also have to seek a license for the disputed technology, but such a license may not be available on reasonable terms, if at all, and may significantly increase our operating expenses or may require us to restrict our business activities and limit our ability to deliver certain products. As a result, we may also be required to develop alternative non-infringing technology, which could require significant effort and expense and/or cause us to alter our network or products, which could negatively affect our business.
From time to time, customers require us to indemnify or otherwise be liable to them for breach of confidentiality, violation of applicable law, or failure to implement adequate security measures with respect to their data stored, transmitted, or accessed using our network and products. Our standard Enterprise plan agreements provide limited indemnification to our customers based on third-party claims related to our violation of intellectual property rights, and some of our Enterprise plan agreements offer indemnification for claims beyond that scope. The existence of such a dispute may have adverse effects on our customer relationship and reputation and we may still incur substantial liability related to them.
Any assertions by a third party, whether or not successful, with respect to such indemnification obligations could subject us to costly and time-consuming litigation, expensive remediation and licenses, divert management attention and financial resources, harm our relationship with that customer and other current and prospective customers, reduce demand for our products, and harm our brand, business, results of operations, and financial condition.
94

Our failure to protect our intellectual property rights and proprietary information could diminish our brand and other intangible assets.
We rely and expect to continue to rely on a combination of patent, patent licenses, trade secret, domain name protection, trademarks, copyrights, and confidentiality and license agreements with our employees, consultants, and third parties in order to protect our intellectual property rights and proprietary information. As of September 30, 2023, we had more than 265 issued patents and 75 pending patent applications in the United States and abroad. However, third parties may knowingly or unknowingly infringe our intellectual property rights. Third parties may challenge our intellectual property rights, pending and future patent, trademark, and copyright applications may not be approved, and we may not be able to prevent infringement, misappropriation, or violations of our intellectual property rights without incurring substantial expense. We have also devoted substantial resources to the development of our proprietary technologies and related processes, and we provide access to these technologies and processes to certain of our vendors and partners, including JD Cloud with respect to the facilities included within our network in China. We must protect this proprietary information in order to realize commercial benefit from our investment.
In order to protect our proprietary technologies and processes, we rely in part on trade secret laws and confidentiality agreements with our employees, contractors, consultants, and third parties. These agreements may not effectively prevent disclosure of confidential information and may not provide an adequate remedy in the event of unauthorized disclosure of confidential information. Further, errors made by our employees or contractors in utilizing artificial intelligence or machine learning in our products or in the operation of our business could result in proprietary or other confidential information being exposed externally. In addition, others may independently discover our trade secrets or develop similar technologies and processes, in which case we would not be able to assert trade secret rights against them. Laws in certain jurisdictions may afford little or no trade secret protection, and any changes in, or unexpected interpretations of, the intellectual property laws in any country in which we operate may compromise our ability to enforce our intellectual property rights. We may not be effective in policing unauthorized use of our intellectual property rights, and even if we do detect violations, costly and time-consuming litigation could be necessary to enforce and determine the scope of our proprietary rights, and any such litigation could be unsuccessful, lead to the invalidation of our proprietary rights, or lead to counterclaims by other parties against us. If the protection of our proprietary rights is inadequate to prevent use or appropriation by third parties, the value of our network and products, brand, and other intangible assets may be diminished and competitors may be able to more effectively replicate our network and products and their features. Any of these events could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
We depend and rely upon software and technologies licensed from third parties to operate our business, and interruptions or the unavailability of these technologies may adversely affect our products, network, business, and results of operations.
We rely on software, services, and other technology from third parties that we incorporate into, or integrate with, our network and products. We also rely on software, services, and other technology from third parties in order to operate critical functions of our business, including enterprise resource planning and customer relationship management services. If the software, services, or other technology we rely on become unavailable due to extended outages, the third-party provider disabling our access, expiration or termination of licenses, or because they are otherwise no longer available on commercially reasonable terms, our expenses could increase, and our ability to operate our network, provide our products, and our results of operations could be impaired until equivalent software, technology, or services are obtained or replacements are developed, all of which could adversely affect our business.
If we are unable to license necessary technology from third parties now or in the future, we may be forced to acquire or develop alternative technology, which we may be unable to do in a commercially feasible manner or at all, and we may be required to use alternative technology of lower quality or performance. This could limit and delay our ability to offer new or competitive products and increase our costs of production. As a result, our business and results of operations could be significantly harmed.
We cannot be certain that those from whom we license software and other technology are not infringing the intellectual property rights of third parties or have sufficient rights to the licensed intellectual property in all jurisdictions in which we may sell our products. Accordingly, our use of this intellectual property may expose us to third-party claims of infringement.
95

In addition, many licenses are non-exclusive and may not prevent our competitors from licensing the same technology on equivalent or more favorable terms.
Some of our technology incorporates “open source” software, we license some of our software through open source projects and we voluntarily make available some of our software on an open source basis, which could negatively affect our ability to sell our products, subject us to possible litigation, and be used by other companies to compete against us.
Our network and products incorporate software licensed under open source licenses, including open source software included in software we receive from third-party commercial software vendors. Use of open source software may entail greater risks than use of third-party commercial software, as open source licensors generally do not provide support, updates, or warranties, or other contractual protections regarding infringement claims or the quality of the software. In addition, the wide availability of source code incorporated in our products could allow hostile parties to more easily identify security vulnerabilities in our network and products. The terms of some open source licenses may provide that under certain conditions we could be required to release the source code of our proprietary software, and to make our proprietary software available under open source licenses, including authorizing further modification and redistribution. In the event that certain portions of our proprietary software are determined to be subject to such requirements by an open source license, we could be required to publicly release the affected portions of our source code, re-engineer all or a portion of our network or applicable products, or otherwise be limited in the licensing of our products, each of which provide an advantage to our competitors or other entrants to the market, create security vulnerabilities in our products, and could reduce or eliminate the value of our products. Because the terms of open source licenses are novel and have not been widely interpreted by courts, we could be subject to lawsuits by parties claiming ownership of what we believe to be open source software or by third parties seeking to enforce the terms of open source licenses against us in a manner we do not anticipate. In addition, we voluntarily make available certain portions of our software on an open source basis to the public and such software could then be used by other companies to compete against us.
Any unanticipated disclosure of, or litigation regarding, our source code and any open source software incorporated into our source code could result in adverse judgments and liabilities, require us to reengineer all or a portion of our network and products, limit the marketing of our products, provide an advantage to our competitors or other entrants to the market, create new security vulnerabilities or highlight existing security vulnerabilities in our network and products, and reduce or eliminate the value of our network and products. We cannot assure you that our processes for controlling our use of open source software in our network and products will be effective.
Risks Related to Ownership of Our Class A Common Stock
The trading price of our Class A common stock may be volatile, and you could lose all or part of your investment.
The trading price of our Class A common stock may be volatile and could be subject to fluctuations in response to various factors, some of which are beyond our control. These fluctuations could cause you to lose all or part of your investment in our Class A common stock. Factors that could cause fluctuations in the trading price of our Class A common stock include:
•price and volume fluctuations in the overall stock market from time to time;
•volatility in the trading prices and trading volumes of technology stocks or high growth companies;
•changes in operating performance and stock market valuations of other technology or high growth companies generally, or those in our industry in particular;
•sales of shares of our Class A common stock and Class B common stock by us or our stockholders;
•issuance of shares of our Class A common stock and Class B common stock, whether in connection with an acquisition, upon conversion of some or all of our outstanding 2026 Notes, or in connection with employee equity awards;
•failure of securities analysts to maintain coverage of us, changes in financial estimates or share price targets by securities analysts who follow our company, or our failure to meet these estimates or the expectations of investors;
96

•the financial guidance we may provide to the public, any changes in such guidance, or our failure to meet such guidance;
•announcements by us or our competitors of new products, features, or services or any delays in our general release of products we previously announced as being in development or beta testing;
•the public’s reaction to our press releases, other public announcements, and filings with the SEC;
•rumors and market speculation involving us or other companies in our industry;
•actual or anticipated changes in our results of operations or fluctuations in our results of operations;
•actual or anticipated developments in our business, our competitors’ businesses or the competitive landscape generally;
•investments we may make in equity that is, or may become, publicly held, and volatility we may experience due to changes in the market prices of such equity investments;
•litigation involving us, our industry, or both, or investigations by regulators into our operations or those of our competitors;
•developments or disputes concerning our intellectual property or other proprietary rights;
•actual or perceived network or data security breaches or other network or data security incidents, including any network or product outages or failures;
•announced or completed acquisitions of businesses, products, services, or technologies by us or our competitors;
•failures or alleged failures to comply with laws or regulations applicable to our business;
•new laws or regulations or new amendments to, or interpretations of, existing laws or regulations applicable to our business;
•changes in accounting standards, policies, guidelines, interpretations, or principles;
•any departure of one of our co-founders from our company or any other significant change in our management; and
•general economic conditions and slow or negative growth of our markets, including inflation and related changes in monetary policy, rising interest rates, volatile energy prices, and other impacts of the Hamas-Israel and Russia-Ukraine conflicts, or other areas of geopolitical tension around the world, or any worsening of those conflicts or geopolitical tensions.
In addition, in the past, following periods of volatility in the overall market and the market price of a particular company’s securities, securities class action litigation has often been instituted against these companies. This litigation, if instituted against us, could result in substantial costs and a diversion of our management’s attention and resources.
The dual class structure of our common stock has the effect of concentrating voting control with those stockholders who held our capital stock prior to the completion of our initial public offering, and it may depress the trading price of our Class A common stock.
Our Class B common stock has 10 votes per share and our Class A common stock has one vote per share. As of September 30, 2023, our directors, executive officers, and holders of more than 5% of our common stock, and their respective affiliates, held in the aggregate 78.6% of the voting power of our capital stock, with our co-founders together holding approximately 55.2% of the voting power of our capital stock. Because of the ten-to-one voting ratio between our Class B and Class A common stock, the holders of our Class B common stock collectively continue to control a majority of the combined voting power of our common stock and therefore are able to control all matters submitted to our stockholders for approval. This concentrated control will limit or preclude the ability of holders of Class A common stock to influence corporate matters for the foreseeable future, including the election of directors, amendments of our organizational documents, and any merger, consolidation, sale of all or substantially all of our assets, or other major corporate transaction requiring stockholder approval. In addition, this may prevent or discourage unsolicited acquisition proposals or offers for our capital stock that you may feel are in your best interest as one of our stockholders.
97

Future transfers by holders of shares of Class B common stock and the cessation of employment by holders of our Class B common stock generally result in those shares converting to Class A common stock, subject to limited exceptions, such as certain transfers effected for estate planning purposes and transfers between related entities. The conversion of Class B common stock to Class A common stock will have the effect, over time, of increasing the relative voting power of those individual holders of Class B common stock who retain their shares in the long-term.
In July 2017, FTSE Russell announced that it would cease to include most newly public companies utilizing dual or multi-class capital structures in its indices, including the Russell 1000, Russell 2000, and Russell 3000. Under the announced policies, our multi-class capital structure in some cases may make us ineligible for inclusion in some or all of these indices, and as a result, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, and other investment vehicles that attempt to passively track these indices may not invest in our stock if we are not included. It is unclear what effect, if any, these policies have on the valuations of publicly traded companies excluded from the indices, but it is possible that they may depress these valuations compared to those of other similar companies that are included. Previously, Standard & Poor’s also excluded companies utilizing dual or multi-class capital structures from its indices, including the S&P 500, the S&P MidCap 400, and the S&P SmallCap 600, which S&P indices together make up the S&P Composite 1500. However, in April 2023, it reversed this policy and announced that companies with dual or multi-class capital structures will again be eligible for inclusion on its indices. We cannot be sure that such policy, or the policies of other indices, will not change further and make us ineligible for inclusion on the S&P Composite 1500, or other indices, in the future.
Substantial future sales could depress the market price of our Class A common stock.
The market price of our Class A common stock could decline as a result of sales of a large number of shares of such stock, and the perception that these sales could occur may also depress the market price of our Class A common stock.
Under our investors’ rights agreement, certain stockholders can require us to register shares owned by them for public sale in the United States. In addition, we file registration statements to register shares reserved for future issuance under our equity compensation plans. As a result, subject to the satisfaction of applicable exercise periods, the shares issued upon exercise of outstanding stock options or upon settlement of outstanding RSU awards are available for immediate resale in the United States in the open market.
Sales of our shares may make it more difficult for us to sell equity securities in the future at a time and at a price that we deem appropriate. These sales also could cause the trading price of our Class A common stock to fall and make it more difficult for you to sell shares of our Class A common stock.
We have broad discretion over the use of the net proceeds from our financing activities, and we may not use them effectively.
We cannot specify with any certainty the particular uses of the net proceeds that we received from our prior financing activities, including from the issuances of the Notes in 2020 and 2021, and our management has broad discretion in the application of the net proceeds. The failure by our management to apply these proceeds effectively could adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition. Pending their use, we may invest our proceeds in a manner that does not produce income or that loses value. Our investments may not yield a favorable return to our investors and may negatively impact the price of our Class A common stock.
Delaware law and provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws could make a merger, tender offer, or proxy contest difficult, thereby depressing the market price of our Class A common stock.
Our status as a Delaware corporation and the anti-takeover provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law may discourage, delay, or prevent a change in control by prohibiting us from engaging in a business combination with an interested stockholder for a period of three years after the person becomes an interested stockholder, even if a change of control would be beneficial to our existing stockholders. In addition, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws contain provisions that may make the acquisition of our company more difficult, including the following:
98

•our dual-class common stock structure, which provides Mr. Prince and Ms. Zatlyn with the ability to significantly influence the outcome of matters requiring stockholder approval, even if they own significantly less than a majority of the shares of our outstanding Class A common stock and Class B common stock;
•our Board of Directors is classified into three classes of directors with staggered three-year terms and directors are only able to be removed from office for cause;
•vacancies on our Board of Directors will be able to be filled only by our Board of Directors and not by stockholders;
•only the Chair of our Board of Directors, our Chief Executive Officer, or a majority of our entire Board of Directors are authorized to call a special meeting of stockholders;
•certain litigation against us can only be brought in Delaware;
•our amended and restated certificate of incorporation authorizes undesignated preferred stock, the terms of which may be established and shares of which may be issued, without the approval of the holders of Class A common stock;
•advance notice procedures apply for stockholders to nominate candidates for election as directors or to bring matters before an annual meeting of stockholders;
•our stockholders will only be able to take action at a meeting of stockholders and not by written consent; and
•any amendment of the above anti-takeover provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or amended and restated bylaws will require the approval of two-thirds of the combined vote of our then-outstanding shares of Class A common stock and Class B common stock.
These anti-takeover defenses could discourage, delay, or prevent a transaction involving a change in control of our company. These provisions could also discourage proxy contests and make it more difficult for stockholders to elect directors of their choosing and to cause us to take other corporate actions they desire, any of which, under certain circumstances, could limit the opportunity for our stockholders to receive a premium for their shares of our capital stock, and could also affect the price that some investors are willing to pay for our Class A common stock.
Our amended and restated bylaws provide that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware and the federal district courts of the United States will be the exclusive forums for substantially all disputes between us and our stockholders, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to choose the judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers or employees.
Our amended and restated bylaws provide that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware is the sole and exclusive forum for the following types of actions or proceedings under Delaware statutory or common law: (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf; (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors, stockholders, officers, or other employees to us or our stockholders; (iii) any action arising pursuant to any provision of the Delaware General Corporation Law, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or our amended and restated bylaws; or (iv) any other action asserting a claim that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine shall be the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (or, if the Court of Chancery does not have jurisdiction, the federal district court for the District of Delaware), in all cases subject to the court having jurisdiction over indispensable parties named as defendants. Our amended and restated bylaws further provide that the U.S. federal district courts will be the sole and exclusive forum for resolving any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act, against any person in connection with any offering of our securities, including any auditor, underwriter, expert, control person, or other defendant.
Any person or entity purchasing, holding, or otherwise acquiring any interest in any of our securities shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to this provision. These exclusive-forum provisions may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum of its choosing for disputes with us or our directors, officers, or other employees, which may discourage lawsuits against us and our directors, officers, and other employees. If a court were to find the exclusive-forum provision in our amended and restated bylaws to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving the dispute in other jurisdictions, which could harm our results of operations.
99

Our Class A common stock market price and trading volume could decline if equity or industry analysts do not publish research or publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business.
The trading market for our Class A common stock depends in part on the research and reports that equity or industry analysts publish about us or our business. The analysts’ estimates are based upon their own opinions and are often different from our estimates or expectations. If one or more of the analysts who cover us downgrade our Class A common stock or publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, the price of our securities would likely decline. If few securities analysts commence coverage of us, or if one or more of these analysts cease coverage of us or fail to publish reports on us regularly, demand for our securities could decrease, which might cause the price and trading volume of our Class A common stock to decline.
An active trading market for our Class A common stock may not be sustained.
Our Class A common stock is listed on the NYSE under the symbol “NET.” However, we cannot assure you of the likelihood that an active trading market for our Class A common stock will be maintained, the liquidity of any trading market, your ability to sell your shares of our Class A common stock when desired, or the prices that you may obtain for your shares.
We do not intend to pay dividends for the foreseeable future.
We have never declared nor paid cash dividends on our capital stock. We currently intend to retain any future earnings to finance the operation and expansion of our business, and we do not expect to declare or pay any dividends in the foreseeable future. As a result, stockholders must rely on sales of their Class A common stock after price appreciation as the only way to realize any future gains on their investment.
Risks Related to our Outstanding Convertible Senior Notes
Repaying and servicing our existing and future debt, including our 2026 Notes, may require a significant amount of cash, and we may not have sufficient cash flow from our business to pay our indebtedness.
In August 2021, we issued $1,293.8 million in aggregate principal amount of the 2026 Notes. As of September 30, 2023, the remaining aggregate principal amount was $1,293.8 million of the 2026 Notes. Our ability to make scheduled payments of the principal of, or to refinance our indebtedness, including the 2026 Notes, depends on our future performance, which is subject to economic, financial, competitive, and other factors beyond our control. Our business may not generate cash flow from operations in the future sufficient to service our debt and make necessary capital expenditures. If we are unable to generate such cash flow, we may be required to adopt one or more alternatives, such as selling assets, restructuring debt, or obtaining additional debt financing or equity capital on terms that may be onerous or highly dilutive. Our ability to refinance any future indebtedness will depend on the capital markets and our financial condition at such time. We may not be able to engage in any of these activities or engage in these activities on desirable terms, which could result in a default on our debt obligations. In addition, any of our future debt agreements may contain restrictive covenants that may prohibit us from adopting any of these alternatives. Our failure to comply with these covenants could result in an event of default which, if not cured or waived, could result in the acceleration of our debt.
In addition, our indebtedness, combined with our other financial obligations and contractual commitments, could have other important consequences. For example, it could:
•make us more vulnerable to adverse changes in general U.S. and worldwide economic, industry, and competitive conditions and adverse changes in government regulation;
•limit our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in our business and our industry;
•place us at a disadvantage compared to our competitors who have less debt;
•limit our ability to borrow additional amounts to fund acquisitions, for working capital, and for other general corporate purposes; and
•make an acquisition of our company less attractive or more difficult.
100

Any of these factors could harm our business, results of operations, and financial condition. In addition, if we incur additional indebtedness, the risks related to our business and our ability to service or repay our indebtedness would increase.
We may not have the ability to raise the funds necessary for cash settlement upon conversion of the 2026 Notes or to repurchase the 2026 Notes for cash upon a fundamental change, and our future debt may contain limitations on our ability to pay cash upon conversion of the 2026 Notes or to repurchase the 2026 Notes.
Holders of the 2026 Notes have the right to require us to repurchase their 2026 Notes upon the occurrence of a fundamental change (which is defined in the 2026 Indenture) at a repurchase price equal to 100% of the principal amount of such 2026 Notes to be repurchased, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but excluding, the fundamental change repurchase date for such series of 2026 Notes. In addition, upon conversion of the 2026 Notes, unless we elect to deliver solely shares of our Class A common stock to settle such conversion (other than paying cash in lieu of delivering any fractional share), we will be required to make cash payments in respect of the 2026 Notes being converted. However, we may not have enough available cash or be able to obtain financing at the time we are required to make repurchases of the 2026 Notes surrendered or 2026 Notes being converted. In addition, our ability to repurchase the 2026 Notes or to pay cash upon conversions of the 2026 Notes may be limited by law, by regulatory authority or by agreements governing our future indebtedness. Our failure to repurchase the 2026 Notes at a time when the repurchase is required by the 2026 Indenture or to pay any cash payable on future conversions of the 2026 Notes as required by the 2026 Indenture would constitute a default. A default under the 2026 Indenture or the occurrence of a fundamental change under the 2026 Notes could also lead to a default under agreements governing our future indebtedness. If the repayment of the related indebtedness were to be accelerated after any applicable notice or grace periods, we may not have sufficient funds to repay the indebtedness and repurchase the 2026 Notes or make cash payments upon conversions thereof in accordance with the terms of the 2026 Indenture. Any failure by us to repay the indebtedness and repurchase the 2026 Notes or make cash payments upon conversions thereof, in each case, when required to do so pursuant to the terms of the 2026 Indenture could harm our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
The conditional conversion feature of the 2026 Notes, when triggered, may adversely affect our financial condition and operating results.
If the conditional conversion feature of the 2026 Notes is triggered, holders of the 2026 Notes are entitled to convert their 2026 Notes at any time during specified periods at their option. If one or more holders elect to convert their 2026 Notes, unless we elect to satisfy our conversion obligation by delivering solely shares of our Class A common stock (other than paying cash in lieu of delivering any fractional share), we would be required to settle a portion or all of our conversion obligation through the payment of cash, which could adversely affect our liquidity. In addition, we could be required under applicable accounting rules to reclassify all or a portion of the outstanding principal of the 2026 Notes as a current rather than long-term liability, which would result in a material reduction of our net working capital.
Transactions relating to the Notes may affect the value of our Class A common stock.
The conversion of some or all of the 2026 Notes would dilute the ownership interests of our existing stockholders to the extent we satisfy our conversion obligation by delivering shares of our Class A common stock upon any conversion of the 2026 Notes. The 2026 Notes may become convertible at the option of their holders under certain circumstances set forth in the 2026 Indenture. If holders of the 2026 Notes elect to convert their 2026 Notes, we may settle our conversion obligation by delivering to them a significant number of shares of our Class A common stock, which would cause dilution to our existing stockholders. In addition, from time to time, we may enter into certain exchange transactions with respect to the 2026 Notes which may also cause dilution to our existing stockholders. For example, in August 2021, we entered into privately-negotiated exchange agreements with certain holders of the 2025 Notes for the exchange of approximately $400.7 million in cash and approximately 7.6 million shares of our Class A common stock for $400.0 million in aggregate principal amount of the 2025 Notes. In addition, during the three months ended September 30, 2023, we settled conversions of approximately $35.4 million aggregate principal amount of the 2025 Notes for approximately 0.5 million shares of our Class A common stock. These conversions were exercised by the holders of the 2025 Notes in connection with our issuance of a redemption notice.
101

In connection with the pricing of each series of Notes, we entered into privately negotiated capped call transactions with the applicable option counterparties. The capped call transactions are expected generally to reduce the potential dilution upon conversion of the applicable series of Notes and/or offset any cash payments we are required to make in excess of the principal amount of such converted Notes, as the case may be, with such reduction and/or offset subject to a cap.
In connection with establishing their initial hedges of the capped call transactions, the applicable option counterparties or their respective affiliates entered into various derivative transactions with respect to our Class A common stock and/or purchased shares of our Class A common stock concurrently with or shortly after the pricing of the applicable series of Notes. From time to time, the option counterparties or their respective affiliates may modify their hedge positions by entering into or unwinding various derivatives with respect to our Class A common stock and/or purchasing or selling our Class A common stock or other securities of ours in secondary market transactions prior to the maturity of the applicable series of Notes (and are likely to do so following any conversion, repurchase, or redemption of such Notes, to the extent we exercise the relevant election under the applicable capped call transactions). This activity could also cause a decrease and/or increased volatility in the market price of our Class A common stock.
We are subject to counterparty risk with respect to the capped call transactions.
The option counterparties are financial institutions, and we will be subject to the risk that any or all of them might default under the capped call transactions. Our exposure to the credit risk of the option counterparties will not be secured by any collateral. Past macroeconomic conditions have resulted in the actual or perceived failure or financial difficulties of many financial institutions, including the failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, and the UBS takeover of Credit Suisse. If an option counterparty becomes subject to insolvency proceedings, we will become an unsecured creditor in those proceedings with a claim equal to our exposure at that time under the capped call transactions with such option counterparty. Our exposure will depend on many factors but, generally, an increase in our exposure will be correlated to an increase in the market price and in the volatility of our Class A common stock. In addition, upon a default by an option counterparty, we may suffer adverse tax consequences and more dilution than we currently anticipate with respect to our Class A common stock. We can provide no assurance as to the financial stability or viability of the option counterparties.

General Risk Factors
If we fail to maintain an effective system of disclosure controls and internal control over financial reporting, our ability to produce timely and accurate financial statements or comply with applicable regulations could be impaired.
We are subject to the reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act), the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the Sarbanes-Oxley Act), and the rules and regulations of the applicable listing standards of the New York Stock Exchange (the NYSE). We expect that the requirements of these rules and regulations will continue to increase our legal, accounting, and financial compliance costs, make some activities more difficult, time-consuming, and costly, and place significant strain on our personnel, systems, and resources.
The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires, among other things, that we maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting. We are continuing to develop and refine our disclosure controls and other procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in the reports that we file with the SEC is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified in SEC rules and forms and that information required to be disclosed in reports under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to our principal executive and financial officers. We are also continuing to improve our internal control over financial reporting. In order to maintain and improve the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting, we have expended, and anticipate that we will continue to expend, significant resources, including accounting-related costs, and significant management oversight. In addition, our independent registered public accounting firm is required to audit the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act annually. Testing, or the subsequent testing by our independent registered public accounting firm, may reveal material weaknesses or significant deficiencies. If material weaknesses are identified or we are not able to comply with the requirements of Section 404 in a timely manner, our reported financial results could be materially misstated, we could receive an adverse opinion regarding our internal control over financial reporting from our independent registered public accounting firm, we could be subject to investigations or sanctions by regulatory authorities, and we could incur substantial expenses.
102

Our current controls and any new controls that we develop may become inadequate because of changes in conditions in our business. Further, weaknesses in our disclosure controls and internal control over financial reporting may be discovered in the future. Any failure to develop or maintain effective controls or any difficulties encountered in their implementation or improvement could harm our results of operations or cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations and may result in a restatement of our financial statements for prior periods. Any failure to implement and maintain effective internal control over financial reporting also could adversely affect the results of periodic management evaluations and annual independent registered public accounting firm attestation reports regarding the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting that we will eventually be required to include in our periodic reports that will be filed with the SEC. Ineffective disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting could also cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial and other information, which would likely have a negative effect on the trading price of our Class A common stock. In addition, if we are unable to continue to meet these requirements, we may not be able to remain listed on the NYSE.
Our business is subject to the risks of catastrophic events.
The occurrence of any catastrophic event, including an earthquake, volcanic event, fire, flood, tsunami, the effects of climate change, or other weather event, power loss, telecommunications failure, software or hardware malfunction, epidemic or pandemic disease (such as the COVID-19 pandemic), cyber attack, military conflict or war, or terrorist attack, could result in lengthy interruptions in our service. Our corporate headquarters is located in the San Francisco Bay Area and one of our core co-location facilities is located in the U.S. Pacific Northwest, both regions known for seismic and/or volcanic activity, and we also have a second core co-location facility in Luxembourg. Our insurance coverage may not compensate us in full or at all for losses that may occur in the event of any of these potential future catastrophic events. In addition, any of these catastrophic events could cause disruptions to the Internet or the economy as a whole. Even with our disaster recovery arrangements, our service could be interrupted. If our systems were to fail or be negatively impacted as a result of a natural disaster or other event, our ability to deliver products to our customers would be impaired or we could lose critical data.
Our partners, suppliers, and customers are also subject to the risk of catastrophic events. In those events, our ability to deliver our products in a timely manner, as well as the demand for our products, may be divided on account of factors outside our control.
Further, the effects of climate change on the global economy and the technology industry are rapidly evolving. While we seek to mitigate our business risks associated with climate change by establishing robust environmental programs and partnering with organizations who are focused on mitigating their own climate-related risks, there are inherent climate-related risks wherever business is conducted. Any of our locations may be vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. For example, our corporate headquarters in the San Francisco Bay Area and one of our core co-location facilities located in the U.S. Pacific Northwest have experienced and may continue to experience, climate-related events and at an increasing frequency, including severe storms, floods, drought, water scarcity, heat waves, wildfires and resultant air quality impacts and power shutoffs associated with these types of events. Additionally, it will remain difficult to mitigate the impact of these events on our employees that continue to work remotely. Changing market dynamics, global policy developments and increasing frequency and impact of extreme weather events on critical infrastructure in the United States and elsewhere have the potential to disrupt our business, the business of our partners, suppliers and customers, and may cause us to experience higher attrition, losses and additional costs to maintain or resume operations.
The requirements of being a public company may strain our resources, divert management’s attention, and affect our ability to attract and retain executive management and qualified board members.
We are subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, the listing requirements of the NYSE, and other applicable securities rules and regulations. Compliance with these rules and regulations increases our legal and financial compliance costs, makes some activities more difficult, time-consuming, or costly, and increases demand on our systems and resources.
103

The Exchange Act requires, among other things, that we file annual, quarterly, and current reports with respect to our business and results of operations.
The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires, among other things, that we maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting. In order to maintain and, if required, improve our disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting to meet this standard, significant resources and management oversight is required. We are required to disclose changes made in our internal control and procedures on a quarterly basis and to furnish a report by management on, among other things, the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. In addition, our independent registered public accounting firm is required to attest to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. As a result of the complexity involved in complying with the rules and regulations applicable to public companies, our management’s attention may be diverted from other business concerns, which could adversely affect our business and results of operations. Although we have already hired additional employees and have engaged outside consultants to assist us in complying with these requirements, we may need to hire more employees in the future or engage additional outside consultants, which will increase our operating expenses.
In addition, changing laws, regulations, and standards relating to corporate governance and public disclosure are creating uncertainty for public companies, increasing legal and financial compliance costs, and making some activities more time consuming. These laws, regulations, and standards are subject to varying interpretations, in many cases due to their lack of specificity, and, as a result, their application in practice may evolve over time as new guidance is provided by regulatory and governing bodies. This could result in continuing uncertainty regarding compliance matters and higher costs necessitated by ongoing revisions to disclosure and governance practices. We intend to invest substantial resources to comply with evolving laws, regulations, and standards, and this investment may result in increased general and administrative expenses and a diversion of management’s time and attention from revenue-generating activities to compliance activities. If our efforts to comply with new laws, regulations, and standards differ from the activities intended by regulatory or governing bodies due to ambiguities related to their application and practice, regulatory authorities may initiate legal proceedings against us and our business may be adversely affected.
Failure to comply with the aforementioned rules and regulations may make it more expensive for us to maintain director and officer liability insurance, and in the future we may be required to accept reduced coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain coverage. These factors could also make it more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified members of our Board of Directors, particularly to serve on our audit committee and compensation committee, and qualified executive officers.
As a result of disclosure of information in our filings with the SEC, our business and financial condition are visible, which we believe may result in threatened or actual litigation, including by competitors and other third parties. If such claims are successful, our business and results of operations could be adversely affected, and even if the claims do not result in litigation or are resolved in our favor, these claims, and the time and resources necessary to resolve them, could divert the resources of our management and adversely affect our business and results of operations.

Item 2. UNREGISTERED SALES OF EQUITY SECURITIES AND USE OF PROCEEDS.
Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities
None.
Items 3 and 4 are not applicable and have been omitted.

Item 5. OTHER INFORMATION.
Securities Trading Plans of Directors and Executive Officers
104

During the three months ended September 30, 2023, the following “Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement” as defined in Regulation S-K Item 408 was adopted, as follows:
On August 21, 2023, Scott Sandell, a member of our Board of Directors adopted a Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement providing for the sale from time to time of up to 211,534 shares of our Class A common stock. The trading arrangement is intended to satisfy the affirmative defense in Rule 10b5-1(c). The duration of the trading arrangement is until August 30, 2024, or earlier if all transactions under the trading arrangement are completed.
No other officers or directors, as defined in Rule 16a-1(f), adopted and/or terminated a “Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement” as defined in Regulation S-K Item 408, during the last fiscal quarter.

105

Item 6. EXHIBITS

The documents listed in the Exhibit Index of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q are incorporated by reference or are filed with this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, in each case as indicated therein (numbered in accordance with Item 601 of Regulation S-K).


106



EXHIBIT INDEX
Incorporated by Reference
Exhibit
Number
Description Form File No. Exhibit Filing Date
3.1 10-Q 001-39039 3.1 November 12, 2019
3.2 8-K 001-39039 3.1 October 31, 2022
10.1*
10.2*
31.1*
31.2*
32.1*†
101.0* The following financial statements from the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended September 30, 2023, formatted in Inline XBRL: (i) Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets, (ii) Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations, (iii) Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss, (iv) Condensed Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity (Deficit), (v) Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows, and (vi) Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.
104.0 Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101)
_______________
*    Filed herewith.
†    The certifications attached as Exhibit 32.1 that accompany this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q are not deemed filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and are not to be incorporated by reference into any filing of the Registrant under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, whether made before or after the date of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, irrespective of any general incorporation language contained in such filing.
107

SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
CLOUDFLARE, INC.
Date: November 2, 2023 By: /s/ Matthew Prince
  Matthew Prince
Chief Executive Officer
(Principal Executive Officer)
Date: November 2, 2023 By: /s/ Thomas Seifert
Thomas Seifert
Chief Financial Officer
(Principal Financial Officer)
Date: November 2, 2023 By: /s/ Janel Riley
Janel Riley
Chief Accounting Officer
(Principal Accounting Officer)

108
EX-10.1 2 ex101amendedandrestated201.htm EX-10.1 Document

Exhibit 10.1

CLOUDFLARE, INC.
2019 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN
(Adopted on August 30, 2019; Effective as of one business day immediately prior to the Registration Date; Most recently amended April 26, 2022)



1.Purposes of the Plan.
The purposes of this Plan are to attract and retain personnel for positions with the Company Group, to provide additional incentive to Employees, Directors, and Consultants (collectively, “Service Providers”), and to promote the success of the Company’s business.
The Plan permits the grant of Incentive Stock Options to Employees and the grant of Nonstatutory Stock Options, Stock Appreciation Rights, Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, Performance Shares, Performance Stock Units, and Performance Awards to any Service Provider.
2.Shares Subject to the Plan.
(a)Allocation of Shares to Plan. The maximum aggregate number of Shares that may be issued under the Plan is:
(i)29,335,000 Shares, plus
(ii)a number of Shares equal to (A) the number of shares of the Company’s Class A or Class B common stock subject to awards granted under the Company’s 2010 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended and restated (the “2010 Plan”) that, after the date the 2010 Plan is terminated, are cancelled, expire or otherwise terminate without having been exercised in full and (B) the number of shares of the Company’s Class B common stock that, after the date the 2010 Plan is terminated, are forfeited to the Company, tendered to or withheld by the Company for payment of an exercise price or for tax withholding, or repurchased by the Company due to failure to vest, with the maximum number of Shares that may be added to the Plan under this Section 2(a)(ii) being equal to 37,326,953 Shares, plus
(iii)any additional Shares that become available for issuance under the Plan under Sections 2(b) and 2(c).
The Shares may be authorized but unissued Common Stock or Common Stock issued and then reacquired by the Company.
(b)Automatic Share Reserve Increase. The number of Shares available for issuance under the Plan will be increased on the first day of each Fiscal Year beginning with the 2021 Fiscal Year, in an amount equal to the least of:
(i)29,335,000 Shares,
(ii)5% of the total number of shares of all classes of common stock of the Company outstanding on the last day of the immediately preceding Fiscal Year, and
(iii)a lesser number of Shares determined by the Administrator.
(c)Lapsed Awards.
(i)Options and Stock Appreciation Rights. If an Option or Stock Appreciation Right expires or becomes unexercisable without having been exercised in full or is surrendered under an Exchange Program, the unissued Shares subject to the Option or Stock Appreciation Right will become available for future issuance under the Plan.
(ii)Stock Appreciation Rights. Only Shares actually issued pursuant to a Stock Appreciation Right (i.e., the net Shares issued) will cease to be available under the Plan; all remaining Shares originally subject to the Stock Appreciation Right will remain available for future issuance under the Plan.
(iii)Full-Value Awards. Shares issued pursuant to Awards of Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, Performance Shares, Performance Stock Units or stock-settled Performance Awards that are reacquired by the Company due to failure to vest or are forfeited to the Company will become available for future issuance under the Plan.
- 2 -


(iv)Withheld Shares. Shares used to pay the Exercise Price of an Award or to satisfy tax withholding obligations related to an Award will become available for future issuance under the Plan.
(v)Cash-Settled Awards. If any portion of an Award under the Plan is paid to a Participant in cash rather than Shares, that cash payment will not reduce the number of Shares available for issuance under the Plan.
(d)Incentive Stock Options. The maximum number of Shares that may be issued upon the exercise of Incentive Stock Options will equal 200% of the aggregate Share number stated in Section 2(a)(i) plus, to the extent allowable under Code Section 422, any Shares that become available for issuance under the Plan under Sections 2(b) and 2(c).
(e)Adjustment. The numbers provided in Sections 2(a), 2(b), and 2(d) will be adjusted as a result of changes in capitalization and any other adjustments under Section 12.
(f)Substitute Awards. If the Committee grants Awards in substitution for equity compensation awards outstanding under a plan maintained by an entity acquired by or consolidated with the Company, the grant of those substitute Awards will not decrease the number of Shares available for issuance under the Plan.
3.Administration of the Plan.
(a)Procedure.
(i)General. The Plan will be administered by the Board or a Committee (the “Administrator”). Different Administrators may administer the Plan with respect to different groups of Service Providers. The Board may retain the authority to concurrently administer the Plan with a Committee and may revoke the delegation of some or all authority previously delegated.
(ii)Further Delegation. To the extent permitted by Applicable Laws, the Board or a Committee may delegate to 1 or more officers the authority to grant Awards to Employees of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries who are not officers, provided that the delegation must specify any limitations on the authority required by Applicable Laws, including the total number of Shares that may be subject to the Awards granted by such officer(s). Such delegation may be revoked at any time by the Board or Committee. Any such Awards will be granted on the form of Award Agreement most recently approved for use by the Board or a Committee made up solely of Directors, unless the resolutions delegating the authority permit the officer(s) to use a different form of Award Agreement approved by the Board or a Committee made up solely of Directors.
(b)Powers of the Administrator. Subject to the terms of the Plan, any limitations on delegations specified by the Board, and any requirements imposed by Applicable Laws, the Administrator will have the authority, in its sole discretion, to make any determinations and perform any actions deemed necessary or advisable to administer the Plan including:
(i)to determine the Fair Market Value;
(ii)to approve forms of Award Agreements for use under the Plan (provided that all forms of Award Agreement must be approved by the Board or the Committee of Directors acting as the Administrator);
(iii)to select the Service Providers to whom Awards may be granted and grant Awards to such Service Providers;
(iv)to determine the number of Shares to be covered by each Award granted;
(v)to determine the terms and conditions, consistent with the Plan, of any Award granted. Such terms and conditions may include, but are not limited to, the Exercise Price, the time(s) when Awards may be exercised (which may be based on performance criteria), any vesting acceleration or waiver of forfeiture restrictions, and any restriction or limitation regarding any Award or the Shares relating to an Award;
- 3 -


(vi)to institute and determine the terms and conditions of an Exchange Program;
(vii)to interpret the Plan and make any decisions necessary to administer the Plan;
(viii)to establish, amend and rescind rules relating to the Plan, including rules relating to sub-plans established to satisfy laws of jurisdictions other than the United States or to qualify Awards for special tax treatment under laws of jurisdictions other than the United States;
(ix)to interpret, modify or amend each Award (subject to Section 17), including extending the Expiration Date and the post-termination exercisability period of such modified or amended Awards;
(x)to allow Participants to satisfy tax withholding obligations in any manner permitted by Section 14;
(xi)to delegate ministerial duties to any of the Company’s employees;
(xii)to authorize any person to take any steps and execute, on behalf of the Company, any documents required for an Award previously granted by the Administrator to be effective; and
(xiii)to allow Participants to defer the receipt of the payment of cash or the delivery of Shares otherwise due to any such Participants under an Award.
(c)Termination of Status.
(i)Unless a Participant is on a leave of absence approved by the Company or a member of the Company Group, as set forth in Section 10, or unless otherwise expressly provided in an Award Agreement or required by Applicable Laws, the Participant’s status as a Service Provider, for purposes of the Plan and any Awards granted to him or her under the Plan, will end immediately before midnight U.S. Pacific Time between (x) the date on which the Participant last actively provides continuous services for a member of the Company Group and (y) the immediately following date (such time of termination, (the “Termination of Status Date”)). The Administrator has the sole discretion to determine the date on which a Participant stops actively providing services and whether a Participant may still be considered to be providing services while on a leave of absence and the Administrator may delegate this decision, other than with respect to Officers, to the Company’s senior human resources officer.
(ii)This termination of status as a Service Provider will occur regardless of the reason for such termination, even if the termination is later found to be invalid, in breach of employment laws in the jurisdiction where the Participant is providing services, or in violation of the terms of the Participant’s employment or service agreement, if any such agreement exists.
(iii)Unless otherwise expressly provided in an Award Agreement, determined by the Administrator or required by Applicable Laws, a Participant’s right to vest in any Award under the Plan will cease and a Participant’s right to exercise any Award under the Plan after termination, if any, will begin as of the Termination of Status Date and will not be extended by any notice period, whether arising under contract, statute or common law, including any period of “garden leave” or similar period mandated under employment laws in the jurisdiction where the Participant is providing services.
(d)Grant Date. The grant date of an Award (“Grant Date”) will be the date that the Administrator makes the determination granting such Award or may be a later date if such later date is designated by the Administrator on the date of the determination or under an automatic grant policy. Notice of the determination will be provided to each Participant within a reasonable time after the Grant Date.
- 4 -


(e)Waiver. The Administrator may waive any terms, conditions or restrictions.
(f)Fractional Shares. Except as otherwise provided by the Administrator, any fractional Shares that result from the adjustment of Awards will be canceled. Any fractional Shares that result from vesting percentages will be accumulated and vested on the date that an accumulated full Share is vested.
(g)Electronic Delivery. The Company may deliver by e-mail or other electronic means (including posting on a website maintained by the Company or by a third party under contract with the Company or another member of the Company Group) all documents relating to the Plan or any Award and all other documents that the Company is required to deliver to its security holders (including prospectuses, annual reports and proxy statements).
(h)Choice of Law; Choice of Forum. The Plan, all Awards and all determinations made and actions taken under the Plan, to the extent not otherwise governed by the laws of the United States, will be governed by the laws of the State of Delaware without giving effect to principles of conflicts of law. For purposes of litigating any dispute that arises under this Plan, a Participant’s acceptance of an Award is his or her consent to the jurisdiction of the State of Delaware, and agreement that any such litigation will be conducted in Delaware Court of Chancery, or the federal courts for the United States for the District of Delaware, and no other courts, regardless of where a Participant’s services are performed.
(i)Effect of Administrator’s Decision. The Administrator’s decisions, determinations and interpretations will be final and binding on all Participants and any other holders of Awards.
4.Stock Options.
(a)Stock Option Award Agreement. Each Option will be evidenced by an Award Agreement that will specify the number of Shares subject to the Option, its per share exercise price (“Exercise Price”), its Expiration Date, and such other terms and conditions as the Administrator determines. Each Option will be designated in the Award Agreement as either an Incentive Stock Option or a Nonstatutory Stock Option. An Option not designated as an Incentive Stock Option is a Nonstatutory Stock Option.
(b)Exercise Price. The Exercise Price for the Shares to be issued upon exercise of an Option will be determined by the Administrator.
(c)Form of Consideration. The Administrator will determine the acceptable form(s) of consideration for exercising an Option and those form(s) of consideration will be described in the Award Agreement. The consideration may consist of any one or more or combination of the following, to the extent permitted by Applicable Laws:
(i)cash;
(ii)check or wire transfer;
(iii)promissory note;
(iv)other Shares that have a fair market value on the date of surrender equal to the aggregate Exercise Price of the Shares as to which such Option will be exercised. To the extent not prohibited by the Administrator, this shall include the ability to tender Shares to exercise the Option and then use the Shares received on exercise to exercise the Option with respect to additional Shares;
(v)consideration received by the Company under a cashless exercise arrangement (whether through a broker or otherwise) implemented by the Company for the exercise of Options that has been approved by the Board or a Committee of Directors;
- 5 -


(vi)consideration received by the Company under a net exercise program under which Shares are withheld from otherwise deliverable Shares that has been approved by the Board or a Committee of Directors; and
(vii)any other consideration or method of payment to issue Shares (provided that other forms of considerations may only be approved by the Board or a Committee of Directors).
(d)Incentive Stock Option Limitations.
(i)The Exercise Price of an Incentive Stock Option may not be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value on the Grant Date.
(ii)To the extent that the aggregate fair market value of the shares with respect to which incentive stock options under Code Section 422(b) are exercisable for the first time by a Participant during any calendar year (under all plans and agreements of the Company Group) exceeds $100,000, the incentive stock options whose value exceeds $100,000 will be treated as nonstatutory stock options. Incentive stock options will be considered in the order in which they were granted. For this purpose the fair market value of the shares subject to an option will be determined as of the grant date of each option.
(iii)The Expiration Date of an Incentive Stock Option will be the day prior to the 10th anniversary of the Grant Date or any earlier date provided in the Award Agreement, subject to clause (iv) below.
(iv)The following rules apply to Incentive Stock Options granted to Participants who own stock representing more than 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or any Parent or Subsidiary of the Company:
(1)the Expiration Date of the Incentive Stock Option may not be after the day prior to the 5th anniversary of the Grant Date; and
(2)the Exercise Price may not be less than 110% of the Fair Market Value on the Grant Date.
If an Option is designated in the Administrator action that granted it as an Incentive Stock Option but the terms of the Option do not comply with Sections 4(d)(iv)(1) and 4(d)(iv)(2), then the Option will not qualify as an Incentive Stock Option. All Options granted under the Plan are Nonstatutory Stock Options unless specifically designated as Incentive Stock Options in the Award Agreement pursuant to which such Options are granted.
(e)Exercise of Option. An Option is exercised when the Company receives: (i) a notice of exercise (in such form as the Administrator may specify from time to time) from the person entitled to exercise the Option and (ii) full payment for the Shares with respect to which the Option is exercised (together with applicable tax withholdings). Shares issued upon exercise of an Option will be issued in the name of the Participant. Until the Shares are issued (as evidenced by the entry on the books of the Company or of a duly authorized transfer agent of the Company), no right to vote or receive dividends or any other rights as a stockholder will exist with respect to the Shares subject to an Option, despite the exercise of the Option. The Company will issue (or cause to be issued) such Shares promptly after the Option is exercised. An Option may not be exercised for a fraction of a Share. Exercising an Option in any manner will decrease the number of Shares thereafter available, both for purposes of the Plan (except as provided in Section 2(c)) and for purchase under the Option, by the number of Shares as to which the Option is exercised.
(f)Expiration of Options. Subject to Section 4(d), an Option’s Expiration Date will be set forth in the Award Agreement. An Option may expire before its expiration date under the Plan (including pursuant to Sections 3(c), 13(b), 13 or 15(b)) or under the Award Agreement.
- 6 -


(g)Tolling of Expiration. If exercising an Option prior to its expiration is not permitted because of Applicable Laws, other than the rules of any stock exchange or quotation system on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted, the Option will remain exercisable until 30 days after the first date on which exercise no longer would be prevented by such provisions. If this would result in the Option remaining exercisable past its Expiration Date, then unless earlier terminated pursuant to Section 13, the Option will remain exercisable only until the end of the later of (x) the first day on which its exercise would not be prevented by Section 18(a) and (y) its Expiration Date.
5.Restricted Stock.
(a)Restricted Stock Award Agreement. Each Award of Restricted Stock will be evidenced by an Award Agreement that will specify the Period of Restriction (if any), the number of Shares granted, and such other terms and conditions as the Administrator determines. For the avoidance of doubt, Restricted Stock may be granted without any Period of Restriction (e.g., vested stock bonuses). Unless the Administrator determines otherwise, Shares of Restricted Stock will be held in escrow until the end of the Period of Restriction applicable to such Shares. All grants of Restricted Stock and interpretative decisions about Restricted Stock may be made only by the Administrator.
(b)Restrictions:
(i)Except as provided in this Section 5 or the Award Agreement, Shares of Restricted Stock may not be sold, transferred, pledged, assigned, or otherwise alienated until the end of the Period of Restriction applicable to such Shares.
(ii)During the Period of Restriction, Service Providers holding Shares of Restricted Stock may exercise full voting rights with respect to those Shares, unless the Administrator determines otherwise.
(iii)During the Period of Restriction, Service Providers holding Shares of Restricted Stock will not be entitled to receive dividends and other distributions paid with respect to such Shares, unless the Administrator provides otherwise. If the Administrator provides that dividends and distributions will be received and any such dividends or distributions are paid in cash they will be subject to the same provisions regarding forfeitability as the Shares of Restricted Stock with respect to which they were paid and if such dividend or distributions are paid in Shares, the Shares will be subject to the same restrictions on transferability and forfeitability as the Shares of Restricted Stock with respect to which they were paid and, unless the Administrator determines otherwise, the Company will hold such dividends until the restrictions on the Shares of Restricted Stock with respect to which they were paid have lapsed.
(iv)Except as otherwise provided in this Section 5 or an Award Agreement, Shares of Restricted Stock covered by each Restricted Stock Award made under the Plan will be released from escrow when practicable after the last day of the applicable Period of Restriction.
(v)The Administrator may impose, prior to grant, or remove any restrictions on Shares of Restricted Stock.
6.Restricted Stock Units.
(a)Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement. Each Award of Restricted Stock Units will be evidenced by an Award Agreement that will specify the terms, conditions, and restrictions related to the grant, including the number of Restricted Stock Units.
(b)Vesting Criteria and Other Terms. The Administrator will set vesting criteria that, depending on the extent to which the criteria are met, will determine the number of Restricted Stock Units paid out to the Participant. The Administrator may set vesting criteria based upon the achievement of Company-wide, divisional, business unit, or individual goals (that may include continued employment or service) or any other basis determined by the Administrator in its sole discretion.
(c)Earning Restricted Stock Units. Upon meeting any applicable vesting criteria, the Participant will have earned the Restricted Stock Units and will be paid as determined in Section 6(d). The Administrator may reduce or waive any criteria that must be met to earn the Restricted Stock Units.
- 7 -


(d)Form and Timing of Payment. Payment of earned Restricted Stock Units will be made at the time(s) set forth in the Award Agreement and determined by the Administrator. Unless otherwise provided in the Award Agreement, the Administrator may settle earned Restricted Stock Units in cash, Shares, or a combination of both.
7.Stock Appreciation Rights.
(a)Stock Appreciation Right Award Agreement. Each Stock Appreciation Right grant will be evidenced by an Award Agreement that will specify the Exercise Price, its Expiration Date, the conditions of exercise, and such other terms and conditions as the Administrator determines.
(b)Payment of Stock Appreciation Right Amount. When a Participant exercises a Stock Appreciation Right, he or she will be entitled to receive a payment from the Company equal to:
(i)the excess, if any, between the fair market value on the date of exercise over the Exercise Price multiplied by
(ii)the number of Shares with respect to which the Stock Appreciation Right is exercised.
Payment upon Stock Appreciation Right exercise may be made in cash, in Shares (which, on the date of exercise, have an aggregate Fair Market Value equal to the amount of payment to be made under the Award), or any combination of cash and Shares, with the determination of form of payment made by the Administrator. Shares issued upon exercise of a Stock Appreciation Right will be issued in the name of the Participant. Until Shares are issued (as evidenced by the entry on the books of the Company or of a duly authorized transfer agent of the Company), no right to vote or receive dividends or any other rights as a stockholder will exist with respect to the Shares subject to a Stock Appreciation Right, despite the exercise of the Stock Appreciation Right. The Company will issue (or cause to be issued) such Shares promptly after the Stock Appreciation Right is exercised. A Stock Appreciation Right may not be exercised for a fraction of a Share. Exercising a Stock Appreciation Right in any manner will decrease (x) the number of Shares thereafter available under the Stock Appreciation Right by the number of Shares as to which the Stock Appreciation Right is exercised and (y) the number of Shares thereafter available under the Plan by the number of Shares issued upon such exercise.
(c)Expiration of Stock Appreciation Rights. A Stock Appreciation Right’s Expiration Date will be set forth in the Award Agreement. A Stock Appreciation Right may expire before its expiration date under Sections 13 or 15(b) or under the Award Agreement.
(d)Tolling of Expiration. If exercising an Stock Appreciation Right prior to its expiration is not permitted because of Applicable Laws, other than the rules of any stock exchange or quotation system on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted, the Stock Appreciation Right will remain exercisable until 30 days after the first date on which exercise would no longer be prevented by such provisions. If this would result in the Stock Appreciation Right remaining exercisable past its Expiration Date, then it will remain exercisable only until the end of the later of (x) the first day on which its exercise would not be prevented by Section 18(a) and (y) its Expiration Date.
8.Performance Stock Units and Performance Shares.
(a)Award Agreement. Each Award of Performance Stock Units/Shares will be evidenced by an Award Agreement that will specify any time period during which any performance objectives or other vesting provisions will be measured (“Performance Period”) and the other material terms of the Award. The Administrator may set performance objectives based upon the achievement of Company-wide, divisional, business unit or individual goals (including, but not limited to, continued employment or service) or any other basis determined by the Administrator.
(b)Value of Performance Stock Units/Shares. Each Performance Stock Unit will have an initial value established by the Administrator on or before the Grant Date. Each Performance Share will have an initial value equal to the Fair Market Value on the Grant Date.
- 8 -


(c)Performance Objectives and Other Terms. The Administrator will set any performance objectives or other vesting provisions (that may include continued employment or service). These objectives or vesting provisions may determine the number or value of Performance Stock Units/Shares paid out.
(d)Earning of Performance Stock Units/Shares. After an applicable Performance Period has ended, the holder of Performance Stock Units/Shares will be entitled to receive a payout of the number of Performance Stock Units/Shares earned by the Participant over the Performance Period. The Administrator may reduce or waive any performance objectives or other vesting provisions for such Performance Stock Unit/Share.
(e)Payment of Performance Stock Units/Shares. Payment of earned Performance Stock Units/Shares will be made at the time(s) specified in the Award Agreement Payment with respect to earned Performance Stock Units/Shares may be made in cash, in Shares of equivalent value, or any combination of cash and Shares, with the determination of form of payment made by the Administrator.
9.Performance Awards.
(a)Award Agreement. Each Performance Award will be evidenced by an Award Agreement that will specify the Performance Period and the material terms of the Award. The Administrator may set performance objectives based upon the achievement of Company-wide, divisional, business unit or individual goals (including, but not limited to, continued employment or service) or any other basis determined by the Administrator.
(b)Value of Performance Awards. Each Performance Award’s threshold, target, and maximum payout values will be established by the Administrator on or before the Grant Date.
(c)Performance Objectives and Other Terms. The Administrator will set performance objectives or other vesting provisions (that may include continued employment or service). These objectives or vesting provisions will determine the value of the payout for the Performance Awards.
(d)Earning of Performance Awards. After an applicable Performance Period has ended, the holder of a Performance Award will be entitled to receive a payout for the Performance Award earned by the Participant over the Performance Period. The Administrator may reduce or waive any performance objectives or other vesting provisions for such Performance Award.
(e)Payment of Performance Awards. Payment of earned Performance Awards will be made at the time(s) specified in the Award Agreement. Payment with respect to earned Performance Awards will be made in cash, in Shares of equivalent value, or any combination of cash and Shares, with the determination of form of payment made by the Administrator at the time of payment.
10.Leaves of Absence/Transfer Between Locations/Change of Status.
(a)General. Unless otherwise provided by the Administrator, a Participant will not cease to be an Employee in the case of (i) any leave of absence approved by the Company or other member of the Company Group employing such Employee, (ii) any leave during which the status of an Employee for purposes of the Plan and any Award is protected by Applicable Law, or (iii) any transfer between locations of the Company or members of the Company Group.
(b)Vesting. Unless a leave policy approved by the Administrator provides otherwise or it is otherwise required by Applicable Law, vesting of Awards granted under the Plan will continue only for Participants on an approved leave of absence.
(c)Incentive Stock Option Status. If a Participant’s leave of absence approved by the Company or other member of the Company Group employing such Employee exceeds 3 months and reemployment upon expiration of such leave is not guaranteed by statute or contract, then 3 months following the 1st day of such leave the Participant no longer will be an Employee for Incentive Stock Option purposes. If reemployment upon expiration of such leave of absence is not guaranteed by statute or contract, then 6 months following the 1st day of such leave any Incentive Stock Option held by the Participant will cease to be treated as an Incentive Stock Option and will be treated for tax purposes as a Nonstatutory Stock Option.
- 9 -


(d)Protected Leaves.
(i)Any leave of absence by a Participant will be subject to any Applicable Laws that apply to such leave of absence.
(ii)For a Participant on a military leave, if required by Applicable Laws, vesting will continue for the longest period that vesting continues under any other statutory or Company-approved leave of absence. When a Participant returns from military leave (under conditions that would entitle him or her to such protection under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act or other Applicable Laws), the Participant will be given vesting credit to the same extent as if the Participant had continued to provide services to the Company or other member of the Company Group, as applicable, through the military leave.
(e)Changes in Status. If a Participant who is an Employee has a reduction in hours worked, the Administrator may unilaterally:
(i)make a corresponding reduction in the number of Shares or cash amount subject to any portion of an Award that is scheduled to vest or become payable after the date of such reduction in hours; and
(ii)in lieu of or in combination with such a reduction, make a corresponding adjustment to extend the vesting or payment schedule applicable to such Award.
If any such reduction occurs, the Participant will have no right to any portion of the Award that is reduced.
(f)Determinations. The effect of a Company-approved leave of absence, a protected leave of absence, a transfer, or a Participant’s reduction in hours of employment or service on the vesting of an Award shall be determined, under policies reviewed by the Administrator, by the Company’s senior human resources officer or other person performing that function or, with respect to Directors or Officers by the Compensation Committee of the Board, and any such determination will be final and binding to the maximum extent permitted by Applicable Laws.
11.Transferability of Awards.
(a)General Rule. Unless determined otherwise by the Administrator, or otherwise required by Applicable Laws, an Award may not be sold, pledged, assigned, hypothecated, transferred, or disposed of in any manner other than by will or by the laws of descent or distribution and may be exercised, during the lifetime of the Participant, only by the Participant. If the Administrator makes an Award transferable, the Award will be limited by any additional terms and conditions imposed by the Administrator. Any unauthorized transfer of an Award will be void.
(b)Domestic Relations Orders. If approved by the Administrator and not prohibited by Applicable Laws, an Award may be transferred under a domestic relations order, official marital settlement agreement or other divorce or separation instrument as permitted by U.S. Treasury Regulations Section 1.421-1(b)(2). An Incentive Stock Option may be converted into a Nonstatutory Stock Option as a result of such transfer.
(c)Limited Transfers for the Benefit of Family Members. The Administrator may permit a Grant or Share issued under this Plan to be assigned or transferred subject to the applicable limitations, set forth in the General Instructions to Form S-8 Registration Statement under the Securities Act, if applicable, and any other Applicable Laws.
(d)Permitted Transferees. Any individual or entity to whom an Award is transferred will be subject to all of the terms and conditions applicable to the Participant who transferred the Award, including the terms and conditions in this Plan and the Award Agreement. If an Award is unvested, then the service of the Participant will continue to determine whether the Award will vest and any Expiration Date.
- 10 -


12.Adjustments; Dissolution or Liquidation.
(a)Adjustments. If any extraordinary dividend or other extraordinary distribution (whether in cash, Shares, other securities, or other property), recapitalization, stock split, reverse stock split, reorganization, merger, consolidation, split-up, spin-off, combination, repurchase, or exchange of Shares or other securities of the Company, issuance of warrants or other rights to acquire securities of the Company, other change in the corporate structure of the Company affecting the Shares, or any similar equity restructuring transaction, as that term is used in Statement of Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Topic 718 (or any of its successors) affecting the Shares occurs (including, without limitation, a Change in Control), the Administrator, to prevent diminution or enlargement of the benefits or potential benefits intended to be provided under the Plan, will adjust the number and class of shares that may be delivered under the Plan and/or the number, class, and price of shares covered by each outstanding Award, and the numerical Share limits in Section 2 in such a manner as it deems equitable. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the conversion of any convertible securities of the Company and ordinary course repurchases of shares or other securities of the Company will not be treated as an event that will require adjustment.
(b)Dissolution or Liquidation. In the event of the proposed dissolution or liquidation of the Company, the Administrator will notify each Participant, at such time prior to the effective date of such proposed transaction as the Administrator determines. To the extent it has not been previously exercised, an Award will terminate immediately prior to the consummation of such proposed action.
13.Change in Control.
(a)Administrator Discretion. If a Change in Control or a merger of the Company with or into another corporation or other entity occurs (each, a “Transaction”), each outstanding Award will be treated as the Administrator determines, including, without limitation, that such Award be continued by the successor corporation or a Parent or Subsidiary of the successor corporation or that the vesting of any such Awards may accelerate automatically upon consummation of a Transaction.
(b)Identical Treatment Not Required. The Administrator need not take the same action or actions with respect to all Awards or portions thereof or with respect to all Participants. The Administrator may take different actions with respect to the vested and unvested portions of an Award. The Administrator will not be required to treat all Awards similarly in the Transaction.
(c)Continuation. An Award will be considered continued if, following the Change in Control or merger:
(i)the Award confers the right to purchase or receive, for each Share subject to the Award immediately prior to the Transaction, the consideration (whether stock, cash, or other securities or property) received in the Transaction by holders of Shares for each Share held on the effective date of the Transaction (and if holders were offered a choice of consideration, the type of consideration received by the holders of a majority of the outstanding Shares) and the Award otherwise is continued in accordance with its terms (including vesting criteria, subject to subsection (iii) below and Section 12(a)); provided that if the consideration received in the Transaction is not solely common stock of the successor corporation or its Parent, the Administrator may, with the consent of the successor corporation, provide for the consideration to be received upon exercising an Option or Stock Appreciation Right or upon the payout of a Restricted Stock Unit, Performance Stock Unit, Performance Share or Performance Award, for each Share subject to such Award, to be solely common stock of the successor corporation or its Parent equal in fair market value to the per share consideration received by holders of Common Stock in the Transaction; or
(ii)the Award is terminated in exchange for an amount of cash and/or property, if any, equal to the amount that would have been attained upon the exercise of such Award or realization of the Participant’s rights as of the date of the occurrence of the Transaction. Any such cash or property may be subjected to any escrow applicable to holders of Common Stock in the Change of Control. If as of the date of the occurrence of the Transaction the Administrator determines that no amount would have been attained upon the exercise of such Award or realization of the Participant’s rights, then such Award may be terminated by the Company without payment. The amount of cash or property can be subjected to vesting and paid to the Participant over the original vesting schedule of the Award.
- 11 -


(iii)Notwithstanding anything in this Section 13(c) to the contrary, an Award that vests, is earned or paid-out upon the satisfaction of one or more performance goals will not be considered assumed if the Company or its successor modifies any of such performance goals without the Participant’s consent; provided, however, a modification to such performance goals only to reflect the successor corporation’s post-Transaction corporate structure will not invalidate an otherwise valid Award assumption.
(d)The Administrator will have authority to modify Awards in connection with a Change in Control or merger:
(i)in a manner that causes the Awards to lose their tax-preferred status,
(ii)to terminate any right a Participant has to exercise an Option prior to vesting in the Shares subject to the Option (i.e., “early exercise”), so that following the closing of the Transaction the Option may only be exercised only to the extent it is vested;
(iii)to reduce the Exercise Price subject to the Award in a manner that is disproportionate to the increase in the number of Shares subject to the Award, as long as the amount that would be received upon exercise of the Award immediately before and immediately following the closing of the Transaction is equivalent and the adjustment complies with U.S. Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(b)(v)(D); and
(iv)to suspend a Participant’s right to exercise an Option during a limited period of time preceding and or following the closing of the Transaction without Participant consent if such suspension is administratively necessary or advisable to permit the closing of the Transaction.
(e)Non-Continuation. If the successor corporation does not continue an Award (or some portion such Award), the Participant will fully vest in (and have the right to exercise) 100% of the then-unvested Shares subject to his or her outstanding Options and Stock Appreciation Rights, all restrictions on 100% of the Participant’s outstanding Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units will lapse, and, regarding 100% of Participant’s outstanding Awards with performance-based vesting, all performance goals or other vesting criteria will be treated as achieved at 100% of target levels and all other terms and conditions met. In no event will vesting of an Award accelerate as to more than 100% of the Award. If Options or Stock Appreciation Rights are not continued when a Change in Control or a merger of the Company with or into another corporation or other entity occurs, the Administrator will notify the Participant in writing or electronically that the Participant’s vested Options or Stock Appreciation Rights (after considering the foregoing vesting acceleration, if any) will be exercisable for a period of time determined by the Administrator in its sole discretion and all of the Participant’s Options or Stock Appreciation Rights will terminate upon the expiration of such period (whether vested or unvested).
(f)Outside Director Grants. With respect to Awards granted to an Outside Director, in the event of a Change in Control, the Participant will fully vest in and have the right to exercise outstanding Options and/or Stock Appreciation Rights as to all of the Shares underlying such Award, including those Shares which otherwise would not be vested or exercisable, all restrictions on other outstanding Awards will lapse, and, with respect to Awards with performance-based vesting, all performance goals or other vesting criteria will be deemed achieved at one hundred percent (100%) of target levels and all other terms and conditions met.
14.Tax Matters.
(a)Withholding Requirements. Prior to the delivery of any Shares or cash under an Award (or exercise thereof) or such earlier time as any Tax Obligations are due, the Company may deduct or withhold, or require a Participant to remit to the Company, an amount sufficient to satisfy any Tax Obligations with respect to such Award or Shares subject to an Award (including without limitation upon exercise of an Award).
- 12 -


(b)Withholding Arrangements. The Administrator, in its sole discretion and under such procedures as it may specify from time to time, may elect to satisfy such Tax Obligations, in whole or in part by (without limitation) (i) requiring the Participant to pay cash, (ii) withholding otherwise deliverable cash (including cash from the sale of Shares issued to the Participant) or Shares having a fair market value equal to the amount required to be withheld, (iii) forcing the sale of Shares issued pursuant to an Award (or exercise thereof) having a fair market value equal to the minimum statutory amount required to be withheld or a greater amount if such greater amount would not result in unfavorable financial accounting treatment, (iv) requiring the Participant to deliver to the Company already-owned Shares having a fair market value equal to the minimum statutory amount required to be withheld or a greater amount if such greater amount would not result in unfavorable financial accounting treatment, or (v) requiring the Participant to engage in a cashless exercise transaction (whether through a broker or otherwise) implemented by the Company in connection with the Plan, provided that, in all instances, the satisfaction of the Tax Obligations will not result in any adverse accounting consequence to the Company, as the Administrator may determine in its sole discretion. The fair market value of the Shares to be withheld or delivered will be determined as of the date the taxes must be withheld.
(c)Compliance With Code Section 409A. Except as otherwise determined by the Administrator, it is intended that Awards will be designed and operated so that they are either exempt from the application of Code Section 409A or comply with any requirements necessary to avoid the imposition of additional tax under Code Section 409A(a)(1)(B) so that the grant, payment, settlement or deferral will not be subject to the additional tax or interest applicable under Code Section 409A and the Plan and each Award Agreement will be interpreted consistent with this intent. This Section 14(c) is not a guarantee to any Participant of the consequences of his or her Awards. In no event will the Company or any other member of the Company Group reimburse a Participant for any tax imposed or other costs incurred as a result of Code Section 409A.
15.Other Terms.
(a)No Effect on Employment or Service. Neither the Plan nor any Award will confer upon a Participant any right regarding continuing the Participant’s relationship as a Service Provider with the Company or member of the Company Group, nor will they interfere with the Participant’s right, or the Participant’s employer’s right, to terminate such relationship with or without cause, to the extent permitted by Applicable Laws.
(b)Forfeiture Events.
(i)All Awards granted under the Plan will be subject to recoupment under any clawback policy that the Company is required to adopt pursuant to the listing standards of any national securities exchange or association on which the Company’s securities are listed or as is otherwise required by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act or other Applicable Laws. In addition, the Administrator may impose such other clawback, recovery or recoupment provisions in an Award Agreement as the Administrator determines necessary or appropriate, including but not limited to a reacquisition right regarding previously acquired Shares or other cash or property. Unless this Section 15(b) is specifically mentioned and waived in an Award Agreement or other document, no recovery of compensation under a clawback policy or otherwise will be an event that triggers or contributes to any right of a Participant to resign for “good reason” or “constructive termination” (or similar term) under any agreement with the Company or a member of the Company Group.
(ii)The Administrator may specify in an Award Agreement that the Participant’s rights, payments, and benefits with respect to an Award will be subject to reduction, cancellation, forfeiture, or recoupment upon the occurrence of specified events, in addition to any otherwise applicable vesting or performance conditions of an Award. Such events may include, but will not be limited to, termination of such Participant’s status as Service Provider for cause or any specified action or inaction by a Participant, whether before or after such Participant’s Termination Status Date, that would constitute cause for termination of such Participant’s status as a Service Provider.
(iii)If the Company is required to prepare an accounting restatement due to the material noncompliance of the Company, as a result of misconduct, with any financial reporting requirement under securities laws, any Participant who (x) knowingly or through gross negligence engaged in the misconduct or who knowingly or through gross negligence failed to prevent the misconduct or (y) is one of the individuals subject to automatic forfeiture under Section 304 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, must reimburse the Company the amount of any payment in settlement of an Award earned or accrued during the 12-month period following the first public issuance or filing with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (whichever first occurred) of the financial document embodying such financial reporting requirement.
- 13 -


(c)Plan Governs. In the event between the terms and conditions of the Plan and the terms and conditions of any Grant Agreement, the terms and conditions of the Plan will prevail.
16.Term of Plan.
Subject to Section 19, the Plan will become effective upon the business day immediately prior to the Registration Date. It will continue in effect until terminated under Section 17, but no Incentive Stock Options may be granted after 10 years from the date the Plan is adopted by the Board and Section 2(b) will operate only until the 10th anniversary of the date the Plan is adopted by the Board.
17.Amendment and Termination of the Plan.
(a)Amendment and Termination. The Board or Compensation Committee of the Board may amend, alter, suspend or terminate the Plan.
(b)Stockholder Approval. The Company will obtain stockholder approval of any Plan amendment to the extent necessary or desirable to comply with Applicable Laws.
(c)Consent of Participants Generally Required. Subject to Section 17(d) below, no amendment, alteration, suspension or termination of the Plan or an Award under it will materially impair the rights of any Participant without a signed, written agreement between the Participant and the Company. Termination of the Plan will not affect the Administrator’s ability to exercise the powers granted to it regarding Awards granted under the Plan prior to such termination.
(d)Exceptions to Consent Requirement.
(i)A Participant’s rights will not be deemed to have been impaired by any amendment, alteration, suspension or termination if the Administrator, in its sole discretion, determines that the amendment, alteration, suspension or termination taken as a whole, does not materially impair the Participant’s rights; and
(ii)Subject to any limitations of Applicable Laws, the Administrator may amend the terms of any one or more Awards without the affected Participant’s consent even if it does materially impair the Participant’s right if such amendment is done
(1)in a manner specified by the Plan,
(2)to maintain the qualified status of the Award as an Incentive Stock Option under Code Section 422,
(3)to change the terms of an Incentive Stock Option, if such change results in impairment of the Award only because it impairs the qualified status of the Award as an Incentive Stock Option under Code Section 422,
(4)to clarify the manner of exemption from Code Section 409A or compliance with any requirements necessary to avoid the imposition of additional tax under Code Section 409A(a)(1)(B), or
(5)to comply with other Applicable Laws.
- 14 -


18.Conditions Upon Issuance of Shares.
(a)Legal Compliance. Shares will not be issued pursuant to an Award, including without limitation upon exercise thereof, unless the issuance and delivery of such Shares and exercise of the Award, as applicable, will comply with Applicable Laws. If required by the Administrator, issuance will be further subject to the approval of counsel for the Company with respect to such compliance. The inability of the Company to obtain authority from any regulatory body having jurisdiction or to complete or comply with the requirements of any Applicable Laws will relieve the Company of any liability regarding the failure to issue or sell such Shares as to which such authority, registration, qualification or rule compliance was not obtained and the Administrator reserves the authority, without the consent of a Participant, to terminate or cancel Awards with or without consideration in such a situation.
(b)Investment Representations. As a condition to the exercise of an Award, the Company may require the person exercising such Award to represent and warrant during any such exercise that the Shares are being purchased only for investment and with no present intention to sell or distribute such Shares if, in the opinion of counsel for the Company, such a representation is required.
(c)Failure to Accept Award. If a Participant has not accepted an Award by any deadline determined by the Company and to the extent such acceptance has been required by the Company, or has not taken all administrative and other steps (e.g., setting up an account with a broker designated by the Company), if any, required by the Company by a specified deadline and necessary for the Company to issue Shares upon the vesting, exercise, or settlement of the Award, then the portion of the Award scheduled to vest on or prior to the applicable deadline will be cancelled on such date and the Shares subject to such portion of the Award immediately will revert to the Plan for no additional consideration unless otherwise provided by the Administrator. For the avoidance of doubt, (x) the Company may opt not to require acceptance or any other actions with respect to any Award, and (y) Awards that are fully vested as of the date of grant shall not be subject to the requirements of the foregoing sentence unless otherwise determined by the Administrator.
19.Stockholder Approval.
The Plan will be subject to approval by the stockholders of the Company within 12 months after the date the Plan is adopted by the Board. Such stockholder approval will be obtained in the manner and to the degree required under Applicable Laws.
20.Definitions.
The following definitions are used in this Plan:
(a)“Applicable Laws” means the requirements relating to the administration of equity-based awards and the related issuance of Shares under U.S. state corporate laws, U.S. federal and state securities laws, the Code, any stock exchange or quotation system on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted and, only to the extent applicable with respect to an Award or Awards, the tax, securities, exchange control, and other laws of any jurisdictions other than the United States where Awards are, or will be, granted under the Plan. Reference to a section of an Applicable Law or regulation related to that section shall include such section or regulation, any valid regulation issued under such section, and any comparable provision of any future legislation or regulation amending, supplementing or superseding such section or regulation.
(b)“Award” means, individually or collectively, a grant under the Plan of Options, Stock Appreciation Rights, Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, Performance Stock Units, Performance Shares, or Performance Awards.
(c)“Award Agreement” means the written or electronic agreement setting forth the terms applicable to an Award granted under the Plan. The Award Agreement is subject to the terms of the Plan.
(d)“Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company.
- 15 -


(e)“Change in Control” means the occurrence of any of the following events:
(i)A change in the ownership of the Company which occurs on the date that any one person, or more than one person acting as a group (“Person”), acquires ownership of the stock of the Company that, with the stock held by such Person, constitutes more than 50% of the total voting power of the stock of the Company; provided, that for this subsection, the acquisition of additional stock by any one Person, who prior to such acquisition is considered to own more than 50% of the total voting power of the stock of the Company will not be considered a Change in Control. Further, if the stockholders of the Company immediately before such change in ownership continue to retain immediately after the change in ownership, in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of shares of the Company’s voting stock immediately prior to the change in ownership, direct or indirect beneficial ownership of 50% or more of the total voting power of the stock of the Company, such event shall not be considered a Change in Control under this Section 20(e)(i). For this purpose, indirect beneficial ownership shall include, without limitation, an interest resulting from ownership of the voting securities of one or more corporations or other business entities which own the Company, as the case may be, either directly or through one or more subsidiary corporations or other business entities; or
(ii)A change in the effective control of the Company which occurs on the date a majority of members of the Board is replaced during any 12-month period by Directors whose appointment or election is not endorsed by a majority of the members of the Board prior to the appointment or election. For this Section 20(e)(ii), if any Person is in effective control of the Company, the acquisition of additional control of the Company by the same Person will not be considered a Change in Control; or
(iii)A change in the ownership of a substantial portion of the Company’s assets which occurs on the date that any Person acquires (or has acquired during the 12-month period ending on the date of the most recent acquisition by such Person or Persons) assets from the Company that have a total gross fair market value equal to or more than 50% of the total gross fair market value of all of the assets of the Company immediately prior to such acquisition or acquisitions; provided, that for this Section 20(e)(iii), the following will not constitute a change in the ownership of a substantial portion of the Company’s assets:
(1)a transfer to an entity controlled by the Company’s stockholders immediately after the transfer, or
(2)a transfer of assets by the Company to:
(A)a stockholder of the Company (immediately before the asset transfer) in exchange for or with respect to the Company’s stock,
(B)an entity, 50% or more of the total value or voting power of which is owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company,
(C)a Person, that owns, directly or indirectly, 50% or more of the total value or voting power of all the outstanding stock of the Company, or
(D)an entity, at least 50% of the total value or voting power of which is owned, directly or indirectly, by a Person described in subsections 20(e)(iii)(2)(A) to 20(e)(iii)(2)(C).
For this definition, gross fair market value means the value of the assets of the Company, or the value of the assets being disposed of, determined without regard to any liabilities associated with such assets. For this definition, persons will be acting as a group if they are owners of a corporation that enters into a merger, consolidation, purchase or acquisition of stock, or similar business transaction with the Company.
A transaction will not be a Change in Control:
(iv)unless the transaction qualifies as a change in control event within the meaning of Code Section 409A; or
- 16 -


(v)if its sole purpose is to (1) change the state of the Company’s incorporation, or (2) create a holding company owned in substantially the same proportions by the persons who held the Company’s securities immediately before such transaction.
(f)“Code” means the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986. Reference to a section of the Code or regulation related to that section shall include such section or regulation, any valid regulation issued under such section, and any comparable provision of any future legislation or regulation amending, supplementing or superseding such section or regulation.
(g)“Committee” means a committee of Directors or of other individuals satisfying Applicable Laws appointed by the Board.
(h)“Common Stock” means the Class A common stock of the Company.
(i)“Company” means Cloudflare, Inc., a Delaware corporation, or any of its successors.
(j)“Company Group” means the Company, any Parent or Subsidiary, and any entity that, from time to time and at the time of any determination, directly or indirectly, is in control of, is controlled by or is under common control with the Company.
(k)“Consultant” means any natural person engaged by a member of the Company Group to render bona fide services to such entity, provided the services (i) are not in connection with the offer or sale of securities in a capital raising transaction, and (ii) do not directly promote or maintain a market for the Company’s securities. A Consultant must be a person to whom the issuance of Shares registered on Form S-8 under the Securities Act is permitted.
(l)“Director” means a member of the Board.
(m)“Employee” means any person, including Officers and Directors, employed by the Company or any member of the Company Group. However, with respect to Incentive Stock Options, an Employee must be employed by the Company or any Parent or Subsidiary of the Company. Notwithstanding, Options awarded to individuals not providing services to the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company should be carefully structured to comply with the payment timing rule of Code Section 409A. Neither service as a Director nor payment of a director’s fee by the Company will constitute “employment” by the Company.
(n)“Exchange Act” means the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
(o)“Exchange Program” means a program under which (i) outstanding Awards are surrendered or cancelled in exchange for awards of the same type (which may have higher or lower Exercise Prices and different terms), awards of a different type, and/or cash, (ii) Participants would have the opportunity to transfer any outstanding Awards to a financial institution or other person or entity selected by the Administrator, and/or (iii) the Exercise Price of an outstanding Award is increased or reduced. The Administrator will determine the terms and conditions of any Exchange Program in its sole discretion.
(p)“Expiration Date” means the last possible day on which an Option or Stock Appreciation Right may be exercised. Any exercise must be completed before midnight U.S. Pacific Time between the Expiration Date and the following date; provided, however, that any broker-assisted cashless exercise of an Option granted hereunder must be completed by the close of market trading on the Expiration Date.
(q)“Fair Market Value” means, as of any date, the value of a Share, determined as follows:
(i)If the Common Stock is listed on any established stock exchange or a national market system, including without limitation the New York Stock Exchange, the NASDAQ Global Select Market, the NASDAQ Global Market or the NASDAQ Capital Market of The NASDAQ Stock Market, the Fair Market Value will be the closing sales price for a Share (or the closing bid, if no sales were reported) as quoted on such exchange or system on the day of determination, as reported by such source as the Administrator determines to be reliable;
- 17 -


(ii)If the Common Stock is regularly quoted by a recognized securities dealer but selling prices are not reported, the Fair Market Value of a Share will be the mean between the high bid and low asked prices for the Common Stock on the day of determination (or, if no bids and asks were reported on that date on the last Trading Day such bids and asks were reported), as reported by such source as the Administrator determines to be reliable;
(iii)For any Awards granted on the Registration Date, the Fair Market Value will be the initial price to the public set forth in the final prospectus included within the registration statement on Form S-1 filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission for the initial public offering of the Common Stock; or
(iv)Absent an established market for the Common Stock, the Fair Market Value will be determined in good faith by the Administrator.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the determination date for the Fair Market Value occurs on a weekend, holiday or other non-Trading Day, the Fair Market Value will be the price as determined under subsections 20(q)(i)or 20(q)(ii) above on the immediately preceding Trading Day, unless otherwise determined by the Administrator. In addition, for purposes of determining the fair market value of shares for any reason other than the determination of the Exercise Price of Options or Stock Appreciation Rights, fair market value will be determined by the Administrator in a manner compliant with Applicable Laws and applied consistently for such purpose. Note that the determination of fair market value for purposes of tax withholding may be made in the Administrator’s sole discretion subject to Applicable Laws and is not required to be consistent with the determination of Fair Market Value for other purposes.
(r)“Fiscal Year” means a fiscal year of the Company.
(s)“Incentive Stock Option” means an Option that is intended to qualify and does qualify as an incentive stock option within the meaning of Code Section 422.
(t)“Nonstatutory Stock Option” means an Option that by its terms does not qualify or is not intended to qualify as an Incentive Stock Option.
(u)“Officer” means a person who is an officer of the Company within the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act.
(v)“Option” means a stock option to acquire Shares granted under Section 4.
(w)“Outside Director” means a Director who is not an Employee.
(x)“Parent” means a “parent corporation,” whether now or hereafter existing, as defined in Code Section 424(e).
(y)“Participant” means the holder of an outstanding Award.
(z)“Performance Awards” means an Award which may be earned in whole or in part upon attainment of performance goals or other vesting criteria as the Administrator may determine and which will be settled for cash, Shares or other securities or a combination of the foregoing under Section 9.
(aa)“Performance Share” means an Award denominated in Shares which may be earned in whole or in part upon attainment of performance goals or other vesting criteria as the Administrator may determine under Section 8.
(bb)“Performance Stock Units” means an Award which may be earned in whole or in part upon attainment of performance goals or other vesting criteria as the Administrator may determine and which may be settled for cash, Shares or other securities or a combination of the foregoing under Section 8.
- 18 -


(cc)“Performance Stock Units/Shares” means Performance Stock Units or Performance Shares, as applicable.
(dd)“Period of Restriction” means the period during which the transfer of Shares of Restricted Stock is subject to restrictions and therefore, the Shares are subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture. Such restrictions may be based on the passage of time, the achievement of target levels of performance, or the occurrence of other events as determined by the Administrator.
(ee)“Plan” means this 2019 Equity Incentive Plan.
(ff)“Registration Date” means the effective date of the first registration statement filed by the Company and declared effective under Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act, with respect to any class of the Company’s securities.
(gg)“Restricted Stock” means Shares issued under an Award granted under Section 5 or issued as a result of the early exercise of an Option.
(hh)“Restricted Stock Unit” means a bookkeeping entry representing an amount equal to the Fair Market Value, granted under Section 6. Each Restricted Stock Unit represents an unfunded and unsecured obligation of the Company.
(ii)“Securities Act” means U.S. Securities Act of 1933.
(jj)“Service Provider” means an Employee, Director or Consultant.
(kk)“Share” means a share of Common Stock.
(ll)“Stock Appreciation Right” means an Award granted (alone or in connection with an Option) under Section 7.
(mm)“Subsidiary” means a “subsidiary corporation” as defined in Code Section 424(f), in relation to the Company.
(nn)“Tax Obligations” means tax, social insurance and social security liability or premium obligations in connection with the Awards, including, without limitation, (i) all federal, state, and local income, employment and any other taxes (including the Participant’s U.S. Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) obligation) that are required to be withheld by the Company or a member of the Company Group, (ii) the Participant’s and, to the extent required by the Company, the fringe benefit tax liability of the Company or a member of the Company Group, if any, associated with the grant, vesting, or exercise of an Award or sale of Shares issued under the Award, and (iii) any other taxes or social insurance or social security liabilities or premium the responsibility for which the Participant has, or has agreed to bear, with respect to such Award or the Shares subject to an Award.
(oo)“Trading Day” means a day on which the primary stock exchange or national market system on which the Common Stock trades is open for trading.
- 19 -
EX-10.2 3 ex102amendedandrestatedespp.htm EX-10.2 Document

Exhibit 10.2    
Cloudflare, Inc.    
AMENDED AND RESTATED 2019 EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN
1.Purpose. The purpose of the Plan is to provide employees of the Company and its Designated Companies with an opportunity to purchase Common Stock through accumulated Contributions. The Company intends for the Plan to have two components: a component that is intended to qualify as an “employee stock purchase plan” under Section 423 of the Code (the “423 Component”) and a component that is not intended to qualify as an “employee stock purchase plan” under Section 423 of the Code (the “Non-423 Component”). The provisions of the 423 Component, accordingly, will be construed so as to extend and limit Plan participation in a uniform and nondiscriminatory basis consistent with the requirements of Section 423 of the Code. An option to purchase shares of Common Stock under the Non-423 Component will be granted pursuant to rules, procedures, or sub-plans adopted by the Administrator designed to achieve tax, securities laws, or other objectives for Eligible Employees and the Company. Except as otherwise provided herein, the Non-423 Component will operate and be administered in the same manner as the 423 Component.
2.Definitions.
(a)“Administrator” means the Board or any Committee designated by the Board to administer the Plan pursuant to Section 14.
(b)“Affiliate” means any entity, other than a Subsidiary, in which the Company has an equity or other ownership interest.
(c)“Applicable Laws” means the requirements relating to the administration of equity-based awards under U.S. state corporate laws, U.S. federal and state securities laws, the Code, any stock exchange or quotation system on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted and the applicable laws of any foreign country or jurisdiction where options are, or will be, granted under the Plan.
(d)“Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company.
(e)“Change in Control” means the occurrence of any of the following events:
(i)A change in the ownership of the Company which occurs on the date that any one person, or more than one person acting as a group (“Person”), acquires ownership of the stock of the Company that, together with the stock held by such Person, constitutes more than fifty percent (50%) of the total voting power of the stock of the Company; provided, however, that for purposes of this subsection, the acquisition of additional stock by any one Person, who is considered to own more than fifty percent (50%) of the total voting power of the stock of the Company will not be considered a Change in Control. Further, if the stockholders of the Company immediately before such change in ownership continue to retain immediately after the change in ownership, in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of shares of the Company’s voting stock immediately prior to the change in ownership, direct or indirect beneficial ownership of fifty percent (50%) or more of the total voting power of the stock of the Company or of the ultimate parent entity of the Company, such event shall not be considered a Change in Control under this subsection (i). For this purpose, indirect beneficial ownership shall include, without limitation, an interest resulting from ownership of the voting securities of one or more corporations or other business entities which own the Company, as the case may be, either directly or through one or more subsidiary corporations or other business entities; or
(ii)A change in the effective control of the Company which occurs on the date that a majority of members of the Board is replaced during any twelve (12) month period by Directors whose appointment or election is not endorsed by a majority of the members of the Board prior to the date of the appointment or election. For purposes of this subsection (ii), if any Person is considered to be in effective control of the Company, the acquisition of additional control of the Company by the same Person will not be considered a Change in Control; or



(iii)A change in the ownership of a substantial portion of the Company’s assets which occurs on the date that any Person acquires (or has acquired during the twelve (12)month period ending on the date of the most recent acquisition by such Person) assets from the Company that have a total gross fair market value equal to or more than fifty percent (50%) of the total gross fair market value of all of the assets of the Company immediately prior to such acquisition or acquisitions; provided, however, that for purposes of this subsection, the following will not constitute a change in the ownership of a substantial portion of the Company’s assets: (A) a transfer to an entity that is controlled by the Company’s stockholders immediately after the transfer, or (B) a transfer of assets by the Company to: (1) a stockholder of the Company (immediately before the asset transfer) in exchange for or with respect to the Company’s stock, (2) an entity, fifty percent (50%) or more of the total value or voting power of which is owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company, (3) a Person, that owns, directly or indirectly, fifty percent (50%) or more of the total value or voting power of all the outstanding stock of the Company, or (4) an entity, at least fifty percent (50%) of the total value or voting power of which is owned, directly or indirectly, by a Person described in this subsection (iii)(B)(3). For purposes of this subsection, gross fair market value means the value of the assets of the Company, or the value of the assets being disposed of, determined without regard to any liabilities associated with such assets.
For purposes of this definition, persons will be considered to be acting as a group if they are owners of a corporation that enters into a merger, consolidation, purchase, or acquisition of stock, or similar business transaction with the Company.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, a transaction will not be deemed a Change in Control unless the transaction qualifies as a change in control event within the meaning of Code Section 409A, as it has been and may be amended from time to time, and any proposed or final U.S. Treasury Regulations and Internal Revenue Service guidance that has been promulgated or may be promulgated thereunder from time to time.
Further and for the avoidance of doubt, a transaction will not constitute a Change in Control if: (i) its sole purpose is to change the jurisdiction of the Company’s incorporation, or (ii) its sole purpose is to create a holding company that will be owned in substantially the same proportions by the persons who held the Company’s securities immediately before such transaction.
(f)“Code” means the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. Reference to a specific section of the Code will include such section, any valid regulation or other official applicable guidance promulgated under such section, and any comparable provision of any future legislation or regulation amending, supplementing or superseding such section or regulation.
(g)“Committee” means a committee of the Board appointed in accordance with Section 14 hereof.
(h)“Common Stock” means the Class A Common Stock of the Company.
(i)“Company” means Cloudflare, Inc., a Delaware corporation, or any successor thereto.
(j)“Compensation” includes an Eligible Employee’s base straight time gross earnings and payments for commission, but excludes payments for incentive compensation, bonuses, payments for overtime and shift premium, equity compensation income and other similar compensation. The Administrator, in its discretion, may, on a uniform and nondiscriminatory basis, establish a different definition of Compensation for a subsequent Offering Period.
2


(k)“Contributions” means the payroll deductions and other additional payments that the Company may permit to be made by a Participant to fund the exercise of options granted pursuant to the Plan.
(l)“Designated Company” means any Subsidiary or Affiliate that has been designated by the Administrator from time to time in its sole discretion as eligible to participate in the Plan. For purposes of the 423 Component, only the Company and its Subsidiaries may be Designated Companies, provided, however that at any given time, a Subsidiary that is a Designated Company under the 423 Component will not be a Designated Company under the Non423 Component.
(m)“Director” means a member of the Board.
(n)“Eligible Employee” means any individual who is a common law employee providing services to the Company or a Designated Company and is customarily employed for at least twenty (20) hours per week and more than five (5) months in any calendar year by the Employer, or any lesser number of hours per week and/or number of months in any calendar year established by the Administrator (if required under Applicable Laws) for purposes of any separate Offering or for Participants in the Non-423 Component. For purposes of the Plan, the employment relationship will be treated as continuing intact while the individual is on sick leave or other leave of absence that the Employer approves or is legally protected under Applicable Laws. Where the period of leave exceeds three (3) months and the individual’s right to reemployment is not guaranteed either by statute or by contract, the employment relationship will be deemed to have terminated three (3) months and one (1) day following the commencement of such leave. The Administrator, in its discretion, from time to time may, prior to an Enrollment Date for all options to be granted on such Enrollment Date in an Offering, determine (for each Offering under the 423 Component on a uniform and nondiscriminatory basis or as otherwise permitted by Treasury Regulation Section 1.423-2) that the definition of Eligible Employee will or will not include an individual if he or she: (i) has not completed at least two (2) years of service since his or her last hire date (or such lesser period of time as may be determined by the Administrator in its discretion), (ii) customarily works not more than twenty (20) hours per week (or such lesser period of time as may be determined by the Administrator in its discretion), (iii) customarily works not more than five (5) months per calendar year (or such lesser period of time as may be determined by the Administrator in its discretion), (iv) is a highly compensated employee within the meaning of Section 414(q) of the Code, or (v) is a highly compensated employee within the meaning of Section 414(q) of the Code with compensation above a certain level or is an officer or subject to the disclosure requirements of Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act, provided the exclusion is applied with respect to each Offering under the 423 Component in an identical manner to all highly compensated individuals of the Employer whose Eligible Employees are participating in that Offering. Each exclusion will be applied with respect to an Offering under the 423 Component in a manner complying with U.S. Treasury Regulation Section 1.423-2(e)(2)(ii). Such exclusions may be applied with respect to an Offering under the Non-423 Component without regard to the limitations of U.S. Treasury Regulation Section 1.423-2.
(o)“Employer” means the employer of the applicable Eligible Employee(s).

(p)“Enrollment Date” means the first Trading Day of an Offering Period.

(q)“Enrollment Window” means the period established by the Administrator to
allow Eligible Employees to make Contribution elections for participation in the Plan with respect to
an Offering Period. The requirement to be employed on the first day of the Enrollment Window
through the applicable Enrollment Date will be interpreted as a minimum service requirement as
described under Section 2(n)(i).

3


(r)“Exchange Act” means the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
(s)“Exercise Date” means the last Trading Day of the Purchase Period. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that an Offering Period is terminated prior to its expiration pursuant to Section 20(a), the Administrator, in its sole discretion, may determine that any Purchase Period also terminating under such Offering Period will terminate without options being exercised on the Exercise Date that otherwise would have occurred on the last Trading Day of such Purchase Period.
(t)“Fair Market Value” means, as of any date, the closing sales price for Common Stock as quoted on any established stock exchange or national market system (including without limitation the New York Stock Exchange, NASDAQ Global Select Market, the NASDAQ Global Market or the NASDAQ Capital Market of The NASDAQ Stock Market) on which the Common Stock is listed on the date of determination (or the closing bid, if no sales were reported), as reported in The Wall Street Journal or such other source as the Administrator deems reliable. If the determination date for the Fair Market Value occurs on a non-trading day (i.e., a weekend or holiday), the Fair Market Value will be such price on the immediately preceding trading day, unless otherwise determined by the Administrator. In the absence of an established market for the Common Stock, the Fair Market Value thereof will be determined in good faith by the Administrator. The determination of fair market value for purposes of tax withholding may be made in the Administrator’s discretion subject to Applicable Laws and is not required to be consistent with the determination of Fair Market Value for other purposes.
(u)“Fiscal Year” means a fiscal year of the Company.
(v)“New Exercise Date” means a new Exercise Date if the Administrator shortens any Offering Period then in progress.

(w)“Offering” means an offer under the Plan of an option that may be exercised during an Offering Period as further described in Section 4. For purposes of the Plan, the Administrator may designate separate Offerings under the Plan (the terms of which need not be identical) in which Eligible Employees of one or more Employers will participate, even if the dates of the applicable Offering Periods of each such Offering are identical and the provisions of the Plan will separately apply to each Offering. To the extent permitted by U.S. Treasury Regulation Section 1.423-2(a)(1), the terms of each Offering need not be identical provided that the terms of the Plan and an Offering together satisfy U.S. Treasury Regulation Section 1.423-2(a)(2) and (a)(3).

(x)“Offering Periods” means (i) for Offering Periods commencing on or after May 15, 2022 but prior to May 10, 2024, the periods of approximately six (6) months during which an option granted pursuant to the Plan may be exercised, commencing on the first Trading Day on or after May 15 and November 15 of each year and terminating on the last Trading Day before November 15 and May 15, approximately six (6) months later; and (ii) for Offering Periods commencing on or after May 10, 2024, the periods of approximately six (6) months during which an option granted pursuant to the Plan may be exercised, commencing on the first Trading Day on or after May 10 and November 10 of each year and terminating on the last Trading Day before November 10 and May 10, approximately six (6) months later. The duration and timing of Offering Periods may be changed pursuant to Sections 4, 19 and 20.
(y)“Parent” means a “parent corporation,” whether now or hereafter existing, as defined in Section 424(e) of the Code.
(z)“Participant” means an Eligible Employee that participates in the Plan.
(aa)“Plan” means this Cloudflare, Inc. Amended and Restated 2019 Employee Stock Purchase Plan.
4


(bb)“Purchase Period” means the approximately six (6) month period commencing after one Exercise Date and ending with the next Exercise Date, except that the first Purchase Period of any Offering Period will commence on the Enrollment Date and end with the next Exercise Date. Unless the Administrator provides otherwise, the Purchase Period will have the same duration and coincide with the length of the Offering Period.
(cc)“Purchase Price” means an amount equal to eighty-five percent (85%) of the Fair Market Value on the Enrollment Date or on the Exercise Date, whichever is lower; provided however, that the Purchase Price may be determined for subsequent Offering Periods by the Administrator subject to compliance with Section 423 of the Code (or any successor rule or provision or any other Applicable Law, regulation or stock exchange rule) or pursuant to Section 20.
(dd)“Registration Date” means the effective date of the Registration Statement.
(ee)“Registration Statement” means the registration statement on Form S-1 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission for the initial public offering of the Common Stock.
(ff)“Subsidiary” means a “subsidiary corporation,” whether now or hereafter existing, as defined in Section 424(f) of the Code.
(gg)“Trading Day” means a day on which the national stock exchange upon which the Common Stock is listed is open for trading.
(hh)“U.S. Treasury Regulations” means the Treasury regulations of the Code. Reference to a specific Treasury Regulation will include such Treasury Regulation, the section of the Code under which such regulation was promulgated, and any comparable provision of any future legislation or regulation amending, supplementing, or superseding such Section or regulation.
3.Eligibility.
(a)Offering Periods. With respect to Offering Periods beginning prior to May 10, 2024, any Eligible Employee on a given Enrollment Date will be eligible to participate in the Plan, subject to the requirements of Section 5. Solely with respect to Offering Periods beginning on or after May 10, 2024, any individual who is an Eligible Employee (i) as of the first day of the last Enrollment Window that ends prior to the applicable Enrollment Date, and (ii) through that Enrollment Date will be eligible to participate in the Plan with respect to the Offering Period that begins on that Enrollment Date, subject to the requirements of Section 5; provided however, that with respect to the 423 Component, an Employee will constitute an Eligible Employee with respect to a specific Offering to the extent required to comply with Code Section 423.
(b)Non-U.S. Employees. Eligible Employees who are citizens or residents of a non-U.S. jurisdiction (without regard to whether they also are citizens or residents of the United States or resident aliens (within the meaning of Section 7701(b)(1)(A) of the Code)) may be excluded from participation in the Plan or an Offering if the participation of such Eligible Employees is prohibited under the laws of the applicable jurisdiction or if complying with the laws of the applicable jurisdiction would cause the Plan or an Offering to violate Section 423 of the Code. In the case of the Non-423 Component, Eligible Employees may be excluded from participation in the Plan or an Offering if the Administrator determines that participation of such Eligible Employees is not advisable or practicable.
(c)Limitations. Any provisions of the Plan to the contrary notwithstanding, no Eligible Employee will be granted an option under the Plan (i) to the extent that, immediately after the grant, such Eligible Employee (or any other person whose stock would be attributed to such Eligible Employee pursuant to Section 424(d) of the Code) would own capital stock of the Company or any Parent or Subsidiary of the Company and/or hold outstanding options to purchase such stock possessing five percent (5%) or more of the total combined voting power or value of all classes of the capital stock of the Company or of any Parent or Subsidiary of the Company, or (ii) to the extent that his or her rights to purchase stock under all employee stock purchase plans (as defined in Section 423 of the Code) of the Company or any Parent or Subsidiary of the Company accrues at a rate, which exceeds twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) worth of stock (determined at the Fair Market Value of the stock at the time such option is granted) for each calendar year in which such option is outstanding at any time, as determined in accordance with Section 423 of the Code and the regulations thereunder.
5


4.Offering Periods. For Offering Periods commencing before May 10, 2024, the Plan will be implemented by consecutive Offering Periods with a new Offering Period commencing on the first Trading Day on or after May 15 and November 15 of each year, or on such other dates as the Administrator will determine. For Offering Periods commencing on or after May 10, 2024, the Plan will be implemented by consecutive Offering Periods with a new Offering Period commencing on the first Trading Day on or after May 10 and November 10 of each year, or on such other dates as the Administrator will determine. The Administrator will have the power to change the duration of Offering Periods (including the commencement dates thereof) with respect to future Offerings without stockholder approval if such change is announced prior to the scheduled beginning of the first Offering Period to be affected thereafter; provided, however, that no Offering Period may last more than twenty-seven (27) months.
5.Participation. An Eligible Employee may participate in the Plan pursuant to Section 3(a) by (i) submitting to the Company’s stock administration office (or its designee) a properly completed subscription agreement authorizing Contributions in the form provided by the Administrator for such purpose or (ii) following an electronic or other enrollment procedure determined by the Administrator, in either case on or before a date determined by the Administrator prior to an applicable Enrollment Date.
6.Contributions.
(a)At the time a Participant enrolls in the Plan pursuant to Section 5, he or she will elect to have Contributions (in the form of payroll deductions or otherwise, to the extent permitted by the Administrator) made on each pay day during the Offering Period in an amount not exceeding 10% of the Compensation that he or she receives on the pay day (for illustrative purposes, should a pay day occur on an Exercise Date, a Participant will have any Contributions made on such day applied to his or her account under the then-current Purchase Period or Offering Period). The Administrator, in its sole discretion, may permit all Participants in a specified Offering to contribute amounts to the Plan through payment by cash, check or other means set forth in the subscription agreement prior to each Exercise Date of each Purchase Period. A Participant’s subscription agreement will remain in effect for successive Offering Periods unless terminated as provided in Section 10 hereof.
(b)In the event Contributions are made in the form of payroll deductions, such payroll deductions for a Participant will commence on the first pay day following the Enrollment Date and will end on the last pay day on or prior to the last Exercise Date of such Offering Period to which such authorization is applicable, unless sooner terminated by the Participant as provided in Section 10 hereof.
(c)All Contributions made for a Participant will be credited to his or her account under the Plan and Contributions will be made in whole percentages of his or her Compensation only. A Participant may not make any additional payments into such account.
(d)A Participant may discontinue his or her participation in the Plan as provided under Section 10. Unless otherwise determined by the Administrator, during a Purchase Period, a Participant may not increase the rate of his or her Contributions and may only decrease the rate of his or her Contributions one (1) time and such decrease must be to a Contribution rate of zero percent (0%). Any such decrease during a Purchase Period requires the Participant (i) properly completing and submitting to the Company’s stock administration office (or its designee) a new subscription agreement authorizing the change in Contribution rate in the form provided by the Administrator for such purpose or (ii) following an electronic or other procedure prescribed by the Administrator, in either case on or before a date determined by the Administrator prior to an applicable Exercise Date. If a Participant has not followed such procedures to change the rate of Contributions, the rate of his or her Contributions will continue at the originally elected rate throughout the Purchase Period and future Offering Periods and Purchase Periods (unless the Participant’s participation is terminated as provided in Sections 10 or 11). The Administrator may, in its sole discretion, amend the nature and/or number of Contribution rate changes that may be made by Participants during any Offering Period or Purchase Period and may establish other conditions or limitations as it deems appropriate for Plan administration. Any change in the rate of Contributions made pursuant to this Section 6(d) will be effective as of the first (1st) full payroll period following five (5) business days after the date on which the change is made by the Participant (unless the Administrator, in its sole discretion, elects to process a given change in payroll deduction rate earlier).
6


(e)Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent necessary to comply with Section 423(b)(8) of the Code and Section 3(c), a Participant’s Contributions may be decreased to zero percent (0%) at any time during a Purchase Period. Subject to Section 423(b)(8) of the Code and Section 3(c) hereof, Contributions will recommence at the rate originally elected by the Participant effective as of the beginning of the first Purchase Period scheduled to end in the following calendar year, unless terminated by the Participant as provided in Section 10.
(f)Notwithstanding any provisions to the contrary in the Plan, the Administrator may allow Participants to participate in the Plan via cash contributions instead of payroll deductions if (i) payroll deductions are not permitted under Applicable Law, (ii) the Administrator determines that cash contributions are permissible under Section 423 of the Code; or (iii) the Participants are participating in the Non-423 Component.
(g)At the time the option is exercised, in whole or in part, or at the time some or all of the Common Stock issued under the Plan is disposed of (or any other time that a taxable event related to the Plan occurs), the Participant must make adequate provision for the Company’s or Employer’s federal, state, local or any other tax liability payable to any authority including taxes imposed by jurisdictions outside of the U.S., national insurance, social security or other tax withholding obligations, if any, which arise upon the exercise of the option or the disposition of the Common Stock (or any other time that a taxable event related to the Plan occurs). At any time, the Company or the Employer may, but will not be obligated to, withhold from the Participant’s compensation the amount necessary for the Company or the Employer to meet applicable withholding obligations, including any withholding required to make available to the Company or the Employer any tax deductions or benefits attributable to sale or early disposition of Common Stock by the Eligible Employee. In addition, the Company or the Employer may, but will not be obligated to, withhold from the proceeds of the sale of Common Stock or any other method of withholding the Company or the Employer deems appropriate to the extent permitted by U.S. Treasury Regulation Section 1.423-2(f).
7.Grant of Option. On the Enrollment Date of each Offering Period, each Eligible Employee participating in such Offering Period will be granted an option to purchase on each Exercise Date during such Offering Period (at the applicable Purchase Price) up to a number of shares of Common Stock determined by dividing such Eligible Employee’s Contributions accumulated prior to such Exercise Date and retained in the Eligible Employee’s account as of the Exercise Date by the applicable Purchase Price; provided that in no event will an Eligible Employee be permitted to purchase during each Purchase Period more than 1,500 shares of Common Stock (subject to any adjustment pursuant to Section 19) and provided further that such purchase will be subject to the limitations set forth in Sections 3(c) and 13 and in the subscription agreement. The Eligible Employee may accept the grant of such option by electing to participate in the Plan in accordance with the requirements of Section 5. The Administrator may, for future Offering Periods, increase or decrease, in its absolute discretion, the maximum number of shares of Common Stock that an Eligible Employee may purchase during each Purchase Period. Exercise of the option will occur as provided in Section 8, unless the Participant has withdrawn pursuant to Section 10. The option will expire on the last day of the Offering Period.
7


8.Exercise of Option.
(a)Unless a Participant withdraws from the Plan as provided in Section 10, his or her option for the purchase of shares of Common Stock will be exercised automatically on each Exercise Date, and the maximum number of full shares subject to the option will be purchased for such Participant at the applicable Purchase Price with the accumulated Contributions from his or her account. No fractional shares of Common Stock will be purchased; any Contributions accumulated in a Participant’s account, which are not sufficient to purchase a full share will be returned to the Participant. Any other funds left over in a Participant’s account after the Exercise Date also will be returned to the Participant. During a Participant’s lifetime, a Participant’s option to purchase shares hereunder is exercisable only by him or her.
(b)If the Administrator determines that, on a given Exercise Date, the number of shares of Common Stock with respect to which options are to be exercised may exceed (i) the number of shares of Common Stock that were available for sale under the Plan on the Enrollment Date of the applicable Offering Period, or (ii) the number of shares of Common Stock available for sale under the Plan on such Exercise Date, the Administrator may in its sole discretion (x) provide that the Company will make a pro rata allocation of the shares of Common Stock available for purchase on such Enrollment Date or Exercise Date, as applicable, in as uniform a manner as will be practicable and as it will determine in its sole discretion to be equitable among all Participants exercising options to purchase Common Stock on such Exercise Date, and continue all Offering Periods then in effect or (y) provide that the Company will make a pro rata allocation of the shares of Common Stock available for purchase on such Enrollment Date or Exercise Date, as applicable, in as uniform a manner as will be practicable and as it will determine in its sole discretion to be equitable among all participants exercising options to purchase Common Stock on such Exercise Date, and terminate any or all Offering Periods then in effect pursuant to Section 20. The Company may make a pro rata allocation of the shares available on the Enrollment Date of any applicable Offering Period pursuant to the preceding sentence, notwithstanding any authorization of additional shares for issuance under the Plan by the Company’s stockholders subsequent to such Enrollment Date.
9.Delivery. As soon as reasonably practicable after each Exercise Date on which a purchase of shares of Common Stock occurs, the Company will arrange the delivery to each Participant of the shares purchased upon exercise of his or her option in a form determined by the Administrator (in its sole discretion) and pursuant to rules established by the Administrator. The Company may permit or require that shares be deposited directly with a broker designated by the Company or to a designated agent of the Company, and the Company may utilize electronic or automated methods of share transfer. The Company may require that shares be retained with such broker or agent for a designated period of time and/or may establish other procedures to permit tracking of disqualifying dispositions of such shares. No Participant will have any voting, dividend, or other stockholder rights with respect to shares of Common Stock subject to any option granted under the Plan until such shares have been purchased and delivered to the Participant as provided in this Section 9.
10.Withdrawal.
(a)A Participant may withdraw all but not less than all the Contributions credited to his or her account and not yet used to exercise his or her option under the Plan at any time by (i) submitting to the Company’s stock administration office (or its designee) a written notice of withdrawal in the form determined by the Administrator for such purpose (which may be similar to the form attached hereto as Exhibit B), or (ii) following an electronic or other withdrawal procedure determined by the Administrator. The Administrator may set forth a deadline of when a withdrawal must occur to be effective prior to a given Exercise Date in accordance with policies it may approve from time to time. All of the Participant’s Contributions credited to his or her account will be paid to such Participant promptly after receipt of notice of withdrawal and such Participant’s option for the Offering Period will be automatically terminated, and no further Contributions for the purchase of shares will be made for such Offering Period. If a Participant withdraws from an Offering Period, Contributions will not resume at the beginning of the succeeding Offering Period, unless the Participant re-enrolls in the Plan in accordance with the provisions of Section 5.
8


(b)A Participant’s withdrawal from an Offering Period will not have any effect on his or her eligibility to participate in any similar plan that may hereafter be adopted by the Company or in succeeding Offering Periods that commence after the termination of the Offering Period from which the Participant withdraws.
11.Termination of Employment. Upon a Participant’s ceasing to be an Eligible Employee, for any reason, he or she will be deemed to have elected to withdraw from the Plan and the Contributions credited to such Participant’s account during the Offering Period but not yet used to purchase shares of Common Stock under the Plan will be returned to such Participant or, in the case of his or her death, to the person or persons entitled thereto under Section 15, and such Participant’s option will be automatically terminated. Unless otherwise provided by the Administrator, a Participant whose employment transfers between entities through a termination with an immediate rehire (with no break in service) by the Company or a Designated Company will not be treated as terminated under the Plan; however, if a Participant transfers from an Offering under the 423 Component to the Non-423 Component, the exercise of the option will be qualified under the 423 Component only to the extent it complies with Section 423 of the Code, unless otherwise provided by the Administrator.
12.Interest. No interest will accrue on the Contributions of a participant in the Plan, except as may be required by Applicable Law, as determined by the Company, and if so required by the laws of a particular jurisdiction, will apply to all Participants in the relevant Offering under the 423 Component, except to the extent otherwise permitted by U.S. Treasury Regulation Section 1.423-2(f).
13.Stock.
(a)Subject to adjustment upon changes in capitalization of the Company as provided in Section 19 hereof, the maximum number of shares of Common Stock that will be made available for sale under the Plan will be 5,870,000 shares of Common Stock. The number of shares of Common Stock available for issuance under the Plan will be increased on the first day of each Fiscal Year beginning with the 2021 Fiscal Year equal to the least of (i) 5,870,000 shares of Common Stock, (ii) 1% of the outstanding shares of all classes of common stock of the Company on the last day of the immediately preceding Fiscal Year, or (iii) a lesser number of shares of Common Stock determined by the Administrator no later than the last day of the immediately preceding Fiscal Year.
(b)Until the shares of Common Stock are issued (as evidenced by the appropriate entry on the books of the Company or of a duly authorized transfer agent of the Company), a Participant will have only the rights of an unsecured creditor with respect to such shares, and no right to vote or receive dividends or any other rights as a stockholder will exist with respect to such shares.
(c)Shares of Common Stock to be delivered to a Participant under the Plan will be registered in the name of the Participant or in the name of the Participant and his or her spouse.
14.Administration. The Plan will be administered by the Board or a Committee appointed by the Board, which Committee will be constituted to comply with Applicable Laws. The Administrator will have full and exclusive discretionary authority to construe, interpret and apply the terms of the Plan, to delegate ministerial duties to any of the Company’s employees, to designate separate Offerings under the Plan, to designate Subsidiaries and Affiliates as participating in the 423 Component or Non-423 Component, to determine eligibility, to adjudicate all disputed claims filed under the Plan and to establish such procedures that it deems necessary for the administration of the Plan (including, without limitation, to adopt such procedures and sub-plans as are necessary or appropriate to permit the participation in the Plan by employees who are foreign nationals or employed outside the U.S., the terms of which sub-plans may take precedence over other provisions of this Plan, with the exception of Section 13(a) hereof, but unless otherwise superseded by the terms of such sub-plan, the provisions of this Plan will govern the operation of such sub-plan). Unless otherwise determined by the Administrator, the Eligible Employees eligible to participate in each sub-plan will participate in a separate Offering or in the Non-423 Component. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Administrator is specifically authorized to adopt rules and procedures regarding eligibility to participate, the definition of Compensation, handling of Contributions, making of Contributions to the Plan (including, without limitation, in forms other than payroll deductions), establishment of bank or trust accounts to hold Contributions, payment of interest, conversion of local currency, obligations to pay payroll tax, determination of beneficiary designation requirements, withholding procedures and handling of stock certificates that vary with applicable local requirements. The Administrator also is authorized to determine that, to the extent permitted by U.S. Treasury Regulation Section 1.423-2(f), the terms of an option granted under the Plan or an Offering to citizens or residents of a non-U.S. jurisdiction will be less favorable than the terms of options granted under the Plan or the same Offering to employees resident solely in the U.S. Every finding, decision, and determination made by the Administrator will, to the full extent permitted by law, be final and binding upon all parties.
9


15.Designation of Beneficiary.
(a)If permitted by the Administrator and subject to any applicable law, a Participant may file a designation of a beneficiary who is to receive any shares of Common Stock and cash, if any, from the Participant’s account under the Plan in the event of such Participant’s death subsequent to an Exercise Date on which the option is exercised but prior to delivery to such Participant of such shares and cash. In addition, if permitted by the Administrator and subject to any applicable law, a Participant may file a designation of a beneficiary who is to receive any cash from the Participant’s account under the Plan in the event of such Participant’s death prior to exercise of the option.
(b)Such designation of beneficiary may be changed by the Participant at any time by notice in a form determined by the Administrator. In the event of the death of a Participant and in the absence of a beneficiary validly designated under the Plan who is living at the time of such Participant’s death, the Company will deliver such shares and/or cash to the executor or administrator of the estate of the Participant, or if no such executor or administrator has been appointed (to the knowledge of the Company), the Company, in its discretion, may deliver such shares and/or cash to the spouse or to any one or more dependents or relatives of the Participant, or if no spouse, dependent or relative is known to the Company, then to such other person as the Company may designate.
(c)All beneficiary designations will be in such form and manner as the Administrator may designate from time to time. Notwithstanding Sections 15(a) and (b) above, the Company and/or the Administrator may decide not to permit such designations by Participants in non-U.S. jurisdictions to the extent permitted by U.S. Treasury Regulation Section 1.423-2(f).
16.Transferability. Neither Contributions credited to a Participant’s account nor any rights with regard to the exercise of an option or to receive shares of Common Stock under the Plan may be assigned, transferred, pledged or otherwise disposed of in any way (other than by will, the laws of descent and distribution or as provided in Section 15 hereof) by the Participant. Any such attempt at assignment, transfer, pledge or other disposition will be without effect, except that the Company may treat such act as an election to withdraw funds from an Offering Period in accordance with Section 10 hereof.
17.Use of Funds. The Company may use all Contributions received or held by it under the Plan for any corporate purpose, and the Company will not be obligated to segregate such Contributions except under Offerings or for Participants in the Non-423 Component for which Applicable Laws require that Contributions to the Plan by Participants be segregated from the Company’s general corporate funds and/or deposited with an independent third party. Until shares of Common Stock are issued, Participants will have only the rights of an unsecured creditor with respect to such shares.
18.Reports. Individual accounts will be maintained for each Participant in the Plan. Statements of account will be given to participating Eligible Employees at least annually, which statements will set forth the amounts of Contributions, the Purchase Price, the number of shares of Common Stock purchased and the remaining cash balance, if any.
10


19.Adjustments, Dissolution, Liquidation, Merger, or Change in Control.
(a)Adjustments. In the event that any dividend or other distribution (whether in the form of cash, Common Stock, other securities, or other property), recapitalization, stock split, reverse stock split, reorganization, merger, consolidation, split-up, spin-off, combination, repurchase, or exchange of Common Stock or other securities of the Company, or other change in the corporate structure of the Company affecting the Common Stock occurs, the Administrator, in order to prevent dilution or enlargement of the benefits or potential benefits intended to be made available under the Plan, will, in such manner as it may deem equitable, adjust the number and class of Common Stock that may be delivered under the Plan, the Purchase Price per share, the class, and the number of shares of Common Stock covered by each option under the Plan that has not yet been exercised, and the numerical limits of Sections 7 and 13.
(b)Dissolution or Liquidation. In the event of the proposed dissolution or liquidation of the Company, any Offering Period then in progress will be shortened by setting a New Exercise Date, and will terminate immediately prior to the consummation of such proposed dissolution or liquidation, unless provided otherwise by the Administrator. The New Exercise Date will be before the date of the Company’s proposed dissolution or liquidation. The Administrator will notify each Participant in writing or electronically, prior to the New Exercise Date, that the Exercise Date for the Participant’s option has been changed to the New Exercise Date and that the Participant’s option will be exercised automatically on the New Exercise Date, unless prior to such date the Participant has withdrawn from the Offering Period as provided in Section 10 hereof.
(c)Merger or Change in Control. In the event of a merger or Change in Control, each outstanding option will be assumed or an equivalent option substituted by the successor corporation or a Parent or Subsidiary of the successor corporation. In the event that the successor corporation refuses to assume or substitute for the option, the Offering Period with respect to which such option relates will be shortened by setting a New Exercise Date on which such Offering Period will end. The New Exercise Date will occur before the date of the Company’s proposed merger or Change in Control. The Administrator will notify each Participant in writing or electronically prior to the New Exercise Date, that the Exercise Date for the Participant’s option has been changed to the New Exercise Date and that the Participant’s option will be exercised automatically on the New Exercise Date, unless prior to such date the Participant has withdrawn from the Offering Period as provided in Section 10 hereof.
20.Amendment or Termination.
(a)The Administrator, in its sole discretion, may amend, suspend, or terminate the Plan, or any part thereof, at any time and for any reason. If the Plan is terminated, the Administrator, in its discretion, may elect to terminate all outstanding Offering Periods either immediately or upon completion of the purchase of shares of Common Stock on the next Exercise Date (which may be sooner than originally scheduled, if determined by the Administrator in its discretion), or may elect to permit Offering Periods to expire in accordance with their terms (and subject to any adjustment pursuant to Section 19). If the Offering Periods are terminated prior to expiration, all amounts then credited to Participants’ accounts that have not been used to purchase shares of Common Stock will be returned to the Participants (without interest thereon, except as otherwise required under Applicable Laws, as further set forth in Section 12 hereof) as soon as administratively practicable.
(b)Without stockholder consent and without limiting Section 20(a), the Administrator will be entitled to change the Offering Periods or Purchase Periods, designate separate Offerings, limit the frequency and/or number of changes in the amount withheld during an Offering Period, establish the exchange ratio applicable to amounts withheld in a currency other than U.S. dollars, permit Contributions in excess of the amount designated by a Participant in order to adjust for delays or mistakes in the Company’s processing of properly completed Contribution elections, establish reasonable waiting and adjustment periods and/or accounting and crediting procedures to ensure that amounts applied toward the purchase of Common Stock for each Participant properly correspond with Contribution amounts, and establish such other limitations or procedures as the Administrator determines in its sole discretion advisable that are consistent with the Plan.
11


(c)In the event the Administrator determines that the ongoing operation of the Plan may result in unfavorable financial accounting consequences, the Administrator may, in its discretion and, to the extent necessary or desirable, modify, amend or terminate the Plan to reduce or eliminate such accounting consequence including, but not limited to:
(i)amending the Plan to conform with the safe harbor definition under the Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Topic 718 (or any successor thereto), including with respect to an Offering Period underway at the time;
(ii)altering the Purchase Price for any Offering Period or Purchase Period including an Offering Period or Purchase Period underway at the time of the change in Purchase Price;
(iii)shortening any Offering Period or Purchase Period by setting a New Exercise Date, including an Offering Period or Purchase Period underway at the time of the Administrator action;
(iv)reducing the maximum percentage of Compensation a Participant may elect to set aside as Contributions; and
(v)reducing the maximum number of shares of Common Stock a Participant may purchase during any Offering Period or Purchase Period.
Such modifications or amendments will not require stockholder approval or the consent of any Participants.
21.Notices. All notices or other communications by a Participant to the Company under or in connection with the Plan will be deemed to have been duly given when received in the form and manner specified by the Company at the location, or by the person, designated by the Company for the receipt thereof.
22.Conditions Upon Issuance of Shares. Shares of Common Stock will not be issued with respect to an option unless the exercise of such option and the issuance and delivery of such shares pursuant thereto will comply with all applicable provisions of law, domestic or foreign, including, without limitation, the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Exchange Act, the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, and the requirements of any stock exchange upon which the shares may then be listed, and will be further subject to the approval of counsel for the Company with respect to such compliance.
As a condition to the exercise of an option, the Company may require the person exercising such option to represent and warrant at the time of any such exercise that the shares are being purchased only for investment and without any present intention to sell or distribute such shares if, in the opinion of counsel for the Company, such a representation is required by any of the aforementioned applicable provisions of law.
23.Code Section 409A. The 423 Component of the Plan is exempt from the application of Code Section 409A and any ambiguities herein will be interpreted to so be exempt from Code Section 409A. In furtherance of the foregoing and notwithstanding any provision in the Plan to the contrary, if the Administrator determines that an option granted under the Plan may be subject to Code Section 409A or that any provision in the Plan would cause an option under the Plan to be subject to Code Section 409A, the Administrator may amend the terms of the Plan and/or of an outstanding option granted under the Plan, or take such other action the Administrator determines is necessary or appropriate, in each case, without the Participant’s consent, to exempt any outstanding option or future option that may be granted under the Plan from or to allow any such options to comply with Code Section 409A, but only to the extent any such amendments or action by the Administrator would not violate Code Section 409A. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company, and any Parent, Subsidiary or Affiliate will have no liability to a Participant or any other party if the option to purchase Common Stock under the Plan that is intended to be exempt from or compliant with Code Section 409A is not so exempt or compliant or for any action taken by the Administrator with respect thereto. The Company makes no representation that the option to purchase Common Stock under the Plan is compliant with Code Section 409A.
12


24.Term of Plan. The Plan will become effective upon the later to occur of (i) its adoption by the Board or (ii) the business day immediately prior to the Registration Date. It will continue in effect for a term of twenty (20) years, unless sooner terminated under Section 20.
25.Stockholder Approval. The Plan will be subject to approval by the stockholders of the Company within twelve (12) months after the date the Plan is adopted by the Board. Such stockholder approval will be obtained in the manner and to the degree required under Applicable Laws.
26.Governing Law. The Plan will be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of California (except its choice-of-law provisions).
27.No Right to Employment. Participation in the Plan by a Participant will not be construed as giving a Participant the right to be retained as an employee of the Company or a Subsidiary or Affiliate, as applicable. Further, the Company or a Subsidiary or Affiliate may dismiss a Participant from employment at any time, free from any liability or any claim under the Plan.
28.Severability. If any provision of the Plan is or becomes or is deemed to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable for any reason in any jurisdiction or as to any Participant, such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability will not affect the remaining parts of the Plan, and the Plan will be construed and enforced as to such jurisdiction or Participant as if the invalid, illegal or unenforceable provision had not been included.
29.    Compliance with Applicable Laws. The terms of this Plan are intended to comply with all Applicable Laws and will be construed accordingly.


13



EXHIBIT A

CLOUDFLARE, INC.
AMENDED AND RESTATED 2019 EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN
GLOBAL SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT
_____ Original Application                Offering Date:                 
_____ Change in Payroll Deduction Rate

1.____________________ (“Employee”) hereby elects to participate in the Cloudflare, Inc. Amended and Restated 2019 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “Plan”) and subscribes to purchase shares of the Company’s Common Stock in accordance with this Global Subscription Agreement, including the attached Additional Terms and Conditions for Non-U.S. Participants and any country-specific terms and conditions set forth in the also attached Country-Specific Terms and Conditions (collectively, the “Subscription Agreement”), and the Plan. Unless otherwise defined herein, the terms defined in the Plan shall have the same defined meanings in this Subscription Agreement.

2.Employee hereby authorizes payroll deductions from each paycheck in the amount of ____% (from 1 to 10%) of his or her Compensation on each payday during the Offering Period in accordance with the Plan. (Please note that no fractional percentages are permitted.)

3.Employee understands that said payroll deductions will be accumulated for the purchase of shares of Common Stock at the applicable Purchase Price determined in accordance with the Plan. Employee understands that if he or she does not withdraw from an Offering Period, any accumulated payroll deductions will be used to automatically exercise his or her option and purchase Common Stock under the Plan.

4.Employee has received a copy of the complete Plan and its accompanying prospectus. Employee understands that his or her participation in the Plan is in all respects subject to the terms of the Plan.

5.Unless Employee withdraws from the Plan or becomes ineligible to participate in the Plan or unless the Plan is terminated by the Company, Employee will continue to participate in the Plan during subsequent Offering Periods and shares of Common Stock will be purchased on Employee's behalf with his or her accumulated payroll deductions on the applicable purchase date. Employee's participation in the Plan will continue to be governed by this Subscription Agreement and the Plan. At its discretion and to the extent permitted by the Plan, the Company may amend the Plan and/or this Subscription Agreement, and by continuing to participate in the Plan, and without the need to provide affirmative consent, Employee agrees to the terms and conditions of the amended Plan and/or Subscription Agreement.

6.Shares of Common Stock purchased by Employee under the Plan should be issued in the name(s) of _____________ (Employee or Employee and Spouse only).

7.The following provision is applicable only if Employee is subject to tax in the United States and participates in the 423 Component. Employee understands that if he or she disposes of any shares that he or she purchased under the Plan within two (2) years after the Enrollment Date (the first day of the Offering Period during which he or she purchased such shares) or one (1) year after the applicable Exercise Date, he or she will be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as having received ordinary income at the time of such disposition in an amount equal to the excess of the fair market value of the shares at the time such shares were purchased over the price paid for the shares. Employee hereby agrees to notify the Company in writing within thirty (30) days after the date of any disposition of such shares and to make adequate provision for federal, state or other tax withholding obligations, if any, that arise upon the disposition of such shares.
1


The Company may, but will not be obligated to, withhold from Employee’s compensation the amount necessary to meet any applicable withholding obligation including any withholding necessary to make available to the Company any tax deductions or benefits attributable to Employee’s sale or early disposition of such shares. Employee understands that if he or she disposes of such shares at any time after the expiration of the two (2)-year and one (1)-year holding periods, he or she will be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as having received income only at the time of such disposition, and that such income will be taxed as ordinary income only to the extent of an amount equal to the lesser of (i) the excess of the fair market value of the shares at the time of such disposition over the Purchase Price paid for the shares, or (ii) fifteen percent (15%) of the fair market value of the shares on the first day of the Offering Period. The remainder of the gain, if any, recognized on such disposition will be taxed as capital gain.

8.Employee hereby agrees to hold any shares he or she acquires under the Plan with a broker designated by the Company until the day after the 1-year anniversary of the day such shares were purchased. For the avoidance of doubt, this 1-year hold period restricts any sale or transfer by Employee of shares Employee acquires under the Plan (except for the withholding or sale of shares by the Company to meet any applicable tax withholding obligations) until the day after the 1-year anniversary of the day such shares were purchased. Notwithstanding the foregoing in this Section 8, this 1-year hold requirement will lapse as of the date Employee’s employment with the Company and any of its Parent, Subsidiaries and Affiliates terminates for any reason.

9.Employee hereby agrees to be bound by the terms of the Plan. The effectiveness of this Subscription Agreement is dependent upon Employee’s eligibility to participate in the Plan.

Employee’s Social Security Number (U.S.
Employees Only):                    ______________________________________
Employee ID Number (Non-U.S. Employees)    ______________________________________
Employee’s Address:    ______________________________________
SUBJECT TO SECTION 5 ABOVE, EMPLOYEE UNDERSTANDS THAT THIS SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT THROUGHOUT SUCCESSIVE OFFERING PERIODS UNLESS EMPLOYEE WITHDRAWS FROM THE PLAN OR CEASES TO BE AN ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEE FOR ANY REASON.

Signature:
        
Date:     

IF EMPLOYEE RESIDES IN THE EUROPEAN UNION OR THE UNITED KINGDOM, EMPLOYEE UNDERSTANDS HE OR SHE NEEDS TO PROVIDE AN ADDITIONAL SIGNATURE BELOW TO ENROLL IN THE PLAN.

By providing an additional signature below, Employee declares that he or she expressly agrees with the data processing practices described in Section 4 of the Additional Terms and Conditions for Non-U.S. Participants and consents to the collection, processing and use of Data by the Company and the transfer of Data to the recipients mentioned in Section 4 of the Additional Terms and Conditions for Non-U.S. Participants, including recipients located in countries which do not provide an adequate level of protection from a European (or other non-U.S.) data protection law perspective, for the purposes described in Section 4 of the Additional Terms and Conditions for Non-U.S. Participants. Employee understands that providing his or her signature below is a condition of participating in the Plan. Employee understands that he or she may withdraw consent at any time with future effect for any or no reason as described in Section 4 of the Additional Terms and Conditions for Non-U.S. Participants.

Participant: ____________________

2


ADDITIONAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS
FOR NON-U.S. PARTICIPANTS

Capitalized terms used but not defined in these Additional Terms and Conditions for Non-U.S. Participants shall have the meanings set forth in the Plan and/or the Global Subscription Agreement.

1.Responsibility for Taxes.
(a)Employee acknowledges that, regardless of any action taken by the Company or, if different, Employee’s employer (the “Employer”), the ultimate liability for all income tax, social insurance, payroll tax, fringe benefits tax, payment on account or other tax-related items related to Employee’s participation in the Plan and legally applicable to Employee (“Tax-Related Items”) is and remains Employee’s responsibility and may exceed the amount, if any, actually withheld by the Company or the Employer. Employee further acknowledges that the Company and/or the Employer (i) make no representations or undertakings regarding the treatment of any Tax-Related Items in connection with any aspect of the Plan, including, but not limited to, the grant of the option to purchase shares of Common Stock, the purchase of shares of Common Stock, the issuance or disposition of shares of Common Stock purchased under the Plan or the receipt of any dividends and (ii) do not commit to and are under no obligation to structure the terms of the option or any aspect of the Plan to reduce or eliminate Employee’s liability for Tax-Related Items or achieve any particular tax result. Further, if Employee is subject to Tax-Related Items in more than one jurisdiction, Employee acknowledges that the Company and/or the Employer (or former employer, as applicable) may be required to withhold or account for Tax-Related Items in more than one jurisdiction.
(b)Prior to any relevant taxable or tax withholding event, as applicable, Employee agrees to make arrangements satisfactory to the Company and/or the Employer to satisfy all Tax-Related Items. In this regard, Employee authorizes the Company and/or the Employer to satisfy any applicable withholding obligations with regard to any Tax-Related Items by one or a combination of the following: (i) withholding from Employee’s wages or other cash compensation payable to Employee by the Company and/or the Employer, (ii) requiring Employee to make a cash payment; (iii) withholding from proceeds of the sale of shares of Common Stock under the Plan, either through a voluntary sale or through a mandatory sale arranged by the Company (on Employee’s behalf pursuant to this authorization without further consent), (iv) withholding from shares of Common Stock otherwise issuable upon purchase, or (v) any other method determined by the Company and compliant with applicable law, provided, however, that if Employee is an officer of the Company within the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act, the obligation for Tax-Related Items will be satisfied only by one or a combination of methods (i), (ii), (iii) and (v) above.
(c)The Company may withhold or account for Tax-Related Items by considering statutory withholding amounts or other withholding rates, including maximum rates applicable in Employee’s jurisdiction(s). In the event of over-withholding, Employee may receive a refund of any over-withheld amount in cash (with no entitlement to the equivalent in shares of Common Stock) or, if not refunded, Employee may be able to seek a refund from the local tax authorities. In the event of under-withholding, Employee may be required to pay additional Tax-Related Items directly to the applicable tax authority. If the obligation for Tax-Related Items is satisfied by withholding shares of Common Stock, for tax purposes, Employee will be deemed to have been issued the full number of shares of Common Stock subject to the option, notwithstanding that a number of shares of Common Stock is held back solely for the purpose of satisfying the Tax-Related Items.
(d)Finally, Employee agrees to pay to the Company or the Employer any amount of Tax-Related Items that the Company or the Employer may be required to withhold or account for as a result of Employee’s participation in the Plan that cannot be satisfied by the means previously described. The Company may refuse to purchase or deliver the shares of Common Stock or the proceeds of the sale of shares of Common Stock if Employee fails to comply with his or her obligations in connection with the Tax-Related Items.
3


2.Nature of Grant. By enrolling and participating in the Plan, Employee acknowledges, understands and agrees that:
(a)the Plan is established voluntarily by the Company and is discretionary in nature;
(b)the grant of the option to purchase shares of Common Stock is exceptional, voluntary and occasional and does not create any contractual or other right to receive future options to purchase shares of Common Stock or benefits in lieu of options to purchase shares of Common Stock, even if options to purchase shares of Common Stock have been granted in the past;
(c)all decisions with respect to future grants of options to purchase shares of Common Stock under the Plan or other grants, if any, will be at the sole discretion of the Company;
(d)the option to purchase shares of Common Stock and Employee’s participation in the Plan shall not create a right to employment or be interpreted as forming or amending an employment or service contract with the Company, the Employer or any Subsidiary or Affiliate and shall not interfere with the ability of the Employer to terminate Employee’s employment relationship (if any);
(e)Employee is voluntarily participating in the Plan;
(f)the option to purchase shares of Common Stock and any shares of Common Stock acquired under the Plan, and the income from and value of same, are not intended to replace any pension rights or compensation;
(g)the option to purchase shares of Common Stock and any shares of Common Stock acquired under the Plan, and the income from and value of same, are not part of normal or expected compensation or salary for any purpose, including, without limitation, calculating any severance, resignation, termination, redundancy, dismissal, end-of-service payments, holiday pay, bonuses, long-service awards, leave-related payments, pension or retirement or welfare benefits or similar mandatory payments;
(h)unless otherwise agreed with the Company, the option to purchase shares of Common Stock and the shares of Common Stock acquired under the Plan, and the income from and value of same, are not granted as consideration for, or in connection with, the service Employee may provide as a director of any Subsidiary or Affiliate;
(i)the future value of the underlying shares of Common Stock is unknown, indeterminable and cannot be predicted with certainty;
(j)the value of such shares of Common Stock purchased under the Plan may increase or decrease in the future, even below the Purchase Price;
(k)no claim or entitlement to compensation or damages shall arise from forfeiture of the option to purchase shares of Common Stock resulting from termination of Employee’s status as an Eligible Employee (regardless of the reason for the termination and whether or not the termination is later found to be invalid or in breach of employment laws in the jurisdiction where Employee is employed or the terms of Employee’s employment agreement, if any);
(l)for purposes of participation in the Plan, Employee’s status as an Eligible Employee will be considered terminated as of the date Employee is no longer actively providing services to the Company or any Designated Company (regardless of the reason for such termination and whether or not later found to be invalid or in breach of labor laws in the jurisdiction where Employee is employed or the terms of Employee’s employment agreement, if any), and will not be extended by any notice period (e.g., Employee’s period of service would not include any contractual notice period or any period of “garden leave” or similar period mandated under employment laws in the jurisdiction where Employee is employed or the terms of Employee’s employment agreement, if any); the Administrator shall have the exclusive discretion to determine when Employee is no longer actively providing services for purposes of the Plan (including whether Employee may still be considered to be providing services while on a leave of absence); and
4


(m)neither the Company, the Employer nor any other Subsidiary or Affiliate shall be liable for any foreign exchange rate fluctuation between Employee’s local currency and the United States dollar that may affect the value of the shares of Common Stock or any amounts due pursuant to the purchase of the shares of Common Stock or the subsequent sale of any shares of Common Stock purchased under the Plan.

3.No Advice Regarding Grant. The Company is not providing any tax, legal or financial advice, nor is the Company making any recommendations regarding Employee’s participation in the Plan or the purchase or sale of the shares of Common Stock. Employee should consult his or her own personal tax, legal and financial advisors regarding participation in the Plan before taking any action related to the Plan.
4.Data Protection.
(a)Data Collection and Usage. The Company and the Employer collect, process and use certain personal information about Employee, including, but not limited to, his or her name, home address, telephone number, email address, date of birth, social insurance number, passport or other identification number, salary, nationality, job title, any shares of Common Stock or directorships held in the Company, details of all options granted under the Plan or any other entitlement to shares of Common Stock awarded, canceled, exercised, vested, unvested or outstanding in his or her favor (“Data”), for the purposes of implementing, administering and managing Employee’s participation in the Plan. The legal basis, where required, for the processing of Data is Employee’s consent.
(b)Stock Plan Administration Service Providers. The Company transfers Data to Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC and certain of its affiliated companies ("Morgan Stanley"), an independent service provider based in the United States which is assisting the Company with the implementation, administration and management of the Plan. The Company may select a different service provider or additional service providers and share Data with such other provider serving in a similar manner. Employee may be asked to agree on separate terms and data processing practices with the service provider, with such agreement being a condition to the ability to participate in the Plan.
(c)International Data Transfers. The Company and Morgan Stanley are based in the United States. Employee’s country or jurisdiction may have different data privacy laws and protections than the United States. The Company’s legal basis for the transfer of Data, where required, is Employee’s consent.
(d)Data Retention. The Company will hold and use Data only as long as is necessary to implement, administer and manage Employee’s participation in the Plan, or as required to comply with legal or regulatory obligations, including under tax, exchange control, labor and securities laws. This period may extend beyond Employee's period of employment. When the Company or the Employer no longer need Data for any of the above purposes, they will cease processing it in this context and remove it from all of their systems used for such purposes, to the fullest extent possible.
(e)Voluntariness and Consequences of Consent, Denial or Withdrawal. Participation in the Plan is voluntary and Employee is providing the consents herein on a purely voluntary basis. If Employee does not consent, or if he or she later seeks to revoke Employee’s consent, Employee’s salary from or employment with the Employer will not be affected; the only consequence of refusing or withdrawing his or her consent is that the Company would not be able to
5


grant Employee options to purchase Shares under the Plan or other equity awards or administer or maintain such awards.
(f)Data Subject Rights. Employee may have a number of rights under data privacy laws in his or her jurisdiction. Depending on where Employee is based, such rights may include the right to (i) request access to or copies of Data the Company processes, (ii) rectify incorrect Data, (iii) delete Data, (iv) restrict the processing of Data, (v) restrict the portability of Data, (vi) lodge complaints with competent authorities in Employee’s jurisdiction, and/or (vii) receive a list with the names and addresses of any potential recipients of Data. To receive clarification regarding these rights or to exercise these rights, Employee can contact his or her local human resources representative.
(g)Alternate Basis and Additional Consents. Employee understands that, to the extent permitted by applicable law, the Company may rely on a different legal basis for the collection, processing or transfer of Data in the future and/or request that Employee provide another data privacy consent. If applicable, upon request of the Company or the Employer, Employee agrees to provide an executed data privacy consent form to the Company and/or the Employer (or any other agreements or consents that may be required by the Company and/or the Employer) that the Company and/or the Employer may deem necessary to obtain from Employee for the purpose of administering his or her participation in the Plan in compliance with the applicable data privacy laws, either now or in the future. Employee understands and agrees that he or she will not be able to participate in the Plan if Employee fails to provide any such consent or agreement requested by the Company and/or the Employer.
5.Governing Law. This Subscription Agreement and the option to purchase shares of Common Stock under the Plan will be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of California (except its choice-of-law provisions).
6.Arbitration. Any dispute or claim concerning the option to purchase shares of Common Stock or Employee's participation in the Plan and any disputes or claims relating to or arising out of the Plan shall be fully, finally and exclusively resolved by binding and confidential arbitration conducted pursuant to the rules of Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services, Inc. (“JAMS”) in Santa Clara, California. The Company shall pay all arbitration fees. In addition to any other relief, the arbitrator may award to the prevailing party recovery of its attorneys’ fees and costs. By enrolling and participating in the Plan, Employee and the Company waive their respective rights to have any such disputes or claims tried by a judge or jury.
7.Language. Employee acknowledges that he or she is proficient in the English language, or has consulted with an advisor who is sufficiently proficient in English, so as to allow Employee to understand the terms and conditions of this Subscription Agreement. If Employee has received this Subscription Agreement or any other document related to the option to purchase shares of Common Stock or the Plan translated into a language other than English and if the meaning of the translated version is different than the English version, the English version will control.
8.Electronic Delivery and Participation. The Company may, in its sole discretion, decide to deliver any documents related to current or future participation in the Plan by electronic means. Employee hereby consents to receive such documents by electronic delivery and agrees to participate in the Plan through an online or electronic system established and maintained by the Company or a third party designated by the Company, now or in the future.
9.Severability. The provisions of this Subscription Agreement are severable, and if any one or more provisions are determined to be illegal or otherwise unenforceable, in whole or in part, the remaining provisions shall nevertheless be binding and enforceable.
6


10.Country-Specific Terms and Conditions. Employee’s participation in the Plan shall be subject to any additional terms and conditions set forth in the Country-Specific Terms and Conditions attached hereto for Employee’s country. Moreover, if Employee relocates to one of the countries included in the Country-Specific Terms and Conditions, the additional terms and conditions for such country will apply to Employee, to the extent the Company determines that the application of such terms and conditions is necessary or advisable for legal or administrative reasons. The Country-Specific Terms and Conditions constitute part of this Subscription Agreement.
11.Imposition of Other Requirements. The Company reserves the right to impose other requirements on Employee’s participation in the Plan and on any shares of Common Stock purchased under the Plan, to the extent the Company determines it is necessary or advisable for legal or administrative reasons, and to require Employee to sign any additional agreements or undertakings that may be necessary to accomplish the foregoing.
12.Waiver. Employee acknowledges that a waiver by the Company of breach of any provision of this Subscription Agreement shall not operate or be construed as a waiver of any other provision of this Subscription Agreement, or of any subsequent breach by Employee or any other Participant.
13.Insider Trading Restrictions / Market Abuse Laws. By enrolling and participating in the Plan, Employee acknowledges that Employee is bound by all the terms and conditions of the Company’s insider trading policy as may be in effect from time to time. Further, Employee may be subject to insider trading restrictions and/or market abuse laws in applicable jurisdictions, including, but not limited to, the United States and Employee’s country, the broker’s country, or the country in which the shares of Common Stock are listed (if different), which may affect his or her ability to accept, acquire, sell or otherwise dispose of shares of Common Stock or rights to shares of Common Stock (e.g., the option to purchase shares of Common Stock under the Plan) or rights linked to the value of shares of Common Stock during such times as Employee is considered to have “inside information” regarding the Company (as defined by the laws or regulations in applicable jurisdictions).  Local insider trading laws and regulations may prohibit the cancellation or amendment of orders Employee placed before possessing inside information. Furthermore, Employee could be prohibited from (i) disclosing the information to any third party, which may include fellow employees and (ii) “tipping” third parties or causing them otherwise to buy or sell securities. Any restrictions under these laws or regulations are separate from and in addition to any restrictions that may be imposed under any applicable Company insider trading policy. Employee acknowledges that it is his or her responsibility to comply with any applicable restrictions and that Employee should consult his or her personal advisor on this matter.
14.Foreign Asset/Account, Exchange Control and Tax Requirements. Employee acknowledges that, depending on his or her country, there may be certain foreign asset and/or account reporting requirements or exchange control restrictions which may affect Employee’s ability to acquire or hold shares of Common Stock or cash received from participating in the Plan (including proceeds from the sale of shares of Common Stock and the receipt of any dividends paid on shares of Common Stock) in, to and/or from a brokerage or bank account or legal entity outside Employee’s country. Employee may be required to report such accounts, assets or related transactions to the tax or other authorities in Employee’s country. Employee also may be required to repatriate sale proceeds or other funds received as a result of participating in the Plan to Employee’s country through a designated bank or broker and/or within a certain time after receipt. Employee acknowledges that he or she is responsible for ensuring compliance with any applicable foreign asset/account, exchange control and tax reporting requirements and should consult his or her personal legal and tax advisors on this matter.


7


COUNTRY-SPECIFIC TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Capitalized terms used but not defined in these Country-Specific Terms and Conditions shall have the meanings set forth in the Plan, the Global Subscription Agreement and/or the Additional Terms and Conditions for Non-U.S. Participants.

Terms and Conditions

These Country-Specific Terms and Conditions include special terms and conditions that govern the option to purchase shares of Common Stock under the Plan if Employee resides and/or works in one of the countries listed below. If Employee is a citizen or resident of a country (or is considered as such for local law purposes) other than the one in which he or she is currently residing and/or working or if Employee relocates to another country after enrolling in the Plan, the Company will, in its discretion, determine the extent to which the terms and conditions contained herein will be applicable to Employee.
Notifications
These Country-Specific Terms and Conditions also include notifications relating to exchange control and other issues of which Employee should be aware with respect to his or her participation in the Plan. The information is based on the exchange control, securities and other laws in effect in the countries listed in this Country Addendum, as of October 2023. Such laws are often complex and change frequently. As a result, the Company strongly recommends that Employee not rely on the notifications herein as the only source of information relating to the consequences of his or her participation in the Plan because the information may be outdated when Employee purchases shares of Common Stock under the Plan or when Employee subsequently sells shares of Common Stock purchased under the Plan.
In addition, the notifications are general in nature and may not apply to Employee’s particular situation, and the Company is not in a position to assure Employee of any particular result. Accordingly, Employee should seek appropriate professional advice as to how the relevant laws in Employee’s country may apply to Employee’s situation.
Finally, if Employee is a citizen or resident of a country (or is considered as such for local law purposes) other than the one in which Employee is currently residing and/or working or if Employee relocates to another country after enrolling in the Plan, the information contained herein may not be applicable to Employee in the same manner.

AUSTRALIA

Terms and Conditions

Australia ESS Offer Document. This is an offer to participate in the Plan. This offer document sets out information regarding the option to purchase shares of Common Stock to Australian resident employees. This offer is being made under Division 1A of Part 7.12 of the Corporations Act 2001 (the “Act”). For the purposes of that Division, the Subscription Agreement, including the Additional Terms and Conditions for Non-U.S. Participants and these Country-Specific Terms and Conditions, is to be regarded as an ESS offer document.
Additional Documents. In addition to the information set out in the Subscription Agreement, Employee is also being provided with copies of the following documents:
•the Plan;
•the Plan prospectus; and
•the Employee Information Supplement for Australia (collectively, the “Additional Documents”).

8


The Additional Documents provide further information to help Employee make an informed investment decision about participating in the Plan. Neither the Plan nor the Plan prospectus is a prospectus for the purposes of the Act.

Employee should not rely on any oral statements made in relation to this offer. Employee should rely only on the statements contained in the Subscription Agreement and the Additional Documents when considering participation in the Plan.

The information in this offer document is general information only. It is not advice or information that takes into account Employee’s objectives, financial situation and needs. Employee should consider obtaining his or her own personal advice in relation to the offer and financial product advice from a person who is licensed by ASIC to give such advice.

Additional Statutory Terms and Conditions. This offer is being made under Division 1A of Part 7.12 of the Act. To comply with that Division, the following terms are included:
(a)Application Period. This offer remains open during the open enrollment period (the “Application Period”). Employee may accept this offer at any time up until that date.
(b)Acquisition of Options and Shares. Employee cannot acquire any options or any shares until at least 14 days after receiving the ESS offer document. Accordingly, no such acquisition will occur until 14 days after receiving the ESS offer document, and in any event not unless Employee accepts the offer during the Application Period.
(c)Terms Relating to Disclosure. This offer is also subject to the following terms relating to disclosure:
(i)this ESS offer document and the terms of the offer:
1.must not include a misleading or deceptive statement; and
2.must not omit any information that would result in this document or terms of the offer being misleading or deceptive;
(ii)the Company must provide Employee with an updated ESS offer document as soon as practicable after becoming aware that the document that was provided has become out of date, or is otherwise not correct, in a material respect;
(iii)each person mentioned in items 2, 3 and 4 of the table below must notify, in writing, the Company as soon as practicable if, during the Application Period, the person becomes aware that:
1.a material statement in the documents mentioned in paragraph (i) is misleading or deceptive; or
2.information was omitted from any of those documents that has resulted in one or more of those documents being misleading or deceptive; or
3.a new circumstance has arisen during the Application Period which means the ESS offer document is out of date, or otherwise not correct, in a material respect; and
(iv)if Employee suffers loss or damage because of a contravention of a term of the offer covered by paragraph (i), (ii) or (iii) above, Employee can recover the amount of loss or damage in accordance with the table below.
9


For the purpose of paragraph (iv) above, Employee must be able to recover loss or damage in accordance with the following table:

Item
Employee may recover loss or damage suffered as a result of a contravention of:
from the following:
1
a term of the offer covered by any of the following paragraphs:
•    paragraph (i) (misleading or deceptive statements and omissions);
•    paragraph (ii) (out of date ESS offer document)

the Company
2
a term of the offer covered by any of the following paragraphs:
•    paragraph (i) (misleading or deceptive statements and omissions);
•    paragraph (ii) (out of date ESS offer document)

each director of the Company
3
a term of the offer covered by any of the following paragraphs:
•    paragraph (i) (misleading or deceptive statements and omissions);
•    paragraph (ii) (out of date ESS offer document)

a person named, with their consent, in an ESS offer document or the terms of the offer as a proposed director of the Company
4
a term of the offer covered by paragraph (i) (misleading or deceptive statements and omissions)
a person named, with their consent, in the ESS offer document or the terms of the offer as having made:
•    the misleading or deceptive statement; or
•    a statement on which the misleading or deceptive statement is based

5
a term of the offer covered by paragraph (iii) (failure to notify the Company of misleading or deceptive statement and omissions or new circumstances)
the person mentioned in item 2, 3 or 4 of this table who failed to notify the Company in accordance with the term covered by paragraph (iii)
(d)Exclusion from Liability. A person mentioned in the table above is not liable for any loss or damage suffered by Employee because of a contravention of a term of the offer covered by paragraph (i) and (ii) of section (c) above if:
(i)the person:
1.made all inquiries (if any) that were reasonable in the circumstances; and
2.after doing so, believed on reasonable grounds that the statement was not misleading or deceptive; or
(ii)the person did not know that the statement was misleading or deceptive; or
(iii)the person placed reasonable reliance on information given to the person by:
1.if the person is a body corporate or a responsible entity of a registered scheme —someone other than a director, employee or agent of the body corporate or responsible entity; or
10


2.if the person is an individual — someone other than an employee or agent of the individual; or
(iv)for a person mentioned in column 2 of item 3 or 4 of the table above — the person proves that they publicly withdrew their consent to being named in the document in that way; or
(v)the contravention arose because of a new circumstance that has arisen since the ESS offer document was prepared and the person proves that they were not aware of the matter.

Notifications

Securities Law Information. Investment in Common Stock involves a degree of risk. Eligible Employees who elect to participate in the Plan should monitor their participation and consider all risk factors relevant to the acquisition of Common Stock under the Plan as set forth below and in the Additional Documents.

Additional Risk Factors for Australian Residents. Employee should have regard to risk factors relevant to investment in securities generally and, in particular, to holding Common Stock. For example, the price at which an individual stock is quoted on the New York Stock Exchange may increase or decrease due to a number of factors. There is no guarantee that the price of a share of Common Stock will increase. Factors that may affect the price of the Common Stock include fluctuations in the domestic and international market for listed stocks, general economic conditions, including interest rates, inflation rates, commodity and oil prices, changes to government fiscal, monetary or regulatory policies, legislation or regulation, the nature of the markets in which the Company operates and general operational and business risks.

More information about potential factors that could affect the Company’s business and financial results will be included in the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Copies of these reports are available at www.sec.gov, on the Company’s investor relations page at https://cloudflare.net/financials/sec-filings/default.aspx, and upon request to the Company.

In addition, Employee should be aware that the Australian dollar (“AUD”) value of any Common Stock acquired under the Plan will be affected by the USD/AUD exchange rate. Participation in the Plan involves certain risks related to fluctuations in this rate of exchange.

Common Stock in a U.S. Corporation. Common stock of a U.S. corporation is analogous to ordinary shares of an Australian corporation. Each holder of a share of Common Stock is entitled to one vote. Dividends may be paid on the Common Stock out of any funds of the Company legally available for dividends at the discretion of the Board. Further, the Common Stock is not liable to any further calls for payment of capital or for other assessment by the Company and have no sinking fund provisions, pre-emptive rights, conversion rights or redemption provisions.

Ascertaining the Purchase Price of Shares. The applicable Purchase Price for a share of Common Stock will be the lesser of (i) 85% of the fair market value of one share of Common Stock on the first trading day of the Offering Period, or (ii) 85% of the fair market value of one share of Common Stock on the Exercise Date.

Ascertaining the Market Price of Stock. Employee may ascertain the current market price of the Common Stock as traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “NET” at www.nyse.com/quote/XNYS:NET. The AUD equivalent of that price can be obtained at www.rba.gov.au/statistics/frequency/exchange-rates.html. Employee understands that this is not a prediction of what the market price of the Common Stock will be on any applicable vesting date or when Common Stock is issued to him or her (or at any other time), or of the applicable exchange rate at such time.

Exchange Control Information. Exchange control reporting is required for cash transactions exceeding AUD 10,000 and for international fund transfers. The Australian bank assisting with the transaction will file the report for Employee.
11


If there is no Australian bank involved in the transfer, Employee may be required to file the report.

Tax Information. The Plan is a plan to which Subdivision 83A-C of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (Cth) (the “Act”) applies (subject to the conditions in that Act).
BELGIUM
Terms and Conditions
Payroll Deduction Authorization. For Belgian law purposes, Employee understands that “payroll deductions” means a specific instruction to the Employer to withhold part of Employee’s Compensation in order to fund the Purchase Price for the shares of Common Stock purchased under the Plan, in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Plan.
Notifications
Exchange Control Information. Employee is required to provide the National Bank of Belgium with details of any foreign bank or brokerage accounts. This report, as well as additional information on how to complete it, can be found on the website of the National Bank of Belgium, www.nbb.be, under the Kredietcentrales / Centrales des crédits caption.
CANADA
Terms and Conditions
Termination Date. The following provisions replace Section 2(l) of the Additional Terms and Conditions for Non-U.S. Participants:
For purposes of participation in the Plan, Employee’s status as an Eligible Employee will be considered terminated (regardless of the reason for such termination and whether or not later found to be invalid or in breach of labor laws or rules in the jurisdiction where Employee is employed or the terms of his or her employment agreement, if any) on the date that is the earliest of:
(a)the date Employee’s status as an Eligible Employee ceases,
(b)the date that Employee receives notice of his or her termination, or
(c)the date Employee is no longer actively providing services to the Company or any Subsidiary or Affiliate,
and such date will not be extended by any notice period or period of pay in lieu of such notice or related payments or damages provided or required under applicable laws in Employee’s jurisdiction. Employee will not be entitled to any pro-rata purchase if the Exercise Date falls after the date Employee’s status as an Eligible Employee is considered terminated, and Employee will not be entitled to compensation for the lost ability to purchase shares of Common Stock.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if applicable employment standards legislation explicitly requires continued participation in the Plan during a statutory notice period, Employee acknowledges that his or her right to participate in the Plan, if any, will terminate effective as of the last day of Employee’s minimum statutory notice period, but Employee will not earn or be entitled to any pro-rata purchase if the Exercise Date falls after the end of Employee’s statutory notice period, nor will Employee be entitled to any compensation for the lost ability to purchase shares of Common Stock.
12



The following provisions will apply If Employee is a resident of Quebec:

French Language Documents. The following provisions replace Section 7 of the Additional Terms and Conditions for Non-U.S. Participants in its entirety:

A French translation of this Subscription Agreement and the Plan have been made available to Employee. Employee understands that, from time to time, additional information related to the Plan may be provided in English and such information may not be immediately available in French. However, upon request, the Company will provide a translation of such information into French as soon as reasonably practicable. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Plan or this Subscription Agreement, and unless Employee indicates otherwise, the French translation of this Subscription Agreement and the Plan will govern Employee’s participation in the Plan. If Employee transfers residency outside of Quebec, the English version of this Subscription Agreement and the Plan will govern Employee’s participation in the Plan.

Data Privacy. The following provisions supplement Section 4 of the Additional Terms and Conditions for Non-U.S. Participants:

Employee hereby authorizes the Company and the Company’s representatives to discuss with and obtain all relevant information from all personnel involved in the administration and operation of the Plan. Employee further authorizes the Company and any Subsidiary or Affiliate and the administrators of the Plan to disclose and discuss the Plan with their advisors. Employee acknowledges and agrees that Employee’s personal information, including sensitive personal information, may be transferred or disclosed outside the Province of Quebec, including to the United States. Employee further authorizes the Company and any Subsidiary or Affiliate to record such information and to keep such information in Employee’s file. Employee also acknowledges and authorizes the Company and other parties involved in the administration of the Plan to use technology for profiling purposes and to make automated decisions that may have an impact on Employee or the administration of the Plan.

Notifications

Securities Law Information. Employee will not be permitted to sell or otherwise dispose of the shares of Common Stock acquired through the Plan within Canada. Employee will only be permitted to sell or dispose of any shares of Common Stock if such sale or disposal takes place outside of Canada on the facilities on which such shares are traded.

FRANCE

Terms and Conditions

Payroll Deduction Authorization. Sections 2 and 3 of Global Subscription Agreement have been translated into French to expressly authorize payroll deductions under the Plan:

Autorisation relative aux Prélèvements sur Salaire. Les Sections 2 et 3 du Contrat Global de Souscription a été traduite en français afin d’autoriser expressément les prélèvements sur salaire dans le cadre du Plan:

2.Par la présente, le Salarié autorise des prélèvements sur chacun de ses salaires d’un montant équivalent à ____% (de 1 à 10 %) de sa Rémunération à l’occasion de chaque paiement de salaire pendant la Période d’Offre conformément au Plan. (Veuillez noter que le pourcentage doit être exprimé en nombre entier uniquement).

3. Le Salarié comprend que ces prélèvements sur salaire seront accumulées pour l’achat d’actions ordinaires au Prix d’Achat applicable déterminé conformément au Plan. Le Salarié comprend que s’il ou elle ne se retire pas d’une Période d’Offre, tous les prélèvements sur salaire accumulés seront utilisés pour exercer automatiquement son option et acheter des actions ordinaires dans le cadre du Plan.

13


English Language Consent. By enrolling in the Plan, Employee confirms having read and understood the documents relating to the offer of options (the Plan and this Subscription Agreement) which were provided to Employee in the English language, and Employee accepts the terms of these documents accordingly.

Consentement relatif à l’utilisation de la langue anglaise. En s’inscrivant au Plan, le Salarié confirme avoir lu et compris les documents relatifs à l’offre d’Options (le Plan et le présent Contrat de Souscription) qui lui ont été communiqués en langue anglaise, et le Salarié en accepte les termes et conditions en connaissance de cause.
GERMANY
Notifications
Exchange Control Information. Cross-border payments in excess of €12,500 must be reported to the German Federal Bank (Bundesbank). The Employer will report Employee’s acquisition of shares of Common Stock if the value of all shares acquired by Employee in Germany exceeds this amount. In the event that Employee makes or receives a payment in excess of this amount (e.g., if Employee sells shares via a foreign broker, bank or service provider and receives proceeds in excess of this amount), Employee must report the payment to the Bundesbank, either electronically using the “General Statistics Reporting Portal” (“Allgemeines Meldeportal Statistik”) available on the Bundesbank website (www.bundesbank.de) or via such other method (e.g., by email or telephone) as is permitted or required by the Bundesbank. The report must be submitted monthly or within other such timing as is permitted or required by the Bundesbank. Employee should consult his or her personal legal advisors to ensure compliance with applicable reporting requirements.

INDIA

Terms and Conditions

Tax Collection at Source. Employee understands that a Tax Collection At Source (“TCS”) may apply to funds remitted out of India if the funds exceed a certain amount (currently INR 700,000) during the Indian fiscal year (the “TCS Threshold”). Therefore, Employee’s annual remittances out of India, including payroll deductions under the Plan, may be subject to TCS. Depending on the procedures established by the Employer and the bank remitting the funds out of India, Employee understands that the Employer or the bank may collect any applicable TCS from his or her payroll deductions and remit the remaining payroll deductions to the Company, which will impact the number of shares of Common Stock that Employee will be able to purchase with his or her payroll deductions under the Plan. If any applicable TCS is not deducted from Employee’s payroll deductions, Employee understands and agrees that the Company or the Employer may deduct any applicable TCS via any withholding method set forth in Section 1(b) of these Additional Terms and Conditions for Non-U.S. Participants. Employee understands that he or she may be required to provide a declaration to the Employer or the bank remitting the funds regarding whether the TCS Threshold has been reached based on all remittances out of India, including payroll deductions under the Plan, and Employee agrees to provide such declaration upon request. Employee understands that, if Employee fails to provide such declaration upon request, TCS may be applied on all of Employee’s payroll deductions under the Plan regardless of whether the TCS Threshold has been reached.

Notifications

Exchange Control Information. Employee understands that, due to exchange control restrictions in India, he or she is required to repatriate any proceeds from the sale of shares of Common Stock and any dividends within such time as prescribed under applicable Indian exchange control laws as may be amended from time to time. Employee must obtain a foreign inward remittance certificate (“FIRC”) from the bank where Employee deposits the funds and must maintain the FIRC as evidence of the repatriation of funds in the event the Reserve Bank of India or the Employer requests proof of repatriation. It is Employee’ responsibility to comply with applicable exchange control laws in India. Employee agrees to provide any information that may be required by the Company or the Employer to make any applicable filings under exchange control laws in India.
14



JAPAN

Notifications

Exchange Control Information. Japanese residents acquiring shares of Common Stock valued at more than ¥100,000,000 in a single transaction must file a Securities Acquisition Report with the Ministry of Finance through the Bank of Japan within 20 days of the acquisition.

MALAYSIA

Terms and Conditions

Form of Contributions. Due to restrictions on payroll deductions under Malaysian law, Employee acknowledges and agrees that he or she is required to participate in the Plan by means other than payroll deductions (e.g., bank wire or check) if the Company, in its discretion, determines that payroll deductions are not permissible under Malaysian law. In this regard, Employee understands and agrees that no payroll deductions will be made from his or her Compensation and that Employee will be required to make Contributions for the purchase of shares of Common Stock under the Plan by other means. Employee further understands and agrees that no shares of Common Stock will be purchased on his or her behalf under the Plan if Employee fails to submit Contributions in the manner required by the Company.

Authorization for Plan Participation. If the Company permits participation in the Plan by means of payroll deductions, upon request of the Company or the Employer, Employee agrees to execute a letter of authorization and any other agreements or consents that may be required to enable the Employer or the Company to remit his or her accumulated payroll deductions from Malaysia for the purchase of shares of Common Stock. Employee understands that if he or she fails to execute a letter of authorization or any other form of agreement or consent that may be required for the remittance of his or her payroll deductions, Employee may be unable to participate in the Plan.

For purposes of the foregoing, Employee expressly acknowledges, understands and agrees that payroll deductions under the Plan may be subject to the approval of the applicable Labor Department in Malaysia. To the extent that the Company and/or the Employer is unable to obtain any necessary approval, the Employer may be unable to take payroll deductions from Employee and as a result, he or she may be unable to participate in the Plan.

Notifications

Director Notification Obligation. Directors of a Designated Company in Malaysia are subject to certain notification requirements under the Malaysian Companies Act. Among these requirements is an obligation by the director to notify the Malaysian entity in writing when he or she receives or disposes of an interest (e.g., shares of Common Stock) in the Company or any related company. This notification must be made within fourteen days of receiving or disposing of any interest in the Company or any related company.

MEXICO

Terms and Conditions

Authorization for Payroll Deductions. In connection with Employee’s enrollment in the Plan, Employee hereby requests and authorizes the Employer, Cloudflare Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V. (“Cloudflare Mexico”), to deduct from his or her paycheck, each pay period, the percentage of his or her Compensation indicated through the online enrollment procedure, which will continue until Employee informs the Company to stop such payroll withholding.

Employee hereby further requests that the accumulated payroll deductions to which the preceding paragraph refers shall be delivered by Cloudflare Mexico to the Company and shall be used by the Company or its designated Plan broker to purchase shares of Common Stock in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Plan and the Subscription Agreement.
15



Employee acknowledges and agrees that the participation of Cloudflare Mexico in the Plan is limited to acting as an intermediary in delivering to the Company the amounts withheld from his or her paycheck each pay period and that the benefits under the Plan are not fringe benefits provided by Cloudflare Mexico. Cloudflare Mexico will make no additional salary payment or other compensation to Employee as a result of the Plan. Employee further acknowledges that the withholding he or she has requested is not a loss of salary and that Employee has received in full his or her entire salary for each pay period during his or her participation in the Plan.

No Entitlement or Claims for Compensation. The following provision supplements Section 2 of the Additional Terms and Conditions for Non-U.S. Participants:

By enrolling in the Plan, Employee acknowledges that he or she understands and agrees that: (i) the right to purchase shares of Common Stock under the Plan is not related to his or her salary (except to the extent Employee chooses to contribute amounts from his or her salary to the Plan) and other contractual benefits granted to Employee by Cloudflare Mexico; (ii) any modification of the Plan or its termination shall not constitute a change or impairment of the terms and conditions of Employee’s employment; and (iii) any benefit derived under the Plan is not a fringe benefit.

Policy Statement. The invitation the Company is making under the Plan is unilateral and discretionary and, therefore, the Company reserves the absolute right to amend it and discontinue it at any time without any liability. The Company, with registered offices at 101 Townsend St, San Francisco, CA 94107 U.S.A., is solely responsible for the administration of the Plan, and participation in the Plan and acquisition of shares does not, in any way, establish an employment relationship between Employee and the Company, since Employee is participating in the Plan on a wholly commercial basis and his or her sole employer is Cloudflare Mexico, nor does it establish any rights between Employee and Cloudflare Mexico.

Plan Document Acknowledgment. By accepting the terms of the Subscription Agreement, Employee acknowledges that he or she has received a copy of the Plan, has reviewed the Plan and the Subscription Agreement in their entirety and fully understands and accepts all provisions of the Plan and the Subscription Agreement. In addition, by accepting the terms of the Subscription Agreement, Employee further acknowledges that he or she has read and specifically and expressly approves the provisions in Section 2 of the Additional Terms and Conditions for Non-U.S. Participants entitled “Nature of Grant”, in which the following is clearly described and established: (i) participation in the Plan does not constitute an acquired right; (ii) the Plan and participation in the Plan is offered by the Company on a wholly discretionary basis; (iii) participation in the Plan is voluntary; and (iv) the Company and any Subsidiary or Affiliate are not responsible for any decrease in the value of the shares of Common Stock that he or she may acquire under the Plan.

Finally, Employee hereby declares that he or she does not reserve any action or right to bring any claim against the Company for any compensation or damages as a result of termination of his or her employment and withdrawal from the Plan, and therefore Employee grants a full and broad release to Cloudflare Mexico, the Company and any other Subsidiary or Affiliate with respect to any claim that may arise under the Plan in this respect.

Autorización para Deducciones al Salario: En relación con la inscripción del Empleado en el Plan, el Empleado por la presente solicita y autoriza al empleador Cloudflare Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V. (“Cloudflare México”) a deducir de su salario en cada período de pago el monto que haya especificado en el formulario de registro en línea. Esta deducción continuará hasta que el Empleado informe a la Compañía que suspenda dicha deducción.

De la misma manera, el Empleado solicita que el monto de las deducciones acumuladas a que se refiere el párrafo anterior sean entregados por Cloudflare México a la Compañía y sean utilizados por la Compañía o el corredor del Plan designado para la adquisición de Acciones de conformidad con los términos y condiciones establecidas en el Plan y el Contrato de Suscripción.

16


El Empleado reconoce y acepta que la participación de Cloudflare México en el Plan se limita a actuar como intermediario en la entrega a la Compañía de los montos que serán deducidos del salario del Empleado en cada período de pago y que los beneficios recibidos bajo el Plan no son sociales. beneficios de seguridad otorgados por Cloudflare México. Cloudflare México no realizará ningún pago adicional al Empleado por concepto de salario o cualquier otra compensación derivada del Plan. Además, el Empleado reconoce que la deducción de su salario que el Empleado ha autorizado no debe interpretarse como una deducción del salario del Empleado, sino que el Empleado ha recibido su salario completo por cada período de pago durante mi participación en el Plan.

Renuncia a derecho o demandas por Compensación. Esta disposición complementa la Sección 2 de los Términos y condiciones adicionales para transacciones fuera de los EE. UU. Participantes:

Al inscribirse en el Plan, el Empleado reconoce que comprende y acepta que: (i) el derecho a comprar Acciones de conformidad con el Plan no está relacionado con su salario (excepto en el caso de que el Empleado elija contribuir con montos de su o su salario al Plan) y cualquier otro beneficio contractual otorgado por Cloudflare México; (ii) cualquier modificación del Plan o su terminación no constituye un cambio o detrimento de los términos y condiciones de la relación laboral del Empleado; y (iii) cualquier beneficio derivado del Plan no es un beneficio de seguridad social.

Declaración de Política. La invitación que realiza la Compañía bajo el Plan es unilateral y discrecional y, por lo tanto, la Compañía se reserva el derecho absoluto de modificarlo y descontinuarlo en cualquier momento, sin ninguna responsabilidad.

La Compañía, con domicilio social ubicado en 101 Townsend St, San Francisco, CA 94107 U.S.A., es la única responsable de la administración del Plan y la participación en el mismo y la adquisición de Acciones no implica de ninguna manera una relación de trabajo entre Empleado y la Compañía, en virtud de que su participación en el Plan es completamente comercial y el único empleador del Empleado es Cloudflare México, ni establece derecho alguno entre el Empleado y Cloudflare México.

Reconocimiento de recepción de Documentos del Plan. Al aceptar los términos del Acuerdo de suscripción, el Empleado reconoce que ha recibido una copia del Plan, ha revisado todo el Plan y el Acuerdo de suscripción, y ha entendido y aceptado todas las disposiciones contenidas en el Plan y el Acuerdo de suscripción.

Asimismo, al aceptar los términos del Contrato de Suscripción, el Empleado reconoce que ha leído y aprobado específica y expresamente las disposiciones contenidas en la sección denominada “Naturaleza de la Concesión”, donde se describe y establece claramente lo siguiente: (i) la participación en el Plan no constituye un derecho adquirido; (ii) la Compañía ofrece el Plan y la participación en el mismo de forma totalmente discrecional; (iii) la participación en el Plan es voluntaria; y (iv) la Compañía, así como sus Afiliadas, no son responsables de ningún perjuicio al valor de las Acciones que puedan adquirirse conforme al Plan.

Finalmente, el Empleado por la presente declara que no se reserva ninguna acción o derecho de presentar un reclamo contra la Compañía por compensación, daños o pérdidas como resultado de la terminación de la relación laboral y la terminación de la participación del Empleado en el Plan. y en consecuencia, el Empleado otorga la más amplia liberación a Cloudflare México, así como a la Compañía y cualquiera de sus Afiliados con respecto a cualquier reclamo que pueda surgir bajo el Plan.

Notifications

Securities Law Information. The grant of the option to purchase shares of Common Stock and any shares of Common Stock acquired under the Plan have not been registered with the National Register of Securities maintained by the Mexican National Banking and Securities Commission and cannot be offered or sold publicly in Mexico. In addition, the Plan, the Subscription Agreement and any other document relating to the grant of the option to purchase shares may not be publicly distributed in Mexico. These materials are addressed to Employee because of Employee’s existing relationship with the Company or a Subsidiary or Affiliate, and these materials should not be reproduced or copied in any form. The offer contained in these materials does not constitute a public offering of securities, but rather constitutes a private placement of securities addressed specifically to individuals who are present employees of Cloudflare Mexico made in accordance with the provisions of the Mexican Securities Market Law, and any rights under such offering shall not be assigned or transferred.
17



NETHERLANDS

Notifications

picture1.jpg

PORTUGAL
Terms and Conditions
Language Acknowledgement. Employee hereby expressly declares that he or she has full knowledge of the English language and Employee has read, understood and fully accepts and agrees with the terms and conditions established in the Plan and the Subscription Agreement.
Conhecimento da Língua.  Empregado Contratado, pelo presente instrumento, declara expressamente que domina a língua inglesa e que leu, compreendeu e livremente aceitou e concordou com os termos e condições estabelecidos no Plano e no Acordo de Subscrição (Subscription Agreement em inglés).
Notifications
Securities Law Information. The Company has prepared and made available an Information Document in reliance on an exemption from prospectus requirements that may otherwise apply to the offer of the Plan in Portugal. The Information Document is available at Cloudflare's human resources portal. You may also request a hard copy through the Cloudflare's human resources portal.

Exchange Control Information. If Employee is a resident of Portugal and he or she purchases shares of Common Stock, the acquisition of such shares of Common Stock should be reported to the Banco de Portugal for statistical purposes. If the shares of Common Stock are deposited with a commercial bank or financial intermediary in Portugal, such bank or financial intermediary will submit the report to the Banco de Portugal. If the shares of Common Stock are not deposited with a commercial bank, broker or financial intermediary in Portugal, Employee will be responsible for submitting the report to the Banco de Portugal.

REPUBLIC OF KOREA

Terms and Conditions

Power of Attorney. Employee agrees that, if so requested, Employee must execute and return a power of attorney or other agreements or consents to his or her local human resources representative, which may be required to enable the Company or the Employer to remit Employee’s payroll deductions from Korea for the purchase of shares of Common Stock. Employee understands that, if Employee fails to execute the power of attorney or any other form of agreement or consent that is required for the remittance of Employee’s payroll deductions, Employee may not be able to participate in the Plan.

Notifications

Restriction on Sale of Shares. Korean residents are not permitted to sell foreign securities (e.g., shares of Common Stock) through non-Korean brokers or deposit funds resulting from the sale of shares of Common Stock in an account with an overseas financial institution. If Employee wishes to sell shares of Common Stock acquired under the Plan, Employee may be required to transfer the shares of Common Stock to a domestic investment broker in Korea and to effect the sale through such broker.
18


Employee is solely responsible for engaging the domestic broker. Non-compliance with the requirement to sell shares of Common Stock through a domestic broker can result in significant penalties. Because regulations may change without notice, Employee should consult with a legal advisor to ensure compliance with any regulations applicable to any aspect of participation in the Plan.
SINGAPORE
Terms and Conditions
Restriction on Sale. Employee agrees that any shares of Common Stock acquired under the Plan will not be offered for sale in Singapore prior to the six-month anniversary of the beginning of the relevant Offering Period, unless such sale or offer is made pursuant to the exemptions under Part XIII Division (1) Subdivision (4) (other than section 280) of the Securities and Futures Act (Chapter 289, 2006 Ed.) (“SFA”).
Notifications
Securities Law Information. The option to purchase shares of Common Stock under the Plan is being made pursuant to the “Qualifying Person” exemption under section 273(1)(f) of the SFA, under which it is exempt from the prospectus and registration requirements and is not made with a view to the underlying shares of Common Stock being subsequently offered for sale to any other party. The Plan has not been and will not be lodged or registered as a prospectus with the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
Director Notification Requirement. Directors of a Designated Company in Singapore are subject to certain notification requirements under the Singapore Companies Act. Directors must notify the Designated Company in Singapore in writing of an interest (e.g., options to purchase shares of Common Stock, shares of Common Stock, etc.) in the Company or any related company within two business days of (i) its acquisition or disposal, (ii) any change in a previously-disclosed interest (e.g., upon purchase of shares of Common Stock or when shares of Common Stock acquired under the Plan are subsequently sold), or (iii) becoming a director.

SWEDEN

Terms and Conditions

Responsibility for Taxes. The following provision supplements Section 1 of the Additional Terms and Conditions for Non-U.S. Participants:

Without limiting the Company and the Employer’s authority to satisfy their withholding obligations for Tax-Related Items as set forth in Section 1 of the Additional Terms and Conditions for Non U.S. Participants, by accepting the option to purchase shares of Common Stock under the Plan, Employee authorizes the Company and/or the Employer to withhold or sell shares of Common Stock otherwise deliverable to Employee upon an Exercise Date in order to satisfy Tax-Related Items, regardless of whether the Company and/or the Employer have an obligation to withhold such Tax-Related Items.

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Notifications

Securities Law Information. Participation in the Plan is being offered only to Eligible Employees as determined under the Plan, and is in the nature of providing equity incentives to employees in the United Arab Emirates. The Plan and the Subscription Agreement are intended for distribution only to such employees and must not be delivered to, or relied on by, any other person. Employee understands prospective acquirers of the securities offered should conduct their own due diligence on the securities. The Emirates Securities and Commodities Authority has no responsibility for reviewing or verifying any documents in connection with the Plan.
19


Neither the Ministry of Economy nor the Dubai Department of Economic Development (1) has approved the Plan or the Subscription Agreement, (2) has taken steps to verify the information set out therein, or (3) has any responsibility for such documents.
UNITED KINGDOM
Terms and Conditions
Responsibility for Taxes. The following provision supplements Section 1 of the Additional Terms and Conditions for Non-U.S. Participants:
Without limitation to Section 1 of the Additional Terms and Conditions for Non-U.S. Participants, Employee hereby agrees that he or she is liable for any Tax-Related Items and hereby covenants to pay such Tax-Related Items, as and when requested by the Company, the Employer or by HM Revenue & Customs (“HMRC”) (or any other tax authority or any other relevant authority).  Employee also hereby agrees to indemnify and keep indemnified the Company or the Employer against any Tax-Related Items that they are required to pay or withhold or have paid or will pay to HMRC (or any other tax authority or any other relevant authority) on Employee’s behalf.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if Employee is a director or executive officer of the Company (within the meaning of Section 13(k) of the Exchange Act), the terms of the immediately foregoing provision may not apply if the indemnification is viewed as a loan. In such case, if the amount of any income tax due is not collected from or paid by Employee within 90 days of the end of the U.K. tax year in which an event giving rise to the indemnification described above occurs, the amount of any uncollected income taxes may constitute a benefit to Employee on which additional income tax and national insurance contributions (“NICs”) may be payable. Employee will be responsible for reporting and paying any income tax due on this additional benefit directly to HMRC under the self-assessment regime and for paying to the Company or the Employer, as applicable, any employee NICs due on this additional benefit, which the Company or the Employer may recover from Employee by any of the means referred to in Section 1 of the Additional Terms and Conditions for Non-U.S. Participants.
Notifications

Securities Law Information. The Company has prepared and made available an Information Document in reliance on an exemption from prospectus requirements that may otherwise apply to the offer of the Plan in the U.K. The Information Document is available at Cloudflare's human resources portal. You may also request a hard copy through the Cloudflare's human resources portal.


20


EXHIBIT B
CLOUDFLARE, INC.
AMENDED AND RESTATED 2019 EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN
NOTICE OF WITHDRAWAL
Unless otherwise defined herein, the terms defined in the Amended and Restated 2019 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “Plan”) shall have the same defined meanings in this Notice of Withdrawal. The undersigned Participant in the Offering Period of the Plan that began on ____________, ______ (the “Offering Date”) hereby notifies the Company that he or she hereby withdraws from the Offering Period. He or she hereby directs the Company to pay to the undersigned as promptly as practicable all the payroll deductions credited to his or her account with respect to such Offering Period. The undersigned understands and agrees that his or her option for such Offering Period will be terminated automatically. The undersigned understands further that no further payroll deductions will be made for the purchase of shares in the current Offering Period and the undersigned will be eligible to participate in succeeding Offering Periods only by delivering to the Company a new Subscription Agreement.

Name and Address of Participant:
        
        
        
Signature:
        
Date:     


21
EX-31.1 4 ex311q3202310-q.htm EX-31.1 Document

Exhibit 31.1

CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-14(a) OR 15d-14a OF
THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 302
OF THE SARBANES OXLEY ACT OF 2002


I, Matthew Prince, certify that:

1.I have reviewed this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of Cloudflare, Inc.;

2.Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3.Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4.The registrant's other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:
(a)Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;
(b)Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;
(c)Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and
(d)Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

5.The registrant's other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of the registrant's board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):
(a)All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and
(b)Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant's internal control over financial reporting.



CLOUDFLARE, INC.
Date: November 2, 2023 /s/ Matthew Prince
Matthew Prince
Chief Executive Officer
(Principal Executive Officer)


EX-31.2 5 ex312q3202310-q.htm EX-31.2 Document

Exhibit 31.2

CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-14(a) OR 15d-14a OF
THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 302
OF THE SARBANES OXLEY ACT OF 2002


I, Thomas Seifert, certify that:

1.I have reviewed this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of Cloudflare, Inc.;

2.Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3.Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4.The registrant's other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:
(a)Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;
(b)Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;
(c)Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and
(d)Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

5.The registrant's other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of the registrant's board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):
(a)All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and
(b)Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant's internal control over financial reporting.



CLOUDFLARE, INC.
Date: November 2, 2023 /s/ Thomas Seifert
Thomas Seifert
Chief Financial Officer
(Principal Financial Officer)


EX-32.1 6 ex321q3202310-q.htm EX-32.1 Document

Exhibit 32.1

CERTIFICATIONS OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL OFFICER
PURSUANT TO 18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 906
OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002


I, Matthew Prince, certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of Cloudflare, Inc. for the fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2023 fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and that information contained in such Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of Cloudflare, Inc.



Date: November 2, 2023 /s/ Matthew Prince
Matthew Prince
Chief Executive Officer
(Principal Executive Officer)



I, Thomas Seifert, certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of Cloudflare, Inc. for the fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2023 fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and that information contained in such Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of Cloudflare, Inc.

Date: November 2, 2023 /s/ Thomas Seifert
Thomas Seifert
Chief Financial Officer
(Principal Financial Officer)